The 5th grade scouts will meet on Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Room 4 at the Township Hall. Please note: different time AND different place. They are meeting at 5:00 to accommodate the Central scouts & families who have Open House that night, and are meeting at Township Hall because there are services at RPC that night.

ONLY the 5th grade scouts will have a regular meeting. Any scouts 6th grade & older can still sign up for archery. The 7:00-8:00 time is full, but we have spots left in the 8:00-9:00 period. We will have an instructor present to give a refresher, or to work with more experienced archers on perfecting their technique. The cost is $15, and payment can be made at WePay. Please sign up here: http://troop24riverside.com/2011/04/archery-form/

If your scout has his own equipment, please e-mail Nancy Hopkins, as the cost will be lower. If your scout has signed up for 7:00, but would prefer to come at 8:00, please contact Nancy.

Good news: We had enough interest to add a second time slot for archery on Thursday, April 21, from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. Six scouts said they were interested, and we have room for twelve. This outing is for scouts 6th grade and older. We will be going to the Archery Custom Shop, 7240 W. Madison in Forest Park. The cost is $15, and you must sign up and pay in advance. Space is limited, so this outing is on a first-come, first-served, basis. Parents will need to drive or carpool. After we know for sure who is going we’ll send out more information.

Sign up here: http://troop24riverside.com/2011/04/archery-form/

Due to the weather, Karl’s Eagle Project at the British Home will take place on Sunday rather than Saturday. We hope your time is flexible enough to allow the scouts who signed up to work on Saturday to come on Sunday instead. The two shifts on Sunday will be 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (If your scout was signed up for 9-12 on Saturday, please come at 11:00 on Sunday. If he was signed up for 12-3 on Saturday, please come at 1:00 on Sunday.) If you didn’t sign up, your help is still welcome. See Karl when you arrive.

Scouts should bring gloves. If possible, rakes, shovels, and wheelbarrows are also needed. Please contact Karl J. if you have any questions.

We’ve had good response from scouts for the Archery outing next Thursday at 7:00 p.m. At this point we have only ONE spot remaining. All but 2 of the scouts who signed up are in 6th grade. We can add a second class from 8:00 to 9:00 if there is enough interest. Please e-mail Nancy Hopkins at nmhopkins1@comcast.net if your scout has not signed up yet, but would be interested in archery instruction including an hour on the range in Forest Park. If we get at least five scouts interested, we’ll open another registration form for the 8-9 timeslot.

Because there will be church services at RPC on Thursday, April 21, the ALPHADOGS and PURPLEJOES patrols will meet in Room 4 at the Township Hall at 5:00 p.m. For scouts 6th grade and older, we will be going to the Archery Custom Shop, 7240 W. Madison in Forest Park. We will have an archery instructor from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The cost will be $15, and you must sign up and pay in advance. Space is limited, so this outing is on a first-come, first-served, basis. If we have more scouts interested than we can accommodate, we have the option to add a second session from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Sign up for Archery here: http://troop24riverside.com/2011/04/archery-form/

Last year, the Scouts helped greatly in the RPC cereal Drive. During the entire month of May, RPC will again be collecting cereal of all kinds. All cereal collected goes to the First Presbyterian Church in Chicago where low-income children go for breakfast in the summer because they’re not receiving breakfast at their schools as they do during the school year. Our goal is to help as many kids as possible have enough to eat in the summer months! We hope you will consider participating in this very worthwhile cause again this year. Your cereal donations would be greatly appreciated! Bring cereal donations to RPC the night of any Troop meeting during April or May. If you have any questions, please contact Jenny Kolinski at kolinski426@comcast.net.

Karl J’s Eagle Project at the British Home is this Saturday, April 16. Scouts (adult help welcome too) who are not going to the Camporee are encouraged to sign up to help with the project. The work will involve renovating planting beds in preparation for the installation of benches and wheelchair accessible planters. There are 2 shifts available: 9:00 a.m. to noon, and noon to 3:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Please dress appropriately (long pants, and clothes that can get dirty/muddy) and bring a pair of work gloves. Please contact Karl by e-mail at jantze@sbcglobal.net or by phone to sign up. Because so many of our scouts will be at the Rochelle Camporee, the help of those who are in town this weekend will be greatly appreciated. Eagle projects count for service hours for rank advancement, and can also be used for RB service hours.

At the Troop meeting this week (regular Thursday meeting place & time), the new scouts will continue working on Tenderfoot requirements, specifically those involving Patrol Organization. A representative from the Des Plaines Valley Council will be at the meeting to talk about Youth Leader Training, a training program for scouts 13 and older. We will also be cleaning and preparing the trailer and gear for the Camporee outing.

All scouts should bring their books. Parents — please review with your scouts the importance of having the book at every meeting, and go through the book with them to see which requirements have been signed off. It’s impossible for the leaders to know which requirements every one of our 65 scouts is lacking. Scouts below 1st Class, who believe they have completed a requirement, or want to work on a requirement at the meeting, should talk to a Scoutmaster or Troop Guide (some of older scouts).