It’s that time of year again…ALL scouts AND adults going to any of our summer camps need to turn in a new medical form, signed by a physician. This includes our new scouts, who–you may be thinking–just turned in forms, but those forms included only the parent portion.

BSA has made it slightly easier by combining all types of forms into one online form. You can enter your information online, save it, and print a copy to take to your son’s doctor. The revised forms have 4 parts:

A & B – To be filled out by a parent
C – To be completed by the physician for ANY summer camp
D – To be given to your physician for High Adventure camps (Philmont, Seabase, Northern Tier)

Make your doctors’ appointments now. We have NO flexibility on the medical forms. We are required to turn in the forms on our arrival at camp. Scouts whose families decline immunizations must complete a BSA release form.

If your son is definitely not going to summer camp, we will ask for an updated medical from (Parts A & B) in the fall when school starts.

More information about BSA medical requirements: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/healthandsafety/resources/medicalformfaqs.aspx
Link to medical form: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34605_Letter.pdf
Immunization release: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/680-451.pdf

The Des Plaines Valley Council offers funds (up to $60) to scouts whose family finances are a barrier to attending summer camp. Applications for camperships are made directly to the Council. The form is available here:
http://www.bsa-dpvc.org/forms/110000_CampershipApp.pdf

Scouts who have not already done so will have until late May to register for Camp Mach. At this point we have 35 scouts registered. That includes eight of our sixteen new scouts. New scouts should participate in at least one overnight outing without a parent before going to Camp Mach. There are two more camping trips planned before the school year is over: Camporee on April 15-17, and Biking on the I & M Trail on May 14-15.

51 of our scouts in sixth grade or older have signed up for Camp Mach, Kayaking, and/or Philmont. Only TWO of our scouts 6th grade and older have not signed up for any of our summer camp activities.

Scouts who just crossed over have until Thursday, March 24, to sign up for Camp Mach at the reduced price of $265. They can sign up later–up until sometime in May–but the price after tomorrow will be $290. Six of the 5th grade scouts have already signed up.

To sign up: http://troop24riverside.com/2011/02/camp-mach-form/
To pay online: https://www.wepay.com/tickets/view/131963
(Scouts can also bring a check for $265, made out to Troop 24, to the meeting on Thursday.)

Scouts who plan to attend summer camp should have at least one night of camping experience without a parent. Cantigny counted, as will the Spring Camporee, April 15-17. The deadline to sign up for the Camporee is April 6.

Thank you, scout parents! We had a very successful early registration for summer camp. Our Troop has 44 scouts (excluding our 8 graduating seniors). All but 9 of those scouts have signed up for one of our three summer outings. We have 23 scouts registered for Camp Mach. If you are the parent of one of the 9 scouts who have not signed up, there is still time! Sign up here.

Troop 24′s annual summer camp will be held at Camp Mach-Kin-O-Siew (Camp Mach) in northern Wisconsin. We will leave Riverside at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, July 31, and return about mid-day on Saturday, August 6.

If you register before February 24, you are eligible for a discount of $25, for a reduced price of $265 (less any popcorn credit you may have earned). The cost is $290 if paid after February 24. For scouts who have popcorn credit, the amount of the credit should be deducted from your cost.

Webelos 2 scouts have until March 24 to register and receive the discount.

To sign up: Camp Mach Form

Troop 24’s annual summer camp will be held at Camp Mach-Kin-O-Siew (Camp Mach) in northern Wisconsin. We will leave Riverside at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, July 31, and return about mid-day on Saturday, August 6.

If you register before February 24, you are eligible for a discount of $25, for a reduced price of $265. The cost is $290 if paid after February 24. For scouts who have popcorn credit, the amount of the credit should be deducted from your cost.

Webelos 2 scouts have until March 24 to register and receive the discount.

We will have a bus to transport the scouts to Camp. We expect the cost to be approximately $100 per scout, but the final cost will depend on how many scouts sign up. (Popcorn credit can also be used for the bus.)

With the number of scouts expected to attend summer camp (over 30 for each of the past three years), we need a minimum of four adult leaders. Thank you to Tom Hartwig and Kent Johnson, who have already volunteered to be leaders! Any other parents who might be interested in attending Camp Mach, please talk to our Scoutmaster for more information. Our Camp Mach coordinator this year is Mrs. Gomorczak. Please contact her at jlgomo@sbcglobal.net if you have questions.

Traditionally, all or almost all of our newer scouts have attended summer camp their first year in the Troop. Please visit our photo gallery to view pictures from past trips to Camp Mach.

To sign up: Camp Mach Form

On behalf of all Troop 24 scouts and parents, thank you to our leaders who went to Camp Mach!

Camp Mach photos will soon be available for viewing on the website.  If any scouts or leaders have photographs they would like to share, please send them to Nancy Hopkins via e-mail, or drop off a CD with the photo files.