Good day T648,
Happy September! It is hard to believe that we are already 2/3 of the way through 2011 – and much of the best is still yet to come. We have tons of scout-related activities heading our way in upcoming months. Tomorrow is Patrol Leadership Council at 6PM,
with the troop meeting at 7PM, and no Tenderfoot training before the meeting this week. Mr. Harness has also indicated that there will be no bike check tomorrow, so please do not bring your bikes to the meeting as originally planned. We will be changing the September outing due to advance scouting done by the Harnesses last weekend. Starting this next weekend, we will have special activities every week during September, beginning with Mr. Frank’s Eagle Project. Please join our troop the morning of 9/10 as America as a country dedicates tremendous amounts of volunteerism this weekend during the 10th Anniversary of 9-11-01. Specific details have been announced in previous meetings, and will be finalized by Mr. Frank at tomorrow’s troop meeting, then posted on the troop website later in the week.  As mentioned, our outing on 9/16 will not be a bike outing to Dairy Springs, but instead a caving, summiting, biking outing to the Lava Tubes and Mt. Humphreys in the Flagstaff area. We also will have a busy weekend on 9/23-25 as the scouts 14 and older will be heading for high adventure along the Rainbow trail on the rim of the Grand Canyon, and Mr. Lara is aiming to nail down his Eagle Project for the 24th as well. For those of you ready to receive your well-deserved advancements along with the many merit badges you have earned during the summer, our Court of Honor pot-luck has been scheduled for Tuesday, September 27th from 5:30-8:30PM at the church. Please come for an evening of celebration and great eating in what is traditionally one of the most fun events of the year!
Mr. Benyi of Price-Waterhouse-Coopers-Butler has announced that the results are in for T648 Honor Patrol for 2010-2011. It was a tight and hotly contested race, but there is in fact a clear winner, a patrol that distanced themselves from the pack. As was not totally unexpected, it was not the Pirates patrol who finished #1, but one of our younger patrols who best supported their patrol through active participation in meetings, events and completeness of uniform. The results will be given to the PLC tomorrow night, and announced by leadership in the troop meeting.   The honors trip to Club 33 for the patrol and wild card winners is being tentatively scheduled for early November. Improvements in the process for next year include a more regular publishing of interim results to allow patrols better insight into when they need an extra push towards the finish line.
We are putting together adult and senior boy leadership support for the new patrol structure to support our new youth leadership
positions. I am extremely encouraged by the prospects for an exceptional year in our troop. Many thanks to the adult leaders, without whom little could happen within the troop, to the parents who ensure that our youth stay connected through participation and study, and of course each and every boy who has made it a priority to better themselves and have fun through scouting. It is a great time to be a member of T648!
Mr. Cole