Des Plaines Valley Council has the following Boy Scout Training opportunities available in January. For the full training calendar, visit the DPVC website.

New Leader Essentials – January 12, 10:00-12:00, Willard School, 1250 Ashland Avenue, Forest Park. New Leader Essentials is an introductory session that highlights the values, aims, history, funding, and methods of Scouting. Following Fast Start Training (which is an online class), this is the first segment of Basic Leader Training for Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing Leaders. Online Registration Form

Scoutmaster/Asst. Scoutmaster – January 22, 24, 29 for all Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters, and transitioning Webelos leaders. This session concentrates on Troop operation. All three sessions are required.

Troop Committee Training – January 29 – The Troop Committee Training builds working committees that provide better service to units. This training will help committee members understand the importance of their role in the committee. Committee members take New Leader Essentials, then Troop Committee Training. (Troop Committee training is also available as an online class. If you have taken New Leader Essentials as a Cub Scout Leader you don’t need to take it again.)

Outdoor Leader Skills – April 11-13 – You may want to mark your calendar for this class, which is offered only twice each year, and is recommended for everyone working with the Scouts out of doors or camping. This weekend event is offered at Camp Tomo-Chi-Chi Knolls. You must attend the entire weekend.

The National Youth Protection Committee recommended additions to Boy Scout rank requirements that were approved and will become effective January 1, 2008. These changes will help advance the importance of Youth Protection training beyond the initial Boy Scout joining requirements, and keep youth informed and actively engaged in understanding the key elements of personal safety and protection.

The changes will be represented in the 2008 Boy Scout Requirements book and the revised ninth printing of the 11th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook.

Tenderfoot Rank
Revised requirement 9:

Explain the importance of the buddy system as it relates to your personal safety on outings and in your neighborhood. Describe what a bully is and how you should respond to one.

Second Class Rank
New requirement 8b:

Explain the three R’s of personal safety and protection.

First Class Rank
New requirement 12:

Describe the three things you should avoid doing related to use of the Internet. Describe a cyberbully and how you should respond to one.

The Troop Committee meeting is Tuesday, January 8, at 7:00 pm,  in the RPC upstairs “parlor.”  Parents are welcome (& encouraged) to attend.

The Troop Meeting on Thursday, January 10, will be held in the Social Hall instead of the gym because the Cub Scouts will be setting up the Pinewood Derby track in the gym.

For those of you who have Powerpoint, you might like to see photos from last year’s Eagle Cave outing. We hope to add these photos to our photo gallery later.

January’s outing is to Upper Limits climbing facility in Bloomington, IL, on 1/26. It is open to scouts who are First Class or higher, and to scouts who are 13 or older, which includes the Scorpion patrol (some in the Scorpion patrol are 12 and a half, but it is open to the whole patrol). A reservation for 10 has been made, which can be increased, “until it can’t be increased,” to quote Upper Limits. Bring your permission slip, waiver, and check to this Thursday’s meeting, 12/13, which will be our last troop meeting until 1/10.

Dear Troop 24,

A scout is unable to go to Eagle Cave, which leaves this Friday, 12/14, at 5:30 and returns on Sunday, 12/16, so there is an opening available. Please let Pat Rohm know if you want to go.

Eagle Cave is next Friday, December 14, leaving at 5:30 from Riverside Presbyterian Church!  Your scout should bring a sleeping bag, extra clothes, a flash light, money (there is a store there, and they may be stopping to eat on the way home), a garbage bag to put wet clothes in, and plastic to put under and over their sleeping bag.  A ground cloth, a tarp, an old shower curtain–something to keep their sleeping bag dry, because it is a cave. If there is snow, they can go sledding, so they should bring snow clothes.  If there is room in the cars, they can bring a small sled, like a saucer. That determination will be made at the time of loading, by the drivers.

Our January outing is to Upper Limits climbing facility in Bloomington, IL. It is for scouts who are first class or higher. It’s a day trip on Saturday, January 26, leaving at 7:30. The cost is $35 for the merit badge class, $25 for rock gym 101 (for scouts who have the merit badge and need a refresher), and $12 for experienced climbers who will have to pass a test. The permission slip is due Thursday, 12/6, as the facility requires a deposit. Scouts must attend meetings on 1/10 and 1/17. Please send in the permission slip and the waiver, signed by scout and parent.

At our last committee meeting, Karon Nettles, proud mother of Braxton Nettles, who received his Eagle Rank in June 2001, announced that after many years, she will be stepping down as Troop Treasurer. Karon is a great asset to our troop and will be truly missed at that position. Luckily for us, she will continue to be on our committee. If anyone is interested in taking over this position, please feel free to contact Garey. Karon will be happy to help in the transition.

The Troop Committee meeting, originally scheduled for December 4, will be held instead on December 11.