Each year the Troop has the opportunity to elect scouts to become members of the “Order of the Arrow.” To be eligible a scout must be first class or above, and have participated in 15 or more nights of camping within the past two years, including six days of which must have been at a long-term camp (for example, summer camp at Camp Mach).

The purpose of the Order of the Arrow is fourfold:

To recognize those Scout campers who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives
To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit
To promote Scout camping
To crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others

Scouts who have asked to be considered for the Order of the Arrow won’t find out if they were elected until at Camp Mach. If elected, the scout will be inducted through a ceremony in which candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and are required to sleep alone, apart from other campers. The entire experience is designed to teach significant values.

The Order of the Arrow is usually attained by older scouts. Any scout elected to Order of the Arrow will not be able to attend the rafting trip at Camp Mach, as they will be involved in other activities. For more information, visit http://www.oa-bsa.org/misc/basics/

We would like all scouts to be aware that there will be Maundy Thursday church service at RPC at 7:00 pm on Thursday, April 9.  Scouts are  requested to be particularly quiet in entering and leaving the building, and to please refrain from any raucous activities outside the building.  There may be additional traffic and parking problems, so please allow a little extra time.  Thanks for your cooperation.

Troop 24 was fortunate to be chosen by lottery to attend a Seabase program during June of 2010. You should have already received this information via e-mail, but because our deadline for reservations for Seabase is very tight (next week!) we are sending this again. As of March 4, seven scouts and three leaders were already registered; we can take a maximum of 18 scouts.

Background
BSA operates three High Adventure programs: Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, Northern Tier in the Boundary Waters canoe region, and Sea Base in the Florida Keys. The demand for these programs exceeds the number of available openings so troops enter a lottery for reservations. Each program conducts their lottery at a different time and the Sea Base lottery for 2010 just ended. Troop 24 entered the lottery and was fortunate to be selected.

Eligibility
ALL BOYS MUST BE 13 YEARS OLD BY SEPTEMBER 1, 2009. This is a National BSA policy and there are no exceptions. If your son will not be 13 years old by September 1, 2009, he is not eligible and can not attend. If your son will be over 18, he can still attend but as an adult leader.

Outing
Troop 24 has been selected to attend the Coral Reef Sailing adventure beginning Monday, 28 June, 2010, and ending Sunday, July 4, 2010.

From the Sea Base brochure:
Your home for a week will be on a large sailing vessel over 41-feet long. During the odyssey you will be sailing the Florida Keys and have the opportunity to snorkel many reef areas, including Looe Key, one of the most beautiful reefs in the Keys and part of the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. During your voyage you will have the opportunity to study astronomy, navigation, fish identification and coral reef ecology.

We have the option to send up to three crews. A crew consists of two adults (over 18 with at least one adult over 21) and four to six boys. We will need six adults and a minimum of twelve boys (maximum of 18 boys) for three crews. If we do not have sufficient interest and commitment, we can sign up for two or even one crew. Each crew will sail on a separate boat.

Cost and Timing
The estimated cost per person will be approximately $1,500. The fees for this program are $5,650 per crew, or approximately $706 – $942 per person depending on crew size. Additional cost is airfare (to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale depending on cost), ground transportation (to/from Sea Base), any additional outings, trip insurance, spending money, etc.

If your son wishes to participate, you must provide a $100 deposit made out to Troop 24 by Thursday, March 12. This will provide us with sufficient time to get the necessary Council signatures and to insure the completed reservation form is received at Sea Base by 3/19. We also will need additional adult leaders so please consider attending.

Please contact Jim Ringbloom if you have any questions.

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!

There will be no Patrol Leaders Council this Thursday prior to the Troop Meeting.

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.

Events scheduled for Troop 24 can be viewed on our online calendar. If you can’t locate the latest e-mail from our Scoutmaster, you can always check the calendar.

Scouts: The deadline for turning in your pancake breakfast ticket money is this Thursday, February 26, at the Scout meeting. If you are unable to be at the meeting, please drop it off at Sue Jone’s house prior to that date. If no one is at home, push the envelope all the way in to the mail box so that it drops inside the house. If you don’t know where Sue lives, please e-mail her for directions.

Each year for the Pancake Breakfast, we sell sponsorship squares for our placemat to area businesses and supporters of scouting. Due to the recession, we have lost a few of our traditional sponsors. If any parent could sponsor a square, please email Sue Jones by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, February (tomorrow). Sue can either pick up a copy of your business card from your house or you can email it to Sue. The sponsorship levels are : $50 bronze sponsor, $100 silver sponsor, $150 gold sponsor. Thank you!