Join your fellow scouts for a fun weekend of camping, hiking and possible fishing at Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty, Indiana.  We will leave RPC on Friday, May 13th (time to be determined)  and will return on Sunday, May 15th at approximately noon.  The cost of this trip is $45.  More activites and rank advancement may be added depending on scout participation in this outing.   Scouts will need to provide their own fishing equipment.

In order for the scouts to be able to fish and bike we need at least two leaders commit to supervising each of these activities.   The more leaders and chaperones we have, the more activities the scouts will be able to participate in.  Please join us for this fun weekend.  Adult/Leader registration form follows the scout form.

Questions?  Contact Joan Janopoulos at joanj360@gmail.com.

Scouts sign up here

We are looking for leaders and adult chaperones to join the scouts  at Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty, Indiana for a weekend of camping, hiking and possible fishing.  In order to offer numerous fun activities for the scouts leaders and chaperones will be needed to assist with the various activites this state park has to offer.

Adults sign up here

Join the troop 24 contingent heading out to Adventure Day this Saturday, April 16.  The weather forecast looks to be idea for the activities that have been planned: clear & sunny in the lower 60’s.

The cost is only $6 for scouts and you can register for either morning or afternoon sessions, if your schedule limits you from joining us all day.

There will be something for all levels of scouts: rank requirements for newer scouts and service hours for the older guys.  Of course, there will also be good opportunities for outdoor dun, learning and exercise.

• Click here to see the post with all of the event details, or just click here to register today.

If you have any questions, email jiminov AT hotmail DOT com.

The Voyager Trace District is sponsoring its annual Adventure Day, which is a great opportunity for our scouts to work on rank advancement, service hour requirements and have fun in the great outdoors.  Here are the program specifics:

• When:  Saturday, April 16, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Where & What:
  • Morning Session (8:00  – 11:30 a.m.):  Teason Woods Grove (SW corner IL Rt. 83 and 104th Ave).  Scouts will take a 5-mile hike through Cap Sauer’s Holding, located South of Ill Route 83 and West of Willow Springs Road (104th Ave.), part of the Sag Valley Division of the Cook County Forest Preserves. On the hike, scouts will explore woods and prairies containing glacial moraines, savannas, an esker, sloughs and streams, with interpretation by naturalists and conservation experts along the trail. This is the most remote natural area in Cook County. Scouts will be able to work on nature requirements for 2nd and 1st Class ranks, and will do service, cleaning up the trail as they hike along.
  • Afternoon Session (11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.):  Sagawau Center (12545 W 111th Street, Lemont)
    • A tour through Cook County’s only Canyon, a glacial remnant with unusual plants and animals and a waterfall, guided by naturalists from the Sagawau Center.
    • A hike to (and tour of) a fossil filled quarry (1 ½ mile round trip), guided by a local geologist, with displays of fossils from the Sag Valley and the Mazon Creek area near Morris, Illinois.
    • Presentations on bird-monitoring research done at the Sagawau Center.
    • Merit Badge work: The opportunity to work on portions of Geology and Bird Study merit badges.
    • “Scouting-in-the-Preserves” Midway, with information on camping, hiking, bicycling, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, and x/c skiing, as well as information on how to work on nature, conservation and fitness merit badges, unit service projects, Eagle projects and the B.S.A.’s prestigious William T. Hornaday Conservation Awards in the Forest Preserves.
    • Service Project, applicable to the NEW! Life Scout 3-hour conservation service requirement.
• How:  Troop 24 will be arranging car pooling for scouts to & from the event from Riverside.  Since so many of our scouts have other commitments, we will try to arrange for car pools to bring scouts to the morning and afternoon sessions.  Scouts should plan on bringing lunch, trail snacks, water bottle, small pack, spare shoes and socks, trash bags, rain gear and a personal first aid kit; field glasses and a camera are optional.  Wear “Class A” shirt, pants and footwear which can get wet and dirty (There will be mud and a small stream crossing on the trail), and additional outerwear appropriate for the weather.
• Why & Who?  Education, exercise, fun, rank advancement & service hours – ’nuff said.   This is a good opportunity for all our scouts to learn about the forest preserves of Cook County, and especially new scouts who need to work on the nature rank requirements.

The cost is $6, which includes the program fee and a patch.   Register for both, or either morning or afternoon session, as your schedule permits.  Leaders and drivers/ chaperones are always needed.  We will need to leave the RPC parking lot by 7:30 a.m. and plan on returning scouts around 4:00 p.m.

• Click here for scout registration
• Click here for adult registration

Troop 24’s next camping trip will be April 22 to 24 where we will join up with other boy scout troop to take part in some friendly competition for prizes.  This event is being run by the Blackhawk council which is calling it an “Old School” camporee because of the focus on classic scout skills such as knots, first aid, fire starting, etc.  Click here for a full description of the events.

This outing will be a great opportunity for our new scouts to work on rank requirements, and our older scouts to demonstrate leadership by showing the younger guys the ropes, literally!

In order to get the early-bird discount for this event, our troop has have set our own deadline of Sunday, March 27.  With spring break, and Easter around the corner – don’t delay, just go ahead and register now, so you don’t forget later on.  If your scout can’t stay for the entire time, just make a note in registration.

So enough verbiage – click here to register scouts TODAY

We can always use leaders / drivers / chaperones, so click here if you can join us.

email jiminov@hotmail.com if you have any other specific questions.

As mentioned in this previous post, Troop 24 will be participating in a “Camporee” sponsored by the Blackhawk district.  This event will be a great opportunity for new scouts to complete rank advancement requirements.  Its also a great opportunity for older scouts to hone their leadership skills and have a lot of fun.  The event organizers are calling this an “Old School” Camporee because some of the activities are time-honored classics, to be set-up as friendly competitions:

• Firebuilding
• Logchopping & Sawing
• Ropes, Knots & Simulated Rescue
• First Aid
• Pioneering, Lashings & Shelter Building
• Compass Course

We will plan on leaving RPC on Friday late afternoon on Friday, April 22 and returning to Riverside mid-day on Sunday April 24.  The cost of this event is $50 per scout which includes all activities, transportation and meals on Saturday and Sunday.

The Camporee will be held at Camp Lakota, 2050 Deep Cut Road, Woodstock, IL, US

Troop 24 registration ends on March 27 so we can get an early bird discount.  Plus spring break will be going on and nobody will remember to register at that point.

Scouts register here.

Leaders/Chaperones/Drivers register here.

Troop 24 is planning to participate in two large-scale events in April, so be sure to mark your calendars.  More details will follow soon.

Adventure Day III – Secrets of the Sagawau – A multi troop event sponsored by the Voyageur Trace District.  This is an excellent opportunity for new scouts to work on advancement requirements.

When? Saturday, April 16, 2016, beginning at 8:30am

Where?  The event will be located in the Cook County Forest Preserves in the Maple Lake

What?  A five-mile hike, canyon and fossil quarry tours, moraines, prairies, savannas, woods, bogs, streams.  An opportunity to work on the geology merit badge and other advancement requirements.  Lunch will be served.

“Old School Camp-or-ee” A multi troop event hosted by the Blackhawk District featuring unit competitions and skill building.  Events include:

• Firebuilding
• Logchopping & Sawing
• Ropes, Knots & Simulated Rescue
• First Aid
• Pioneering, Lashings & Shelter Building
• Compass Course

When?  Friday, April 22 early evening to Sunday, April 24 when camp breaks at 10am

Where?  Camp Lakota, 2050 Deep Cut Road, Woodstock, IL, US

What?  In addition to the group skills & challenges, troops will be responsible for their own meals.  There is a campfire and order of the arrow ceremony.

The Troop will have TWO separate campouts at Bullfrog Lake in Willow Springs during the weekend of March 18-20.

• Friday night thru Saturday Morning, 3/18-19 – for scouts 2nd year or older who would like to camp and/or work on rank advancement requirements that can only be completed on a campout (acting as Patrol cook, starting a fire, setting up a stove, etc.).
• Saturday morning thru Sunday Morning , 3/19-20 –  for our new “Joiner” scouts. New Scouts will work on some of the skills and requirements needed for their first rank advancement.

Please be sure you sign up for the appropriate outing:

FRIDAY – Older scouts $15 (register here)
SATURDAY – New scouts $25 (register here)

The deadline for signing up for the outing is noon on Saturday, March 12.    Please fill out a form for each scout.

As always we need leaders, chaperones and drivers.  If you can help out in any of the following ways please use this Adult sign up form (register here) to indicate how/when you are available to help out.

Questions?  Contact Susan Lynch.