Boy Scout Troop 1001

There was a great campout last weekend! Shotgun shooting contests were literally a blast, the dinner on Sunday was delicious, though the fishing was unfortunately unsuccessful. Better luck next time.               

Our next campout is on November 16. This is our Ouachita National Forest and wilderness survival campout. The plan of this campout is to spend Friday at the base camp, and then hike up to our Saturday campsite. There, patrols will build shelters out of nature and maybe some tarps that just happen to be there. It should be a fun campout, but it will also be very challenging. However, everyone is encouraged to go.

Next meeting will be preparing us for this campout. It will be at its normal time, 7 - 8:30, and everyone will be in Class A's. We will probably be spending most of the meeting outside, so dress for the weather. The scout leadership will be presenting how to make a really good shelter that is easy to make. For those that need the Citizenship in the World merit badge, there is a 6 o' clock meeting.

Oak Leaf is this Saturday, and guides are needed. Also, Webelos Woods is coming up in the next few weeks, so volunteers would be appreciated.

Don't forget the meeting on Monday. This is one that everone should try to make.                                             

Once again, Troop 1001 will be camping at Quail Alley (Mr. Ken Raney's ranch) outside Breckinridge, Texas, for the Fishing, Archery and Shooting Campout on the weekend of October 19-21, 2007. This annual October event has long been a tradition for the troop and is always one of the best campouts of the year.

Scouts should be at the church parking lot no later than 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening in Class A uniform. We will be returning about 12:45 p.m. Sunday to the hospital parking lot across Campbell Road.

Each patrol will cook its own breakfast and lunch Saturday and will prepare a side dish to share at dinner to accompany the main course prepared by the adults. If you did not pay $10 Monday for shotgun shells and the main course at the Saturday night dinner, bring it Friday in addition to $10 for your patrol's food.

Five scouts and five adults are currently signed up for the Florida Seabase scuba live-aboard June 21-28, 2008. There are two slots left and will only be held for members of Troop 1001 for a short while longer. To reserve your space, $430, the first half of the fee, is due immediately to the troop treasurer, Mr. Terry Watts.

See the announcement article or contact Mr. Scott Bartolome at 214-923-1026 for more information. 

Hello all Scouts and Scouters,

Fair day turned out to be Rain Day but we made the best of it. For the 25 scouts and scouters present it was a fun evening of bowling, pool and electro-optical coherent light tag. The pizza was good too. Now on to next week.

Oak Leaf training is coming up soon. If your scout is in 7th grade and is first class rank please sign him up for the course before Monday October 15th. Sign up at this link on the North Trail District web site. This course is a great foundation to develop each scout's leadership skill.

We have a busy Monday planned:

1. 6:00 pm sharp. Citizenship in the World merit badge class will begin with Mrs. Van Hamme. This is an Eagle required merit badge. Each scout should have his own book for this class and bring note taking materials. The class will last one hour.
2. 6:30 pm sharp. Meeting for scouts signed up for the Philmont trek this June . Bring a parent. This meeting will last 30 minutes.
3. 7:00 pm sharp. Regular meeting with guests Mr. Raney and Mr. Breaux who will be presenting a gun safety class. We will follow this with an archery safety class and archery shooting event (weather permitting).
4. 8:10 pm sharp. Patrol corners to plan meals and duty roster for the campout at Quail Alley (Raney's Ranch).
5. 8:30 pm sharp. Patrol Leader's Council meeting.

All Scouts and Scouters planning to attend the campout please bring $10 for your food to the meeting. We will be collecting money and getting driving assignments made on Monday night. We need an accurate headcount so we can get enough supplies for the troop and our Webelo guests.

If you took a trailer drawing home please bring it completed to the meeting.

All patrol rockets competing at this year's Raney's Rocket Roundup should be turned in to Mr. Roberts on Monday night for inspection. The competing rockets will be stored in a hermetically sealed, temperature and humidity controlled environment until the competition at the campout.

I look forward to seeing several of you at 6:00pm and the rest of you at 7:00pm Monday night at the Trinity Bible Church.

Yours in Scouting,
Scoutmaster Coon

For next week's meeting, the troop will be going to the fair. We will meet at the TBC at 5:30pm. We will return no later than 9:30pm. The troop will travel to the fair and participate at the event by patrol. Each patrol willl have a minimum of two patrol guides with them at all times.

This is a Class B uniform meeting. Each scout should bring his fair ticket provided by his scool. Spending money should be limited to twenty dollars. We will have a series of activities at the fair that don't cost money. Be ready to go to the fair next Monday!

 The trailer design contest is underway. Any scout that took home a plan of the trailer should bring it back complete nesxt week or when we meet again on October 15.

Sell popcorn! You could win a patrol pizza party. The patrol with the highest sales will get to go to Main Event in Plano.

Remember, the fair on Monday!

Earn the eagle-required Citizenship in the World merit badge during the months of October and November. Mrs Van Hamme is offering this class before the troop meetings on October 15 and 29 and November 5. A fourth session may be held on November 12 if necessary. Each class starts at 6 pm sharp and will finish in time to attend the troop meeting at 7 pm. See Mrs. Van Hamme for details.

Our first campout was a success. Our goal: to build and launch war canoes. We had five vessels successfully launch and fire their weapons (tennis balls). No major injuries, perfect weather and great food, who could ask for more? Thank you to the Scouters that assisted in moving the canoes to and from Murchison Lake. A special thanks to Mrs. Van Hamme for her medical expertise at the first aid station.

Monday night October 1st we will have a regular meeting from 7:00pm to 8:30pm followed by the PLC meeting until 9pm. Come prepared to work on water rockets to launch at Quail Alley (Raney's Ranch).

We're going to design a full wrap graphic for the new trailer and are inviting any Scouts that want to to contribute ideas to pick up a blank trailer diagram at the end of the meeting Monday night. Bring your best ideas, drawings or photos to display on our trailer. Ideas will be due the next Monday, October 8 at the troop meeting. The trailer works great on the inside so let's get a fantastic design on the outside to match.

Popcorn sales are underway. Remember that the winning patrol will have a fun time at Plano's Main Event. Sell, Sell, Sell.

Cottonwood is just around the corner, October 4-7. Please sign up for this important fundraising event. Each scout family is asked to contribute to this great service opportunity for our community. Christmas is only three months away. Come out to Cottonwood and buy some of those gift items on your list while helping the troop.

I look forward to seeing you Monday night.

Yours in Scouting,
Scoutmaster Coon

The campout last weekend went really well for a first campout. The SPL, Nik, seemed to think so. There were a few attendance issues. Remember, there is always a way to work around your schedule to go on a campout, unless it's something really big. For those of you who may not know, the Mondays after campouts will never have a regular meeting, just a PLC.

October is Stan's month, so Stan will be planning most of what is going on in the meetings. The 5th, 6th, and 7th are Cottonwood, our biggest fundraiser for the troop. The more help, scout and adult, we can get, the better. Sign up sheets should be at meetings sometime soon.

Monday the 8th is Texas State Fair Day. We are planning to go to the Fair from 6pm until 9pm, leaving the church at 5:30 and coming back at 9:30. Everyone should get free tickets from their schools, which is what we will be using to get in. Any other money needs to be brought by yourself. We will wear Class B's.

The meeting on the 1st will be making water bottle rockets in preparation for the Raney's Ranch campout. The rest of the time, if we have time, will be spent in patrol corners working on patrol yells, flags, songs, and advancement.

Hello all Scouts and Scouters,

This weekend our first outdoor camp out event is a pioneering/canoe/water event at Camp Cherokee near Athens, Texas. All scouts should bring proper attire including a towel and swim shoes. The permission slip has other recommended gear. It will be hot so come prepared. Please refer to the troop1001.org website for pertinent details regarding cost, travel times and the permission form.

The new trailer was on display at this week's meeting. There are many words that approach describing what our Quartermaster, Mr. Roberts, and his team have achieved thus far. Words like spectacular, stunning, cool, perfect come to mind. When we meet at the church on Friday at 5:30pm you can check it out for yourself. I am sure you will agree.

The roles of responsibility in the troop have been filled. If you are a scout that needs a position of responsibility for rank advancement and you do not have a position at this time, please speak to your Senior Patrol Leader to request a position.

All 1001 families are reminded that Cottonwood is a few weeks away. Please make sure to sign up for the various services we provide to this important community event.

Popcorn sales are underway. This is a great way for scouts to help pay their way and learn about salesmanship. The patrol with highest unit sales will win a day of fun and pizza at Plano's Main Event. Regarding sales I share this advice with each scout:

If you have a thing to sell,
Do not whisper in a well,
If you want to get that Dollar,
You'd better climb a tree and Holler!

I look forward to seeing you at the TBC Friday at 5:30pm!

Yours in Scouting,
Scoutmaster Coon