Boy Scout Troop 1001

The Philmont Crews returned from their expedition on the evening of July 1st, greeted by family and friends. Oski's Crew (619-D1) hiked over 90 miles and climbed Mt. Phillips, Trail Peak and the Tooth of Time. Ethan's crew (619-D2) hiked over 100 miles and climbed to the summit of Baldy Mountain, Mt. Phillips and the Tooth of Time. Pictures are being posted to the Troop's Shutterfly collection and can be viewed from the Photo Link at Troop1001.org. Thanks to all the advisors for supporting the crews and congratulations to all the boys for completing their Philmont adventure!

Kirk McClure

Health Forms from Ryan C., Mark K., Ray P. and Maron W. have not been turned in. Please make arrangements to deliver your Health Form to Mr. McClure.

Parent Meeting on Monday June 14 at 7:00 PM at TBC. We will review the trip itinerary, explain our expectations for conduct, make sure we have all the necessary documents and signatures and answer questions. At least one parent per family and the Scout attending is required at this meeting. The boys will have a gear check and need to bring their pack and gear ready for the trail.

Flag Program: Thanks to all the guys who participated last Saturday morning picking up the 200 flags around the Canyon Creek neighborhood. We will be distributing the flags again this Saturday, meet at the TBC parking lot at 9:00 AM. We should be done before noon. Participation in this project is reducing your travel costs, all crew members have agreed to assist with this project, please let me and Zack Mohn know if you have a conflict. Remaining dates are listed below;

• Flag Day - June 14, 2010
• Distribution: 9 am, Saturday, June 12
• Pickup: We will be at Philmont, the Troop will cover this one
• Independence Day - July 4, 2010
• Distribution: 9 am, Saturday, July 3
• Pickup: 9 am, Saturday, July 10

Thanks for your support and let me know if there are any questions.

Thanks,
Kirk McClure

We are less than 3 weeks from our departure so please make sure to read this update and take appropriate action. Mr. Reisinger has a friend living at Philmont who reports that they have received the most snow on record since January, so all streams and springs are flowing strong. Also the temperature continues to be in the 30's at night in the area, so be prepared.

Flag Program

Thanks to all the guys who participated last Saturday morning distributing 200 flags around the Canyon Creek neighborhood. We will be picking up the flags this Saturday, meeting at the TBC parking lot at 9:00 AM. We should be done before noon. All crew members have agreed to assist with this project, please let me and Zack Mohn know if you have a conflict. Remaining dates are listed below;

• Memorial Day - May 31, 2010
• Pickup: Saturday, June 5
• Flag Day - June 14, 2010
• Distribution: Saturday, June 12
• Pickup: We will be at Philmont, the Troop will cover this one
• Independence Day - July 4, 2010
• Distribution: Saturday, July 3
• Pickup: Saturday, July 10

Health Forms

I do not have a completed medical from from: Ryan C., Mark K., Ray P., Walker W. and Maron W. Please reply via email and let me know when you can deliver the form to me, I need these as soon as possible.

Parent Meeting

Mark your calendar for our final Pre-Trek Information meeting on Monday June 14 at 7:00 PM at TBC. We will review the trip itinerary, explain our expectations for conduct, make sure we have all the necessary documents and signatures and answer questions. At least one parent per family is required at this meeting. The boys will have a gear check and should attend with their pack ready for the trail.

One final item

Each boy will need to have 10 tent stakes in his possession when we depart on the 17th. The Philmont tents that we will be using do NOT come with stakes, they are also necessary for the dining fly. The stakes can be purchased at an outdoor store or REI. I don't recommed spending a lot of money on these items since they tend to get lost. One option that we have used in the past is Gutter Nails that are available from Home Depot. They are inexpensive, relatively durable and lightweight.

Thanks for your support and let me know if there are any questions.

Thanks,
Kirk McClure

Update 5/27/2010: Itineraries (below) have been updated with corrected start locations. 

The crews had a good Shakedown last weekend on the Cross Timbers Trail. The hike was challenging physically and while the weather Saturday was perfect, we did have some rain to deal with on Sunday morning. I appreciate everyone's commitment who attended. Please read this email carefully, there is a lot of important information included.

Rain Gear

On the Shakedown hike, several guys didn't have their rain gear and some guys' rain gear looked like it was purchased when they were 11. Please make sure your son has a waterproof rain jacket and pants that fit before our departure. We will have a rain gear inspection prior to leaving on the morning of June 17th to verify everyone is prepared - no rain gear, no Philmont trip. Hypothermia is a very real concern at Philmont where severe storms regularly cause hard rain, hail and dropping temperatures.

Health Forms

I have not received back the majority of the Philmont Health Forms and they are now past due. Let me know if you are waiting on a Doctor's appointment for insurance reasons so I can plan accordingly and please get them turned in as soon as possible. I ask for these in May so that Mr Reisinger can review them for items that might cause a question at the Health Lodge during check-in. If we have identified these items in advance, we can communicate with Philmont prior to our departure and avoid delays on our check-in day which is very hectic. Let me know if you have any question about this.

Flag Program

The boys have committed to performing the Canyon Creek Neighborhood Flag program to raise funds for the Philmont. Times will be announced as we get closer to the dates:

• Memorial Day - May 31, 2010
• Distribution: Saturday, May 29
• Pickup: Saturday, June 5
• Flag Day - June 14, 2010
  
• Distribution: Saturday, June 12
• Pickup: We will be at Philmont, the Troop will cover this one
• Independence Day - July 4, 2010
• Distribution: Saturday, July 3
• Pickup: Saturday, July 10

Parent Meeting

Mark your calendar for our final Pre-Trek Information meeting on Monday June 14 at 7:00 PM at TBC. We will review the trip itinerary, explain our expectations for conduct, make sure we have all the necessary documents and signatures and answer questions. At least one parent per family is required at this meeting.

Daily Itineraries

• Oski's Crew (619-D1) Daily Itinerary (updated 5/27/2010)
• Ethan's Crew (619-D2) Daily Itinerary (updated 5/27/2010)

Thanks for your support,
Kirk McClure

Our final Shakedown is this weekend, we will be backpacking on the Cross Timbers trail near Gordonville, TX. The boys will be covering around 17 miles during the weekend with pretty extensive elevation changes so it is a good tune up for Philmont.

We are meeting at TBC on Friday May 7, 2010 at 6:00 PM. We plan to return Sunday to TBC around 1:30 PM. Cost for the weekend is $12 to cover the cost of trail food

We are still missing one tent from the COPE campout last month, please check and bring the tent on Friday if you have it.

Check the gear list in the Backcountry training manual or the Philmont Guidebook to Adventurer (http://philmontdocs.watchu.org/guidebooks.htm) that was passed out recently to make sure you are prepared for the weekend. The campsite on Saturday is dry so each crew member needs to be able to carry 4 liters of water - this is very important.

Please let me know if there are any questions.

Thanks,
Kirk McClure

Crew Meeting, this Sunday, May 2, 2010 at TBC from 1:30 - 3:00 PM.

Agenda Items: Packing your backpack correctly - presented by Rogge Heflin, Map and Compass overview, Itinerary review, Collect Health Forms

Final Shakedown, May 7-9, 2010, Cross Timbers trail near Whitesboro, TX.

We will be backpacking as crews covering around 18 miles during the weekend. The boys should pack as if they were going to Philmont, they can use the Backcountry Advanced Training manual as a guide. Food will be provided, cost for the weekend is $12. We will meet at TBC at 6:00 PM on Friday and return around 1:00 on Sunday.

Canyon Creek Flag Project

Last Fall the boys decided to provide the manpower for the Canyon Creek neighborhood Flag Program for Memorial Day and Flag Day. As soon as the distribution and pick-up dates are determined, I will make sure they are communicated. The funds that are earned will be used to offset travel costs for the Philmont trip. All crew members have committed to participate in this project.

Pre-Trek Parents Meeting, Monday June 14, 2010 at TBC from 7:00 - 8:30

Agenda: Verify all paperwork is complete, Review Travel Itinerary, Q/A. At least one parent for each boy is required at this meeting.

Depart for Philmont, meet Thursday, June 17, 2010 at TBC, 8:30 AM
Return from Philmont, Thursday, July 1, 2010 at TBC, ~ 8:00 PM

At this time the Philmont Fee - $620 and Travel Fee - $250 are both past due, if you have any questions about your payment status, please contact me or Mr. Watts as soon as possible.

Thanks for your assistance,
Kirk McClure

The Philmont Crews have been assigned their Itineraries for the trip this summer, click the links to see an overview of the trek as well as a map with a mileage and elevation.

• Crew 619-D1 (Oski's crew)
• Crew 619-D2 (Ethan's crew)

Don't forget the crew meeting Sunday, May 2, 1:30 - 3 pm at TBC and the last shakedown campout May 7-9.

See also Philmont Update - March 31, 2010.

I am so impressed with each of the guys who participated in this past weekend's COPE shakedown, they demonstrated great teamwork, commitment, ingenuity and seemed to really enjoy each others company. All of these traits will serve them well on their Philmont trip. There is a great picture on this website of Scoutmaster Payette leaping from the top of a telephone pole over 30 feet off the ground. Each of the guys climbed that pole and really stepped outside their safety zone learning what they could accomplish as an individual and a crew. There are some additional pictures posted from the weekend at http://troop1001.shutterfly.com.

There are 2 crew meeting remaining (Sunday 4/11 and Sunday 5/2), both of these are from 1:30 - 3:00 at Trinity Bible Church. In addition, our final shakedown campout is May 7-9, 2010 at the Cross Timbers Trail on the south shore of Lake Texomoa near Whitesboro, TX. This campout is mandatory for all crew members, so please check your calendar now and make adjustments where they are necessary. I would appreciate knowing now if there are conflicts that cannot be altered so we can plan accordingly. The dates and topics for all events are posted at this link: http://www.troop1001.org/content/view/459/107/.

The $250 payment for travel costs is due on April 15, 2010; this will cover food, lodging, transportation and supplies. Now is a good time to make arrangements for Physicals, make sure your doctor signs the Philmont form that was distributed at February's crew meeting. The Philmont Physical Form is due back to me or Mr.Reisinger by May 2, 2010.

Please let me know if there are any questions and thanks for your support,

Kirk McClure
972-670-1258

Our next Philmont Crew campout is this weekend, March 26-28 at Camp Wisdom, just south of Dallas. We will meet at TBC on Friday evening at 6 pm. Saturday we will do the COPE course during the day and perform some conservation work for the camp Sunday morning. We plan to return to Richardson between 1 and 2 pm Sunday. COPE stands for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience and is a BSA developed program with team building exercises and individual effort. There is a release that is required to participate in the COPE program; download it here. Please bring the signed form on Friday.

Cost for the course and food is $45. The boys will be camping as crews and will need gear similar to what was used on the Backcountry Advanced Training campout.

Thanks for your support and let me know if there are any questions,
Kirk McClure

Philmont 2010 Crews: Back Country Advanced Training is this weekend, February 26-28, 2010. We will depart from TBC Friday, 2/26/2010 at 7:00 pm sharp and return Sunday between noon and 1:00 PM. Transportation is being provided by the advisors. Make sure you eat dinner before you arrive or bring along food to eat on the road and please be on time.

Oski's Crew (619-D1): Shakedown at TBC on Wednesday at 6:30 PM. Bring your pack and gear, check the BAT manual if you don't know what to bring.

Ethan's Crew (619-D2): Shakedown at TBC on Friday at 6:00 PM. Bring your pack and gear, check the BAT manual if you don't know what to bring.

Contact me if you have any questions,
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