Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Camp Sign-Up

Hello Scouts and Scouters!

As discussed in the last meeting, we have some fun camp opportunities coming up. You can't have Scouting without "outing", so let's get out there and camp!

A gentle reminder from your Treasurer: Your Scout account needs to be paid up before you register for camp. If you have a negative balance, please email the Treasurer (troop1.mpls.treasurer@gmail.com) to top off your account. If cost of camp is an issue, camperships are available. The Troop supports camperships for all Troop 1 events, and Council offers financial support for any Council-organized camps like Snow Base and Summer Camp.

Troop camperships are supported by fundraising. For those who do not need financial assistance, please remember that keeping your Scout account paid up helps the Troop afford to assist those in need.

Board Game Camp: December 12-14, 2025, Tonkawa Lodge, Stearns Scout Camp

A perennial favorite, and a camp you won't want to miss! A full weekend of your favorite board and tabletop games, in Tonkawa Lodge - the newest and fanciest Scout lodge in Minnesota. Bring your favorite games to share, and try games you've ever played before.

Board Game Camp is organized by the Troop. Cost includes food for all attendees.

Snow Base: January 9-11, 2026, White Pine Subcamp, Tomahawk Scout Camp

Your chance to learn how to stay warm and have fun in winter weather! Snow Base is a blast, whether you are sleeping indoors in a cozy cabin or outside in a snow shelter built by you and your friends, the camp staff at Snow Base will show you how to do it right. All necessary winter camping gear and clothing is provided by the camp, you just need your own hat and jacket!

Snow Base is a Council-organized and staffed camp. Cost includes staffed camp fees, food, and use of cold weather gear.

Ski Camp: February 06-08, 2026, Peterson/Adirondack Lodges, Fred C. Anderson Scout Camp/Trollhaugen

Troop 1 will welcome Arrow of Light scouts to join us at camp for our annual Ski Camp weekend. We'll stay in the Peterson/Adirondack cabins Friday night, then drive to Trollhaugen on Saturday. Scouts can ski, snowboard, or hang out in the chalet. We'll offer a chance to work on Snow Sports Merit Badge.

Ski Camp is organized by the Troop. Camp cost includes food for all attendees, plus lift tickets (if skiing/boarding) and equipment rentals (if needed).

Friday, November 14, 2025

Scoutmaster Dispatch: Wreath Delivery | Holly Trolley | Upcoming Camps | Service Opportunity

Hello Troop 1,

Your Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) met on Monday to plan activities for the next couple of months.

Wreath Delivery | November 15, 9am at Northrop Elementary School
  • We need scouts to be there early at 9:00 am to help unload the truck and sort & build all the orders for the Troop and Pack. Orders are triple checked before they go.  No order leaves the parking lot without Nicole’s approval.
  • If you are not able to attend, please let us know ASAP. You will need to make arrangements to pick up all of your items during our delivery window as we do not have storage.
  • Customer delivery should be by Thanksgiving. 
Holly Trolley | November 29-30 and December 6-7, Como Harriet Streetcar Line
  • Sell concessions like hot chocolate and s'mores kits to families as they wait to board the Holly Trolley at the Como-Harriet streetcar line.
  • Proceeds go towards paying for High Adventure trips.  All scouts are welcome, and scouts who would like to go on a High Adventure this year should join us.

Troop Meetings | Mondays, 6:30-8 at MUMC
  • November 17
    • We'll focus on knife and ax sharpening.  If you have a pocket knife or a sharpening tool, you can bring them.
    • If you have not earned your Totin' Chip, we can work on that.  You can prepare by reading about knives, saws, and axes in your scout handbook.
  • November 24
    • We will work on rank or merit badge advancement.  Think ahead and prepare any requirements you'd like signed off.
    • We have a request from some of the Movie Making crew to continue work as a group on that badge.
    • We can also continue (or start new scouts) on the Personal Fitness and Geocaching merit badges.
  • December 1
    • We will hold Troop elections.  Think about what positions of responsibility in the Troop or in your own patrol that you might want to have this winter and spring.
    • We will also start a discussion on High Adventure for 2026.
  • December 8
    • Board game camp planning.  What games do you want to bring?
      • Do we want to cook as patrols, or make a big meal as a troop like we did last year?  Bring your best meal ideas.
    • We will also continue the High Adventure discussion and brainstorm some trip ideas.
  • December 15
    • Winter Court of Honor, MUMC
  • December 22, December 29
    • No meeting - Winter Break
  • January 5
    • Order of the Arrow (OA) Elections (tentative - date to be confirmed)
    • Snowbase camp planning
  • January 12
    • PLC with our newly elected leaders
Upcoming campouts

Board Game Camp | December 12-14 at Stearns Scout Camp
This is a super fun weekend where we can play board games together.  Bring your favorite board games to share!  We've booked Tonkawa Lodge, which is very nice and large, and has a great kitchen.  Bunks are available to sleep inside.
Pack 1 AOL's are welcome to join us at camp!
More info | Register Here | Campout Roster

Snow Base | January 9-11 at White Pine subcamp, Tomahawk Scout Camp
Cold-weather camping and activities like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, broomball, etc.  Campers have the option of sleeping indoors (Experience program) or outdoors (Spearhead program).  Cold weather gear and food are provided.  This camp is still tentative, depending on interest.  Please sign up if you'd like to go!
More info | Register Here | Campout Roster

Ski Camp | February 6-8 at Anderson Scout Camp
Another Troop favorite, we will stay at the Petersen cabins and on Saturday we'll drive to the ski hill and spend all day on the slopes before returning to camp for one more night.
Bunks are available to sleep inside. 
 
We will work on Snow Sports Merit Badge leading up to this weekend, scouts who are interested should be able to complete it with a focus on downhill skiing or snowboarding.  Not interested in those options?  Depending on the snow cover this winter, we may also offer the merit badge with a cross-country skiing or snowshoeing focus.
 
Pack 1 AOL's are welcome to join us at camp!
Signup info coming soon....

Service Opportunity
The Friends of Lake Nokomis have asked us to help hand-broadcast native plant seeds on the hills along Woodlawn Boulevard, on the east shore of the lake.
The seeds need to be spread right before the first big snowfall, so the birds don't get to them first.  The date and time will be set according to the weather forecast, but when we hear it's scheduled, we'll let you know.
This will take 1-2 hours and count as service hours towards a conservation project.

Looking forward to a great winter with you all!
Scoutmasters Jill Towle and Josh Nixon 

Reminder: Wreath delivery tomorrow

 Good morning Troop 1!


The wreaths we've sold this fall will be delivered tomorrow morning.  We're asking scouts to join us at 9am to help sort the wreaths and pick up their order.  This will be at Northrop Elementary, the same location as in years past.

November 15, 9am
Northrop Elementary School
4315 S 31st Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406

If you are not able to attend, please let us know ASAP. You will need to make arrangements to pick up all of your items during our delivery window as we do not have storage.

If you haven't done this before, note that it can take some time, but many hands make light work and the more help we get, the faster we can get through it.  We need scouts to be there early at 9:00 am to help unload the truck and sort and build all the orders for the Troop and Pack. 

Orders are triple checked before they go, and no order leaves the parking lot without Nicole’s approval.  This is important because if we miscount and one scout gets a wreath from another scout's order, it is very difficult to track down that missing wreath and get it back once scouts start delivering orders to their customers.

Please deliver your orders to your customers before Thanksgiving.

Thank you!
Jill, Josh, and Nicole

Monday, October 27, 2025

Reminder: Troop meeting | Concession Sales at Pack 1 Halloween party | Conservation hours

Hello Troop 1!


We have a full week of activities!

Monday, October 27, 6:30-8pm: Troop Meeting, MUMC
This Monday we'll be playing games all evening... team building games.
If you can, bring a 2'x2' square of cardboard, one of the games will use a lot of these.

Wednesday, October 29: Last day to sign up for Base Camp overnight in November
Please sign up by Wednesday, so we can submit our final registration to Base Camp.  The overnight (lock-in) is scheduled for November 7-8.
* We opened registration up to Troop 1 scouts' friends, see the dispatch from October 22 for details.
* If you can't stay the night but would like to join us that evening for the activities, that's great.  In that case, please still register and let us know ahead of time.  We'll want to know who will be picking you up and when.

Saturday, November 1: Service hours opportunity at the Pack 1 Halloween party
We're selling concessions again this year.  Proceeds will go to the pack and we get to earn service hours.  We have plenty of scouts signed up for the first shift but need help on the second shift (6:45-8:30).  We're barely using the kitchen, and I promise that cleanup will be quick and painless!

Sunday, November 2, 10am - 1pm: Post-Trick or Treating Trash Pickup at Lake Nokomis
We thought that the weekend after Halloween would be a great time to pick up trash (candy wrappers!) at Lake Nokomis.  Because this will help the environment, scouts who join us will earn conservation service hours.  
Meet at the Lake Nokomis Little Beach at 10, and bring gloves and a garbage bag.

November 2 is also the last day to sell popcorn.

Thanks,
Scoutmasters Jill Towle and Josh Nixon

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Scoutmaster Dispatch: Base Camp Lock-in "Bring a Friend" event | Troop Hike on Saturday

 Hello Troop 1!

Monday, October 20, 2025

Troop and Committee meetings tonight | Wreath sales due

Hello Troop 1!

Troop meeting tonight at MUMC, 6:30-8pm
At tonight's meeting, we're going to work on advancement.  Bring your scout book!  Scouts working on Scout rank through First Class should get some time with an older scout or adult to talk through the rank requirements they're working on.  I'd suggest looking through the requirements at the back of the book and make a note of any you'd like to get signed off.  Then you'll be ready to go!

In-person wreath orders and payments due tonight.
Please bring your order forms (you can print one off here) and payments for in-person wreath sales.

Committee meeting tonight at MUMC, 6:45
All adults welcome and encouraged to join!

Register for Base Camp overnight Nov 7-8
We're doing an overnight lock-in at Base Camp, including archery, rock climbing, high ropes course (12 and over), pizza, and a movie!  Sign up now through October 29.

Does this sound like so much fun you'd like to bring your friends?  On Wednesday we'll open this up as a "bring-a-friend" event.  If you have a friend who would be eligible to join Troop 1, they would be welcome to join us on the overnight and get a taste for scouting with Troop 1.

See you tonight!
Scoutmasters Jill Towle and Josh Nixon

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Base Camp Lock-in | Troop meetings, hike, and service hours | Wreath sale dates

Hello Troop 1! 

Your patrol leaders met on Monday and planned some fun activities for this fall!
 
Base Camp Lock-in | November 7, 6:30pm - November 8, 8am at Base Camp
Instead of an outdoor campout this November, let's spend the night at Base Camp!  We'll share the facilities with a couple other troops and have access to archery, rock climbing, games, and (if you're 12 or older) the indoor high ropes course.  We'll have a pizza party and lemonade before settling down to a movie and going to bed (or staying up)!
  • There are limited spots for this one, so please sign up within the next week if you think you can go.
  • Once all Troop 1 scouts have had a chance to sign up, if there's still availability on October 22, we may make this a "bring-a-friend" event!  If you're going and have a friend who is eligible to join the troop and would like to see what Troop 1 is like, they could register for the overnight and join us.
  • Registration closes for all participants on Wednesday, October 29.
Register for camp  |  See who's going
 
Troop meetings | Monday nights from 6:30pm - 8pm at MUMC
We've planned the following activities for the next few Troop meetings.
  • October 20
    • We will work on rank advancement.  Scouts under first class should think about what requirements they'd like to learn about or get signed off on, and scouts over first class get to show leadership in the Troop by mentoring and teaching.  We'll end the night with a game.
  • October 27
    • Join us for a full evening of fun team-building games!
  • November 3
    • Learn knots and lashings!  We'll end the night with a game.
Troop Hike | October 25, 10am at MUMC
Join us for another Troop 1 Hike!  Last month we had a lovely hike along Minnehaha Creek to Lake Hiawatha and back, around 3 miles.  Let's do it again.  Scouts will decide where we go and will navigate, we'll aim for about the same distance.
 
Service opportunity: Concessions at the Pack 1 Halloween Party | November 1, 5:30pm - 8:30pm at MUMC
Have you been to a Pack 1 Halloween party?  It's lots of spooky fun!  Join us as we sell hot dogs, chips, and drinks to party-goers.  Proceeds will go to Pack 1 and we get to earn service hours.  Sign up for one or both shifts!
Sign up here | See who's going
 
Service opportunity: Post-Trick or Treating Trash Pickup | November 2, 10am - 1pm at Lake Nokomis
We thought that the weekend after Halloween would be a great time to pick up trash (candy wrappers!) at Lake Nokomis.  Because this will help the environment, scouts who join us will earn conservation service hours.
Details on where to meet will be sent out before the event.

Wreath and Popcorn sale dates
As a reminder, we're finishing up our wreath and popcorn sales.
  • October 20: In-person wreath sales forms and payments due.  Please bring these to the Troop meeting.
  • October 24: Online wreath sales end
  • November 2: Popcorn sales end
  • November 15: Wreaths will be delivered to Northrop Elementary school, scouts are expected to help unload and pick up their orders for delivery.  More details on this will be forthcoming.
 
We're looking forward to spending a fantastic fall with you all!
Scoutmasters Jill Towle and Josh Nixon