Camp Mach – Last Minute Reminders

In case you have misplaced the packing list, you can print a copy from here: Camp Mach Packing List

Scouts should be at the Hauser parking lot at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday. Please be sure your scout has a sack lunch (preferred as it saves time) or money for lunch at a fast food restaurant. Scouts may wish to bring some money for snacks at the trading post. They should definitely have money for lunch on the way back–make sure to tell them to save back enough for a fast food lunch.

Swimsuit & towel should be packed on top, readily accessible, for swimming on Sunday. There are thunderstorms in the forecast for tomorrow, so be sure rain gear is also toward the top.

In case of emergency, the Camp Mach address and phone number is:

Camp Mach Kin O Siew
Troop #24/Black Oak
W11895 Outlet Drive
Elcho, WI 54428
715-275-3580

Merit Badge Prerequisites

Some scouts signed up for merit badge classes at Camp Mach that may be difficult to complete at camp unless they work on some requirements before they leave. If a scout does not complete a merit badge while at camp, a partial completion will be issued, stating which requirements were successfully completed. The scout can finish the remaining requirements after finding a merit badge counselor through the Council. A couple of other merit badge classes require you to bring specific supplies to camp. In case you don’t remember what you signed up for, here are the merit badges that may not be able to be completed entirely at camp without advance work:

REQUIRE WORK BEFORE CAMP

Camping – Andersen, Gomorczak, Hartwig, Johnson, K.Kodama – Camping Requirement 9 requires a scout to have completed 20 days and nights of camping as well as specific activities on those camp-outs

Cooking – Buckley, Buffo, Cervanka, Connelly, Corrigan, Hajer, Kinnan, R.Kodama, Korslund, Lennon, B.Lulich, Lynch, McCoy, A. Ourth, Ozga, Pipal, Robertson, Robling, Skiest – Cooking Requirements 3 & 4 require that the scout plan a 2-day campout menu and prepare 4 of the meals. Requirement 7 requires that a scout plan and prepare meals at home.

Environmental Science – Andersen, Corrigan, Gryczan, Hartwig, Johnson, Lennon, Salij, Skiest – Environmental Science Requirement 3e requires research on an endangered species found in Illinois. This should be done prior to camp.

Orienteering – Lanken, Mercado, Quinn – Orienteering Requirement 7 requires that the scout take part in 3 orienteering events and write a report on each one. Requirement 8 requires the scout to set up an orienteering course.

Pioneering – Lanken, Mercado, Suriano – Pioneering Requirement 2 requires completion of 1st Class requirement 7a, b, c. Requirement 9 requires design and construction of a pioneering project.

Reptile & Amphibian Study – Suriano – Reptile & Amphibian Requirement 8 requires keeping a reptile or amphibian as a pet for at least one month and keeping a log of its care.

REQUIRE SUPPLIES TO BE BROUGHT TO CAMP

Swimming – first year campers plus Corrigan, Dunn, Flaherty, Lemon, Quinn, Suriano, Williams, Zalewski – Swimming Requirement 4 requires the following items – each scout should bring his own: long pants, long-sleeve button-up shirt, socks, old shoes, all of which will go in the water

Wilderness Survival – Bensfield, Gomorczak, Hoadley, McCoy – Scouts should be aware that this class requires them to build a shelter from natural materials, and spend a night in the shelter. Wilderness Survival Requirement 5 requires scouts to make a personal survival kit. Supplies for the kit should be brought to camp. An example of a survival kit can be found here: http://www.e-scoutcraft.com/film_can/survival_kit.html

REQUIRE PURCHASE OF KITS AT CAMP (BRING MONEY) OR PRIOR TO CAMP (AT SCOUT STORE).

Basketry – Buffo, Corrigan – Few scouts complete all three basket projects while at camp. It helps to have at least one done at home prior to camp.

Leatherwork – Derosier, Dunn, Flaherty, Lemon, Suriano

Woodcarving – Aieta, Derosier, Dunn, Gryczan, Hajer, R.Kodama, Korslund, Lemon, B.Lulich, E.Ourth, Quinn, Suriano, Williams

Mosquito Frames?

Do any of our senior scouts have “experienced” mosquito frames that they might be willing to pass on to a younger scout going to Mach? Scouts or leaders who would be willing to pass along a frame, please contact Nancy Hopkins (or drop it off).

Camp Mach Bog Hike

One of the highlights of Camp Mach for most scouts is the bog hike. This is an optional event, about 45 minutes long, and is a hike led by camp staff through the bog. Scouts return from the bog hike covered in mud, and then jump in the lake. (Hopefully, they then take a shower.) Please send OLD clothes and shoes for the bog hike, preferably ones that can be discarded after the hike. Your scout can bring them home, of course, but you may not want them after they’ve been through the bog, the lake, and stayed wet for several days afterward…

Mosquito Nets for Camp Mach

Scouts need mosquito nets for Camp Mach. A couple of sources for these nets are:

Campmor http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___86662

REI http://www.rei.com/product/783044

Scouts should bring black binder clips to attach the netting to the tent, or (optional) a home-made frame. (First-year campers will be using troop tents for at least the first night and definitely will not need frames. After the first 24 hours, some 6th grade scouts may choose to set up wall tents, in which case they will need mosquito netting.)

Instructions for constructing the frame are available here. If you opt to build the frame, please be sure your scout can assemble it without assistance.

mosquitonet

Merit Badge Class Selections Due Thursday

For our 42 scouts attending Camp Mach, your selections for merit badge classes must be turned in at the Troop Meeting on Thursday, May 26. This is our last meeting of the school year, and the last meeting before Camp Mach. 24 scouts turned in the merit badge forms on Monday, thirteen of you needed more time to think about it, and five scouts did not attend the Camp Mach meeting.

The merit badge schedule is available here: Merit Badge Schedule – Camp Mach 2011

5th grade campers: Please sign up for the Brownsea (First-Year Camper) at 9:00 and Swimming Merit Badge at 10:30. You can then sign up for one or two merit badges of your choice in the afternoon as long as they are not water-related (which require the Swimming merit badge as a prerequisite), and not First Aid, Camping, Environmental Science, Rifle, Shotgun, Archery).

Older campers who are going to summer camp for the first time: You do not need to sign up for Brownsea, but please sign up for the Swimming Merit Badge class, as swimming is a prerequisite for many other classes, and it is an Eagle-required badge. We recommend taking swimming at 10:30 when it’s warmer. (The 9:00 swimming class can be a little chilly.)

Anyone who is unsure of your swimming level: assuming you can swim at all, we recommend you sign up for the Swimming Merit Badge. If necessary, you can switch to “Instructional Swim” while at camp. If you are definitely a non-swimmer, you can sign up for Instructional Swimming now.

Parents or scouts who have questions about which merit badges are most appropriate, please feel free to contact any of the leaders, Liz Gomorczak (Camp Mach Coordinator), or Nancy Hopkins.

If you plan to ride the bus, please turn in payment to Mrs. Gomorczak ($100 made out to Troop 24).

Reminder: Camp Mach Meeting on May 23

For scouts attending Camp Mach, we will have a meeting for scouts and parents on Monday, May 23, at 7:00 p.m. This meeting is required for all 1st year scouts and their parent(s). Older scouts who have an unavoidable conflict should contact Nancy Hopkins or Michael Payne in advance. Scouts will be signing up for merit badge classes on May 23, so scouts & parents should review the choices prior to the meeting.

As a reminder, this information was sent out previously:

First-year scouts should sign up for:

Brownsea (First-Year Camper) 9:00 – 10:30
Swimming Merit Badge 10:30 – 12:00 (Scouts who do not know how to swim should, instead, sign up for Instructional Swim, which is from 11:00 – 12:00)
One other merit badge of your choice in the afternoon.

Signing up for three classes will still leave plenty of time for other open activities the camp has to offer, such as open swim, open rifle, and open archery. It also leaves you some free time to enjoy the outdoors and to completely finish those merit badges.

First-year campers can not take any of the water sports/boating merit badges (Canoeing, Rowing, Motor Boating, Skiing, Small Boat Sailing, Snorkeling), because the Swimming merit badge is a prerequisite for these classes. Also not allowed for first-year campers are the shooting merit badges (Archery, Rifle, Shotgun — although scouts will have an opportunity to try these sports during “Open” times). Also not recommended for 1st year are Camping, Environmental Science, Pioneering, and Wilderness Survival. No one should sign up for First Aid, as Dr. Stephanie teaches that during the year. What’s left? For first-year campers, we encourage the Cooking Merit Badge (teaches skills used on almost every camp-out, and satisfies requirements for rank advancements). Other choices are Geology, Leathercraft, Mammal Study, Reptiles & Amphibians, Soil & Water, Weather, Woodcarving. Many of the merit badges require you to have completed some requirements at home before coming to camp.

A complete list of merit badges offered at camp is included in the Camp Mach Leader’s Guide (which is helpful for scouts and parents as well as leaders). In fact, the list is so complete that it includes some badges not offered this year! Please review the prerequisites for the badges your scout plans to work on. It’s disappointing to a scout to expect to complete a badge and not do so, but items for many badges must be completed at home. (Just as an example, Requirement 7 of the Cooking merit badge requires that the Scout plan and prepare meals at home.) Ideally those requirements should be done before camp, but they can also be done after returning home.

If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late! We will accept registration forms until May 23. The cost is $290. We have reserved a bus to take scouts and leaders to camp. The bus will leave from RPC early Sunday morning, July 31, returning the afternoon of August 6. The cost for the bus trip is $100 (same as last three years). Checks should be made out to Troop 24, and can be turned in on May 23. Also due no later than July 15 is a medical form for each scout (and each leader).

Merit Badge Classes at Camp Mach

Scouts going to Camp Mach will be asked to sign up for merit badges classes at our Camp Mach meeting on Monday, May 23 at 7:00 p.m. at RPC. (6th grade parents–this is different than Owasippee, where the scouts chose their classes after they arrived at camp.) The Merit Badge schedule is available on the DPVC website.

First-year scouts should sign up for:

Brownsea (First Year Camper) 9:00 – 10:30
Swimming Merit Badge 10:30 – 12:00 (Scouts who do not know how to swim should, instead, sign up for Instructional Swim, which is from 11:00 – 12:00)
One other merit badge of your choice in the afternoon.

Signing up for three classes will still leave plenty of time for other open activities the camp has to offer, such as open swim, open rifle, and open archery. It also leaves you some free time to enjoy the outdoors and to completely finish those merit badges.

First year campers can not take any of the water sports/boating merit badges (Canoeing, Rowing, Motor Boating, Skiing, Small Boat Sailing, Snorkeling), because the Swimming merit badge is a prerequisite for these classes. Also not allowed for first-year campers are the shooting merit badges (Archery, Rifle, Shotgun — although scouts will have an opportunity to try these sports during “Open” times). Also not recommended for 1st year are Camping, Environmental Science, Pioneering, and Wilderness Survival. No one should sign up for First Aid, as Dr. Stephanie teaches that during the year. What’s left? For first year campers, we encourage the Cooking Merit Badge (teaches skills used on almost every camp-out, and satisfies requirements for rank advancements). Other choices are Geology, Leathercraft, Mammal Study, Reptiles & Amphibians, Soil & Water, Weather, Woodcarving. Many of the merit badges require you to have completed some requirements at home before coming to camp.

A complete list of merit badges offered at camp is included in the Camp Mach Leader’s Guide (which is helpful for scouts and parents as well as leaders). In fact, the list is so complete that it includes some badges not offered this year! Please review the prerequisites for the badges your scout plans to work on. It’s disappointing to a scout to expect to complete a badge and not do so, but items for many badges must be completed at home. (Just as an example, Requirement 7 of the Cooking merit badge requires that the Scout plan and prepare meals at home.) Ideally those requirements should be done before camp, but they can also be done after returning home.

If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late! We will accept registration forms until May 23. The cost is $290. We have reserved a bus to take scouts and leaders to camp. The bus will leave from RPC early Sunday morning, July 31, returning the afternoon of August 6. The cost for the bus trip is $100 (same as last three years). Checks should be made out to Troop 24, and can be turned in at a troop meeting, or given to Mrs. Gomorczak. Also due no later than July 15 is a medical form for each scout (and each leader).

Camp Mach Reminders

We will accept registrations for Camp Mach until May 23. Register here: http://troop24riverside.com/2011/02/camp-mach-form/

We will have a Camp Mach meeting for all campers and leaders at 7:00 p.m. on May 23, in the RPC Social Hall.

Medical Forms are needed PRIOR to camp, with sufficient time for us to copy them; therefore, the deadline for medical forms will be July 15. If you haven’t already done so, make your doctors’ appointments now. Medical forms (which must include a copy of the front AND back of your insurance card) should be given to Liz Gomorczak. Download the medical form here: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34605_Letter.pdf

We need payments for the Camp Mach bus ASAP, as we need to confirm the bus size, based on the number of scouts and leaders who will ride the bus. Payments for the bus should be made by check because we have so many scouts with popcorn credits, etc., that your payment may be different than the $100 fee. Mrs. Gomorczak has already sent an e-mail with the amount due for your scouts. If you can’t find that e-mail, please contact her at jlgomo@sbcglobal.net

We need one Camp Mach leader for a HALF week (Wednesday, August 3, through Saturday, August 6). Mr. Marcou has volunteered for the first half of the week, and we need a parent/leader to take the second half of the week.

Camp Mach Meeting May 23

On Monday, May 23, at 7:00 p.m., we will have a mandatory meeting for Camp Mach campers, their parents, and our Mach leaders. Please put this event on your calendars. We will accept additional Camp Mach registrations until that night, and all payments for camp and the bus will be due then. If your scout is still considering Camp Mach but is concerned about being away from home, or concerned for other reasons, please feel free to contact any of our leaders to discuss those issues. 61 of our 71 scouts are signed up for one of our three summer camps. The cost of Camp Mach is $290. To sign up: http://troop24riverside.com/2011/02/camp-mach-form/

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