Troop 5 Scoutmaster Announcements – Feb 6, 2024

All scouts should bring compasses again next Tuesday as well as be prepared for a uniform inspection. Scouts who are camping on February 17-18 need to bring $10 cash to pool with their fellow patrol members for groceries.

If you have not yet RSVP’d for our February 17-18 campout, please do so tonight: https://forms.gle/bbsSJEfHGQ4rrWGp8

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped with our Scout Sunday celebration. We have shared some photos in our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734325723447283/media. Our next scheduled court of honor is May 28th.

Reminder that we plan to host an Open House at our February 27th meeting. Please invite anyone you know that may be interested in scouting. Prior scouting experience is not required.

We will be participating in Scouting for Food later this month. We will distribute tags in our selected area on February 24/25, then pick up food left outside homes on March 2/3 and deliver it back to the church’s food bank. Please help us increase Scouting’s visibility and give back to our community!

The council is hosting the Tidewater University of Scouting at ODU on Saturday, March 9th. All Scouts, prospective Scouts, leaders, parents, and volunteers are invited to attend. This jamboree style event offers interactive trainings & certifications, hands-on activities & adventures, merit badges & advancement opportunities, and personalized Scout quests to earn prizes & rewards. Cost is $25 per adult and $20 per youth. Scouts can earn up to 2 merit badges; 6 of those merit badges offered are eagle required. Register here: https://scoutingevent.com/596-UOS2024

For those who may be viewing the solar eclipse on April 8th, here is information on the special badge that I mentioned at tonight’s meeting: https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2024/01/24/how-to-earn-the-bsa-total-solar-eclipse-2024-emblem/

Finally, for those scouts and families looking for another way to offset program costs, the council is now running its spring Camp Cards fundraiser. Camp Cards are sold for $10 each and contain local coupons on the physical card and then allow the purchaser to find coupons from across the country when traveling (up to 25 uses). Online coupons include stand up paddle board rentals, hotel discounts, amusement parks, etc. The coupons vary depending on specific location. This fundraiser is risk-free so long as cards are not lost or damaged; we can return unsold and undamaged cards. The sales period runs now through June 12th. More information here: https://tidewaterbsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TWC-Camp-Card-Guide-2024.pdf.

Thank you!
Scott Guirlinger