Have an Android phone? BSA Guide app avaiable

Review of BSA Quick Guide from the Scouting News. An excerpt:
The Cub Scout Section of the BSA Quick Guide App features:

• References: Cub Scout Promise, Law of the Pack, Cub Scout Motto, Webelos Meaning, Whittling Chip Promise, and Hiking Safety Rules.
  
• Tiger Cub Rank, Bobcat Rank, Wolf Rank, Wolf Electives, Bear Rank, Bear Electives, Webelos Rank, Webelos Compas Points, Webelos Activity Badges.
  
• Academics and Sports Program Requirements.
  
• Arrow of Light Requirements.

The Boy Scout Section of the BSA Quick Guide App features:

• Basic Scouting references such as Pledge of Allegiance, Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout Motto, Scout Slogan, Outdoor Code, Leave No Trace Promise.
  
• Advancement Requirements: Scout Badge, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, Eagle, Eagle Palms.
  
• Eagle Scout required Merit Badge requirements.

The History of Arlington Cemetery

Our most well-known resting place for our military heroes is Arlington Cemetery in Virginia, near the District of Columbia. The excellent Command Posts military history site has a great feature on the History of Arlington Cemetery. Check it out.

Remember…

On the last Monday of every May, we remember those US service members who have died to bring us the freedom and prosperity we enjoy.

Let’s use this time to celebrate and remember those who have laid down their lives for us. From USMemorialDay.org:

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

For more information:

http://www.usmemorialday.org/

Participate in Eagle Project with Zach on Saturday, 6/4

Event: Zachary Matuch's Eagle Scout Project

Date: Saturday, June 4th, 9:00am - 1:00 pm

Address: 2417 Woodland Hills Dr.
                     New Castle, Pa 16101

Uniform: Work clothes, and gloves

Description: Zachary Matuch's Eagle Scout Project will be building a walkway bridge for the walking trail at Cascade Park.              

Anyone is allowed to help, including adults, and non-scouts

Please call or e-mail if before June 1st if you intend on coming:
                   Phone:724-657-1957    E-Mail: mmatuch@verizon.net

Lunch will be provided

Flag-Raising Ceremony at the Elks on Monday, May 30

In honor of Memorial Day and the heroes it represents, join us at the Elks Lodge, 410 South Cascade St, New Castle, PA 16101 for a flag-raising ceremony.

Be there prior to 11:30 AM in Class A uniform for the ceremony, which will be very brief. Parents should stay due to the short length.

No Meeting Monday, May 30, 2011

We are honoring the memory and sacrifice of the US Military on Monday, May 30.

There will be no Scout Meeting.

2011 Tan and Green –After-Action Report

A special thank-you to Rev. Amy Na, who volunteered her time and expertise to chair our efforts for the 2011 Tan and Green. Her efforts in the weeks before, and during the Tan and Green made the event a great success.

Dear BSA parents; Thanks to all who made the Tan and Green Banquet a success. Here is a report for your reference. If you have any notes or suggestions to add, please let me know. I have attached the same that I copied below. Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Blessings from Amy Na

Tan and Green Banquet – by Amy Na

This dinner is held on a Friday evening in May, usually before Memorial Day. It is a time of food and fun for all scouts and their families. The dinner and raffle items are provided by families and everyone pays to eat except the scouts. The dinner usually begins at 6:30 and the evening is over by 8:30pm. The sponsor church is the location of the event. In the past, family members paid $4 per person for dinner. All families brought appetizers, side dishes and dessert.

2011

1. Event held at McGurk Hall, St. Camilla RC Church
2. Menu: meatballs, pasta, rolls, cake- (Na)
3. Drinks: Peach iced tea (Na); coffee and cherry drink (Wolford)

Note: Meatballs and pasta came from Classico foods, rolls from Giant Eagle;

4. Eagle: appetizer; Lightning: dessert; Dragon: side dishes
5. Decorations included flowers, iced tea and pretzel tubs (on each table, raffled later)
6. Paper products included plates, plastic flatware and napkins (Wolford)

Note: We could use small plates for dessert (also- we ran out of plates)

7. Cashbox needed for ticket sales- (Chamberlain provided)
8. Tickets needed for raffle- (Wolford provided)
9. Program: boys shared talent and organized skits
10. Uniform: Class A with sash required, no shorts
11. Total cost: $190.61 (includes gift card)
12. Number of participants: 35 +/-
13. We donated left over, cooked pasta to City Rescue Mission.
14. Six containers of meatballs and sauce were distributed to BSA families.

Note: this year, we bought a $50 gift card for Mr. Moon- families donated cash

Respectfully submitted, Amy Na

 

Thank you from the Troop 743 Committee

Amy:

Thank you again for all the work that you put into the banquet!  I think it was a great success!

We did an "after action report" on the banquet at Monday night's meeting, and the Scouts agreed that skipping the review of accomplishments over the past year was preferred since we do it at each Court of Honor.  Mr. Teodoro suggested that we at least honor all new Eagle Scouts since the last Tan and Green Banquet, and all agreed.  We did not do a program to pass out this year, and this may be helpful in keeping things on track better for future banquets.  The boys enjoyed providing the entertainment, but a list or schedule to follow would also be helpful if we choose to do the same thing in the future.

Colleen Chamberlain, Committee Chair

5/21 Flag Placement to Honor Veterans

Upcoming Event!!

Saturday, May 21 - flag placement to honor veterans.  Meet at the American Legion in downtown New Castle (134 North Jefferson Street, New Castle, PA 16101-3812) at 8:30 a.m.

Hot dog lunch follows.  

Have you gotten your physical for 2011 yet???

If you are attending Summer Camp OR the Philaganza trip (adults too!!), you will need to have a 2011 BSA Physical Form completed for these events.  If you haven't already made your doctor's appointment, CALL NOW!!  All attendees - Scouts, parents, Adult Leaders - everyone who is going needs to have the new 2011 form on file in order to attend.

If you need a blank copy of the form, click here.

Can you help?

The Get Involved! page has been updated with current needs for assistance to the troop, whether one day, or a committee position. Why not?

Tan & Green Banquet - Friday, May 20

Friday, May 20 from 6 - 9 p.m. at McGurk Hall, St. Camillus, is the Troop 743 Annual Tan & Green Banquet! 

 

Don't miss out on this special event to help honor our Scouts and everything they've accomplished in the past year!

 

Cost

 

Family and friends will need tickets to enter.  Tickets will be available from Mrs. Wolford at the Monday, 5/16 meeting

 

Tickets are $4.00 each; 5 years old and under and all Scouts are free. 

 

If you can't make it to the meeting, please contact Mrs. Wolford to make arrangements for your tickets!!

 

Entertainment and Prizes!

 

We'll have door prizes and giveaways, plus some excellent entertainment - the Scouts will be putting on a talent show this year, rather than having a guest speaker.  Come see your son at his best (or his worst!!)!

 

Patrols will be responsible for the following items:

Eagle: appetizer and talent for entertainment

Lightning: dessert and talent for entertainment

Dragon: side dishes and talent for entertainment

The troop will provide

A meat, potatoes, rolls & butter, drinks and paper products.

Uniform

Class A with sash is required. Complete uniform with all patches and bolo or neckerchief (Eagles), and long pants (no shorts).

Troop 743 Weekend Camping Equipment Checklist

Click the form to download from Google Docs

If you need this in another format, please email PATroop743@Gmail.com and request it.

Upcoming Events - Woodsy Owl

Just a reminder that we depart from St. Camillus at 5:30 p.m. sharp on Friday, May 13 for Woodsy Owl weekend at Clear Creek State Park!  Scouts will earn service hours, complete rank advancements, get in a hike, and eat a delicious Turkey Dinner!!  Don't miss out on all the fun!  If you haven't already signed up, please call Mr. Moon ASAP to get your name on the list.  If you aren't on the list, you won't be able to attend!!

 

If you are new to camping with our Troop, please click on the link for the Camping Equipment Checklist to find out what to bring.  Scouts who haven't yet earned their First Class rank should MAKE SURE THEY BRING THEIR SCOUT HANDBOOK!!!

 

A great time will be had by all!

Committee Meeting Minutes, May, 2011

The meeting started at 7:00 pm, at St. Camillus Church with the following adult members in attendance: Doug Moon, Marilyn Moon, Colleen Chamberlain, Nathan Teodoro, Betsy Wolford, Gary Wolford, Amy Na, Scott Bussard and Donna Matuch. Jonathan McCracken (SPL) and Logan Teodoro represented the scouts.

Financial: No financial reports were available at this meeting.

An inspection and a new tire will be purchased for the trailer prior to the next camping trip.

A Blood Drive will perhaps be held in September. Marilyn will arrange with the Red Cross and Gary will coordinate with First Alliance Church.

PHILAGANZA leader is Amy Na. We are not able to go to the Phillies game since it is already sold out. Other ideas are being tossed around. Amy will make the reservations for the one night at Hershey Campground. The first installment of $50 was due on May 2, with the final payment due on June 13. The drop-dead date for cancellations is June 6, in order to receive a refund. Colleen will make arrangements to have shirts created for the trip participants.

Lark Amazing Race helpers will contact Colleen for any additional information. Meeting time is 9:00 am. Following this event, scouts will go to Camp Agawam for Beaver Day clean-up. Events are May 7.

Mr. Moon spoke with Bob Walters who offered any scout the opportunity to receive a plaque from the following organizations: VFW, American Legion and the Marine Corps League upon completion of their Eagle Scout.

Per a conversation with Mr. Gene Singer, any scout must now have a minimum of 75 hours for their Eagle project.

Scouts, who wish to plan an event for their patrol, must first get approval from the troop’s committee. A reminder, all events that are planned must have two-deep leadership.

Senior Patrol Leader: The SPL offered brief summaries for the agendas for the next four weeks. Jonathan will help everyone work on a better scout environment during the meetings. He has also started a duty roster for the Woodsy Owl weekend campout (May 13-15).

Troop Webmaster: Some of the changes/additions to the website: *Like button is gone from Facebook, *”Get Involved Page” will be on every post,*All links were “cleaned-up”.

Nathan distributed template for upcoming events. This will enable all events to have complete information for any activity. Also, encourage SPL to send any communications to Mr. Moon & Colleen, if they agree, it can be sent on to the scouts. SPL should ask the scouts on a regular basis about their website/email access. This will remind the scouts to frequently look at the website for any/all information that is necessary. Nathan will review BSA guidelines for any issues related to the creation of the website.

Tan and Green banquet coordinator will be Amy Na. Anyone wishing to donate a gift for the door prizes please contact Amy. The cost for the tickets will be $4 per person (under 5 free) and scouts are free. Patrols will be responsible for the following items: Eagle-appetizer, Lightening-dessert, Dragon-side dishes. The troop will provide a meat, potatoes, rolls & butter, drinks and paper products. Scouts will provide the talent entertainment, and there will be no speaker. Class A with sash is required. The event will start at 6:00 pm on May 20.

A reminder for those going to summer camp and the PHILAGANZA trip, please ensure that medical forms are up-to-date. The current form (which is good for only one year) is available through the website.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Merit Badge Counselors (May): All adults must submit annual forms to be counselors. Anyone wishing to offer their expertise to the scouts please contact Colleen for a form.

Hike (May 8): 10-mile hike at Stavich Trail. Meet at 1:00 pm at the trail. Bring water, snacks, and dress for the weather. (SPL note: socks, socks, socks)

Woodsy Owl Weekend (May 13-15): Camping and Woodsy Owl clean-up at Clear Creek. Be prepared to leave the church parking lot at 5:30 pm on Friday. Five sites reserved for an estimated 40 attendees. Clearing Hunter Trail will be part of the weekend. Annual turkey dinner on Saturday night is planned. Returning around 1:00 pm on Sunday.

Summer Camp (May 16): Final payment is due for those going to summer camp.

Tan and Green Banquet (May 20): The potluck family dinner will have the scouts provide a talent show for entertainment. This will be held in Mc Guirk Hall. The cost for the tickets will be $4 per person (under 5 free) and scouts are free. Patrols will be responsible for the following items: Eagle-appetizer, Lightening-dessert, Dragon-side dishes. The troop will provide a meat, potatoes, rolls & butter, drinks and paper products. Class A with sash is required. The event will start at 6:00 pm.

Flag Placement (May 21): Memorial Day observance. Meet at the VFW at 8:00 am.

Relay for Life (May 21-22): Scouts interested in participating in this event are asked to contact Colleen.

NO MEETING (May 30): Holiday!

Blood Drive (Tentative Summer 2011): The First Alliance Church location is under consideration for a blood drive. Additional information will be forthcoming.

Summer Day Events: Anticipate some additional events to be planned for weekdays during the summer.

Bike Ride (June 4): A 10 or 15-mile ride at Stavich Trail in New Castle. Meet at the trail at 9:00 am. Bring water, snacks, and dress for the weather.

Refund Date (June 6): Drop dead date for a refund for PHILAGANZA trip.

Final Payment (June 13): PHILAGANZA final payment of $50.

Popcorn Leaders Meeting (June 13): Initial meeting for the popcorn kick-off. Donna will attend this meeting.

Boy Scout Resident Camp (June 19-25): The troop will camp at Camp Bucoco. Scouts will meet at the church and be prepared to leave at 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, June 19. Scouts must me in bathing suits and Class A uniforms. Phil will haul the trailer to the campground.

NYLT-Silver Wolf Training (June 16-19 and June 23-26): Training for any scout (First Class and above).

PHILAGANZA (July 5-9): Hershey Park, service hours, swimming, history, fun and much more! Mark your calendars.

Hike (July 16): A 10-mile hike at a location to be determined.

Bike Ride (July 30): A bike ride on a trail on the Western Reserve Greenway Trail is planned.

Camping, Ohio (August 5-7): Trip to Colleen’s parents for a weekend of fun with army vehicles and memorabilia. A hike will also be planned. Be prepared to leave the church lot at 5:30 pm on Friday.

Ice Cream Social (August 14): Serving ice cream in Pearson Park. Details will follow.

JEEPFEST (August 20): Annual troop fundraising event at Pearson Park. Overnight camping on Friday night (August 19) will be available.

Cuyahoga Bike-Aboard (September 18): The group will board a train at Peninsula, Ohio and ride to the interpretive visitors’ center. After unloading the bikes from the train, the troop will enjoy an 11-mile bike ride. Cost is $5 for the train ride with an additional cost for a dinner stop. The event will run from 9-5:00 pm.

The meeting schedule for the Committee is the 1^st Tuesday of the month. All parents and scouts are encouraged to attend. The next meeting is scheduled for June 7 at 7:00 pm.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

Respectfully,

Donna A. Matuch

Committee Secretary

Cardenas Family Braves Weather to Complete Liberty Hike

Jon represented Troop 743 with pride!

We cancelled our outing to the Liberty Hike on April 16, but the Cardenas family went, despite the pouring rain (and because they were not on the mailing list for this site!). 


Congratulations to Jon and his family for completing the march from New Castle to Ellwood, despite the conditions. There's a nice post at the King Beaver District Site: Scouts Endure Rainy Liberty Hike.

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Have a question, concern, or suggestion? Email us (link).
Need directions to an event? How to get to our most common destinations.
Check our calendar for upcoming events.
Get a current BSA health form (if required).
Consider helping the troop! Info here.

Committee Meeting Agenda for May 3

Time: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Location: regular meeting room at St. Camillus

Open meeting. All are welcome to attend.

AGENDA:

1) Treasurer's report

2) Review April old business - Blood drive @ First Alliance Church (Wolford); NYLT cost & overlap w/summer camp; tire for the trailer; ice cream social @ Pearson

3) Report on Philaganza  (Na)

4) Report from SPL (McCracken)

5) Website update (Teodoro) - encouraging SPL to post; BSA social media guidelines

6) Tan & Green banquet (Na) - speaker or skits?

7) New business

8) Upcoming events

5/2 Meeting-Woodsy Owl Planning

AGENDA:

1) Woodsy Owl planning (5/13-5/15)

2) May 7 activities discussion

3) Tan and Green - uniform review