Boy Scout Troop 648 Scottsdale, Arizona

Good morning!

In the midst of the land of spring breaks, our annual family camp broke out in all its glory on an absolutely fabulous weekend for camping.  In between serenades from the neighborhood coyotes and the hooting of a rooster-like owl, we enjoyed crisp, dry mornings and a sun warm enough to entice the boys to swim in the snow-fed Romero pools up high in the Catalinas.  The troop welcomed two of our newest scouts, who joined just this week, and who demonstrated their most excellent hiking acumen on the steep climb up Romero Canyon.  Coupled with last week’s troop terrific meeting at AZ on the Rocks, this has been the climbingest week in quite awhile in Troop 648.  I am continually struck with what wonderful opportunities Boy Scouts brings in exposing our boys to a multitude of skills and experiences!  Ever onward – climb on!

And onward into the week we go, heading toward a particularly busy time of the year for the troop.  Hopefully many of you are having successes with your various sales opportunities to raise money for your scout accounts.  Please remember that this money is the boy’s to do with as he sees fit for anything relating to scouting.  Want to pay for the ski trip or summer camp, buy a new sleeping bag?  This is money the boy and his family can use to defray the costs that invariably come with the adventures we undertake.  Right now he should have Scout-O-Rama tickets and pancake breakfast tickets that he is selling to raise scout account money.  Additionally, the boys are working on gathering items for the silent auction held during the April 14^th pancake breakfast, will be paid a percentage of the take on the day of the pancake breakfast depending upon how much of the 6AM-11AM time they are able to work, and they have been signing up to sell flag pins at the door during the Lenten fish fries at Blessed Sacrament.  Those boys putting good effort into this time of year can pad their scout accounts with many hundreds of dollars.  Please let our Fundraising chair, Mr. Jeorling, know if you have questions – or feel free to contact me.

Tonight is the adult leader meeting, to be held this month at New Covenant Church.  Tomorrow is the weekly troop meeting.  Those older boys in Mr. Clapp’s Citizenship merit badge should be working on their worksheets – check in with any questions you have.  Sign up to help us work the final Lenten fish fry this coming Friday at 4:30.  Next Tuesday is PLC for our boy leadership team before the troop meeting.  Patrols should by now have a theme for their auction baskets, and be deciding what and how things will be placed within them.  Please plan to bring your whole family to the pancake breakfast on the 14^th, and for planning purposes, next month’s outing is a base camp with optional mountain biking along the Soldier’s Pass trail on the 20th-22nd.

See you tomorrow night!

Mr. Cole

Greetings!

I hope everyone has enjoyed the Spring Break season as we inch closer to the summer and Summer Camp!

Just as a reminder, the third payment of $100 will be due by the end of this month. I hope everyone is taking advantage of the numerous opportunities for fundraising this spring.

On Tuesday, April 3 we will hold a Troop Committee Meeting in the classroom adjacent to the normal Troop meeting room. We will begin the Committee Meeting around 7:10pm and will conclude before the end of the troop meeting.

We will have some committee business to cover, but I will also take the opportunity to discuss summer camp Merit Badge signups. For those with limited or no experience with the Geronimo Merit Badge process, this would be a good meeting to attend.

Thanks!

Mr. Benyi

Good evening,

A few random thoughts leading up to the weekend….

If you aren’t going camping, please consider helping Friday night at the fish fry.  4:30 – 7:30 or so – you will be veerrrry appreciated!  And…. bonus deal, receive service hours, fried fish and chips, and other wonderful prizes!

If you are going camping, focus on advancement.  Citizenship merit badge participants, bring your completed worksheet, and Mr. Clapp will review it with you.  Bring your books and work on requirements.  You have a captive audience of adult leaders, it is a great time for conferences and boards.  Older boys, think of advancements you could coordinate to help your assigned patrols – lashings, orienteering, this base camp is perfect for just about every kind of advancement activity.

Over the next few weeks, get a fast start on your fundraising.  Sell pancake breakfast tickets to everyone you know.  For those of you with Scout-O-Rama ticket books, selling those are also a good way to pad your scout accounts.  We also have opportunities for flag pin sales at the fish fries, as well as future opportunities (e.g. Memorial Day weekend).  Plan to work the pancake breakfast on April 14, and you will also participate in door sales as well as the auction money that is raised.

The more you put into scouts, the more you get out of it.  Kinda just like life in general. :-)  Hope to see you in the Catalinas!

Mr. Cole

Hi everyone!

Just a reminder, the meeting is at 6 o’clock tonight at AZ on the Rocks. We will NOT be meeting at the church. The cost will be 12 dollars, and you have to have a waiver printed out and signed by the time you get there. The waiver is available on the AZ on the rocks website. If you have any questions call me at 4803356600. Thanks guys see you there!

Good morning,

I am thankful for the rain this weekend, but I am doubly thankful that next weekend is shaping up to be a much drier one for our annual Troop Family Camp at Catalina State Park on the northeastern side of Tucson.  I hope many of you are planning on spending one or both nights with us – or if that is not possible, are considering driving down for the day on Saturday.  We traditionally have many opportunities for advancement, there is often a chance to see many native species (snakes, turtles, gila monsters!)in a traveling exhibit in the trailhead parking lot, we’ll have a hike, a pot luck, a campfire, and plenty of time for fun and fellowship.  Please stay tuned for a detailed update from young Mr. Yu and young Mr. Traynor as the boys finalize planning this week for this marvelous outing.

This week we will have our troop meeting offsite at AZ on the Rocks (16447 N. 91^st Street, Suite 105) off of Bell east of the 101 (480-502-9777).  Come prepared to “on belay, belay on!” up and down rock walls with climbing gear, and perhaps do some indoor bouldering as well.  Please contact young Mr. McFetters with any questions.  Next Monday night we will have an adult leader meeting, with the focus on boy leadership and some high level support planning for our April activities.  Another committee meeting will be coming in early April, as well.  Those older boys doing their Citizenship merit badges with Mr. Clapp should be making good progress by now on their homework – an excellent way to obtain these Eagle required merit badges taught by one of our own leaders with keen insights into how our government functions at all levels. 

Mr. Benyi has indicated that if you are planning to attend summer camp at Camp Geronimo (July 7-14), he should have your confirmation by now, and the first $200 in payments should be deposited (either through cash, check, or scout account).  We would love to have you attend – there is still plenty of space.  We had good opportunities this past weekend for fundraising to help with the costs, as some older boys assisted the Knights of Columbus with their St. Patrick’s Day social dinner, and a number of boys sold Scout-O-Rama tickets out in front of grocery stores.  Additional focus should be on selling Pancake Breakfast tickets for our upcoming 4/14/12 event (family, neighbors, friends, etc.), and the patrols should be gathering items for their themed auction baskets.  Additional tickets can be obtained through contacting Mr. Parizek or Mr. Jeorling.  This is the time of year when the boys can drive the scout account to a very healthy state – all it takes is a bit of energy and effort!

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night, and for our outing this weekend.  Happy trails!

Mr. Cole   

Greetings…

This is a busy time for the Troop, but don’t forget to think ahead to summer camp 2012. We will be at Camp Geronimo, July 7-14. For those not yet signed up, there is still space! For those who are, please try to stay on top of your payments; everyone should have two payments in by now. Schedule:

Feb 1: $100

Mar 1: $100

Apr 1: $100

May 1: $65

If you plan to utilize your Scout Account for some or all of the payments, please notify me that this is your intent. Please do not just skip payments, as it makes it very difficult to track. I will be at the meeting tonight toward the end for any wishing to make payments or signup. I am looking forward to a wonderful summer camp this year!

Mr. Benyi

Alooooooha!

Greetings from the Cole family’s last day in Paradise.  While a number of us have been on spring break this week, one of T648’s finest has been working hard, and in the process on Thursday has reached the pinnacle of scouting.  Young Mr. Finnegan  complemented an outstanding scouting portfolio with an excellent project eradicating invasive species of plants in the McDowell Mountain Regional Park.  This week he was recognized for the impressive sum of his efforts in becoming our latest Eagle Scout!  Terrific recognition for a terrific leader – congratulations!!  Please pass along your best wishes as you see him in the upcoming weeks, and stay tuned for an upcoming Eagle Court of Honor celebrating this wonderful accomplishment.

Many thanks this week to the many adults who covered the fish fry, flag pin sales, troop meeting at Cactus Park, and Eagle boards of review.  Even with vacation this remains a busy time in scouting.  This week we will have the troop meeting back at the church location, followed by a Saturday night dinner to work this week.  Due to the St Patrick’s Day occurrance, the Knights of Columbus will not hold a fish fry this week, but instead will hold a Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner on Saturday night.  Please sign up this Tuesday to work the 3/17 dinner beginning at 4PM or to take a turn increasing your scout account by selling flag pins at the door.   The following weekend is our family camp at Catalina State Park outside of Tucson.  We will meet down at the group campground Friday night the 23rd (whenever you can get there), and leave by 10AM on Sunday morning.  Saturday night is a community dinner where we ask you to bring your own main course to grill, but also a side dish or salad or dessert to share.  The remaining meals are you and your family’s opportunity to create fine outdoor cuisine to meet with your own discriminating tastes!  If you can’t come down for the whole time, consider coming down for one of the nights – or just to join us for the day and the dinner on Saturday.  Please sign up by the 20th (on Tuesday nights or by email) so we’ll know how many to expect.  It is always a wonderful opportunity to grow a bit closer as a T648 family in the great out of doors. 

Please also continue planning to participate in the April 14th pancake breakfast ticket sales, auction and breakfast fundraiser.  Also keep planning for our July 7-14th Geronimo summer camp experience.  It is always a great time to be a scout in T648!

Mahalo!

Mr. Cole

Good Evening Scouts, Leaders and Parents,

We will be meeting at Cactus Park tomorrow evening instead of Blessed Sacrament.  We will conduct our PLC meeting at 6:00 pm and the Troop meeting at 7:00 pm, as scheduled.  Richard Yu and Chandler Durrant are in charge of the activities for the evening.  Please bring equipment for outdoor sports, such as a basketball or football.  The uniform for the evening will be Class B’, unless of course you are requesting a Scoutmasters’ Conference or a Board of review.  Mr. Cole is vacationing in Hawaii and I would be privileged to conduct Scoutmaster Conferences and assist in setting up any boards that are required.  The theme for the evening is fun.  It’s Spring Break!

Take care and God Bless…..Mr. Martin

Good morning!

Many thanks to all who joined with us on Tuesday night for our T648 version of the Oscars.  Thankfully we didn’t have to deal with any wardrobe malfunctions or with a scouting version of Angie’s leg going viral!  Just a wonderful evening of reflection and acknowledgement of the advancements the boys are making along the scouting trail.  Keep working!  The next Court of Honor will be held prior to our trip to summer camp at Camp Geronimo in mid-July.

This coming Tuesday is during Scottsdale School District’s spring break, so many of you may be joining my family on our way out of town.  We have just discovered that the church has Lenten Mission night, and has asked that they be able to use their youth room for that purpose.  We thus need to continue our nomadic ways, and quickly find an alternative place to meet again for this week.  The current plan is to hold the monthly Patrol Leader’s Council and the troop meeting at Cactus Park, on the northeast corner of Cactus and Scottsdale Roads on Tuesday the 6th.  Our senior patrol leader Kyle Martin is staying in town during the break and will lead us, and Frank has graciously agreed to be scoutmaster for a week.

Coming up we have some of our best fundraising opportunities to build out those individual Scout Accounts!  You have a chance every Friday night to sign up to sell flag pins during the church Lenten fish fries (please note that the 3/16 fish fry will not occur, but we will instead be working a 3/17 corned beef and cabbage night for St Patrick’s Day).  Mr. Jeorling has been lining up grocery stores for us to begin selling Scout-O-Rama tickets, which is the Boy Scout version of Girl Scout cookies.  Please look for sign-ups for that at upcoming troop meetings.  And on April 14^th will be our annual pancake breakfast.  Please begin letting people know that you will begin selling tickets ($5.00 per person) to our breakfast in mid to late March, and encourage your friends, family and neighbors to come for the silent auction as well as the yummy food.  Each patrol will begin working on a theme for an auction basket per patrol, and the boys will be then looking for donations to include in the baskets based upon that theme (Spa, Sports, Movies, Home Maintenance, etc).

I heard last night that a number of our senior scouts decided that they wanted to kick off spring break with their own outing.  Six Eagle and Life scouts have headed up the Beeline, and are spending part of this weekend camping near Saguaro Lake, using all the skills developed during scouting (and possibly a few more!) in their own enjoyment of this beautiful land we call Arizona.  This is another of those frequent moments when the value of this program really hits me.  Once again I give thanks for all the support that the members of this troop provide, help which ultimately turns our boys into exceptional men.

Have a great week!

Mr. Cole

Good morning!

I hope you have been enjoying this month of unusual holidays.  There was a major holiday in Valentine’s Day unaccompanied by a day off from school, a holiday in President’s Day that didn’t even exist when I was a kid which did provide a vacation day, a holiday when the whole world watched a rodent determine future weather patterns, and a holiday day that doesn’t even exist every three out of four years.  I enjoyed taking some time off this year for MLK Day and President’s Day, by actually combining the two afternoons into one vacation day. Since most of my kids aren’t really moving until noon, I work the mornings and then come home to finish rousting them out into our beautiful weather.  This doesn’t even touch on the really unusual holidays in February yet.  There are some very strange ones – and some also quite appropriate for my own sleeping groundhogs.  Did you know that Tuesday is Public Sleeping Day – a day celebrating catching a few winks wherever you happen to be?  Equally appropriate for the Coles, Monday just happens to be No Brainer Day, which is not to celebrate what we occasionally accuse a random teenager or two of, but a day to perform all those simple, logical activities that you never have time to do.   But yesterday, February 25^th really takes the cake for my youngest Mr. Cole.  It is Pistol Patent Day, the day in which Samuel Colt received his patent for the revolver back in 1836.

Looking beyond the occasional obscure holiday, we have boatloads of days filled with scouting opportunities.  Last Tuesday was the Iron Chef competition, and steaks were sizzling and whip cream was flying as culinary creativity was off the hook!  Last Friday night began the first of the Lenten fish fries at the church – many thanks to the great number of you who participated.  T648 scouts will have opportunities each of the next five upcoming Friday nights (except 3/16, when there will instead be a corned beef and cabbage dinner on Saturday night the 17^th which we also will support) to earn service hours as well as sell flag pins to add to their individual scout accounts while we support our host organization.  Please see young Mr. Dahlmann to sign up.  Instead of a troop meeting, Tuesday night is our Winter court of honor to recognize advancement achievement over the past five months.  All family and friends are welcome to join us at the Embassy Suites south of PV Mall at 4415 E. Paradise Village Parkway.  Next Saturday will be an outing to the Musical Instrument Museum hosted by young Mr. Harness.  Still to be rescheduled on an upcoming Saturday will be a quartermaster event to paint the troop shed.  Our March outing is the family campout the weekend of 3/23.  Don’t forget to get your reservation and initial funding of $100 in to Mr. Benyi for summer camp.  Geronimo is but a short four and a half months away!

See you at the celebration Tuesday night!

Mr. Cole