Congratulations to our newest Eagle Scout, Michael Lynch!

On Saturday, February 3rd, James J will have a workday for his Eagle Project. His project is building boxes for the Hauser Junior High robotics team, so that they can safely transport their robots to competitions. The project will take place at Ascension Lutheran Church, 400 Nuttall Road in Riverside. Scout and adult volunteers can sign up to work 10am to 12pm or 1pm to 3pm (or both shifts). Refreshments will be served, and service hours will be given!

Please sign up here:
Scout volunteers
Adult volunteers

Join Troop 24 for a President’s Day Long Weekend Outing with skiing/snowboarding at Granite Peak Resort and Winter Camp at Tesomas, we has so much fun last year we decided to do it again!

This outing is  Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 and is an action-packed weekend of winter sports and activities.  We will depart Riverside on Friday early afternoon, stay in a hotel Friday night so we can hit the slopes of Granite Peak first thing Saturday.  After a day of skiing we will enjoy dinner and head to Tesomas where on Sunday we will participate in Winter Camp activities such as Ice Fishing, Cross Country skiing,  snowshoeing, sledding, building a Quinzee and playing broom ball.  We will depart Tesomas early Monday morning and arrive back in Riverside mid-afternoon.  This is a great opportunity to enjoy some winter fun and work on the Snow Sports merit badge.

• Scouts can attend on their own, but they should have prior skiing experience.
• If your scout is new to skiing we ask that a parent also attend, due to the large ski area and the number of trails (75) we also encourage scouts new to skiing to book a ski lesson on your own.  The group will not be taking ski lessons during this outing.
• Families are invited and encouraged to join us for Friday night and Saturday skiing in Wausau but only Scouts and Leaders are permitted at Tesomas Winter Camp.

Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19

Friday Itinerary

• Depart: RPC  at  2:00 p.m. (4.5 hr drive)
• Arrive at hotel at ~5 p.m.
• Dinner in area
• Swimming at hotel

Saturday Itinerary

• Continental Breakfast: 7:00-9:00 a.m.
• Ski or Snowboarding: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Dinner in Wausau
• Drive to Tesomas arrive ~7:30 pm
• evening activity

Sunday Itinerary

• Breakfast at Tesomas
• Winter Camp Activities 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Lunch 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Winter Camp  Activities 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Dinner at Tesomas

Monday Itinerary

• Depart Tesomas 8:00 a.m.
• Breakfast on the road
• Return to Riverside ~2:30 p.m.

Cost and Payment:

The price of this outing is dependent on the size of the group. There is a discount at Granite Peak if we are a group of 20 or more; therefore the payment for this outing will be handled a little differently then other outings.  When you register you will be asked to pay $40 per person non-refundable deposit.  Once registration is closed (February 7) you will be notified of the remaining cost and asked to pay it.  If you cancel at any time you will forfeit the deposit.  If you cancel within 48 hours of the departure, you may be charged an additional $25  cancellation fee per person, depending on the impact the cancellation has on our group rate.

Below is a menu of the costs which assume that we will not be a large enough group to qualify for the group rate.  If you need to rent ski equipment the cost of the weekend will be ~$206 per scout.  If you have equipment (including helmet), the costs  drop to ~$152  per scout.  If we get a larger group (>/=20) the cost will be less for the skiing.

Menu of Costs per person:

Friday night accommodations options and cost

• between $25 – $35 per scout or leader/adult  for shared room
• $103 for family room

Saturday costs

• Ski or snowboard rental: $42 (w/o group rate)
• Helmet rental: $12- BSA policy is everyone must wear a helmet.  If you do not have a helmet, you must rent one.
• Lift Ticket : Youth (6-18) – $52 , Young Adult (19-29) – $62,  Adult (30+) – $76
• Group dinner: $15

Sunday Winter Camp cost include: 2 nights accommodation in bunkhouse, 3 meals Sunday, Winter activities (Ice Fish, Cross Country ski,  snowshoe, sled, build an igloo, broom ball)

• Scout $50
• Leader: $40

Additional Meals:

• Friday dinner at fast food restaurant, Saturday lunch at chalet and Monday breakfast at fast food restaurant are at your own expense.  Scouts should be given pocket money to cover these three meals.

Leader in charge will be Bruce Robertson. For questions contact Susan Lynch

Scouts, Adults, AND Siblings, sign up here: https://troop24riverside.com/2018/01/winter-outing-2018-sign-up-and-deposit/

Deadline for sign-up: February 7, 2018

Troop 24 welcomes the Cook County Sheriff K-9 unit on Thursday to demonstrate their abilities and talk about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.  Thursday’s meeting will satisfy Second Class 9a, so don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to see a drug dog up close and get all your questions about police work answered.  Meeting starts promptly at 7pm in the Social Hall.

Thursday is also Boards of Review, so sign up on line if you are completed with all your requirements.  We will start Family Life merit badge next week with Mr. Jerz.

PLC  Meeting is January 30 at 6:00 pm at RPC.

WE ARE STILL MISSING ONE TENT!!  PLEASE RETURN IT ASAP!!!!

The Lost Boy Patrol of  Rory B, Nathan G, Zach J, Robert M, Chance R, Thomas S, and Liam C demonstrated effective leadership, strong scout skills, great outdoorsmanship, true grit and determination in the 2018 Voyageur Trace Klondike Derby and came home with the First Place Trophy!!!  Through many grueling hours of throwing hatchets, water rescues, identifying animal tracks, navigation, first aid and knots and lashings, these scouts preserved through the frozen tundra of Bemis Woods and carried their sled to best the other Troops of the Voyageur Trace District.  Congratulations to our Scouts and a special Thank You to Mark J and Joan J for leading this most rewarding outing.

The Troop 24 Pancake Breakfast will take place Saturday, March 3rd. Please mark your calendars now, as all scouts are required to participate in this event (or set up on the Thursday before). If you have a conflict or time requests, please email pancakes@troop24riverside.com. Each scout must also sell 15 tickets, which were distributed at last night’s troop meeting. If you were unable to attend, your tickets will be mailed to you. Please read the enclosed instruction sheet, and note that ticket money is due on Thursday, February 15th.

Please keep the letter, which has your BSA number on it. You will receive an email later with information on how to log in to the Pancake Breakfast website, which will have your work assignment and instructions.

Thank you for your help with our troop’s largest fundraiser!

We had a great meeting last week to start off the new year.  We continue with the January Sports Theme with Volleyball this week.  We are reviewing all previous scout skills for anyone that needs requirements signed off.  First Aid will be covered in March.  Citizenship in the Nation will conclude this week with Mr. Perry so bring in your completed worksheets and be prepared to discuss.  The Klondike Derby Scouts of the Lost Boy patrol will meet to prepare the sled and review scout skills ahead of this weekend’s Derby.

PLC  Meeting is January 30 at 6:00 pm at RPC.

WE ARE STILL MISSING ONE TENT!!  PLEASE RETURN IT ASAP!!!!

Here is some information about upcoming local merit badge class opportunities. We will not be participating as a troop, so scouts who register will need to arrange their own transportation.

Three Fires Merit Badge Academy – Saturday, February 17, 2018
Takes place at York High School in Elmhurst. Over 90 Merit Badges offered plus training classes for adults. Please note that the troop has a skiing overnight planned for this date. Register here

Microsoft Merit Badge Classes – on various dates at their Oak Brook and Schaumburg stores. Register here

Kane County Law Merit Badge – Saturday, March 3, 2018 in St. Charles
register here

Chess Merit Badge Class – Monday, February 19, 2018 (President’s Day)
American Legion Hall in Downers Grove. Register here

DuPage Forest Preserve Merit Badge Classes – first Saturday of each month
Click here for a flier and directions to register.