January 8, 2003
1. We have a campout to Fort Stevens (Oregon) planned
for January 18-20. Sign up deadline is tonight (or call Dave
ASAP). We will leave early Saturday, eating a sack lunch on the way
down. Bring a few bucks for a lunch on the way home on the 20th.
There will be a hike on Sunday. Pack for cold weather with strong winds
and possible rain.
2. The Patrol Leaders Council will meet Tuesday, January 21.
3. We will go swimming on January 22.
4. Justin Bramlette's Eagle Ceremony will be at the Church at 2:00
Sunday, January 27.
5. Pack 266's bridge crossing will be January 27th, 6:30 at Good
Shepherd Lutheran.
6. The troop committee will meet January 27.
7. The next OA Chapter Meeting will be February 3.
8. Our OA election will be February 12.
9. We have a Court of Honor on February 19.
10. Remember that dues need to be paid up before you meet with the
board of review.
11. For OA members, start saving money now. The next Conclave
will be in Alaska
12. PATROL POINTS (Three Months - this is for pizza!!)
5th Raccoons 892
4th Fishheads 973
3rd Raptors 1093
2nd Purple Cows 1331
1st Wolverines 1409
There are always lots of
questions for boys going on their first campout. We will try
to get a lot of advancement work done that weekend, so there are some things
boys need
to be prepared for.
First of all, boys and parents
need to know what to pack. Two boys will share a tent.
Generally in Washington, more than half the boys have access to a tent they
can bring.
Boys should work out who they are tenting with the Wednesday before the
campout, so
we are sure everybody has a place to sleep. Parents: please check to
make sure your son
knows where he is sleeping. He will need a sleeping bag (or
blankets). An air mattress
or pad is also an excellent idea. He will need a plate, bowl and cup,
and a knife, fork,
and spoon. (The troop will provide the pots and pans for
cooking.) Bring a first aid kit, a
flashlight, a pocket knife, a change of clothing, rain gear, a water bottle,
matches, fire
starters, rope, twine, soap, toothbrush, etc. There is a more complete
list on pages 224-
225 in the new handbook. Anything that could get wet (especially
sleeping
bag and
clothes.) should be in a plastic bag.
If you have a back pack, pack
everything in it, and we will do a pack inspection
(Tenderfoot requirement 1). If you don't have a pack, put it in a duffel
bag, suitcase, or
large garbage bag. We have a few packs you could borrow, call Dave at
357-7508.
The troop generally provides food
for 3 meals, Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast and
lunch. (Sometimes we go out Friday night, or stay through
Monday. Meals and prices
change then.) One of the boys in the patrol will buy the food, normally
as one of the first
class requirements. He should be paid $6.00 the Wednesday before the
trip to help with
the cost of the food. (There will either be a little more to pay or a
little money back
depending on actual costs.) That leaves Saturday lunch to deal
with. Boys either bring a
sack lunch or could put together something to meet Second Class
requirement2g. (On
one campout, plan and cook over an open fire one hot breakfast or lunch for
yourself,
selecting foods from the four basic food groups. Explain the importance
of good
nutrition. Tell how to transport, store and prepare the foods you
selected.) If it were
me, I would bring a foil dinner to meet this requirement. Take a sheet
of heavy duty
aluminum foil. In the center put a quarter pound of hamburger(broken
up), a carrot and
potato (cut up), some cooked rice, and perhaps some pepperoni to spice it
up. You will
need some liquid (this cooks by steaming), use water, soy sauce, or stewed
tomatoes.
Add spices to taste (chili powder, sweet basil, etc.) Pull the top and
bottom together and
fold them tightly together, then roll it up from the left and right ends, tuck
the sharp
edges in. Put the whole package in a second sheet of aluminum foil, and
seal it up the
same way. The whole package can be cooked in the coals.
Normally we try to take a hike on
campouts where lots of new boys attend. Second Class
requirement 6b says Prepare a personal first aid kit to take with you on a
hike. If you
make a kit and bring it with you we will get that requirement done. We
will probably
also work on safe handling of knives, axes, and saws, wild animals,wild
plants, fuel
preparation, lighting fires, selecting campsites, assistant cook, and whatever
else we can
think of to work on. Campouts provide lots of time to get things done.