Troop 24 is Going Sailing in the Keys!

Troop 24 is going on a high adventure trip to BSA’s Florida Sea Base on Lower Matecumbe Key in the Florida Keys (Islamorada, Florida) over the Fourth of July weekend of 2015. Why are we bugging you about it now? Because we need to confirm our spots and pay our 50% deposit by October 1.

Who Can Go: Boys who are 1st Class or higher, have finished 8th grade and have the Swimming Merit Badge. We have spots reserved for up to 18 boys. We will also need six adults to accompany the boys (you do not need to be an Adult Leader to accompany the trip).

Where Are We Going: BSA’s Sea Base High Adventure Camp in the Florida Keys on Lower Matecumbe Key, Islamorada, FL.

What Are We Doing: We are going on a Coral Reef Sailing adventure. We will be spending the week on a 40-50 foot sailboat(s). We will explore the Keys and associated Coral Reefs, snorkeling and fishing as we go (no SCUBA on this trip). The entire trip will be overseen by an experienced captain and there will be an opportunity to learn basic sailing skills.

When Are We Going: July 1 to July 9, 2015 (the adventure runs from July 2 to July 8, 2015, with the additional time being travel). Our tentative itinerary starts and ends at the Ft. Lauderdale airport with travel to and from Ft. Lauderdale being arranged separately to allow planning flexibility (there will be an organised group from Chicago or you can use frequent flyer miles, drive your self, travel by Portkey, etc.). When we know who is going we will work out the final itinerary as a group.

What Is It Going to Cost: If we fill all of our slots, the cost should not exceed $1,250 per person, plus the cost of airfare to Ft. Lauderdale (currently $325, but the cost for next July is unknown). The cost will go up the smaller the group gets, a small group may be several hundred dollars more. These are preliminary estimates and probably the total cost will be closer to $1,000 per person in the end.

If your son is even a little bit interested in going on this once in a (Scout’s) life trip, please talk to Michael Murphy (mjmurphy64@gmail.com). We will need a commitment to the trip by Monday, September 29. Commitment will be in the form of a check to the Troop for the initial, nonrefundable, deposit of $500.

Four current Boy Scouts of America councils – Calumet, Chicago, Des Plaines Valley and Northwest Suburban – are in the process of joining a newly created Council. Together, they encompass over 20,000 registered Scouts and nearly 9,000 trained adult leaders. More information is available here: http://www.betterstrongerscouting.org/

Join Troop 24 for the DesPlaines Valley Council Fall Camperall: Friday 9/26/14 through Sunday 9/28/14 at the Boy Scout Adventure Camp in Rochelle, IL

More information is available on our website at http://troop24riverside.com/2014/09/dpvc-fall-camperall-sept-26-28-rochelle-il/

The deadline to sign up is 11:30 p.m. on September 22.

It’s officially Popcorn selling season! Popcorn Fundraiser Order Forms were distributed to our Scouts via USPS mail this summer as well as at last Thursday’s Troop meeting. If you need an order form, please attend this Thursday’s meeting and request one from Scoutmaster Tom.

NEW THIS YEAR – Attention Scouting families – now a whopping 35% of your son’s sales total is credited back to him for Camp Tesomas (or other Troop outings). For example, if your Scout sells $500 in popcorn, $175 will be credited towards camp fees! And YES, total sales do include Popcorn to the Troops donations.

Here are a few items to note regarding Popcorn Selling:

Face-to-Face Sales:
• Collect total due from the Customer up front
• All checks are made payable to Troop 24
• Please review the Popcorn product, prices and presentation with your Scout prior to solicitation
• When selling, scouts should suggest a donation to “Popcorn to the Troops” for our military. Levels include SILVER ($30) & GOLD ($50). Tax receipts are available.
• Instruct Scouts to say “Thank You” regardless of whether popcorn is purchased

On-line Sales:
• Register your Scout on-line at http://www.trails-end.com/
• Click on “Scout” on the top right hand corner, then choose “Create An Account” again in the top right hand corner, then select “Scout” once more, enter Scout’s birthdate, then register under “Des Plaines Valley Council”.
• Gather together out-of-town relatives’ and friends’ email addresses for solicitation.
• All product ordered online is sent directly to the Purchaser but credited to your Scout using the link in the email solicitation generated by the website.

REMEMBER, all face-to-face orders must be PAID UP FRONT and all CHECKS are to be made payable to TROOP 24.

QUESTIONS? – Contact our Popcorn Kernel, Anne Kodama at amkodama@sbcglobal.net.

Be Prepared!  For the Zombie Apocalypse!

Join Troop 24 for the

DesPlaines Valley Council Fall Camperall

Fri.  9/26/14 thru Sun. 9/28/14

Boy Scout Adventure Camp, Rochelle, IL

* Zombie Cook-off               * Skills for surviving the apocalypse

* Hunting Zombies                         * Campfire and games

Cost and Scout Registration:

$35 per scout.   No cost for Leaders/Adult chaperones

Scouts register for this outing here.

Scout must register and pay for the outing to be considered “signed up”.  At the end of the registration form you will be linked to the online payment form.

Logistics:

• Troop 24 will depart RPC Friday 9/26 at 4:30 PM.
• Scouts must wear their Class A uniform.
• Troop will return Sunday 9/28 at ~11:00 AM.
• Gear list and further details will be sent to registered Scouts the Wednesday before the outing.

Help Needed:

• Leaders and Adult chaperones are needed in order for this outing to happen.  Please sign up here if you can participate in this outing.
• Drivers – Rochelle is ~ 1.5 hr drive.  If you can help transport scouts either Friday evening or Sunday morning please sign up as a driver here.

Registration for this outing closes on Monday Sept 22.  So sign up now!

If you have any questions please contact Susan Lynch

Troop 24 is Going Sailing in the Keys!

Troop 24 is going on a high adventure trip to BSA’s Florida Sea Base on Lower Matecumbe Key in the Florida Keys (Islamorada, Florida) over the Fourth of July weekend of 2015. Why are we bugging you about it now? Because we need to confirm our spots and pay our 50% deposit by October 1.

Who Can Go: Boys who are 1st Class or higher, have finished 8th grade and have the Swimming Merit Badge. We have spots reserved for up to 18 boys. We will also need six adults to accompany the boys (you do not need to be an Adult Leader to accompany the trip).

Where Are We Going: BSA’s Sea Base High Adventure Camp in the Florida Keys on Lower Matecumbe Key, Islamorada, FL.

What Are We Doing: We are going on a Coral Reef Sailing adventure. We will be spending the week on 40-50 foot sailboats. We will explore the Keys and associated Coral Reefs, snorkeling and fishing as we go (no SCUBA on this trip). The entire trip will be overseen by an experienced captain and there will be an opportunity to learn basic sailing skills.

When Are We Going: July 1 to July 9, 2015 (the adventure runs from July 2 to July 8, 2015, with the additional time being travel). Our tentative itinerary starts and ends at the Ft. Lauderdale airport with travel to and from Ft. Lauderdale being arranged separately to allow planning flexibility (there will be an organized group from Chicago or you can use frequent flyer miles, drive your self, travel by Portkey, etc.). When we know who is going we will work out the final itinerary as a group.

What Is It Going to Cost: Well, that’s the big question and we only have an estimated answer right now. The cost will vary based on the number of participants. If we fill all of our slots, we expect the cost not to exceed $1,250 per person, plus the cost of airfare to Ft. Lauderdale (currently $325, but the cost for next July is unknown). The cost will go up the smaller the group gets, a small group may be several hundred dollars more. These are preliminary estimates and we think the total cost will be closer to $1,000 per person in the end.

There will be an informational meeting during the September 18 Troop Meeting. If your son is even a little bit interested in going on this once in a (Scout’s) life trip, please come to the meeting or talk to Michael Murphy (mjmurphy64@gmail.com). We will need a commitment to the trip by Monday, September 29. Commitment will be in the form of a check to the Troop for the initial, nonrefundable, deposit of $500.

The Pav YMCA in Berwyn, in conjunction with Des Plaines Valley Council, will be offering programs for both Swimming and Lifesaving Merit Badges:

Swimming – Sunday, November 16 – noon to 6:00 p.m.
Life Saving – Sunday, November 23 – noon to 6:00 p.m.

The cost is $20. Interested scouts should sign up through the YMCA: www.pavymca.org