Peter’s Eagle Project will take place December 11 and 12. The project involves painting two bedrooms at the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola Hospital. The walls in the rooms are chipped and in need of painting. The rooms are occupied by parents of children receiving treatment at the hospital, or adults receiving treatment themselves. The project will take place over two days on December 11 (5:00pm to 7:30pm) and 12 (9:00am to 11:30am, 11:30am to 2:00pm, 2:00pm to 4:30pm). The volunteers will prep the room, move furniture, spackle, and paint the two rooms, working for approximately two hours on Friday night, and eight hours on Saturday. Thirty-four volunteers are needed to work in teams throughout the two days. Please contact Peter at falk05@comcast.net to sign up for one of the shifts or to work out rides to and from the Ronald McDonald House at the shift changes. Please make sure you return a signed permission slip.

The Troop is planning an outing to Apple River Canyon State Park. We’ll be leaving at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, November 27, and returning by approximately noon on Sunday, November 29. Scouts who plan to attend should turn in the permission slip with $20 by Thursday, November 19. Please bring it to the Troop meeting, or turn it in to Dawn Gmitro.

Troop 24 will be participating in the DesPlaines Valley Council/Voyageur Trace District Camporee to be held October 23-25 at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion. The scouts will leave about 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23, and return to Riverside Presbyterian Church at approximately 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 25. The theme of the camporee will be conservation. On Saturday morning there will be education sessions presented by park staff and staff from the Shedd Aquarium. After lunch the troops will be assigned to conservation projects within the Park. Every attempt will be made to structure the education sessions and project to meet requirements of any and all relevant merit badges and conservation awards. The cost is $20 per scout (which includes the Voyageur Trace fee of $6 as well as the cost of food). The permission slip and money (check made out to Troop 24) are due by Thursday, October 8. Permission slips may be turned in at a troop meeting, or given to Dawn Gmitro.

If you’re still thinking about whether to go to Camp Mach, we would like your registration form and check for $260 (made out to Troop 24) turned in no later than Thursday, May 28. You can bring them to the Court of Honor that day, or drop them off to Nancy Hopkins. We have 35 scouts registered so far. You will also need to turn in a medical form by July 1. If you plan to ride the bus, a check for $100 is due no later than July 1, although you can, of course, turn it in now.

We now have 35 scouts signed up for Camp Mach.  If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late!  We’ll be accepting registration forms until May 28.  The cost is $260.  We have reserved a bus to take scouts and leaders to camp.  The bus will leave from RPC early Sunday morning, July 26, returning the afternoon of August 1.  The cost for the bus trip will be $100 (same as last year).  The deadline for turning in your money for the bus is July 1.  Checks should be made out to Troop 24, and can be turned in at a troop meeting, or given to Nancy Hopkins.  Also due no later than July 1 is a medical form for each scout (and each leader).  Medical forms are now required annually.  The medical form is available here, and can be given to Nancy Hopkins along with your bus check.

Dennis P’s Eagle Scout project will be taking place on Saturday, May 9, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Northgate Water Tower Building and the Youth Center behind the police station. If necessary, the project will continue on Sunday as well. We will be moving about 200 boxes from the Northgate Water Tower Building to the Youth Center behind the Riverside Police Station. The scouts will be moving and loading the boxes from the second floor of the Northgate Building into vehicles. Scouts at the Youth Center will be unloading the boxes from the vehicles and placing them into a giant filing cabinet. Adult volunteers are also needed to drive the boxes from one location to the other and to supervise at both locations.

A permission slip is required for participation. Dennis will be available at the next two Troop Meetings, where the permission slips can be handed in and scouts can sign up for the morning shift (8:00-noon) or the afternoon shift (12:30-4:30). Scouts should not wear open-toed shoes and are also advised to bring gloves. Contact Dennis for more information.

Our May outing to Kankakee River State Park is open to all scouts. The departure time will be 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1, from the parking lot in back of Riverside Presbyterian Church. We will return on Sunday, May 3. Scouts should wear their Class A uniform (scout shirt) to travel. They do not need to bring a mess kit, but they do need to bring a cup, as well as the usual sleeping bag and clothing appropriate to the weather. We need leaders and parent drivers. The permission slip and $20 is due no later than Thursday, 4/23. The permission slip is available here.

Troop 24’s annual week-long camp at Camp Mach-Kin-O-Siew in Elcho, Wisconsin is scheduled for Sunday, July 26 through Saturday, August 1.

Scouts who just crossed over have until April 30 to sign up at the “early bird” price of $235. The Troop purchased enough slots for all the new scouts at this price. If there are any remaining spaces after April 30 they will be offered to all scouts on a first come-first served basis. The regular price for camp is $260. The deadline for signing up is Thursday, May 28. Traditionally, all or almost all of our newer scouts have attended Camp Mach their first year in the Troop. Please visit our photo gallery to view pictures from past trips to Camp Mach. Permission slips with payment should be turned in at a Troop Meeting or given to Nancy Hopkins.

Troop 24’s April outing is to Camp Crown in Wilmot, IL. The troop leaves at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, 4/25/09, from the parking lot of the Riverside Presbyterian Church, and will return around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, 4/26/09. Please be available to pick up your son. Your scout must bring a mess kit, sleeping bag, and appropriate clothing for the weather. Packing instructions are in the scout handbook and will be discussed at meetings. Scouts always travel in their class A uniform (the scout shirt). The permission slip is due by Thursday, 4/16. We will need parent volunteers to drive and stay. New scouts should go on this outing to practice camping before Camp Mach!

Troop 24 will be participating in the Voyageur Trace High Adventure Expo May 1 through May 3, 2009, in Kettle Moraine State Park. This is open to scouts who are 13 years old and older, and First Class and higher. Scouts must be physically fit. The purpose of this outing is to meet training needs for high adventure, gain backpacking experience, test out equipment, improve trail food cooking skills, share great high adventure experiences, and earn requirements. Scouts will be organized into Philmont- style crews. There will be hiking and/or mountain biking. There will be break-out sessions on backpacking, orienteering, water purification, bear safety, and first aid. Meals will be trail food. We must be registered at Council no later than March 30. Permission slips are due by March 19. The cost is $23.00.

As always, we will need parents to volunteer to drive and stay.