Boy Scout Troop 1001

Hello Scouts and Scouters,

Our last meeting kicked off our Backpacking theme for this month. In preparation for our 5-mile hike and campout the Scouts learned about backpacking safety, gear, and packing. All the Scouts got lots of extra packing practice during the "backpack relay".

A few points to remember:

Cotton socks promote blisters. Two pair of wool hiking socks will do just fine for the campout. You can wear your cotton socks at night if you like. A good backpack is very important. A schoolbook backpack will not work. Your hips should carry the backpack, not your shoulders. You need a backpack with a good hip belt to support the load. The Troop has a few to loan out if you need one. It could rain. Bring rain gear and a pack cover (a garbage bag can be used to cover your pack, in a pinch). Some ponchos are designed to cover you and your pack.

Don't forget the "Ten Essentials"!

1. Map & Compass
2. Matches & lighter
3. Tarp/temp shelter
4. Whistle/signal mirror
5. Food & Water
6. Extra Clothing/sunglasses/cap
7. Headlamp or flashlight
8. Fire Starter
9. First Aid Kit/sunscreen
10. Knife or Leatherman (if you have your Totin' Chip)

Webelos Woods - This Saturday, 11/07

If you plan to help with the archery range this weekend and haven't signed up, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ASAP. The current plan is for Webelos Woods staff to meet in the TBC parking lot and leave by 7:00 am Saturday morning. You will return around 6:00 pm.

Flag Service Day - This Sunday, 11/08 - Do you know what the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is all about?

Veterans Day is our last Flag Service Day of 2009. This event is an opportunity to demonstrate Scout Spirit by helping our community celebrate Veterans Day while also earning money to help provide equipment, transportation, and the other ingredients that make up a fun Scouting program. Flags will be delivered Sunday, 11/07 at 2 pm and picked up Saturday, 11/14 at noon. Details are available in Flag Service: Veterans Day. Originally known as "Armistice Day", Veterans Day celebrates the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the armistice ending the hostilities of World War I was signed at 11:00 am on 11/11/1918.

Next Troop Meeting

Our next meeting will be held 11/09 at 7:00. The entire meeting will be dedicated to building shelters. Pay close attention to this important skill. You will need it in a couple of weeks!

Yours in Scouting,
Scoutmaster Payette

Way to go Troop 1001! Your popcorn sales were incredible. Nearly half the troop participated with sales just above $9600. 28% of your sales goes directly to your account.

For those who still owe money, please pay at the next meeting,  November 2.

The popcorn will arrive on November 7 — all 155 cases. We need a few trucks or flat bed to pick it up. The council will assign our exact pick up time next week.

Please contact Ms. Kennedy at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 972.897.6108 if you can help.

Parental involvement in Boy Scouts is important to the success of the Troop as well as each of the boys. There are several ways parents can be involved in Troop 1001. We are currently looking for Patrol Advisors, a back-up Secretary, an Advancement Coordinator, and a back-up Recruiting Coordinator. If you would like more information about any of these positions, or if you would like to volunteer, please contact our Troop Committee Chairman, Doug Miller.

Thanks to the following parents who have recently stepped up to fill positions:

• Uniform Closet Coordinator: Deborah Stephens
• Flag Days Coordinator: Russell Haas
• Public Relations Coordinator: Georgia Kruse
• Popcorn Kernel: Patty Kennedy

Are you interested in earning the Geology Merit Badge? If you toured Longhorn Cavern during our February 2008 trip to Austin, you have already met some of the requirements. Ms. Brooks is offering a class to complete the rest. The class will be held 6-7 pm on three successive Mondays, October 19 through November 2. Note that the class will be held October 26 even though there is no troop meeting on that date. If you were not on the Longhorn Cavern trip, Ms. Brooks will still help you earn the badge.

You do not need to sign up in advance. Just be at TBC at 6 pm on Monday, October 19, 2009. You may learn more about the Geology Merit Badge at http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Geology. The page includes requirements and a worksheet.

The October 23-25, 2009 campout will be to BSA Camp Simpson in Oklahoma for fire building and Capture the Flag. 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.

Have you been selling popcorn? Great! Keep up the hard work until the October 19, 2009 meeting when all order forms and money are due. 

Need more order forms? You can print your own at the Circle 10 Poptober web page. To get there, go to the Circle 10 web site and click on the Poptober graphic. In addition to a printable order form, you will find other resources to help you sell.

Ms. Kennedy will be collecting the forms and money on October 19. Don't forget to bring them to the meeting. If you cannot bring them to the meeting, contact Ms. Kennedy at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 972.897.6108 to make other arrangements. Popcorn will be delivered in early November.

Hello all Scouts and Scouters,

Our first campout of the year was a hit!

We had a great weekend at Beavers Bend State Park. Our campsite was a very spacious, wooded area with plenty of room for the nearly 70 campers that attended. In spite of the forecast calling for rain the entire weekend, we had beautiful weather.

The canoe trip down the Mountain Fork River was the highlight of the campout. The four-mile trip included the “rock garden” where nearly 60 paddlers navigated through a maze of large rocks (and gave up any hope of staying dry), rapids, and even a waterfall!. Many “thanks” to all the Scouters who waited by the waterfall with cameras to capture the moment for unsuspecting paddlers going over the falls. While we didn’t have rain, there were very few dry campers by the end of the four miles.

 

The Scouts completed their first aid rotations as planned. Some of the skills practiced will count toward rank requirements for those Scouts working on their Trail to First Class.

Congratulations to Jared’s patrol for earning Honor Patrol this month and to Walker’s patrol for their creativity in building a wilderness oven out of cardboard and tin foil and actually making pizza for dinner.

Special thanks go out to all the Scouters who made this campout possible. Lots of planning, preparation, transportation, and support during the campout made the weekend a success. Dinner was fantastic and the Scouters had breakfast for 70 ready by 6:15 Sunday morning.

Do you want to be a Patrol Leader? Oak Leaf Training – October 10-11, Camp Cherokee

Oak Leaf leadership training will be held Saturday through Sunday, October 10-11, 2009, at Camp Cherokee. Any Scout at least 12 years old and First Class can attend this leadership training. Oak Leaf is one of the training requirements for Scouts who plan to run for Patrol Leader next year. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you are interested in attending. There will be another session March 27-28, 2010 at Camp Wisdom.

See the North Trail District web site for details.

Troop 1001 has been asked to staff this session. Please contact me at the above email address if you can staff the October session of Oak Leaf.

Order of the Arrow Brotherhood Walk, September 27, Flagpole Hill, White Rock Lake Park

The Yanush chapter is holding a special Brotherhood walk on Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 4:30 pm in White Rock Park at Flag Pole Hill. If you are an OA member who has not completed the Brotherhood Walk please consider attending this event. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Chapter Chief Ethan Ward at 214-674-1191 or our Chapter Advisor, Paul Stauffer, at 214-893-4744. There is a $15 fee for the Brotherhood sash.

Next Troop meeting – September 28

Our next Troop meeting will be held Monday, September 28, 2009. We will be practicing fire-building skills in preparation for our October campout featuring “24 hour” Capture the Flag and fire building. During this meeting all scouts 13 and up are encouraged to step into room 2 for a Philmont kickoff. Philmont veterans and those not planning to participate in this summer’s treks will remain in the Troop meeting to help the new scouts hone their fire-building skills.

Yours in Scouting,
Scoutmaster Payette

It is time for the Troop's semiannual service project supporting the City of Richardson, artists and the whole community at the Cottonwood Art Festival. From experience, we know 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!

Please consider the following opportunities to help:

Thursday, October 1:

5 - 10 pm: Help set up the troop tent and assist local artists in setting up their booths.

Friday, October 2:

10 am - 9 pm: Help artists move their materials and setting up their booths. We need lots of adults during the day and more adults and scouts in the evening.

6 - 9 pm: Adults monitor the gates at the beer garden to keep alcoholic beverages inside. 

Saturday, October 3:

Festival hours are 10 am to 6 pm. Adults sit in booths when artists need a break. Adults also monitor the gates at the beer garden from 11 am to 6 pm. Scouts sell water and run errands for the artists.

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, October 4:

Festival hours are 10 am to 6 pm. Adults sit in booths when artists need a break. Adults also monitor the gates at the beer garden from 11 am to 6 pm. Scouts sell water and run errands for the artists.

5 pm - 9 pm: Everyone needed for artist tear down. We've got lots of carts and need all adults and scouts on hand to keep them and the artists moving.

Sign up now. Review the status above and decide when you can help. Please give serious consideration to the Friday daytime hours and Sunday evening. Contact Roy Carnes at 214-223-3817 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to sign up.