Boy Scout Troop 343

I am pleased to report that on Monday, April 1st, Hayes Ludwig completed his BOR to earn his 2nd Gold Palm. Wow, that's 5 x 5 additional MB's past the minimum needed for Eagle (46 total), plus 3 months of active troop participation for each Palm. Awesome job - way to go, Hayes!

Rob Cook
Troop 343 Advancement Chair

Troop,

It's that time of year again. Time to register for Summer Camp. We will be heading back to Camp Woodruff this year. If you plan to attend summer camp this year, I need each scout and scout parent to sign the permission form attached and provide a $100 deposit by March 4th. The total cost per scout is $400.

Once I get your registration paperwork, we will start collecting your merit badge and activity selections for camp. Start thinking about what you would like to do at camp. If you need Eagle required merit badges, most are offered at camp. There are also several badges and activities that you may not get in other places like motor boating, sailing, climbing, cope, horseback riding, etc. There are age requirements for some of the more physically demanding activities.

YiS,
Pat Keel
256-509-0392

Scouts and Parents of Troop 343 --

Of all the Eagle-required merit badges, one of the more difficult and time-intensive is Personal Fitness (PF). Requiring a 12-week commitment and quantitative improvement in each of 5 physical tests (flexibility, 1mi run, pushups, situps, and pullups) in that 12-week period, over half of our Troop has yet to earn this badge. One of the three formal aims of the Boy Scout program is "development in physical, mental, and emotional fitness". The PF merit badge is one of the primary ways of meeting this aim.

Thus, the Troop will offer this merit badge over the February-May 2013 time frame. Scouts desiring to start the PF merit badge should attend the regular meeting on 28 Jan (with 4 Feb as backup) in order to receive basic orientation and do the initial body composition test (Reqt #6). See http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Personal_Fitness for details on the PF merit badge.

We will do initial scoring of the 5 physical tests on Sat, 2 Feb 7:30am at HCMS track. A backup session will be hosted on Sun, 3 Feb, 2pm at HCMS. The per reqt #8 of the MB standards, we will repeat the tests biweekly through February into May; sessions will be held Saturday mornings 7:30am-8:30am; backup sessions on Sunday afternoons will be held as needed, but only with prior coordination with the Scoutmaster. Thus, dates for PF sessions will be held 16 Feb, 2 Mar, 16 Mar, 30 Mar, 13 Apr, 27 Apr, and 11 May (25 May if needed).

Scouts and Parents of Troop 343 --

As many of you know, we are privileged to have three crews heading to Philmont Scout Reservation in New Mexico this coming July, plus our normal batch of young men heading to Woodruff Scout Reservation in N. Georgia also in July. As part of their preparation, the Philmont crews will go on a series of weekend hiking and backpacking trips to get their minds and bodies ready to go! In addition to the Philmont training, the Troop will offer a series of events designed to qualify participants for the Hiking MB (on the Eagle-required list). 

This email announces dates and locations of the events to allow everyone to get it on their calendars. All Scouts and Adult leaders may participate, regardless of whether you are going to Philmont, Woodruff, or already earned the Hiking MB. All dates will be published to our Troop website as well. Take care.

Josh Kennedy
Scoutmaster, Troop 343