Pack 24 Cub Scouts have requested that our Boy Scout Troop hold a flag retirement ceremony at their Scout Cabin Campout on Saturday, September 29th. Boy Scouts and troop leaders are needed to demonstrate and lead the ceremony to properly and respectfully retire worn American flags. Scouts may receive credit for requirement 9 of the Communications Merit Badge by participating in this campfire ceremony. Volunteers should arrive at 5 pm and plan to stay for several hours (sorry, no troop camping allowed). Sample scripts and rehearsal time will be available. Volunteers will be provided with pizza and salad dinner and s’mores dessert.

Sign up here

We hope you are having a good transition back into the school year. Troop meetings will restart on Thursday, September 6th at 7pm at the Riverside Presbyterian Church. Starting on that day, we will meet every Thursday at 7pm except for announced days-off for holidays and to coincide with school breaks.

On our first meeting, we will hold elections for Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leaders. More info will be published soon about qualifications and the election process.

At our meeting on September 13th, we will hold a parent meeting at the same time as our troop meeting. Parents will have the opportunity to learn how to help their son get the most out of their scout experience. We will also answer any questions you may have and will have some helpful handouts such as merit badge counselor lists, and troop and leader rosters.

The Troop Committee will restart their monthly planning meetings in September. This is a committee of parents and leaders who help plan the campouts, service projects, fundraisers and other activities for the troop. The first meeting is Tuesday, September 4th at 7pm at Riverside Prebyterian Church. We will meet every first Tuesday during the school year, except we meet on the second Tuedsay in January. New members are always welcome!

You may view the Troop Calendar here.

We are very sorry to inform you of the death of Scouter Jim Marousek. Mr. Marousek was a Boy Scout volunteer who served our Council for many years. In 1978, he was awarded the Silver Beaver, which recognizes Scouters of exceptional character who have provided distinguished service. Mr. Marousek’s life of community service has further impacted our scouts, as he was the individual who conceived and initiated the student foot path connecting Riverside Brookfield High School with First Avenue & 26th Street in North Riverside.

Services will include a wake Thursday and funeral Friday as detailed in this obituary.

Please keep the Marousek family in your thoughts and prayers.

Congratulations to Frank Gangware, our Chartered Organization Representative, on being named Riverside’s Person of the Year 2018 by the Riverside Lions Club. Frank has served our troop for many years as a dedicated volunteer and advocate for the scouting program. You can read more in this Riverside Brookfield Landmark article. Be sure to congratulate Frank for this well deserved honor when you see him next, thank Frank for his many years of devotion to scouts and Troop 24.

Reminder: Forms are still open for you to sign up for the following activities:

June 20 Swim Test at 7:45pm
July 6 Swimming Merit Badge Class at 6pm
July 4 Pizza Booth Fundraiser

Keep reading below for new information about the July 3 flag raising ceremony.

We are very sorry to inform you of the death of Tony Frencl, the son of Tom and Della Frencl. Tom Frencl is a longtime Boy Scout volunteer who is our Council Advancement Representative, assisting our Eagle Scout candidates through the process of applying for their Eagle award. Tony Frencl received his own Eagle award following his project of starting the Special Olympics program at RB High School.

Services will include a wake Monday, April 16th from 3 pm to 8:30 pm at Suburban Family Funeral Home, 5940 W. 35th Street in Cicero. A funeral mass will be held at St. Pius X Church in Stickney, date and time to be announced.

Please keep the Frencl family in your thoughts and prayers.

Former Asst. Scoutmaster, Scott Vitek, 55, passed away on January 9. The Viteks were an active scout family. Scott and Kim have two children, Collin and Cody. Cody is a Troop 24 Eagle Scout from 2011.

There will be a memorial gathering on Monday, January 15, 2018, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Ivins/Moravecek Funeral Home, 80 E. Burlington St. Riverside.

Wishing you a harvest of blessings, good health and good times. We hope you enjoy a Thanksgiving feast in the company of family and friends.

Of course there will be no troop meeting this week. But don’t forget to look through our recent messages, and sign up for the Holiday Stroll and Star Wars movie. And if you haven’t done so yet, we really need you to pay your dues!!

Next week, we will hold Boards of Review, so please sign up for a Scoutmaster Conference or Board of Review if you are ready.

Patrol leader Council will meet next Tuesday, November 28 at 6pm at Riverside Presbyterian Church.

Eagle Scout Elijah Ourth embodies the true spirit of Scouting in all that he does.  He started as a Pack 24 Cub Scout camping at the Scout Cabin and ultimately joined his fellow Troop 24 Boy Scout friends on epic high adventure outings to explore the great outdoors.  But Elijah wanted more, he spent his senior year of high school as an exchange student in Sweden and became a member of the Swedish Scouting program.  Elijah did a solo kayak trek down the length of the Kankakee River as a high school student.  Now Elijah looks to tackle a 300 km dog sled trip at the Arctic Circle through Sweden and Norway, but he needs the help of his Troop 24 family.  To enter the race, Elijah needs to win a contest by gathering as many votes as he can.  Please go to http://polar.fjallraven.com/contestant/?id=213 to vote for Elijah.  Watch his video and you will see a few photographs of his Troop 24 High Adventure trips. If you can share or post something on your own Facebook page or e-mail the link to your friends, that would be great too!

It is with great sadness that we share the news of Tom Lombardo’s death.

An Eagle Scout and Riverside resident, Tom was the den leader for his son Jamie’s Cub Scout den in Pack 24. Tom shared his knowledge and love of scouting, all while privately facing stage four lung cancer.

Tom is survived by his wife Layla and son Jamie. You may read the obituary here.

Visitation will take place Thursday, November 16 from 2pm-7pm at Hitzeman Funeral Home located at 9445 E. 31st Street in Brookfield.

May the Great Master of all Scouts be with us until we meet again.