Sue Jones & Debbie Payne are coordinating refreshments for the Fall Court of Honor, to be held Thursday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m. at RPC. Please let us know if you are able to donate a treat (fruit, cookies, etc.) and/or if you are able to assist with the setup (arriving by 6:30 p.m.) and clean-up.

Treats should be delivered to the Social Hall kitchen by 6:50 p.m., and beverages will be provided.

Please e-mail Sue Jones at Sue_Jones@DesignPac.com if you are able to assist with the refreshments table setup/clean-up and/or what you are bringing.

The Troop Committee will meet on Tuesday, November 1, at 7:00 p.m. in the Westminster Room at RPC. As always, scout parents are welcome to attend.

One of our scouts, James S, is serving as Asst. Webmaster by providing reports on outings. Look for his byline in upcoming Feedblitz posts. His first article describes the outing to White Pines State Forest near Oregon, Illinois, the weekend of October 21-23.

During the recent trip to White Pines, the scouts had lots of fun. It took about three hours to get there, and we stopped along the way. When we got there, we set up the tents and went to sleep. The next day, we got up and had breakfast. It took at little longer than usual due to a few egg difficulties. After breakfast, it got warmer and wasps started buzzing about like a swarm of locusts. To avoid the pests, we went on a scenic hike through Razorback, a trail there. It was amazing. After that, we had a lunch of hot dogs and beans. After lunch, we goofed off and went on hikes with a partner. After that, we had dinner and chatted by the campfire, then we went to sleep. When we woke up, we took down tents, had danishes and hot chocolate, and went home.

James “Jimmy” S

Scouts of 1st Class rank and above need troop positions. Scouts who do not have a position, and are interested in being assigned to a leadership position, should contact Mr. Payne by Monday, October 31.

This week the Troop meeting will be on Friday, November 4, at the Scout Cabin, NOT on Thursday. If you have a tent or other equipment out from White Pines, please wait until the following week, to return it; do not bring it to the Scout Cabin.

Thank you to scouts and families who have brought in canned goods for the Riverside Food Pantry. This is the last week we will be collecting food, so if you have not already done so (or even if you have), you are invited to make a contribution of any non-perishable foods.

The semi-annual patrol re-organization will be done on November 17. Any scouts who are interested in having a leadership position as a patrol leader should talk to Mr. Payne.

All popcorn orders are due to our Popcorn Kernel by Thursday, October 27. Scout can bring the orders to the meeting, or orders can be dropped off at Anne Kodama’s home. Please contact Anne at amkodama@sbcglobal.net to get directions to her house. Orders must be accompanied by full payment (in other words, if your scout took any orders without getting payment, you will need to pay for the popcorn and get paid when it’s delivered). Anne would prefer to receive checks only, so please keep any cash collected and write a check instead, made out to Troop 24

The Troop will conduct our annual Orienteering outing at Waterfall Glen on Saturday, November 12. On this outing scouts will have an opportunity to complete Requirement 2 for the 1st Class rank: Using a map and compass, complete an orienteering course that covers at least one mile and requires measuring the height and/or width of designated items (tree, tower, canyon, ditch, etc.). Scouts can also use this outing to complete 2nd Class requirement 1b: Using a compass and a map together, take a 5-mile hike approved by your adult leader and your parent or guardian.

According to our records, 30 scouts need 1st Class Requirement 2, and 23 scouts need 2nd Class Requirement 1b. Please check your books to see if you/your scout need this requirement.

Unfortunately, our November outing is usually the only time during the year that scouts can complete the orienteering requirement, so any scout who has not already done this should plan to attend. (Even those still working on lower ranks can earn requirements for 1st class.)

To prepare for this outing, scouts should plan to attend the next two Troop meetings (Thursday, October 27, and Friday, November 4). Because we expect many scouts to participate, we will need drivers, and could also use adult participation. (Adults who are not familiar with orienteering can come to the two training meetings, or you will be paired with an older scout who has done this before.)

There is no cost for this outing, but you must sign up in advance. The registration form can be found here: http://troop24riverside.com/2011/10/waterfallglen-orienteering-outing-form-november-12-2011/

For those scouts working on the American Heritage Merit Badge, Mr. Robertson will be available in the Westminster Room (downstairs) at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday, October 27, to work on the badge.