Reminder: There is no Troop Meeting on Thursday (although there is a 7:00 informational meeting at RPC, for parents/scouts 8th grade & older, regarding Philmont). Instead, please come to the Scout Cabin on Friday, December 17, for a holiday party/movie night. Scouts are asked to bring snacks to share.

Troop 24 has been offered an opportunity to attend Philmont Scout Ranch in 2011. We entered the lottery in November, 2009 and were placed on a waiting list. You all must have been especially good because we have miraculously moved from number 588 on the wait list to being offered a slot for two crews. We have the option of sending two crews of 7–12 people per crew (for a total of 14–24 people) for a Philmont trek from July 14 through July 26, 2011 (all Philmont treks are 12 days). You should plan on leaving July 13 and returning July 27 to accommodate travel.

Attending Philmont is the greatest adventure that Scouting offers. Every person that has attended describes it as a life-changing experience. Philmont is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. You must be able to carry a 35 to 50 lb. pack (but no more than 25-30% of your body weight) while hiking 5 to 12 miles per day (for 10 days) in an isolated mountain wilderness, ranging from 6,500 to 12,500 feet in elevation. Climatic conditions include temperatures from 30 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, low humidity (10-30%) and frequent, sometimes severe, afternoon thunderstorms. We will be camping in the mountains and must carry all of our food, water, cooking equipment, tents and personal gear.

We will select a trek that will determine our specific activities, but options include rock climbing and rappelling, challenge events, pole climbing, black powder shooting, 12 gauge trap shooting, .30-06 shooting, fly fishing, 3D archery, wilderness survival, and many others.

All scouts who are 14 years old by July 14 OR have completed the eighth grade and are 13 by July 14 are eligible to attend. In addition to the trek, we will be scheduling a number of mandatory outings to prepare for the adventure. This is the minimum level of preparation recommended by the BSA for Philmont:

April – two 5 – 10 mile day hikes, with a full backpack on the second hike.
May – two 3 day backpacking treks of 10 – 20 miles.
June – one 3 day backpacking trek of 20 miles and one 5 day trek of at least 30 miles.

WE WILL BE HAVING AN INFORMATION MEETING FOR SCOUTS AND THEIR PARENTS AT THE RPC FELLOWSHIP HALL ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16 AT 7:00. Please plan on attending if you are interested in attending Philmont. If you are interested but cannot make the meeting, please call Jim Ringbloom for more information. Check out the Philmont web site for more information. Wikipedia also has a very good article.

Just a reminder: The Troop Committee meets tonight, December 7, at 7:00 p.m. in the Westminster Room at RPC. All scout parents are welcome.

Scout assistance is needed for Cody V’s Eagle Project, which will consist of moving and reorganizing contents of the basement at the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola Hospital in Maywood. The following shifts are available:

Friday, December 10: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 11: 9:00 a.m. – noon
Saturday, December 11: noon – 2:30
Sunday, December 12: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Please contact Cody at southpaw307@gmail.com or by phone at one of the numbers listed on the attached permission slip.

Congratulations to our newest Eagle Scout, Fitz Robling!