Here are the upcoming stake events for the year:
- First Aid: February, 19th (6:30pm – 9:00pm) – Bring your own First Aid Kit if you have one.
- Location: Monument Building
- Hiking: March, 19th (10:00am – 1:00pm) – Pack a lunch and water
- Camping: April, 22/23 (Time TBD)
- Citizenship: May, 7th (10:00am – 11:30am)
- Location: VA War Memorial
- Camping: June, 10/11 (Time TBD)
- Day Camp: July, 16th (8:30am – 4:00pm)
- Location: Three Lakes Park
- Swimming: August, 19th (6:30pm – 8:30pm)
- Biking: September, 10th (9:00am – 12:00pm) – Bring snacks and water
- Camping: October 21/22 (Time TBD)
- Service: November, 19th (Time TBD) – Service project TBD
- CPR: December – Date and Time TBD
All of these activities will have more info coming as they get closer. Thank you for putting these dates in your planners.
Also remember that all of these dates and others are on our official eleven year old troop calendar found by clicking here.
Also, on a rare occasion the BSA updates/changes the Rank requirements. These are the requirements in the book, not merit badges. As of Jan 1, 2016 there have been some changes. I will attach an updated list of the new requirements. If your scout is currently working on a rank, he can complete that rank using the old requirements. I believe all of the 11 yo scouts are working on completing Tenderfoot rank. Any rank beginning after 1/1/16, will need to be completed using the new requirements. This being said, while our 11 yo scouts are working on 3 ranks at the same time, because Tenderfoot is not completed,they are technically still Scouts working on Tenderfoot. Because work on the Tenderfoot rank was begun last year, it can be completed with the old requirements.
The ranks need to be completed in order: Scout, Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, 1st Class, etc. Therefore, the 2nd, & 1st Class ranks will need to be completed using the new requirements.
We try to give our 11 yo scouts a boost before they turn 12 by completing requirements in a few ranks at a time. This is why you will see requirements marked off in more than 1 rank during the next year.
NEW RANK REQUIREMENTS:
http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/2016BoyScoutRequirements_8.14.2015.pdf
Another requirement of BSA is that in order for a scout, (any scout) to participate in activities, other than troop meetings, he is required to have a medical form on file with the troop. These forms have to be updated annually. Please fill out the medical forms part A & B, and give them to John Oliver, Gain Foster, Alvin Walsh, or Patti Hobbs.
MEDICAL FORMS:
http://www.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-001_AB.pdf
I know this is kind of alien to new scout parents. I will let you know that I have been in scouting for many years, but began when my son was 8 years old. I knew nothing about scouting either, but learned as I went along. Please, please ask questions if you don’t understand. I will do my best to update and explain things to you. Scouting is such an amazing program for our boys. I don’t want you to become frustrated or have your son miss out on something amazing, and fun.
Thanks so much for all you do,
Patti Hobbs
Troop Comm Chrmn
Troop 767
P.S. – Be sure your scout brings his scout book to every gathering, meeting, etc. This is the way to stay current with his achievements.
Hello Everyone,
I hope this email/post finds you all well!
We were going to talk about this at the committee meeting, but since we pushed it back to the 24th, I figured it would be best if we go ahead and send an email out.
We sent a survey out a few weeks back and asked if you would prefer summer camp, or spring camp. The majority of the responses were in favor of doing spring camp. Next, we need to figure out who is attending and if they are attending as a the merit badge program, or going to help as camp volunteers.
If you already know your scouts are attending, please fill out this survey so we can start getting a head count.
Here are the basics you need to know at this point in time.
Date: March 28th to April 2nd
Fee: $50
Possible Merit Badges Earned: 5
Medical Forms Required: Parts A, B and C
Attendance Options: CIT/Unpaid Staff (Free) or Normal Attendee (Fee Listed Above)
We are aware that the 2nd is also the same day as General Conference. We plan on leaving early enough to be back at the church (or other planned drop-off location) with plenty of time for the scouts to reach their planned viewing destination.
The final merit badge list and merit badge registration won’t be available until March 2nd. However we do plan on signing up before then to ensure our spot.
Camp itself is charging us $180 per scout (compared to $295 for summer camp). This fee includes meals, camp services, awards and other activities. There may be small additional fees for certain merit badges (cooking, rifle/shotgun, etc.). Thanks to the fantastic support from church members, scouts, parents and friends, the troop will be paying the majority of the camp fee. Because of this, each scout will only need to pay $50 for camp (plus any additional fees for certain merit badges – normally less than $20).
It is important that we get a headcount soon so that we can move forward with camp registration in the next few weeks. Here is a list of scouts that I highly recommend attending the merit badge program and not as a CIT/unpaid staff.
- Jacob
- Andrew
- Seth
- Connor
- John
- Laz
- Michael
You all have a few merit badges left for Eagle and attending and participating in the merit badge program could potentially give you 5 more merit badges that you need. Once merit badge registration opens, we will sit down with you all and go over what you need and what merit badges you want to take.
If you are interested in earning Eagle Palms (5 extra merit badges – you don’t have to be an eagle to start working on them), this would be a fantastic opportunity for you as well.
If you are interested in the CIT/Staff program, please contact me.
Register Here
As always, if you have any questions about this or any other scout related thing, please feel free to contact me.
UPDATE: This trip has been canceled due to unsafe amounts of snow for transportation.
Hello Everyone!
I hope this post finds everyone well!
As you may know, we recently published a list of dates with all of our tentative camping trips for the year. Included in this list is a camping trip that we are having next weekend (Jan 22/23). Here are the details for that trip…
- Date: January 22nd & 23rd
- Camping Trip Location: Brother Holle’s Property (next to Church)
- Hanover Meet Location and Time: Church @ 5PM
- Caroline Meet Location and Time: Contact Brother Foster
- Pickup Location: Church @ 2:15pm or the Stake Center @ 2pm [Subject to Change]
- Food Cost: $10
- RSVP: Please Click Here
Because we have a basketball game at 2pm, rides will be provided for those that need to go to the stake center. You will also notice that we are now using online forms for signup/rsvp. Please fill out this form if your youth plan on attending. We may also be in need of help with transportation. If you are willing to help with this need, please let us know on the same signup form.
We look forward to seeing you all next weekend!
We are looking into possibly doing a spring camp this year rather than a summer camp. The benefits of doing this are:
- It’s much cheaper at $180/youth and $90/adults keeping in mind the troop would cover a good amount of this cost.
- The weather is MUCH more hospitable with temps ranging from 40’s to upper 60’s.
For those that don’t need merit badges, we are looking into the possibility of having scouts help as either camp staff or counselors in training. This option *may* cost less or even be free. More information will be provided soon regarding this.
Please let us know what you think by visiting the following link and filling out the survey:
https://docs.google.com/a/techya.net/forms/d/1bFMwgv_5JLPP2pNtZYnogRIUEbrNPdqKqCqtiZIT65Q/viewform
It is important that we hear from ALL parents involved in scouting (with youth 12 and up) so that we can weigh the options and make a fair decision for everyone. We plan on discussing the outcome at our next Committee meeting (Jan 27th) and making a decision then. Please plan on attending that committee meeting if possible.
I want to first start by thanking Gavin, Beckette, Parker, Neil, Jacob and Charlie for all the work they have put in while serving in their leadership positions. Without you all, the troop would not be where it is today.
With that in mind, here are the results of tonight’s elections:
- Senior Patrol Leader: Beckette F.
- Assistant Senior Patrol Leader: Laz M.
- Patrol Leader (Older Scouts): Andrew P.
- Assistant Patrol Leader (Older Scouts): Gavin R.
- Patrol Leader (11YO Scouts): Miles L.
- Assistant Patrol Leader (11YO Scouts): Mitchell S.
- Troop Historian (Older Scouts): John A.
- Troop Historian (11YO Scouts): Alex S.
- Troop Scribe: Neil F.
- Troop Quartermaster: Charlie F.
- Order of the Arrow Troop Representative: Gavin R.
Congratulations to you all! Handbooks and other information will be getting to you soon.
Just like we did last year, we have a lot of dates for you to ingest. While you could print all of them off and eat them, we would prefer you add them to your calendar instead. Here are all the tentative dates for troop camping trips and other note worthy get togethers for the this new year.
Please understand that we have done the best we can to work around basketball, stake and other church events while putting these dates together (other than basketball, we are in the clear as of this post). Please also understand that things will change. As we are made aware of changes on the stake and church level, we will update our troop calendar (something you should subscribe too) and the ward calendar.
Also be aware that this list does not include eleven year old (EYO) events. Most of our EYO events are planned by the stake separately and do not include the older troop members. While we will have several events that we invite both EYO and cubs to, stake events should be the main priority for our EYO scouts. We will always try to keep our eleven year old calendar up to date, however things are always in motion and may change.
You will also notice that some events mention Order of the Arrow. For those of you not aware, the Order of the Arrow is the National Honor Society of the Boy Scouts of America. For those that are members of the Order of the Arrow (or candidates in some situations) these dates should be added to your personal calendar and attended if possible. For those that are not members, or who are unaware of what the Order of the Arrow is, please feel free to reach out to any scout leader in the troop.
While the dates are on the calendar, the actual theme or camping trips have yet to be planned by our youth leaders. As adult leaders, we wanted to get the dates on the calendar so that we can at least plan for them. Our youth leaders will be working quickly to plan out the type of trips we will be taking. We are a youth led troop, meaning that 90% of the trips taken are either planned by, or inspired by the youth leadership in the troop and their ideas. Because of this, don’t expect great detail about trips until 2 or 3 weeks before the actual event (unless it’s a high adventure trip or extended camping trip).
Also be aware that every month we hold a committee meeting. If you, as a parent, have a (non-immediate) concern or you would like to voice your input, or just would like to help the troop grow, PLEASE make it a point to attend these meetings. For the most part, they are held on the 3rd or 4th Wednesday of each month (check the Calendar please) after troop meetings (committee meeting starts around 8:15pm). Committee meetings is where all of the scout leaders, parents and committee members get together to talk about development and the future of the troop.
Without further adieu, here are the dates for 2016. Happy New year all!
- January 22nd & 23rd – Camping Trip
- February 13th – Merit Badge University (not a camping trip but worth knowing about)
- February 26th & 27th – Camping Trip
- March 11th & 12th – Order of the Arrow Spring Service Weekend
- March 28th to April 2nd – Spring Camp
- April 8th & 9th – Merit Badge Weekend
- April 29th & 30th – Order of the Arrow Conclave
- May 20th & 21st – Father & Son Camping Trip
- June 3rd & 4th – Order of the Arrow Summer Service Weekend
- June 17th & 18th – Camping Trip
- July 25th to 30th – Camping Trip
- August 11th to 13th – Camping Trip
- September 9th & 10th – Order of the Arrow Fall Service Weekend
- September 23rd & 24th – Camping Trip
- October 14th & 15th – Order of the Arrow Fall Fellowship
- October 28th & 29th – Halloween Camping Trip
- November 11th & 12th – Camping Trip
- December 26th to 31st – Winter Camping Trip
I wanted to take a quick moment and wish everyone a happy new year! Like most people, our troop has several goals set for 2016…
Communication
We are always looking for more ways to help communicate with everyone involved in the troop. There have been a number of times that we have heard “I had no idea” regarding upcoming events. To help prevent this, please take a moment and complete our communication survey located here.
This will help us find better ways to communicate with everyone and keep those dreaded 4 words from ever having to be uttered again.
Camping Dates
At a PLC (Patrol Leaders’ Council) last month, the youth leaders agreed that the 1 trip a month is a good goal to carry into the new year (for the main troop). With this in mind, we will be putting dates on the calendar for the entire year within the next week [DONE].
Please be aware that there may be months with 2 trips depending on Order of the Arrow events (these dates are already on the calendar).
Eagles
As leaders, we can only push so hard for our candidates to earn their Eagle. We rely on the candidates themselves and their parents with support from the leaders to make reasonable goals.
With support from everyone involved, we have 5 or more candidates that we would like to see wrap up their projects this year…
Let’s make it happen! 🙂
Of course there are other goals on our list (advancement, training, etc), but these are the ones that most stick out right now in my mind.
It is very unfortunate, but because not enough people were able to attend, we have been forced to cancel the camping trip planned for the 28th to the 30th.
Look for upcoming dates for next year soon. Merry Christmas and we hope you all have a Happy New Year!
CANCELED: The trip mentioned in this post has been canceled!
Hello Everyone,
I hope this email/post finds you well!
I apologize for the delay on getting this email out. We wanted to check the campground before confirming the location and we were able to finally make it up there yesterday.
Here are the details for the camping trip that we have had on the calendar. We will be staying 3 days at Wolf Gap Recreation Area located in the Lee Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.
Meet Location: Church
Meet Time: 8am on Monday (Dec 28th)
Pickup Location: Church
Pickup Time: 3pm on Wednesday (Dec 30th)
Fee: $10 Per Person
For people that live north of the Church, please contact Brother Foster for a ride. Because we have to get the food earlier than we normally do, please RSVP before Saturday if you plan on attending. This should be a fun camping trip with relatively good weather (some lite rain that clears up).
If you have any questions, please feel free contact me.
PS: While it may be called Wolf Gap, there is no connection to the furry canine.
On Friday, November 13th, Troop 767 went on a campout to Lake Anna. The main goal of this campout was to help scouts with rank advancements for things such as cooking, woodcarving, etc. When we got there, we set up camp. Once finished, we split up into patrols. Each patrol had about three or four people, and each one planned and made their own meals. Dinner tasted amazing, and after some Dungeons and Dragons, we had all fallen asleep. On Saturday morning, we woke up to a beautiful sunrise. Later we made breakfast. One particular scout decided to surprise his patrol by accidentally spilling the patrol’s eggs on the ground. Unfortunately for this scout, one of his patrol members was Mike Bradshaw. Once breakfast was cleaned up, we had a knife safety session courtesy of Mike Bradshaw. Once finished, scouts who needed their totin’-chip were given the chance to receive theirs. After Bear’s session we made lunch. After lunch was cleaned up, we took a break while Bradshaw attempted to make a chocolate cake, due to it being Brother Walsh’s birthday. After the break, scouts had a fire-making lesson presented by Bro. Walsh. During this lesson, Bradshaw’s cake was still not cooked well, but it’s camping food. From stories of Stuart the Squirrel to mushy cake, it was a successful camping trip.
