Boy Scout Troop 1001

The Cottonwood Art Festival is the Troop's main fundraiser. The troop makes money three ways: tips from the artists, a payment from the city, and water sales. The more people helping, the more tips we make. Based on past years, we need about 500 adult hours for our Cottonwood activity to be successful, which equates to about 9 hours of adult help per scout. We need 100% participation to be successful!

Please consider the following opportunities to help:

Thursday April 30:

Need 8 adults from 5 to 9 pm to help to set up the troop tent and to assist local artists for booth set up.

Friday, May 1:

Need help setting up the artists. Need 20 adults from 10 am to 4 pm and 12 adults and 12 scouts from 4 pm to about 7 pm.

Saturday, May 2:

Festival hours are 10 am to 6 pm. Needed are 5 booth sitters and 4 beer garden attendants for each 2 hour shift starting at 10 am, 11 am for the beer garden.

The booth sitter role is an excellent opportunity to for those who enjoy shopping for art to mix a little shopping with fulfilling this important requirement. This role is responsible for watching an artist booth during breaks and various other artists’ tasks.

The beer garden role is one of the easiest roles at the show and that is to make sure no alcoholic beverages are taken out of the beer garden. We require 2 uniformed adults at each of the two exits.

Sunday May 3:

Festival hours are 10 am to 6 pm. Needed are 5 booth sitters and 4 beer garden attendants for each 2 hour shift starting at 10 am, 11 am for the beer garden.

Need everyone starting at 6 pm for artist tear down. This year the troop has several additional carts which will help us execute a quicker and hopefully more profitable tear down.

Please step into the church when you bring your son to the April 13 or April 20 meeting. We need you to update your son's medical records, help him select merit badge courses, and sign up for time slots at the Cottonwood Art Festival. Adult leaders will on hand to answer questions.

The BSA has a new medical form. All scouts are required to have had a physical within the last 12 months for any activity lasting more than 72 hours, such as summer camp. A medical history and release is also required annually for all activities. Please plan ahead to ensure your scout is prepared. Adult leaders will be able to show you on Monday what forms your scout needs, but you can save time by filling out the PDF form in advance and bringing it with you.

Troop 1001 also needs an Over the Counter Medication Authorization Form on file for every scout. This is a new form. Save time by filling this one out in advance, too.

Troop 1001 will attend summer camp at Camp Hale Scout Reservation near Talihina, Oklahoma June 7-13, 2009. The cost for scouts is $230, and for adults, $175. Both fees include transportation by chartered bus. Scouts should sign up early for merit badge classes to ensure a slot. Your guidance is necessary because some classes incur extra costs for materials or services. Half the fees are due by the April 27 meeting and the remainder is due by Monday, May 18.

Finally, and importantly, please visit the Cottonwood table to sign up for time slots to help with this crucial community service and fundraising activity, scheduled for April 30 to May 3, 2009. All families need to sign up for at least 8 adult hours to make this event successful.

Don't forget to sell those Scout Show tickets! Every ticket sold earns $5 in the scout's personal account. Use it for activity fees or to purchase that lightweight sleeping bag you've been wanting. Each sale also provides $5 for the council to fund campgrounds and other programs. And this year, a benefactor has promsed to give the troop an additional $5 for each ticket sold. The troop will use the funds to help build a pavilion at TBC for outdoor activities and to protect our trailers.

Need another incentive to make those sales calls? The new pavilion will be dedicated with a plaque recognizing those who made it possible. Scouts who sell 10 or more tickets will earn their names on the plaque.

Scouts who sell all their tickets may obtain more from Mr. Saverline at any troop meeting. Money from ticket sales and all unsold tickets are due at the April 27, 2009 troop meeting.

Scouts and Scouters, if you have signed up for the USS Lexington trip, please check to make sure your name is on the list below. If you've been left off, contact Rick Goad - quickly - to make it right. Everyone planning to make the trip needs to come inside TBC with a parent on one of the next two meeting nights (starting at 6:15 p.m.) to check medical forms for updates, and to turn in the new over-the-counter medication form. Everybody going on the Lex must fill one out, as well as summer campers.

Adults should check their youth protection certification and/or turn in new cards before the Lexington trip.

Lex Signups

The April 3-5, 2009 campout will be to McGee Creek State Park, near Atoka, Oklahoma for wilderness hiking. As usual, we will meet in the TBC parking lot at 5:30 pm Friday to form up and load up. We will return Sunday about 12:30 pm to the hospital parking lot across the street from TBC.

This will be a hiking event. Scouts must carry their own gear in a backpack and must carry a water bottle. Don't have a backpack? Ask a leader Monday night. You may be able to borrow one. Backpacks can also be rented inexpensively at REI.

The March 9, 2009 PLC and troop committee meetings will be held away from our usual location at Romano's Macaroni Grill, 4535 Belt Line Road, Addison, TX 75001 starting at 7 pm. All parents and adult leaders are encouraged to attend the troop committee meeting, which will be held in a private room over dinner. The Patrol Leader Council will meet in a separate area, also over dinner. Attire for both meetings is casual.

Troop 1001 will be camping at Clements Scout Ranch, near Athens Texas, for the North Trail District Camporee on the weekend of March 6-March 8, 2009. Scouts should be at the church parking lot no later than 5:30 p.m. on Friday in Class A uniform. We will be returning about 12:30 a.m. Sunday to the hospital parking lot across Campbell Road.

At Camporee, we are competing with the other troops in the district. Our appearance is important, so be sure to wear your complete Class A uniform, including BSA shirt, pants, socks and belt and Troop 1001 neckerchief and cap. Also be sure to bring your green Troop 1001 Class B t-shirt to wear when the Class A is not required.

Troop 1001 is offering classes to help scouts earn two eagle-required merit badges. Troop Treasurer Terry Watts is offering Personal Management and Tana Van Hamme is offering Citizenship in the Community.

The Personal Management merit badge class will begin Monday, February 23, 2009 at 6 pm. Note that this is a week earlier than previously published. The class will also meet on March 2, March 23, April 13, and a date to be determined in May. Contact Mr. Watts for more information.

The Citizenship in the Community merit badge class will begin Monday, March 30, 2009 at 6 pm. The class will also meet April 20 and a few more to-be-determined dates. Contact Mrs. Van Hamme for more information.