Reminder: Upcoming Troop 1 meetings and activities

A quick reminder about the next few meetings and activities on our calendar, including service opportunities, celebrations, and summer camp!

Troop meeting: Work on Advancement | Monday, May 18, 6:30-8 @MUMC

We are meeting tomorrow, even though its the Monday after a campout weekend.

This is another opportunity to prepare a few rank or merit badge requirements you'd like to finish up, and work on them or get them signed off at the meeting.

Memorial Day service at Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery | Monday, May 25
We've been asked to help out with the Memorial Day service at Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery.  This time, we will be more involved than in previous years.  We will lead the flag ceremony and read some passages.

Contact Corey Needleman (NeedlemanBSA@gmail.com) if you would like to help.

There will be no troop meeting on Memorial Day evening, May 25.

AOL Crossover | June 6, 3-5 @Longfellow Community Center 

Help us welcome the Wavy Chocolate Pickle Jar of America the 2nd patrol, as they cross over from Pack 1 into the troop.  They will cross over during Pack 1's end-of-year Blue and Gold banquet.

Sailing Crew Carwash | June 7, 10-2 @Oxendale's Market

Help support the crew for the Apostle Islands sailing trip in August!  We're holding a carwash in the parking lot of Oxendale's market.  All scouts are welcome to help with the carwash, to support their friends and "pay it forward" for when they are raising money for their own trip.

Please spread the word to friends and family who would like a clean car!
Sign up | See who's coming

Intro to Backpacking on Lake Superior's North Shore | June 20-23
Cost: $113/youth, $130/adult

This is bigger than a regular weekend trip: 4 days and 3 nights exploring state parks between Duluth and Canada.  We'll tour Glensheen mansion in Duluth and visit Split Rock lighthouse, hike trails, see the tallest waterfall in MN, and dine in a historic north shore lodge.  No experience is necessary; we'll set up camp at Horace Johnson scout camp and Cascade River state park and take day trips to see the sights.  We'll learn how to filter water, use a camp stove, pack your bag, and other skills that will help scouts feel more comfortable as they progress to more high adventure treks in their later scouting years.
Signup for this trip closes on May 31, please sign up soon if you're interested.
Sign up here | See who's going

Tomahawk Scout Camp | July 12-18
Cost: $415/youth (+$25 if registered after June 1), $150/adult
Spend a full week at summer camp with Troop 1!  This is a highlight of the year for many scouts.  We will spend nearly the full week outside, sleeping in tents and cooking our meals together as patrols.  Newer scouts get to work on outdoor skills and get a head start on rank advancement, older skills are able to try out some high-adventure and trades programs, and all scouts work on merit badges and enjoy time together in the woods and on the water.  Adults are also welcome as registered volunteers, it's a rewarding experience to spend this time with our scouts and see their growth.
Sign up here | See who's going

Happy scouting!

Jill Towle

Scoutmaster Dispatch: Camping, Memorial Day service, Swim tests, Car wash, and more!

  Hello Troop 1!

Last Monday our newly inducted PLC met to plan activities through June, while the rest of the troop cleaned out our patrol boxes so get them ready for summer camping!  

Patrol box cleanup and camp planning | Monday, May 11, 6:30-8 @MUMC

This Monday, we'll meet to finish reassembling the patrol boxes and plan our campout for the coming weekend.  If you're going to camp, please attend to help with meal and camp planning.  If you can't make the campout, once the patrol boxes look good, you are welcome to work on rank advancement with other scouts and leaders.

Back to the woods camp with Pack 1 | May 15-17

We're camping at Phillippo scout camp, near Cannon Falls.  This is an unstructured campout where we can enjoy being outside, and work on rank advancement or merit badge requirements.  We stay in a beautiful, tree-filled upper area of the camp, near Friendship Point overlook, in Snelling cabin.  Pack 1 is staying nearby, and we have the opportunity to camp with our incoming AOL scouts, the "Wavy Chocolate Pickle Jar of America the 2nd" patrol.

Register here | Campout roster

Advancement | Monday, May 18, 6:30-8 @MUMC

This is another opportunity to prepare a few rank or merit badge requirements you'd like to finish up, and work on them or get them signed off at the meeting.

Memorial Day service at Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery | Monday, May 25
We've been asked to help out with the Memorial Day service at Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery.  This time, we will be more involved than in previous years.  We will lead the flag ceremony and read some passages.  Corey Needleman will ask for volunteers who would like to participate and help them prepare their parts.

(No troop meeting on Memorial Day evening, May 25)

Swimming for fun and pre-camp swim tests | June 1 and June 8 @Lake Nokomis little beach

We often start the summer with a just-for-fun swim meeting, let's do it again!  This is also an opportunity to learn about and practice Safe Swim Defense, scouting's swim safety practices.  Troop 1 scout Sam Falk, who is a certified lifeguard, offered to help us administer scout swim tests before summer camp. This allows scouts to complete the requirement early or, at least, practice in the lake.  We planned this for 2 meetings in case of bad weather.

AOL Crossover | June 6, location and time TBD.

Help us welcome the Wavy Chocolate Pickle Jar of America the 2nd patrol, as they cross over from Pack 1 into the troop.  They will cross over during Pack 1's end-of-year Blue and Gold banquet.

Sailing Crew Carwash | June 7, 10-2 @Oxendale's Market

Help support the crew for the Apostle Islands sailing trip in August!  We're holding a carwash in the parking lot of Oxendale's market.  All scouts are welcome to help with the carwash, and please spread the word to friends and family who would like a clean car!
Sign up | See who's coming

Patrol Leader's Council (PLC) | Monday, June 15, 6:30-8 @MUMC

Senior patrol leaders, assistant senior patrol leaders, patrol leaders, scribe, and anyone else who's interested will plan out the next month's activities.

Intro to Backpacking on Lake Superior's North Shore | June 20-23

Explore our North Shore state parks and learn about backpacking without committing to a large trip.  All ages and experience levels are welcome.  We will hike several state park trails and experience what makes the North Shore special: waterfalls, history, and some local food. This is going to be a lot of fun!  See the signup form for a detailed day-by-day itinerary.

Sign up here | See who's going

Looking forward to a spring and summer full of fun activities with you all!

Scoutmasters Nixon and Towle

Scoutmaster Dispatch: Trash pickup tonight and Tomahawk merit badge registration

 Hello Troop 1,

Tonight's meeting is a bit of a pick-your-own-adventure.  We meet at MUMC at 6:30.

We will celebrate Earth Day by keeping 50th street clean!  We'll spend some time enjoying this sunny weather and picking up trash.

I hear that some scouts working on the 50-miler award may need another hour of conservation service work, this is a great opportunity to get that done.

If you are able, please plan on bringing gloves and a trash bag.

Other scouts are finishing advancement; some have boards of review and Scoutmaster conferences planned.  You can stay at the church and work on those as well.

Scoutmasters, we'll need volunteers to help cover both activities.  Thank you for your help tonight!

Finally a quick note on summer camp registration:

Starting tomorrow, we can register scouts for their merit badge and activity selections for Tomahawk.

This registration opens earlier for older scouts, giving them preference in activity selection:

• Scouts 16 and over on April 21 (tomorrow!)
• Scouts 14 and over on April 28 (next week!)
• All scouts on May 5

If you plan to attend Tomahawk, and are looking at classes that can fill up quickly, please complete our camp signup form below. We will register you for activities as soon as possible when it opens for your age group.

Register here | Campout roster

Scoutmaster Dispatch: Lake Nokomis Trash pickup | Troop 1 elections | Camp signups

Hello Troop 1,

Here's a reminder about some of our upcoming activities:

Lake Nokomis Trash Pickup | Lake Nokomis, Sunday, April 12, 10am

We will meet at the Lake Nokomis North Parking Lot (just below the community center).

• Scouts should wear Class B and dress for the weather. It may be muddy, so expect to get a little dirty!
• We recommend that attendees bring work gloves (and trash grabbers, if you have them). A 5 gallon bucket or other container is very useful to help with collecting trash, if you're prepared to carry it for the event. Troop will supply trash bags.
• Don't forget to bring a snack and water.
• We are aiming for 3 hours of service. We will plan to circle the lake, focusing on shoreline and running/biking path areas. If we complete our circle of the lake before 1 PM, we will check the park and hillside by the community center as well.
• Service hours will count for advancement (as service/conservation hours). Scouts who were on the Philmont crew last year can use these hours towards their 50 Miler award.

Sign up | See who's coming

Troop meeting | MUMC, April 13, 6:30-8
This coming Monday, we'll hold elections for youth positions of responsibility, like Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader.  Think about what positions you might want to serve in this spring and summer.  Who wants to be our bugler at summer camp?

We also have these spring and summer camp signups available on the Troop 1 website!

"Back to the Woods" weekend camp at Phillippo | May 15-17, 2026

We're going to camp with Pack 1!  By then, the weather should be nice enough for us to tent outside again.  Both groups will be in that beautiful upper area of camp, and our cabin (Snelling) is a short hike from the parking lot, and is the closest to Friendship Point.  This will be an opportunity for the incoming patrol (the Wavy Chocolate Pickle Jar of America the 2nd) to work towards their AOL badge as they gain experience camping with Troop 1.

Sign up | See who's coming

Intro to Backpacking on Lake Superior's North Shore | June 20-23, 2026
Explore our North Shore state parks and learn about backpacking without having to commit to a large trip.  All ages and experience levels are welcome.  We will hike several state park trails and experience what makes the North Shore special: waterfalls, history, and local food.
Sign up | See who's coming

Tomahawk Scout Camp | July 12-18, 2026

Spend a full week at summer camp with Troop 1!  This is a highlight of the year for many scouts.  We will spend nearly the full week outside, sleeping in tents and cooking our meals together as patrols.

• Newer scouts get to work on outdoor skills and get a head start on rank advancement, older skills are able to try out some high-adventure and trades programs.
• All scouts work on merit badges and enjoy time together in the woods and on the water.
• Adults are also welcome as registered volunteers, it's a rewarding experience to spend this time with our scouts and see their growth.

Sign up | See who's coming

Yours in scouting,

Scoutmasters Towle and Nixon

Scoutmaster Dispatch: No troop meeting tonight | State capitol visit next Saturday | Advancement work next Monday

Good morning Troop 1!

I hope you're enjoying Spring Break, those of you in the Minneapolis school system!

Our troop calendar generally follows the Minneapolis school calendar.  Because MPS is on break, we won't have a troop meeting tonight.

Our next event will be the opportunity to see the state capitol, next Saturday:

State capitol tour | Saturday, April 4

We're going to tour the state capitol building in St. Paul.  This will fulfill one of the requirements for Citizenship in the Nation merit badge.  Any scouts are welcome to join us, whether they're working on that badge or not - if you're not working on it yet, see Dr. Nixon or myself for a blue card and you can start on the badge!

Sign up | See who's going

Our next regular troop meeting will be the following Monday, April 6.  The plan is to have some free time for advancement work.  This will be a great night to work on any rank or merit badge requirements you'd like to make progress on, and to schedule a court of honor or ask for a scoutmaster conference if you're ready for one.  The next Court of Honor is coming up at the end of the month, where scouts will be recognized for their achievements this winter and spring.  This week, I'd encourage you to look at your rank or merit badge progress, and find some requirements or skills you'd like to prepare and have tested and signed off when we meet again.  Scouts over first class, scoutmasters, and merit badge counselors are encouraged to join us as well so we can all help with advancement and requirement sign-offs.

Have a wonderful week!

Jill Towle

Summer camp signup is open!

Summer camp registration is now available!

(Details are also available on our website camp signup page)

Tomahawk Scout Camp | July 12-18, 2026
Cost: $415/youth (+$25 late fee if registered after June 1), $150/adult

 

Spend a full week at summer camp with Troop 1!

This is a highlight of the year for many scouts.  We will spend nearly the full week outside, sleeping in tents and cooking our meals together as patrols.  Newer scouts get to work on outdoor skills and get a head start on rank advancement, older skills are able to try out some high-adventure and trades programs, and all scouts work on merit badges and enjoy time together in the woods and on the water.  Adults are also welcome as registered volunteers, it's a rewarding experience to spend this time with our scouts and see their growth.

Register here | Campout roster

We'll be at a different campsite this year, to accommodate our growing troop.  Check it out: 360° view of Menomonee Campsite

Signup timelines

While we will hold the registration open as late as possible, we encourage you to sign up before June.  All scouts can start entering their preferred merit badge selections in our Troop registration form now.  Popular merit badge sessions may fill up early, and Tomahawk offers preference to older scouts.

Sign up by these dates for the best chance at your merit badge class choices:

• April 21 for scouts who are 16 and older
• April 28 for scouts who are 14 and older
• May 5 for scouts of all ages
• June 1 camp fees due (scouts who sign up after this date are charged a $25 late fee)

Troop meeting: | March 23, 6:30-8, MUMC

This Monday at the Troop meeting, we'll talk about camp.  Scouts and parents are welcome.  If your scout or family hasn't been to camp before, I would suggest that you come and see what it's all about.  

Summer camp is a great opportunity for newer scouts to spend time with and bond with the other scouts in the Troop, it's a big boost towards rank and merit badge advancement, and it's fun!  Scouts who attend camp, especially in their first years, tend to stay with the program and succeed.

We're planning on sharing some pictures of our time at camp in previous years, and having a few of the scouts share their experiences at camp.  We'll also have merit badge class signup materials ready to look through and start planning.  Scoutmasters and other adult leaders planning on attending camp will be available for questions from parents - or scouts - regarding the signup process or camp in general.  After the Tomahawk presentation, we'll have open time for scouts to work on rank and merit badge advancement.

See you tomorrow!

Scoutmasters Jill Towle + Josh Nixon

Scoutmaster Dispatch: Spring activity update for March and April

Hello Troop 1!

Your Patrol Leader Council (PLC) met on Monday and came up with a great calendar of events for this spring.

Help with Pinewood Derby concessions | MUMC, Saturday, March 21, 12-2pm

We're looking for a few volunteers to help serve concessions at the Pack 1 Pinewood Derby.  Join us for a fun and exciting event!

Sign up | See who's coming

Troop hike | MUMC, Sunday, March 29, 1-4pm

We'll meet at MUMC and decide where to hike.  Please sign up so that we can track your hiking log for advancement. We're planning for 5 miles again.

Sign Up | See who's coming

State capitol tour | Saturday, April 4

We're going to tour the state capitol building in St. Paul.  This will fulfill one of the requirements for Citizenship in the Nation merit badge, but any scouts are welcome to join us, whether they're working on that badge or not.

Sign up | See who's going

Cullan Fehr's Eagle Court of Honor | MUMC, Saturday, April 11, 2:15pm

Join us in celebrating Cullan as he's earned his Eagle award!

RSVP here.  Arrive at 2:15, ceremony will start at 2:30. If you have one, please wear your full class A uniform.

Lake Nokomis Trash Pickup | Lake Nokomis, Sunday, April 12, 10am

We'll meet at the Lake Nokomis North Parking Lot (just below the community center) and earn some (conservation) service hours as we hike around Lake Nokomis and pick up trash.

Sign up | See who's coming

Court of Honor | MUMC, Monday, April 27, 6:30

Celebrate our scouts' achievements together!  Scouts should arrive at 6:30 to set up, and the ceremony will start around 7.  Please bring some refreshments to share afterwards!

"Back to the Woods" weekend camp at Phillippo | May 15-17

We're going to camp with Pack 1!  By then, the weather should be nice enough for us to tent outside again.  Both groups will be in that beautiful upper area of camp, and our cabin (Snelling) is a short hike from the parking lot, and is the closest to Friendship Point.  This will be an opportunity for the incoming patrol (the Wavy Chocolate Pickle Jar of America the 2nd) to work towards their AOL badge as they gain experience camping with Troop 1.

Sign up | See who's coming

Troop meetings | MUMC, Monday nights

• March 23 Tomahawk info session.  Troop 1 is going to Tomahawk Scout Camp this July!  Scouts will share their experiences and we'll have registration info available.  Scouts and families are welcome to learn more about camp.  This can be especially helpful for AOL families and others who haven't been to camp with us before.
• March 30 - No Troop meeting, since Minneapolis schools are on spring break.
• April 6 - Free time for advancements.  This will be a great night to work on any rank or merit badge requirements you'd like to finish up.
• April 13 - We'll hold elections for youth positions of responsibility.  Think about what positions you might want to serve in this spring and summer.
• April 20 - We'll assist Pack 1 with trash pickup in celebration of Earth Day.  Join us and earn more (conservation) service hours!
• April 27 - Court of Honor (see above)
• May 4 - Patrol Leader's Council (PLC)
• May 11 - We'll plan for camping at Phillippo the following weekend.

Looking forward to a great spring together!

Scoutmasters Jill Towle + Josh Nixon