Troop 24 will be participating in the Voyageur Trace High Adventure Expo May 1 through May 3, 2009, in Kettle Moraine State Park. This is open to scouts who are 13 years old and older, and First Class and higher. Scouts must be physically fit. The purpose of this outing is to meet training needs for high adventure, gain backpacking experience, test out equipment, improve trail food cooking skills, share great high adventure experiences, and earn requirements. Scouts will be organized into Philmont- style crews. There will be hiking and/or mountain biking. There will be break-out sessions on backpacking, orienteering, water purification, bear safety, and first aid. Meals will be trail food. We must be registered at Council no later than March 30. Permission slips are due by March 19. The cost is $23.00.

As always, we will need parents to volunteer to drive and stay.

Events scheduled for Troop 24 can be viewed on our online calendar. If you can’t locate the latest e-mail from our Scoutmaster, you can always check the calendar.

Scouts: The deadline for turning in your pancake breakfast ticket money is this Thursday, February 26, at the Scout meeting. If you are unable to be at the meeting, please drop it off at Sue Jone’s house prior to that date. If no one is at home, push the envelope all the way in to the mail box so that it drops inside the house. If you don’t know where Sue lives, please e-mail her for directions.

Each year for the Pancake Breakfast, we sell sponsorship squares for our placemat to area businesses and supporters of scouting. Due to the recession, we have lost a few of our traditional sponsors. If any parent could sponsor a square, please email Sue Jones by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, February (tomorrow). Sue can either pick up a copy of your business card from your house or you can email it to Sue. The sponsorship levels are : $50 bronze sponsor, $100 silver sponsor, $150 gold sponsor. Thank you!

Our March outing is the Voyageur Trace First Aid meet on Saturday, 3/14/09, at Brodnicki School, 8641 W. 75th Street in Justice. At the meet, patrols will compete in 6 realistic first aid scenarios.  We’ll leave at 8:30 a.m. from Riverside Presbyterian Church, with an estimated return at 1:00.  The cost is $6.00, which is due, with the permission slip, by 3/5/09.  As always, we will need parents to volunteer to drive and to stay.

Our March outing will be a First Aid meet on March 14 sponsored by the Des Plaines Valley Council.  Troops will compete in first aid, with patrols going from scenario to scenario and being graded as they react to the situation.  A leader will periodically call out changes to the situation.  There will be realistic make-up.  This will be a day outing, with location to be announced, but assumed to be in the area.  Mark your calendars for this outing.  More information to follow.

Save the date:  Troop 24’s spring Court of Honor will be held on Thursday, March 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the RPC Social Hall.

Every year the Boy Scouts of America celebrate the founding of the Boys Scouts on Scout Sunday.  The tradition was started to make people more aware of scouting, and to allow scouts to live out what they pledge each week.  This  Sunday, February 8, 2009, is Scout Sunday at Riverside Presbyterian Church.  RPC is our Chartering Organization, and we operate as one of the oldest troops in the State because RPC  has supported us for 70 years.  Even if you don”™t normally attend RPC, all scouts and their families are especially invited to  the 10:00 a.m. worship service this Sunday.  Scouts should wear Class A uniforms.

If you can”™t make it, many other churches hold a Scout Sunday.  Although February 8 is officially “Scout Sunday” some churches may celebrate on a different date.  Check with your church to confirm the date.