Merit Badge Opportunities

The Forest Preserves of Cook County and our Scout Council are offering a merit badge program at the Little Red Schoolhouse in Willow Springs this fall. Scouts can earn Environmental Science, Soil and Water Conservation and Citizenship in the World merit badges. See the World Conservation Award Program Flyer for more information.
One adult from our troop must attend if any of our scouts participate. Let us know if you plan to attend – you can email committeechair@troop24riverside.com. Be aware that some dates conflict with planned Troop 24 campouts – you may need to make your own arrangements to leave a campout early.

Dates have been announced for several future Merit Badge Academies:
Winter Break Merit Badge Bash will take place December 27 and 28 at St. Francis Xavier Church in LaGrange.
The Pathway to Adventure Merit Badge College will take place at Morton College on January 13, 2024.
A Robotics Merit Badge Clinic will take place at Triton College on January 27, 2024.
The Three Fires Council Merit Badge Univesity will take place February 24, 2024.
Links to registration will be posted when available.

The St. Louis Council offers a Virtual Trail to Eagle Program for Scouts First Class and above. Merit Badge classes for Eagle required merit badges are offered and scouts can earn up to three badges in three days if all prerequisites have been completed.
Click HERE for more information and registration.

Click HERE for some general information on how to earn Merit Badges.

Railroading Merit Badge June 3

Due to an error in the sign up form for the Railroading merit badge class, youth registrations were not recorded. If you plan to attend the Railroading merit badge, please reply to this email or contact Mrs. Staubus or Mr. Flaherty by the end of the day May 14th.
Here is the information on the outing – we need an additional adult chaparone also.
Troop 24 is planning a group outing to the Railroading Merit Badge program on Saturday, June 3rd at the Lionel Train House in New Lenox. This will be an all day activity and we will meet early at Riverside Presbyterian Church to carpool. The cost is $20 and includes lunch. This is a limited enrollment program, and we will register the troop as a group.

AVIATION Merit Badge Updates

Here is some additional information about the Aviation Merit Badge for our Troop at the Clow Airport in Bolingbrook on Saturday May 13 – plan to meet at 7:45 am at RPC to carpool to the airport. We should be able to complete the program in the morning, then we can have lunch togather at Charlie’s restaurant at the airport.
The good news:
Thanks to the great people at the Illinois Aviation Museum this will be FREE event.
Scouts will have the option to participate in a free flight that day with the EAA Chapter 461’s Young Eagle Program – weather permitting and waiver required (scouts doing this merit badge will be pre-registered and do not need to sign up through EAA).
The airport, aviation museum and restaurant are really cool places that we know you will enjoy!
The bad news:
A parent or legal guardian MUST be present in person at the airport to sign the waiver for the flight. This is a strict EAA rule due to insurance requirements. We will know by the night before about if weather will allow the flights, which are NOT a requiremnt for the merit badge.
Also, in order to earn the completed merit badge, scouts MUST read the Aviation Merit Badge booklet and complete the worksheet. Our troop library has multiple copies, so do you do NOT need to purchase the booklet. If scouts wish, we can plan a time to work together on reviewing the worksheets ahead of time. We will be meeting with a certified merit badge counselor at the museum who will sign off on blue cards at the event.

Please let us know if you are interested and have not yet signed up:
SCOUT SIGN UP
Adult SIGN UP
If you have already signed up, we will assume you can bring a parent along to sign the waiver unless we hear otherwise from you. (We need to give names and ages for flights one week in advance.)
13 Scouts have already signed up! (You can reply to this email to let us know if your parent can’t attend or ask questions.)

Aviation Merit Badge – Saturday, May 13

Please save the date for a Troop 24 day outing to the Clow Airport in Bolingbrook for the Aviation Merit Badge on Saturday May 13 – this will be an all day activity. Thanks to the great people at the Illinois Aviation Museum this will be a lost cost or no cost event. Scouts will receive a tour of the museum and airport and all instruction for the merit badge. Scouts will have the option to participate in a free flight that day with the EAA Chapter 461’s Young Eagle Program – weather permitting and waiver required (scouts doing this merit badge will be pre-registered and do not need to sign up through EAA). Please let us know if you are interested – we need a few adult drivers/chaparones for this event.
Scout Sign Up
Adult Sign Up

Railroading Merit Badge – Saturday, June 3

Troop 24 is planning a group outing to the Railroading Merit Badge program on Saturday, June 3rd at the Lionel Train House in New Lenox. This will be an all day activity and we will meet early at Riverside Presbyterian Church to carpool. The cost is $20 and includes lunch. This is a limited enrollment program, and we will register the troop as a group. Please let us know if you will attend:
SCOUTS SIGN UP HERE
ADULTS SIGN UP HERE
Please sign up by April 7th.
For more information, see the Chicago Lionel Railroad Club Website.
See Assistant Scoutmaster John Flaherty if you have questions.

Merit Badge Opportunities

Three Fires Council Merit Badge University will be held Saturday, February 25th at York High School in Elmhurst. Click HERE for more information and registration.

Morton Arboretum in Lisle will offer several merit badge classes this winter – click HERE for information.

Many online merit badge opportunities are available, including the St. Louis Council University of Scouting on January 16, 18 and 19. Look at the course catalog for “virtual” scout and adult programs, and remember that there is a troop meeting 1/19.

Winter Break MB Class in LaGrange

Here are sign up links for the Winter Break Merit Badge program in LaGrange (please copy and paste sign up link listed). Limited enrollment, Troop 24 is given early registration today. See our previous post for more information.

Scouts should bring a water bottle, brown bag lunch, Scoutbook/MB Materials, and folding chair, $5 building fee per day per scout. Class A uniform required. Troop 24 adult chaparones requested. Location:  145 N Waiola Ave, La Grange, IL 60525

Dec. 27

    Citizenship in the Nation; 9-1230pm, (Flaherty)

    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AEA82CA0FF2-citizenship

    Citizenship in the Community MB; 9-1230pm (Magajne)

    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AEA82CA0FF2-citizenship5

    Citizenship in the World; 130-5pm (Flaherty)

    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AEA82CA0FF2-citizenship1

    Citizenship in the Society; 130-5pm (Lewandowski)

    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AEA82CA0FF2-citizenship4

    Advancement open session; 130-5pm (Scout – 1st Class Requirements; Knots, Lashings, and basic skills to be taught and verified/initialed (Rigler)

    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AEA82CA0FF2-advancement

    Dec. 28

First Aid MB – 9-430pm (ALL DAY) (Perfect/Granger)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AEA82CA0FF2-first

Citizenship in the Community MB; 9-1230pm (Magajne)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AEA82CA0FF2-citizenship2

 
Citizenship in the Society; 130 – 5pm (Staubus)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AEA82CA0FF2-citizenship3

 
Fingerprinting & Crime Prevention MBs 130-5pm (2 Merit Badges) (Lewandowski/Johnson) https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AEA82CA0FF2-fingerprinting

Winter Break Merit Badge Bash

Troop 24 Scouts have been invited to participate in District Merit Badge/Trail to First Class program. At this point we are looking for Troop 24 adults who are YPT trained who plan to attend (training is available online). Adults who are willing to attend as a Troop 24 chaparone, please reply to this email so the event can be opened to scouts who do not have a parent available to attend with them. Please see the invitation below:

Hello Portage Creek Troops,

Troop 33 is organizing a Holiday Merit Badge Bash for Scouts BSA, on Tuesday Dec. 27 and Wednesday Dec. 28, at St. Francis Xavier Church at 124 N. Spring Ave. in LaGrange.  The event is being planned to offer merit badge sessions for the First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation and Citizenship in the World merit badges. Troop 33 is also planning sessions for First Class trail requirements in orienteering, knots and lashings. 

The plan is to offer the sessions in two daytime events, 9am – 5pm, on Tuesday and Wednesday during the Holiday Break from school. Scouts should bring their own lunch, water bottle, folding chair, dry-indoor shoes if snowing, scout book, MB worksheets/pre-requisites, completed permission slip (to be provided by Troop 33), and $5 per day(building usage fee).  Troops with scouts interested in participating will need to provide two deep YPT trained adult leadership to be present at the event for their scouts on the day or days they plan to participate. 

Troop 33 Scoutmaster Marko Magajne is organizing the event for Troop 33 and has offered to open the event to other troops in the district.  If you have scouts and leaders interested in participating in the event, please contact Marko Magajne at (708) 218-8580 or by e-mail at mfmagajne@gmail.com.

Yours in Scouting,

Mike Mikulski

Portage Creek District Activities Chair

(708) 715-0513

Citizenship in Society Merit Badge

On Sunday, October 2nd from 1pm to 3pm, Troop 24 Merit Badge Counselors will meet with our high school aged scouts to help them earn the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge. This meeting will occur in the Riverside Presbyterian Church Social Hall. Scouts who wish to participate should read the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge Requirements and begin work immediately on requirements that can be done independently. If possible, scouts should attend next week’s troop meeting (9/29/2022) for a brief discussion regarding prerequisites. This program will be offered again at later dates for our younger scouts.
Sign up HERE.

World Conservation Award Program

The Forest Preserves of Cook County and our Scout Council are offering a merit badge program at the Little Red Schoolhouse in Willow Springs. Dates have now been finalized for the program. Scouts can earn Environmental Science, Soil and Water Conservation and Citizenship in the World merit badges. See the World Conservation Award Program Flyer for more information.
One adult from our troop must attend if any of our scouts participate. Let us know if you plan to attend – you can email committeechair@troop24riverside.com. Be aware that some dates conflict with planned Troop 24 campouts! This Friday is the last day to register.

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