Congratulations to our newest Eagle Scout, Aidan Flaherty!

Boy Scouts need to complete service hours as a requirement for rank advancement. For the Life rank, at least three hours of this service must be conservation-related. The Frederick Law Olmstead Society (FLOS) and Village of Riverside offer a monthly Landscape Workday, with the next project taking place on Saturday, April 28th from 9am-12pm. Come for an hour or three, whatever your schedule allows. This is an individual opportunity (not a troop outing), and since Troop 24 leaders will not be at this workday, you need to bring the Troop 24 Service Hour Form, have it signed by your supervisor at the workday, and turn in in to Scoutmaster Flaherty at the next troop meeting. The FLOS workdays have been pre-approved as conservation service projects for Troop 24 scouts, so you do not need the service hour form signed ahead of time. Middle school and high school aged scouts may attend with or without their parent, but you must bring this Volunteer Liability Release Statement signed by your parent. This month’s project will take place at Riverside’s Indian Gardens and Patriots Park. Wear long pants and long sleeves, bring your work gloves and a water bottle. All other supplies will be provided. For more information, see the FLOS website.

Future FLOS Workdays:
April 28th 9am – 12pm Indian Gardens & Patriots Park
May 12th 9am – 12pm Riverside Road – weeding
June 16th 9am – 12pm Big Ball Park – mulching
June 30th 9am – 12pm Big Ball Park – mulching
July 14th 9am – 12pm Patriots Park – weeding
August 1th 9am – 12pm Scottswood Commons – weeding
September 8th 9am – 12pm Riverside Road – planting
September 15th 9am – 12pm Riverside Road – Rain date planting
October 13th 9am – 12pm Riverside Road – seed collecting
November 3rd 9am – 12pm Longcommon & Downing – Mulching

Friday’s Scout Cabin First Aid outing was a success and took our First Aid training to real world experiences.  We continue working on our First Aid module on Thursday.  Be Prepared!!

Wednesday is the LAST DAY for Ingersoll Campout sign up.  We will have a campout meeting and menu planning session on Thursday.  All Troop Equipment must be returned on Thursday and Quartermasters will finish preparing the equipment and trailer for the Campout.

Mr. Jerz will be available for anyone that has Personal Management MB requirements.

Finally, April 26 is the last Board of Review before the May Court of Honor.

RETURN ALL TROOP TENTS and EQUIPMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• BRING SCOUT BOOK TO ALL MEETINGS
• MEETING OPENING 7:00
  •   New Scout Patrol BLACK JACK is responsible for meeting set-up, FLAGS, and clean up. Report at 6:45 in Full Uniform.
• SKILL INSTRUCTION
  • Trail to First Class:  First Aid Advancement/Merit Badge in Scout Handbook.  Be Prepared.
  • Troop Guides and Instructors responsible for working with Dr. Lanken on First Aid module.
• QUARTERMASTERS: Prepare trailer for Ingersoll Campout.
• MERIT BADGE: [First Class & Above]   
• TROOP ACTIVITY: First Aid Baseball
• CYBER CHIP:
  • Scout Rank and Star Rank need to acquire the Cyber Chip for your age. Go to http://www.netsmartz.org/scouting to review the requirements.  Once you have completed the Read, Write and Watch requirements, please sign up on the Troop 24 website to schedule a meeting to complete the Teach and Talk requirements.  We have the Cards.  The chip expires after one year, see Scoutmaster Flaherty to “Recharge” or renew the Chip.

Our troop’s chartered organization, the Riverside Presbyterian Church, prepares, transports and serves a hot meal for 45-75 residents of The Boulevard (Chicago, Illinois) on the last Sunday of every month. The Boulevard provides a healing environment and resources to help ill and injured homeless adults restore their health, rebuild their lives and regain self-sufficiency. RPC has requested that scouts transport and serve the meal for the month of April (food will be purchased/prepared by church members). We are in need of a small group – 4 scouts and 2 adults- to participate in the service project. We will meet at the RPC kitchen at 2:30 on Sunday, April 29th, and be home around 6pm. This project is easy and rewarding, plus you will get to share in the meal of White Fence Farm chicken.

Please sign up here to help:
Scout Sign Up
Adult Sign Up

Troop 24 will be participating in a group service project in April. Please sign up to help with this local conservation project.

The Hofmann Dam River Rats Annual Spring River Clean-Up
Saturday, April 28th
9 am to noon

Join the dedicated Hofmann Dam River Rats in their semi-annual litter cleanup along the banks of the Des Plaines River. Help your local natural areas so they can be enjoyed by wildlife and our community.

*Disposable gloves, bags, refreshments and training will be provided.
*Dress for the weather and to work along the river. Wear sturdy shoes/boots, long sleeves and long pants that can get dirty, and work gloves. Dressing in layers and wearing a hat is recommended.
*Overflow parking is available at Stella’s (3903 Joliet Ave, Lyons).

Meet at the forest preserve area on the Lyons side of the Barrypoint Bridge across from the Hofmann Tower.

Work will include removing trash from the river bank and forested areas near the DesPlaines River.
The Hofmann River Rats is a registered not-for-profit organization, service hours will be given.

Let us know if you can be there!
Scout Sign-Up
Adult Sign-Up

Tonight (Friday, April 6th) Troop 24 scouts and leaders should report to the Riverside Scout Cabin at 7 pm. We will be having patrol activities including first aid exercises, a short hike, and possibly a campfire. Wear Class A uniform shirt with neckerchief, and dress for the weather as we will be outside. Also remember to bring:
Flashlight
Personal first aid kit
Scout handbook
Camp chair if you want

The evening will finish at approximately 8:30 pm.

Welcome back after your Spring Break.  We hope everyone had a relaxing week.  We are in our home stretch to the end of the Scout year and our last meeting will be May 31.  We are working hard to finish First Aid and have many exciting outings, service opportunities and fun events coming up.  Don’t miss out!!!

RETURN ALL TROOP TENTS and EQUIPMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• BRING SCOUT BOOK TO ALL MEETINGS
• MEETING OPENING 7:00
  •   New Scout Patrol DUCKS is responsible for meeting set-up, FLAGS, and clean up. Report at 6:45 in Full Uniform.
• SKILL INSTRUCTION
  • Trail to First Class:  First Aid Advancement/Merit Badge in Scout Handbook.  Be Prepared.
  • Troop Guides and Instructors responsible for working with Dr. Lanken on First Aid module.
• QUARTERMASTERS: Prepare trailer for Ingersoll Campout.
• MERIT BADGE: [First Class & Above]  Personal Management.  Be prepared. Have your parent sign off on Requirement #2.  
• TROOP ACTIVITY: First Aid Baseball
• CYBER CHIP:
  • Scout Rank and Star Rank need to acquire the Cyber Chip for your age. Go to http://www.netsmartz.org/scouting to review the requirements.  Once you have completed the Read, Write and Watch requirements, please sign up on the Troop 24 website to schedule a meeting to complete the Teach and Talk requirements.  We have the Cards.  The chip expires after one year, see Scoutmaster Flaherty to “Recharge” or renew the Chip.

Troop 24 will be participating in the upcoming Feed Our Community Day, which will take place in the cafeteria at Hauser Junior High School on Saturday, April 14th.
The Troop 24 shift will be 11 am to 1 pm. We will be part of a large group packing 50,000 meals and we need your help to scoop noodles and pack mac & cheese packets for the hungry.

There is no cost, but you are encouraged to bring a $5 donation to help cover the costs of the supplies. Please wear your uniform and bring family members to help.

Let us know that you will be there! Sign up here:
Hauser Feed Our Community Day Registration

It’s time to register for Troop 24 Summer Camp!!

Troop 24′s annual summer camp will be at Camp Tesomas, north of Rhinelander, Wisconsin (about 6 hours from Riverside). Traditionally, almost all our scouts attend summer camp, and we highly recommend that new scouts attend camp. The dates for this year’s camp are July 15-21. More information about the camp is available here: Camp Tesomas Website We will have a parent meeting on Thursday, April 5th during the troop meeting to answer questions about this summer camp. It is important that each scout new to the summer camp experience has a parent attend this meeting.

Younger scouts (current 5th, 6th, 7th graders) will take merit badge classes. For our 5th grade scouts particularly, our leaders will discuss their options with them and make recommendations. You can start thinking about your merit badge choices by looking at the 2018 Tesomas Advancement Schedule.

The cost for camp is $300. Because many scouts have popcorn credits, the camp fee will be paid by check made out to Troop 24. Checks can be turned in at a Troop meeting. Scouts with popcorn credit will receive an e-mail with the amount. If it will be a hardship to pay everything at once, you can pay $150 now, with the remainder due by May 15.

As in the past, we will charter a bus to take our scouts to camp. We anticipate the cost to be $100 (which is in addition to the cost of the camp). We will also be transporting bicycles to camp. More information about the bus and bike transportation will be available later. The bus will leave about 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, July 15, and will return mid-day on Saturday, July 21.

All scouts will need an updated BSA medical form, signed by a physician (Part C) prior to going to camp. Please make your doctors’ appointments soon. The form that you need to take to your physician can be downloaded here:
BSA Medical Form

Please don’t wait until the last minute to register! Register for camp here:
Scout Summer Camp Registration

At this time, we are accepting adult registration from ONLY Leaders and Troop Committee Members. Adults planning to attend Camp Tesomas, register here:
Adult Summer Camp Registration

General questions about camp can be directed to our Summer Camp Coordinator, Carolyn Lach at clach@northpark.edu

The Riverside Lions Club has requested our help at their annual Chicken Dinner. This dinner is their main fundraiser for their charitable projects such as service to the blind and visually impaired. The Lions Club has asked for scouts to help clear tables, sell raffle tickets and assist around the kitchen as needed. They would like to have four to six scouts during the hours of noon to 5 pm on Sunday, April 15. The event will be held at the Riverside Village Hall at 27 Riverside Road. Service hours will be given for participation. Bring our Troop Service Hour Form and remember to get it signed after your shift. You should report to Lions Club member Jon Jansky at the event. Since this is a fundraiser for another organization, BSA rules state that you should NOT wear your scout uniform. For more information on the Riverside Lions Club, see their website at http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/riversidetownship/

Sign up to work noon to 2:30
Sign up to work 2:30 to 5 pm