BSA Troop 191

• Meeting for all scouts and parents of scouts attending summer camp this year at OSR. All camp contracts should be reviewed with parents and scouts, signed by parents and turned in to Mr. Tufaro.
• Climbing Merit Badge begins with Mr. Barry Rusnock.
• Families that wish to order summer camp photos or meal tickets for additional family members visiting on Sunday should visit the troop website signup page and place order.

Our charter organization Saint Ann's Church has Vacation Bible School between July 11-15 from 9 AM - 12:15 PM. This is an excellent opportunity for scouts to support our charter organization and complete service hours. Volunteers can be all days, part days and set-up prior to the event. A volunteer form is available from the troop website document library using this link.

Climbing Merit Badge Signup – Its one day before the scheduled start of Climbing Merit Badge, if your scout plans to take climbing merit badge beginning this week visit the troop website and signup today. If sufficient signup does not happen today we’ll be forced to cancel this event.

This is unfortunate since climbing was on the boy’s activities list at yearly planning and a significant number of hands went up four weeks ago during a troop meeting and last week there were seven hands raised. The committee decided to fund the climbing costs associated with this event in part due to feedback we received from parents and scouts about adding more diverse selection of activities during troop meetings.

The troop committee has also planned to bring in Robotics Merit Badge and NJ Boating Safety as additional types of events and challenges for our scouts however if participation in more traditional scouting activities such as climbing is minimal then that calls into question a strategy of expanding event opportunities.

So last call for Climbing Merit Badge; scouts of all ages can participate.

• Joe Smith needs several adults and older scouts for tent platform assembly at OSR. Meet at the community center at 8:00 AM Saturday.
• Need medical forms turned into the troop with valid physicals within the last year.
• Climbing Merit Badge begins at next weeks troop meeting. Signup is available on the website Signup Page.
• Required meeting for parents and scouts at next weeks troop meeting to discuss summer camp and contract.

1. Please see the email from Mr. Tufaro regarding the summer camp behavior contract. The contract is available on the troop website in the document library. Parents should print the contract, review with you son, sign and return during a troop meeting.
2. For scouts that are considering taking a Catholic Religious Award there will be a signup at this week’s troop meeting. Also see the troop website calendar page for information about an informational event on June 21.
3. Next week on June 23^rd there will be a parent and scout required meeting with Mr. Smith to review summer camp.
4. This weekend Mr. Smith is looking for adults and older scouts to help assemble tent platforms at OSR. Meeting will be at 8:30AM on Saturday. See my email from earlier in the week for more information.
5. Please be sure you have current Medical Forms turned into the troop with valid physicals within the last year.
6. Parents that volunteered time during summer camp this year should contact Mr. Smith at the troop meeting to complete some information needed by OSR.
7. Scout Sunday at Saint Ann’s is Sunday July 10. This is an excellent opportunity to show support for our charter organization.
8. Saint Ann’s will also hold Vacation Bible School between July 11 and 15^th. This is another opportunity for scouts to show support for our charter organization and gain service hours.
9. Parents that want to purchase summer camp photos or meal tickets for Sunday meals may sign up on the troop website Signup Page. I’ll be at each troop meeting to collect payments for any purchases you make on the website.
10. Climbing Merit Badge signup is also available on the troop website. Approximately three weeks ago Mr. Rusnock presented the merit badge criteria with the scouts and significant number of hands went up to volunteer for this activity. The committee agreed to fund this activity and reserve the resources for this merit badge and trip. To date there have been zero scouts sign up for this event. If there is not sufficient sign up for this event then it will have to be canceled.
11. Based on feedback received from scouts during recent board of reviews we have added the News Tabs on the website and also providing content about announcements made during the troop meeting close. If you have other suggestions for additional functionality just let us know.

Mrs. Zalewski has created a checklist for scouts attending summer camp to track their Merit Badge Prerequisite requirements. The checklist is an Excel document available in the Document Library. Scouts should visit the Documents tab then click the Summer Camp Checklist link to download the document. Once you have the document open it using Excel and follow these steps:

1. Locate the Merit Badge Checklist you are taking using the Tabs at the bottom.
2. Print the checklist (be careful not to print the entire document; only print the checklists you need)
3. Complete the prerequisites.
4. Review the completed prerequisites and the checklist with a parent.
5. The parent will sign off that all of the pre-requirements are complete for the merit badge.
6. Scouts will bring the prerequisites and parent signed off checklist form to a scout meeting for a troop leader to look over and sign off.

Scouts or parents may contact Mrs. Zalewski or Mrs. Garvey with any questions or concerns. 

Catholic boys entering grades 7 thru 12 are invited to discuss the requirements for the Ad Altare and Pope Pius programs on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 PM in the undercroft of Immaculate Conception Church, Annandale.

All scouts (and troop planning workshops) are encouraged to reserve April 13-15, 2012 for the Annual Diocesan Boy Scout Retreat.

Adult scouters interested in working on the retreat committee may contact Nora at 735-9520.

Joe Smith and Tom Hodulik picked up the required lumber to build additional tent platforms at OSR for summer camp.

We are looking for 6-8 adults and 4-5 older scouts to help assemble the platforms at the scout reservation on Saturday June 18^th. Volunteers will be meeting at approximately 8:30 AM for the trip to OSR. If you are available next Saturday June 18^th to help assemble these platforms let Mr. Loeffler know via email.

Due to the school closure for the heat related weather on June 9 the troop meeting will be held at the Bethlehem Township Community Center at 7:30 PM.

Mr. Smith is looking for volunteers to come to the Scout Building on Friday afternoon to fold tents used during the State Police Camporee. If you are available contact Mr. Smith.

There is a 5 Mile Hike this Sunday at noon at Merrill Creek and a PAPER signup is available. Contact Mr. Smith if you are going. Adults are needed as drivers.

Mr. Loeffler announced that the Climbing Merit Badge will be offered during the troop meeting on June 23 and June 30. A signup is available ONLINE at the troop website. The climbing merit badge counselor is Mr. Rusnock and his bio is available in the document library. Actual climbing will be during a weekend camping trip with a date to be announced.

Mrs. Zalewski will be sending updated Summer Camp Schedules via email, scouts should be making progress towards prerequisite completion and signoff.

Mr. Loeffler announced that during June district roundtable Mr. Smith had been awarded the District Scoutmaster of the Year Award.

Robotics Merit Badge Signup with Mrs. Bernick will be happening soon. Scouts should keep an eye on the troop website signup page to signup.