Wreath Sorting | Upcoming Meetings | Court of Honor

Your Tuesday dispatch from Troop 1:

Wreath Sorting will happen this Saturday, Nov 18, 8:30AM-Noon, at Northrop Elementary School (4315 S 31st Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406). Scouts will be unloading the truck and sorting orders for the Troop and for Pack 1. Each order will be triple checked: Once by the scout building the order, once by another scout or adult, and the third time by the person picking up the order. Scouts should not leave until all orders have been sorted and triple checked. If you cannot make it to pick up your order by noon, make arrangements for someone else to pick up the wreaths you sold.

Upcoming meetings:

For the next two meetings, your Patrol Leaders Council has planned to work on Genealogy Merit Badge. Come to the meeting ready to work on this badge. PRINT OUT the Merit Badge workbook and bring it to the meeting on Nov 20. If you do the at-home portion over Thanksgiving break, you should be able to complete this Merit Badge during the meeting on Nov 27. Thank you to Val Mayer for being willing to serve as Merit Badge Counselor for this!

• See Merit Badge requirements | Print the Genealogy MB workbook

Troop Elections will be held on December 4. We will be electing Patrol Leaders, Senior and Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders, Quartermaster, Scribe, and other key positions. If you are planning to run for a position of responsibility, please start thinking about how you will make your case to your fellow Scouts. Remember, it is not a position of responsibility unless you take responsibility for the position!

Court of Honor is scheduled for December 18. This means that all Boards of Review for rank advancement MUST be complete by December 4. If you are close to your next rank and will finish requirements by Dec 4, contact our advancement coordinators (Val and Chad Mayer) as soon as possible.

Camping Updates:

Stearns Fall Camp was a great weekend. If you were unable to join us, please consider attending a future camp instead!

Board Game Camp (Dec 8-10): 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 never played before. If you haven't been to Board Game Camp before, you don't want to miss it.

• Register here | See who else is attending

Ski Camp (Feb 9-11): We'll be opening sign-ups for Ski Camp soon. This is our annual trip to Trollhaugen to get in some winter fun. We stay at Fred C. Anderson Scout Camp overnight and drive to Trollhaugen for the day. This camp is a bit more expensive than others as we need to factor in cost of ski/snowboard rentals (for those who need gear) and ski/snowboard lessons (for those who want them). We WILL have a chance to work on Snow Sports Merit Badge.

• Register here | See who else is attending
  

Other Camp Opportunities:

Snow Base: At least 2 scouts are interested for January. Unless we have more, we will not try to book a trip this year.

Pack 1 Winter Camp: The Pack is looking for a few scouts to help with cold weather outdoor skills at Stearns Scout Camp Jan 5-7. The Pack will be at Tonkawa Lodge. Troop attendees could book McCarthy or Deckenbach Lodge if we had enough people present (no other facilities are available that weekend). This could be a good alternative to Snow Base for January camping. Are we interested in helping Pack 1?

Philmont 2025: We have interest in putting a crew together for this trip. If you will be 14 in 2025, start thinking about this - Scouts who have gone in the past refer to it as a "life changing experience".

Good Scouting!

Uniform Exchange | Fall Camp | Board Game Camp

Happy Post-Halloween, Troop 1! Hope everyone had a good evening (and that those who went out for candy stayed warm!)

Uniform & Gear Exchange: We'll be holding a uniform & gear exchange on Monday Nov 6. Bring any Scout uniform parts that you do not need or have outgrown. Extra camp gear such as backpacks, boots, sleeping bags or pads, etc. are also welcome. If you are a Scout who needs a larger shirt or some camp gear, we'd love to share within the Troop to help you out. Have uniform parts that are too small for our Troop members? We'll pass them on to Pack 1.

Stearns Fall Camp (Nov 10-12): Sign ups will close Monday Nov 6. If you are interested but haven't made the decision yet, now is the time. We'll be in Deckenbach Lodge and surrounding area. Lodge is heated but has no indoor amenities, we encourage Scouts to camp outside. Staying indoors counts for participation in Troop activities but does not count towards outdoor camping requirements for rank advancement or Merit badges that require outdoor nights. Having said that, if staying indoors makes the difference between attending or not, we'd rather have you attend!

• Register here | See who else is attending

Board Game Camp (Dec 8-10): 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 never played before. If you haven't been to Board Game Camp before, you don't want to miss it.

• Register here | See who else is attending

Other Upcoming Activities:

• Coin Collecting Merit Badge - NOVEMBER. At least 4 scouts are participating, planning for Tuesday nights. If you are also interested, please fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/PsgWQ2Ws4jn1X2jc6
  
  
• Snow Base: We have not heard from anyone expressing interest in Snow Base this year. If you want to go, speak up.

• Ski Camp (Feb 9-11): We'll be opening sign-ups for Ski Camp soon. This is our annual trip to Trollhaugen to get in some winter fun. We stay at Fred C. Anderson Scout Camp overnight and drive to Trollhaugen for the day. This camp is a bit more expensive than others as we need to factor in cost of ski/snowboard rentals (for those who need gear) and ski/snowboard lessons (for those who want them). We WILL have a chance to work on Snow Sports Merit Badge.
  
  
• Philmont 2025: We have interest in putting a crew together for this trip. If you will be 14 in 2025, start thinking about this - Scouts who have gone in the past refer to it as a "life changing experience".
  

Good Scouting!

Halloween Party | Camping & Activities

Your Wednesday Dispatch:

Halloween Party: We still need help especially for closing shift. The Pack 1 Halloween party is scheduled for Saturday Oct 28. This is to benefit the MUMC youth group. Troop 1 is selling concessions (pizza/hot dogs/refreshments) as a fundraiser for the youth group. Because this makes no money for the Troop, it should count as service hours. The volunteer shifts will run 5:30-7:30PM or 7:00-9:00PM. Scouts can volunteer for one or both shifts. Shifts overlap to accommodate scouts who may need to arrive late or leave early. Wear your uniform, OR you can wear a costume. Costumes cannot be scary and must be safe to wear in a kitchen while working (nothing flammable, sharp, etc. - use your best judgement!)

• Sign up for a shift here: https://forms.gle/try1PL1bweUxjgmZA
  

Upcoming Activities:

• Coin Collecting Merit Badge - NOVEMBER. At least 4 scouts are participating, planning for Tuesday nights. If you are also interested, please fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/PsgWQ2Ws4jn1X2jc6
  
  
• Snow Base: If the Troop wants to send a crew in January, we need to decide ASAP.
  
  
• Philmont 2025: We have interest in putting a crew together for this trip. If you will be 14 in 2025, start thinking about this - Scouts who have gone in the past refer to it as a "life changing experience".
  
  
• Upcoming Camps: Don't forget to sign up for Stearns Fall Camp (Nov 10-12) or December Board Game Camp! See sign-up links on the Troop website here: https://www.troop1min.org/home/camping

Good Scouting!

PLC report | Service Hours | Halloween Party

Happy Tuesday Troop 1!

Patrol Leaders Council: As a reminder, the PLC generally meets on the Monday immediately following camp. The PLC meetings are in person, at MUMC, 6:30PM. This week the PLC met to prepare plans through the November 10th fall camp at Stearns. Your Troop leadership should be reporting back to their patrols to ensure all Scouts know what the upcoming plans will be. The highlights:

• Flag Ceremony practice**
• Uniform discussion and uniform exchange
• Upcoming service hours opportunities

**Our troop has an opportunity to present the colors at a Minnesota Timberwolves game in November. The PLC was in favor of trying to secure a spot. This would be 4 to 10 scouts in class As, presenting the flag at the start of the game. The experience does require a $100 deposit and does not require (or include!) game tickets. Open dates are below:

• Wednesday, November 8^th 7PM
• Wednesday, November 22^nd 7PM
• Friday, November 24^th 7PM
• Tuesday, November 28^th 7PM
• Thursday, November 30^th 7PM

Service Hours: Reminder that we are participating in the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association trash clean up Saturday Oct 21 from 10AM-12PM. Meet at Keewaydin rec center (3030 E 53rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55417) at 9:45AM. Wear Class Bs and work gloves, and if you have a trash grabber, bring it along!

Halloween Party: The Pack 1 Halloween party is scheduled for Saturday Oct 28. This is to benefit the MUMC youth group. Troop 1 is selling concessions (pizza/hot dogs/refreshments) as a fundraiser for the youth group. Because this makes no money for the Troop, it should count as service hours. (Mr. Needleman may contradict me on this: If we disagree, he's right - I'm still learning!) The volunteer shifts will run 5:30-7:30PM or 7:00-9:00PM. Scouts can volunteer for one or both shifts. Shifts overlap to accommodate scouts who may need to arrive late or leave early. Wear your uniform, OR you can wear a costume. Costumes cannot be scary and must be safe to wear in a kitchen while working (nothing flammable, sharp, etc. - use your best judgement!)

• Sign up for a shift here: https://forms.gle/try1PL1bweUxjgmZA
  

Notes and Reminders:

• Coin Collecting Merit Badge - at least 4 scouts would like to participate, and it looks as if Tuesday nights may accommodate most people. If you are also interested, please fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/PsgWQ2Ws4jn1X2jc6
  
  
• Snow Base: If the Troop wants to send a crew in January, we need to decide ASAP.
  
  
• Philmont 2025: We have interest in putting a crew together for this trip. If you will be 14 in 2025, start thinking about this - Scouts who have gone in the past refer to it as a "life changing experience".
  
  
• Upcoming Camps: Don't forget to sign up for Stearns Fall Camp or December Board Game Camp! See sign-up links on the Troop website here: https://www.troop1min.org/home/camping

Good Scouting!

Coin Collecting MB | Service Hours | Upcoming Camps

Hey Troop 1!

Coin Collecting Merit Badge: Thanks to Bob Finnerty for volunteering to lead this. If you are interested, please fill out the form below and review the requirements.

• Sign-up form: https://forms.gle/XVX6q82LqMfRWM5j8
• Merit badge requirements: https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/coin-collecting/

Service Hours opportunity - Saturday October 21. Nokomis East Neighborhood Association is holding a neighborhood trash cleanup. If you can help, meet at Keewaydin Rec Center at 9:45 on the 21st. We'll be picking up trash from 10-12. It's a bit cold for your Class Bs, but a Scout hat or sweatshirt can help our neighbors know that we are there as a group representing Troop 1. Wear work gloves, be prepared for the weather!

• More info here: https://www.nokomiseast.org/event-details/nokomis-east-fall-clean-up

Upcoming Camps:

November 10-12: Fall "Back to the Woods" Camp, Stearns (Deckenbach Lodge). This is an unstructured camp. We'll try to plan a service project while on site, but the rest is up to you. Deckenbach does not have kitchen facilities, so we'll be cooking outside (and sleeping outside is strongly encouraged). Bring your Scout book, we'll have plenty of chances for advancement work.

Register here | See who else is attending

December 8-10: Board Game Camp, Stearns (Tonkawa). A full weekend of your favorite board and tabletop games, in the newest and fanciest Scout lodge in Minnesota? Count me in! Bring your favorite games to share, and try games you've never played before. Whether it takes 5 minutes or 5 hours to play, we've got time!

Register here | See who else is attending

Snow Base: Registration opened October 1, and spots will fill up. We'll be talking about this at the October 23rd Troop meeting to gauge interest and plan out a potential trip in January. Winter camping is awesome - just ask the crew that went last year!

Photos from Snow Base 2022 | Read about Snow Base here

Court of Honor | Fall Camporee | Upcoming Camps

Salutations Troop 1!

Court of Honor Monday: It's time to recognize our Scout's accomplishments. We're proud of your Scout and you should be too! Please join us as we welcome family and friends to be present while we award our Scouts the ranks and Merit Badges they have earned over the past few months. We encourage those in attendance to bring a shareable treat to enjoy after the awards ceremony is complete.

Merit Badge Work - the Troop started Communications Merit Badge this week. This and Personal Management MB will continue over the next few meetings. These are both Eagle-required badges. Please review requirements, and if you don't already have one, ask me for a blue card at the COH or next meeting.

Upcoming Campouts: Because you can't spell Scouting without "outing"!

October 13-15: Fall Camporee, Phillippo. The Camporee is an event drawing troops and crews from across our council. The Camporee offers patrol-based skill competitions and many opportunities to meet other scouts. This year, attendees can work on First Aid, Emergency Preparedness, Fire Safety, and Orienteering merit badges. Registration closes soon. We currently have 10 scouts and 5 adults registered.

Register here | See who else is attending

November 10-12: Fall "Back to the Woods" Camp, Stearns (Deckenbach Lodge). Like the Wild River campout last month, this is an unstructured camp. We'll try to plan a service project while on site, but the rest is up to you. Deckenbach does not have kitchen facilities, so we'll be cooking outside (and sleeping outside is strongly encouraged). Bring your Scout book, we'll have plenty of cances for advancement work.

Register here | See who else is attending

December 8-10: Board Game Camp, Stearns (Tonkawa). A full weekend of your favorite board and tabletop games, in the newest and fanciest Scout lodge in Minnesota? Count me in! Bring your favorite games to share, and try games you've never played before. Whether it takes 5 minutes or 5 hours to play, we've got time!

Register here | See who else is attending

Last but not least, Snow Base registration opens October 1. We'll be talking about this at an upcoming meeting to gauge interest and plan out a potential trip in January. Winter camping is awesome - just ask the crew that went last year!

Photos from Snow Base 2022 | Read about Snow Base here

Good Scouting!

All-Troop PLC Monday

Happy Friday, Troop 1! Quick update for everyone.

All-Troop Patrol Leaders Council will be held Monday Sept 11. We do not seem to have actually definitively determined who all of our current Patrol Leaders are, so we're inviting everyone to this planning meeting. Be Prepared to discuss plans for future Troop meetings. Start thinking about positions of responsibility, we'll be holding new elections in October.

Scoutmaster Conference and Board of Review will be held during the Sept 11 meeting for those scouts who have asked for them. If you have requested a BOR, remember to attend in your Class A uniform and bring your Scout Handbook. For new scouts who need conference for Scout rank, remember you do not need a BOR, just the Scoutmaster Conference for this rank. I can certainly accommodate should any of the Moo-Wooing Platycats need a conference for Scout rank after this weekend's campout.

Court of Honor is September 25.

Reminder - October 13-15: Fall Camporee, Phillippo. The Camporee is an event drawing troops and crews from across our council. The details have not yet been shared, but usually a Camporee offers patrol-based skill competitions and many opportunities to meet other scouts. We are inviting Arrow of Light and Webelos scouts from Pack 1 to attend with us. This is your chance to show these younger scouts how Troop 1 operates, as a first step in helping them make the transition from Pack to Troop over the upcoming program year.

We currently have two scouts registered for the camporee - we're hoping to have better attendance. Please indicate interest quickly as spaces do fill up. Scouts who attended one of the last two camporees had significant chances to complete advancement requirements!

Register here | See who else is attending

Good Scouting!