Our April outing is to the U.S. Grant Pilgrimage in Galena, IL. We’ll be camping in Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park. See www.usgrantpilgrimage.org for information. Cost is $30, permission slips are due by 4/10. We need parents for this outing.

Our March outing is to Camp Crown in Wilmot, IL, leaving on Saturday, 3/8 at 8:00, and returning on Sunday, 3/9, at 10:00. Cost is $20, and permission slips are due by 2/28. We need parents for this outing.

Thank you to the parents who have already volunteered to go to the monthly Voyageur Trace Round Table meetings. We have 3 meetings left without a volunteer: 2/13, 4/9, and 5/14.

A boy scout roundtable is a meeting open to all leaders, committee members, and scout parents. Our district’s are held every second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Ideal School, 9901 W. 58th St. in Countryside. They are 1.5 hours long. They cover upcoming events in our district, as well as an open discussion of boy scout issues. We need to have at least 1 representative of Troop 24 at each meeting, who will then come to the troop meeting and report. If you can go, please contact Pat Rohm.

Thanks to all the scouts and families who attended the Scout Sunday service at our charter organization, Riverside Presbyterian Church, and particularly to Max M and Casey C, the liturgists for the service. Thanks also to the parents who supplied baked goods and helped with the coffee fellowship.

The DesPlaines Valley Council has the following training sessions scheduled for February and March. Please consider registering for one of these classes. Sixteen Webelos scouts will be joining Troop 24 in the next month, and additional leaders will be needed to continue to offer a quality program. Being trained does not mean you must come to every troop meeting or every outing, but having additional trained leaders will give the troop more flexibility. Visit the DesPlaines Valley Council website for more information.

February 20 – New Leader Essentials is an introductory session that highlights the values, aims, history, funding, and methods of Scouting. Following Fast Start Training, this is the first segment of Basic Leader Training for Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing Leaders. (This is not required for former Cub Scout leaders who have already completed the course).

February 24 – Merit Badge Counselor Orientation gives counselors the confidence and consistency needed to counsel Boy Scouts in Merit Badges. This course is required for every Merit Badge Counselor.

March 4, 6, 10 – Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training is required for all Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters, and transitioning Webelos leaders. This session concentrates on Troop operation. All three sessions are required.

The Troop Committee meeting is Tuesday, February 5, at 7:00 pm, in the RPC upstairs “parlor.” Parents are welcome (& encouraged) to attend.

Our March outing will be to Camp Crown in Wilmot, IL, leaving on Saturday, 3/8, and returning on Sunday, permission slips due on 2/28.

 Our April outing will be to the Grant Pilgrimage in Galena, IL, leaving Friday, 4/25 and returning on Sunday, permission slips due on 4/10. 

Our June outing will be to Lake Shabbonah on Father’s Day weekend. 

Please reserve these dates and think about helping out as a leader. 

The permission slip and $6.50 for the Klondike Derby is due 1/31 (and not 1/24, as the previous post erroneously stated).

The Boy Scouts of America celebrate the anniversary of the founding of Boys Scouts on February 8. Scout Sunday is celebrated on the Sunday preceding February 8. The tradition of Scout Sunday was started to make people in church aware of Scouting, and to allow Scouts to live out parts of what they pledge each week. The Scout Law says that a “Scout is Reverent” and Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of all ages promise to do their “Duty to God.” Among the purposes of scouting are Spiritual Growth, Character Development, and Good Citizenship. Riverside Presbyterian Church has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 24 and Cub Scout Pack 24 since May, 1939. There are currently 37 Boy Scouts in Troop 24 and 94 Cub Scouts in Pack 24. The Riverside Presbyterian Church would like to invite all scouts and their families to the Scout Sunday service this Sunday, February 3, with the service at 10:00 a.m. and coffee fellowship hosted by the scouts following the service.