Livingston, Montana January 2002 Volume 4 Issue 12
Christmas Tree Sales:
This year we purchased trees from a nursery in Eureka, Montana.
Thanks to Mr. Moody for ordering these trees and making the phone
calls which kept us in contact with the grower. The trees arrived
early and were set up in the barn before our first day of sales.
Many Scouts arrived early on the first day of sales to organize
the barn and then put up fliers around town. The following Saturday
we cut some local trees which were few and far between. Many
people in town still look for our locally cut trees and appreciated
our efforts in finding them. Thanks to Mr. Nelson who organized
this year's tree sales and did lots of work to get the job done.
Clean up went very well and was accomplished about five days
earlier than expected. Thanks to everyone that worked their shifts
and especially the Fawcett's and Lemke's that volunteered for
an extra shift. Our funds should be quite adequate for making
this coming year an excellent one for our Troop and Scouting
in our community.
Year 2002 Troop Budget:
Scouts will develop a recommended budget during the
January Green Bar meeting. This budget will utilize the funds
that we earned during our one Troop fund raiser of the year,
Christmas Tree sales. We made more than in the year 2000 but
not as much as in 1999. We sold about 120 local trees and about
160 nursery trees. In addition, we have funds left over from
the 2001 budget which primarily comes out of the incentive program
money that Scouts have not earned. At the Troop Committee Meeting
on Monday, January 21st we will look over the budget. Changes
can be made and then the final budget will head to the Green
Bar meeting on the 1st of February for final approval by the
Scouts.
Troop Recharter:
Every January the Troop has to recharter with the Montana National
Guard Armory and the Montana BSA Council. The cost for each boy
is the same as last year, $17 per boy or $25 for two Scouts from
the same family that share a copy of Boy's Life. This fee is
past due as it was requested that it be paid by December 31st.
Only four families are paid up for 2002. In addition to the above
fee, if your son is in the Order of the Arrow there is an extra
$10 fee. You can write one check for the total and the Troop
will send out a combined check for the sum.
District Winter Camporee 2001:
This year's Winter Camporee will take place at the beautiful
Gallatin River Ranch just north of Manhattan in the Horseshoe
Hills. The tentative schedule of activities includes: snowball
catapults, Troop built snowshoe and sled races, orienteering,
astronomy, ice skating, broomball and skijouring for the venture
crew. There will be a pot-luck dinner on Saturday night. Our
Troop will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, January 18th at the Lincoln
School. We will return at noon on Sunday, January 20th. The cost
for this trip is $11 for the two night trip and $3.50 for half
of the camporee fee. The $14.50 should be brought to the Monday,
January 14th meeting. Just a reminder of the Troop policy on
campouts: your patrol leader must know if you are going at the
Monday Scout meeting before the trip. You must cancel by 9 p.m.
on the Wednesday before the trip or pay the fee. Scouts will
not be taken on a campout without paying for it in advance. There
are funds available to help Scouts in need pay for a campout.
January
and February is Communications. This is a required badge for
the rank of Eagle Scout. There are many Life Scouts that need
this badge and should make certain that they take advantage of
this time where we will work on it together. Scouts will be given
the requirement list at the January 7th meeting. We will have
two or three Scouts give speeches during each meeting. Scouts
will need to make resumes and research communications professions.
Scouts that have completed this badge can begin working on Public
Speaking which is part of our merit badge focus in February.