Boy Scout Troop 343

There will be a chance to get up close and personal with airplanes and aviation opportunities at the Moontown Airport Fly-In on September 18th and 19th.  Admission is free and there will be opportunities for free airplane rides for those under the age of 18 through the Young Eagles Program.  Breakfast and lunch will be served on Saturday and Sunday.  For more information go to the EAA Young Eagles Program link above for the registration form or call Moontown Airport at 256-852-9781 or see SM Seale.

Attention all scouts working the Cycling Merit Badge or who would like to work on it. The Spring City Cycling Club is holding their annual "All-you-can-eat" ride on September 18th at Madison County High School. They offer a number of distances including a 50 mile ride. This is an excellent opportunity to do your 50 mile ride for the merit badge since they provide staffed rest stops with food and drink and radio dispatched "SAG" support if you run into trouble on the route. This is far easier than trying to carry enough food and water yourself on your bike or arrange somebody to meet you someplace along your route. Cost is $25 if you register before September 8th and $30 afterwards. This is not a troop event and there will not be any scout masters there unless they are doing the ride on their own. This is just an excellent way to do the 50 mile ride without having to worry about food, drink and break down support.

If you have already done some of your 2x10 mile, 2x15 mile and 2x25 mile rides, you should get back out and get your biking endurance built back up. If you have not done any riding yet, you still have plenty of time to get the required rides done before September 18th. Get your blue card signed and start riding! (You do not have to do these rides with a merit badge counselor, you just have to do them!)

Want to earn the Geology Merit Badge? Plan to attend the 42nd Annual Gem and Mineral Show October 8 - 10 at the VBCC. Scouts and leaders in uniform get in free. Merit badge sessions are by appointment only. For more information see the flyer from the Talakto District.

Calling all Scouts and Parents who are interested in learning more about a Sea Base High Adventure outing in late Spring or early Summer 2011. Troop 343 PLC has selected BSA Sea Base as a high adventure outing for 2011.

The Florida National High Adventure Sea Base is owned and operated by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America to offer unique educational aquatic programs to scouts. Located in Islamorada and on Summerland Key in the beautiful Florida Keys, as well as Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco Island, Bahamas, the heart of the Florida Keys, the near shore reefs and crystal clear waters offer unparalleled opportunities for long term and short term programs year round. Sea Base offers a dozen different types of adventures which might include sailing, snorkeling, fishing, ocean kayaking, SCUBA and more. Check out the Sea Base website for more information on the opportunities for adventure at http://www.bsaseabase.org/Adventure.aspx.