One more reminder – our annual swim test at Northside Pool at 630pm next Tuesday, May 5th in lieu of a troop meeting at the church. PLC will meet after the swim test completes; others are free to go when done.

Swim tests and up-to-date medical forms (parts A & B) are required for upcoming rafting and camping trip. Please RSVP at https://forms.gle/ZkRgDc6yYbD3mfMRA or contact John as soon as possible if you want to go and aren’t on the attendee list already. It should be a ton of fun rafting the Falls of James River with RVA Paddlesports and camping at Pocahontas State Park.

Also please RSVP at https://forms.gle/1P9spHHVJBWXKhWi9 for the Scout Night with the Norfolk Tides on Friday, June 12th. Game time is 6:35pm at Harbor Park, with camping on the field after the game. Tickets are $19 each and camping vouchers are $5 each.

Finally, thank you to Chase and Owen (and Kristina) for helping to clean up the wetlands on Newport Ave north of Granby High School this past Saturday. Bad news was there was a lot of trash in the wetlands. Good news is that it looked a lot better when we were done and I saw a heron returning to fish in the freshly cleaned waterway.

Scott

This Saturday, April 25th, the Wards Corner civic league has requested help with wetlands cleanup along Newport Ave just north of Granby High School. (Use 7300 Newport Ave as the address for GPS.) Cleanup starts at 9am and should last about an hour. Just in case, wear clothes and shoes that can get mucky.

This is the time of year when many of our annual medical forms expire. Please provide an updated medical form, parts A & B, to the troop at your earliest convenience. (No doctor required.)

And another reminder of our annual swim test at Northside Pool at 630pm on Tuesday, May 5th in lieu of a troop meeting at the church. PLC will meet after the swim test completes; others are free to go when done.

Thanks everyone,

Scott

Due to some unforeseen logistical concerns and some unexpected cancellations, we will be postponing our backpacking trip to the Appalachian Trail. Stay tuned for a rescheduled date later this year.

Reminder of our annual swim test at Northside Pool at 630pm on Tuesday, May 5th in lieu of a troop meeting at the church. (PLC will meet after the swim test completes; others are free to go when done.) This swim test is required to participate in any aquatics activities during the year, in particular the upcoming rafting trip. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks everyone,

Scott

Reminder that we are not holding a troop meeting this coming Tuesday, April 7th. For those who want backpacking practice, some have suggested meeting up at Mount Trashmore to get at least some practice with elevation change. Get those muscles prepped and ready!

Backpacking checklists were distributed at Tuesday’s meeting. You can find a few different checklists as well as a diagram of how to properly pack a backcountry hiking pack on our troop website: https://www.troop5norfolk.com/2024/03/29/backpacking-checklists/. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Scouts should plan to carry at least 3 liters of water each in a container or bladder that will not slosh around. (You don’t want that weight to suddenly shift on you while hiking.) On April 14th, the scouts will learn about nutrition and water needs and make their food plan with their assigned buddy.

Another reminder that all participants (scouts and adults) going on this backcountry hiking trip must (1) have a current medical form parts A & B and (2) meet Scouting America’s height/weight restrictions in order to attend.

Two other upcoming events worth mentioning:

• Saturday, April 25th, the Wards Corner civic leauge has requested help with wetlands cleanup along Newport Ave just north of Granby High School. Cleanup starts at 9am and should last about an hour. Just in case, wear clothes and shoes that can get mucky.
• Tuesday, May 5th we will hold our annual swim test at Northside Pool at 630pm in lieu of a troop meeting at the church. (PLC will meet after the swim test completes; others are free to go when done.)

Thanks everyone,

Scott

We successfully tested out our new tents tonight and are ready to use them on our hike and campout on April 17-19. Our trip will feature hikes for varied skill levels in the mountains of Virginia. Reminder to start preparing now by ensuring you have sturdy hiking boots that fit – don’t wait until the last minute to break them in! Now is also a good time to start practicing walking longer distances. The weather is generally warmer now so it’s a great time to get outside!

Please also RSVP now for our rafting & camping trip on May 15-17th: https://forms.gle/ZkRgDc6yYbD3mfMRA

Finally, a reminder for PLC (youth leadership) that we will meet this Sunday at 11am at the Malleck’s.

Thanks everyone,

Scott

Please RSVP for the upcoming rafting & camping trip the weekend of May 15th: https://forms.gle/ZkRgDc6yYbD3mfMRA

• Friday, May 15 – Saturday May 16
• White water rafting the Falls of James River with RVA Paddlesports
• Camping will be at Pocahontas
• Cost is $79 per person
• Deadline for registration is 4/7

Link to RVA Paddlesports for additional information: https://rvapaddlesports.com/rafting/falls-of-the-james-rafting/

Reach out to John Day with any questions.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Thank you to everyone that attended and supported us in the Ocean View Parade this past weekend. It was a fun time. And special thanks to Owen for leading Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST) this weekend as well.

We are now looking ahead to our hike and campout on April 17-19. We are planning a great trip for varied skill levels to the mountains of Virginia. Please start preparing now by ensuring you have sturdy hiking boots that fit – don’t wait until the last minute to break them in! Now is also a good time to start practicing walking longer distances. Any stairs or other inclines that you can find are great, too.

Have a great week everyone!

Scott

The following are Troop 5 leaders who are also merit badge counselors for the listed merit badges. The council also has a long list of counselors available throughout the region to support these badges and more. Any scout wishing to work on a merit badge should speak to the scoutmaster or an assistant scoutmaster who can help get them connected to a merit badge counselor and signed off to start working on the badge. Please send questions anytime, especially for those who may be new to this process.

John Day:

• Archeology
• Camping
• Communication
• Cooking
• Cycling
• Genealogy
• Golf
• Hiking
• Personal Fitness
• Swimming

Michael Price:

• Athletics
• Backpacking
• Camping
• Chess
• Cycling
• Electronics
• Emergency Preparedness
• Engineering
• First Aid
• Fishing
• Golf
• Nuclear Science
• Oceanography
• Orienteering
• Personal Management
• Pioneering
• Public Speaking
• Reading
• Safety
• Scholarship
• SCUBA Diving
• Sports
• Wilderness Survival

Scott Guirlinger:

• Citizenship in the Community
• Citizenship in the World
• Digital Technology
• Disabilities Awareness
• Drafting
• Electricity
• Energy
• Engineering
• Entrepreneurship
• Game Design
• Gardening
• Graphic Arts
• Home Repairs
• Landscape Architecture
• Sports
• Swimming

Somehow our parade application did not reach its intended destination, so we will have not our own float in the Oceanview parade this Saturday. We are trying to link up with other groups to hopefully still walk. Worst case, we will spectate. Lock-in is still proceeding as planned and should be a fun time for those attending.

I need an RSVP by next Tuesday (March 17th) from anyone planning to attend the April 17-19th hike and campout so that we have sufficient time to plan for various skill levels.

Those looking to gain some additional fundraising dollars this spring to go towards their scouting activities may participate in selling "camp cards". These are a simple, no-risk way to raise funds. If you’d like to participate, please let an adult leader know and we can help get some cards from the scout store for you to sell. Cards sell for $10 and scouts earn $5 in fundraising for every card sold.

Finally, for older scouts looking for a fun job this summer, Pipsico summer camp staff is hiring! See here for more information: https://pipsicobsa.com/summer-camp-programs/staffapplication/

See you at the parade! Wear green!

Scott

The troop elected Michael to another term as our Senior Patrol Leader tonight. Our Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) will meet this weekend to plan upcoming activities.

We did planning for our parade float and will be preparing materials for it next Tuesday. Please come cheer us on as we march on March 14th!

Finally, last call for University of Scouting this Saturday at ODU. (There are some classes Friday night as well.) This is a great opportunity for all scouts and leaders to grow and learn. Scouts can do rank advancement requirements, take merit badge classes, and attend other youth activities. Leaders have many class choices to pick from, all taught by seasoned scouters. It’s a great networking event as well. Those who have attended in the past have always walked away with useful knowledge that they can apply to our troop’s upcoming activities. Registration is still open at https://scoutingevent.com/596-UOS2026. The cost is very minimal and the location is close by, but if anyone needs help with payment or transportation, please just shoot me a message.

Thanks everyone,

Scott