Boy Scout Troop 1001

Trinity work day, Saturday, January 24, 2009, 8 am-Noon. Qualifies for rank advancement service, God and County service project, and Honor Society community service requirements.

All Scouts and adults (even if you are not a registered Scouter) who can attend, meet in the west parking lot and look for Grady Frank for assignments.

Wear work clothes, closed-toed shoes, jacket/hat per the weather, and bring work gloves. Bring rakes, brooms, shovels. Sign in and out with Mr. Frank to get credit for your service hours. In case of rain, your choice—you can earn your hours doing indoor work in the church, or you may leave. Questions: Grady Frank 972-658-0103.

I need a head count by January 11, including names for our Adult Leaders who wish to attend the North Trail district dinner. The dinner is January 18. Doors open at 4:30pm Our 2008 Eagle Scouts with two guest each are admitted free- but I need those names as well.

Troop parents meeting January 19 to discuss Lexington trip.

BSA Training: for detailed information on each subject below, go to http://www.northtrail-data.org/data/training.htm.

Scouting is about leadership... Don’t don’t let YOUR scout miss the boat!

• Youth leader training- (all require approval of our Scoutmaster)
• Oak Leaf March 27-29 Minimum age is 12 years old at time of course- required to be a Patrol Leader
• NYLT/Golden Acorn March 16-21 Minimum age is 13 years old at time of course must have Oak Leaf training- strongly recommended for Patrol Leaders or Senior Patrol Leader
• NAYLE: a one week session during summer at Philmont. Minimum age is 14 years old at time of course. Must have NYLT training

New Adult Leaders needed:

The troop needs for some parents of our newest scouts to step forward and take on leadership roles. Our troop is currently heavy with older scouts (14+) and the youngest scouts (first year scouts) with few in between. As our older scouts advance beyond First Class, many of their parents who have been very active for the past three years are stepping back. This is a GOOD thing, as it is time for new parents to step FORWARD and begin learning and taking on these positions. Please understand, NOW is the time to begin preparation for those positions. Becoming a Merit Badge Counselor or training for and serving on Boards of Review are great ways to begin serving, without making a huge commitment. And serving on boards will help you to understand the aims and methods of Scouting.

Adult Leader Training Opportunities- Every Scout deserves a TRAINED leader.

• University of Scouting -- Saturday 1/10/09 SMU
• New Leader Essentials Saturday 1/31/09 & Wednesday 2/4/09. First United Methodist Church of Richardson
• Boy Scout Leader Specific: 3 evenings 2/11/09 2/18/09 and 3/4/09 6:45PM-9:00PM 1st UMC
• Troop Committee Training: Saturday 1/31/09 1:00PM-3:30PM. 1st UMC
• Outdoor Leader Skills: Friday-Sunday 3/13-15/2009. 7PM-noon Sunday. Camp James Ray
• Wood Badge: High level adult leader training.
  Course 89 will be at Camp James Ray March 26-28 and April 9-11, 2009
  Course 90 will be at Philmont the week of August 24-29, 2009.

Homero G. Hinojosa, Jr., father of Scouters Javier and Jaime Hinojosa and grandfather of Scout Mark K. passed away December 19, 2008. Services will be held in Robstown, Texas January 9 and 10, 2009. Javier and Jaime are Troop 1001 Eagle Scouts and Javier is also a former scoutmaster of the troop. Memorial contributions can be made to St. Judes Children's Research Hospital. See the obituary for more details.

Hello all Scouts and Scouters,

Thank you to all that attended our Court of Honor this past Monday night. The event was well attended and the food provided by Mr. Watts' restaurant was exceptional as always. I am proud to be part of this great and growing organization.

There is a Scout Roundtable this week on Thursday night. We will be attending to promote our troop to cub scout parents. You scout may be contacted to help out for this event.

All patrols should be working on building the entries for our January campout: Derby Day! Please use free time during the holiday break to build your winning entry.

I wish all of you the best of holidays this year and I look forward to seeing most of you at our next regular meeting to be held January 5, 2009 at the Trinity Bible Church.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Yours in Scouting,
Scoutmaster Coon

Troop Committee: The troop committee meeting is open to all adults who are either registered leaders in the troop or parents of scouts in the troop. Participation is encouraged. The committee meets on the first Monday after a campout, and occasionally on special dates by announcement.

Committee meeting: We will have a “special” committee meeting in room 1 at TBC on January 5th at 7:00pm sharp to make important decisions about the Lexington trip. We will cover other agenda items as time allows. Forward your agenda items to the committee chairman.

Parent meeting: We will have a meeting for parents on January 12, 7:00pm at TBC room 2 where we will discuss the Lexington trip cost, reservations, payment, and do a Q&A.

New adult leaders needed: The troop needs for some parents of our newest scouts to step forward and take on leadership roles. Our troop is currently heavy with older scouts (14+), and first and second year scouts, with few in between. As our older scouts advance beyond First Class, many of their parents who have been very active for the past three years are stepping back. This is a good thing, as it is time for new parents to step forward and begin learning and taking on these positions. Please understand, now is the time to begin preparation for those positions. Becoming a Merit Badge Counselor or training for and serving on Boards of Review are great ways to begin serving, without making a huge commitment. And serving on boards will help you to understand the aims and methods of Scouting. If we are unable to get new parents engaged and up to speed NOW, the troop will have serious problems in the future.

Training:

Adult Training in the North Trail District:

• New Leader Essentials - Saturday January 31, 2009 9-11:30AM, and Feb 4, 7-9:30 pm! (This course is a great way for parents to learn about scouting and adult training without any commitment.)
• Adult Leader Specific Training Part 1 & 3 evenings 2/11, 2/18 and 3/4/09 6:45 PM-9:00PM
• Outdoor Leader Skills Training - Part 2 - Friday-Sunday 3/13-3/15/2009. 7 PM Friday-Noon Sunday
• For more info contact the Troop Training Chair, Lynnette Park, or go to the North Trail Web site Training page.

We will continue Board of Review, Merit Badge Counselor, and Patrol Advisor training in January, beginning with the first Troop meeting. Please contact Mike Reisinger to let him know which class you're interested in so he can plan for the next class.

University of Scouting: Saturday, January 10, 2009 @ SMU. Outstanding training program for all Scouting adults – Cub Scout leaders, Boy Scout leaders, Venturing leaders, and Commissioners. For info, contact Lynette Park:

Y.E.S. Award nominations Due December 12! The Y.E.S. Award is a North Trail District award honoring an individual within your unit for their service to the Troop, scouting, and most importantly the boys. The Y.E.S. Award should be presented to someone within your own unit who has given their time to help provide a quality program for the youth within your Scouting unit. The award will be presented at the District Dinner (see below). If you're an active adult in the troop, and know who does what, I need your Y.E.S. Award nominations sent to my email by December 12- please put “YES” in the subject line. We can have two recipients, so nominating two people is acceptable. Recent recipients are Chuck Roberts and Grady Frank (last year), Doug Miller and David LeClair (the year before)...

District Dinner: The annual District Dinner will be held Sunday, January 18, 2009 at Eddie Deen’s Ranch. Special guests this year will be all young men that have earned the rank of Eagle in 2008. I will be reserving two tables (16 seats) so If you wish to attend, please send an email to me ASAP. Our Troop Y.E.S. recipients will be honored at the dinner, as well as our Unit Activity Award, and the Centennial Quality Units will also be recognized. More information is available on the North Trail Web site.

High Adventure: We have two crews for Philmont for July 2010. That means we can send up to 24 people total- 12 per crew. The crews MUST have a majority of participants under 21, and the fewer the adults, the better the trek for the Scouts. Philmont age requirement for treks starting in 2010 is 14 by Sept 1 on the year you go to Philmont. For most boys this is the same as having completed 8th grade. There are also health requirements which are stringent. We will be begin organizing the treks in August of 2009.

Troop 1001 will be marching in the 2008 Richardson Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 6. Scouts should report to the staging area no later than 7:30 am in full Class A uniform. Wear a Santa hat, elf hat, or reindeer antlers if you have any of them. Dress warmly. You will be outdoors several hours. The parade starts at 9:00 am and proceeds north along Coit road to JJ Pearce High School.

The parade benefits NETWORK of Community Ministries, Inc., which provides services to persons in need in Richardson. All scouts asked to bring a new unwrapped toy or a financial gift ($10 is suggested, checks to 'NETWORK') to support the mission of NETWORK. A monetary donation is the most beneficial.

The staging area is in the parking lot of Mustang-Eagle Stadium, north of Richardson High School (map). Automobile access will be limited so allow time for walking. Parents may find it easiest to drop their sons off near Richardson High School and then drive to the pick-up location at Mohawk Elementary to park and watch the parade. Troop 1001 forms up in Row C, Unit 302, Group 1 (staging area map). Look for the Troop 1001 trailer.

Parents may pick up their sons after the parade in the parking lot of Mohawk Elementary School east of J.J. Pearce High School (map) at the corner of Melrose Drive and Mimosa Drive when the troop finishes the parade route (about 9:45 am). Note that Troop 1001 will finish well before the parade is over and parents are asked to pick up their sons as soon as we finish.

More information about the parade is available at the City of Richardson's Web site.

Portraits taken aboard the Battleship Texas at the May 2008 Court of Honor may be ordered at the fall Court of Honor December 8, 2008. Three layouts are available and the prints will be ready in about two weeks, in time for Christmas giving. Save time and avoid the crowd at the order table by reviewing the proofs online to find your son and filling out the order form at home. Be sure to include the photo number under your son's photo.  Note that you can zoom into the proofs in Adobe Reader to make identification easier.

The order form also includes the opportunity to order a CD containing many Troop 1001 photos taken in 2008, including the May COH.

When the photos arrive, we will announce a special pick-up opportunity in the troop newsletter so you can have them before Christmas.

Troop 1001 cordially invites you and your family to its fall Court of Honor and Dinner. The catered dinner will be served at 6 pm with Court of Honor following at 7 pm. The event will be held at Trinity Bible Church. Parents, siblings, extended family and friends are invited to celebrate the Scouts' achievements and join in fun and fellowship with all the people who are part of Troop 1001.

Macaroni Grill will cater. Dinner cost: $10.00 per person, including Scouts, payable at the door (checks preferred). Children under 10: no charge.

Troop 1001 families will receive an 'Evite' in their email. Please RSVP promptly, no later than Wednesday, December 3, by clicking on the link in the Evite to provide a head count for the caterer.

May 2008 Court of Honor photos available: Individual portraits from the Court of Honor held aboard the Battleship Texas last May will be available for purchase before the ceremony. The $10 cost will help the troop recover its expenses.