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Scouting is an active program with many opportunities to build skills, friendships, and just have fun.
While rank advancement is encouraged to give Scouts direction and meaning to the tasks at hand, some Scouts are in it only for the fun and the outdoor experiences.
For parents, there are lots of opportunities to get involved with the boys and mentor them on the trail to Eagle.
These opportunities include: carpooling Scouts to events, assembling supplies for campouts, teaching skills through merit badge instruction, handling logistics like canoe or snowshoe rentals, being a fundraising coordinator, and/or chaperoning events, etc.
Adult Leader Training:
For a safe and effective program, adult leader training is encouraged and necessary. There are free training dates on the schedule several times a year and are a wonderful opportunity to become directly involved in the program.
We encourage parents to get involved in a variety of ways and the sooner, the better. You get out of the program what you put into it certainly applies to scouting and broad based parental support can only lead to a stronger and healthier Troop. You can be active on the Parent's Committee to support the different events, or as an Assistant Scoutmaster with more direct involvement with the Scouts through teaching and mentoring. We count on parents, getting involved as you will learn the responsibilities are too great to fall on just a few. You will enjoy not only the quality time with your own son, but witnessing his friends mature into responsible individuals as well. There are even opportunities for the whole family to get involved such as on the occasional family campout or on service projects the Troop undertakes.
(picture to the left is of Troop 740, Pack 740, and Parents who rallied to help restore a neglected Raingarden at Hollydale Elementary School - The Raingarden is intended as a demonstration site for the local community)
See the attachments just below for a glimpse of recent activities and events - we strive to keep these as updated as possible - however - to keep current on upcoming activities and events troop members should login to the secure portion of our site and review the actual calendar tool as well as check their mail folder at Troop meetings for any announcements or upcoming events.
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Proposed Hiking.doc |
Proposed Hiking Dates - 2011 |
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Troop740-Year-at-a-Glance-asOf1-16-2012.pdf |
Year at a Glance - as of 1/16/2012 |
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September begins our "Troop Year" - coinciding with the beginning of a new school year. And also brings the 1st fundraising opportunity - Popcorn.
It brings the opportunity to provide community service at our favorite Winterlodge site - Nanitch - to help prepare for the upcoming winter season. In return, we may earn an "early sign-up" opportunity or a reduced rate to utilize the lodge.
Since we are just getting rolling again after the summer season - and many boys are busy settling back into school - our campout is typically close in location and has tended to coincide with the Winterlodge service event. And, the last Monday of the month is reserved for our Fall Court of Honor
so we can recognize all of the
things which scouts have achieved at summer camp and throughout the summer months.
October brings Webelos Woods. This is a District wide camp out held annually in which we participate. The goals of participating are to:
- Show WEBELOS how GREAT Boy Scouting can be
- Show WEBELOS some basic Scouting skills
- Show a WEBELOS that does not know what Troop to join what our Troop has to offer
- Have a great time mentoring a local WEBELOS Patrol by having them camp with us
Also in this month - we offer a 2nd fundraising opportunity - Wreath
Sales - which kicks off near the end of the month and wraps up in
November.
November is our traditional overnight campout to
Camp Meriwether
near Tillamook. We strive to invite Webelos/guests to join us.
Older scouts are encouraged to help our younger scouts continue making progress along the Trail
to First Class as well as helping any of our Webelos
guests along the Webelos Trail.
(last review/update 1/16/2012 by mkl)
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December is a time in which we strive to focus on giving to our communities and traditionally that means participating in "Scouting for Food" and providing holiday cheer by choosing a place to go Christmas Caroling.
"Scouting for Food" is an annual food drive which occurs each year on the 1st Saturday of the month. It is a great opportunity for the Scouts to help make an impact within their community to help alleviate hunger (and earn service hours).
Our caroling event typically takes place the Monday prior to Christmas and has been at a senior center or a child center. This is a fun service event that gets us into the spirit of the season.
January, if things go according to plan,
is when we aim for attending Winterlodge, a favorite for the Scouts.
This overnighter is full of tubing, playing in the snow, and other games
(Webelos/guests are welcome, if space is available). January is also the month in which we prepare to transition Scout Leadership - elections happen twice a year so Scouts can rotate leadership
responsibilities - and Feb. 1st begins the next 6 month term for scouts striving to experience a leadership position and help guide the Troop activities. This month also marks our Winter Court of Honor in which we recognize our scouts for all of their accomplishments since the Fall Court of Honor. As tradition has it - this one typically has a theme to help jazz things up. Past themes: Music, Hawaiian, Medieval, Western
February is the month in which we
celebrate the birthday of Scouting and it brings Scout Sunday (the first
Sunday in the month).
Scout Sunday is a coordinated effort to show our reverence (as the 12th
point in the Scout Law), and an opportunity for a pancake breakfast to
thank our chartering organization, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, for
sponsoring our Troop and providing us with a meeting location. During
February, we also work towards providing one or more winter events like a
day of skiing/boarding or snow shoeing or an overnighter for winter
camping/survival.
February 1st marks the beginning of a new 6 month
term for our Scout Leadership.
(last review/update 1/16/2012 by mkl)
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March leads us into Goodwill/Good Turn (the 1st Saturday of the month) where we collect donations for Goodwill. The 1st Saturday of the month also brings the opportunity to participate in a "tree plant" for it is the annual Johnson Creek Watershed wide event. Although a newer event for the Troop (we first participated in 2010) - some of our current families have been participating in the Johnson Creek event at the Gresham Woods location for 7-8 years.
Late February is a traditional time for Webelos to earn their Arrow of Light and Cross Over to a Troop and thus our March campout has traditionally been focused on helping our newest scouts (and adults) get to know the Troop and how it functions. This campout is a 1 (or 2) nighter just prior to Spring Break at Oxbow Park. Oxbow Park offers wonderful amenities for teaching Trail to First Class requirements. Our older scouts are encouraged to take on leadership roles by teaching our newest scouts the necessary skills to earn their Totin Chip or Fire'm Chit as well Trail to First Class skills. Newer scouts (and adults) are also introduced to the process of "getting signed off on requirements".
Another Council sponsored fundraiser also begins this month - past years saw candy/meatstick sales - however 2012 marked the beginning of a new sale - Discount Coupons.
April is our Pre-Camporee campout. On this campout, we practice or
build on our skills in the areas of: first aid, knife/ax and fire
safety, fire building, orienteering, knot tying, and pioneering, to name
a few. Traditionally this campout is at Scouter's Mtn.
Scoutcapades also often happens in April. It is an event for the public
where all levels of Scouts are encouraged to show off their skills.
Troops/Crews/Packs are encouraged to set-up a booth to showcase what
their group has been working on over the past year. Some groups may
demonstrate skills such as Dutch-oven cooking, or pioneering skills,
while others may offer a craft or game. There really is no set recipe
for this event - it can be whatever the scouts (and/or parents) choose -
traditionally our Troop has a water balloon launcher in which participants attempt to hit a large target -
May brings us to Camporee - one of the big camping events for the year. Here, the Scout Patrols have the opportunity to compete in different events to test their skills in Scouting and to showcase their teamwork and scout spirit. They may use pioneering skills to build a chariot or test their ability on how quickly they can build a fire to boil a cup of water. It's all fun and good teamwork and scout spirit leads to the most success. The Thursday before Memorial Day is "Flag Placement" where we honor Veterans with a ceremony at Willamette National Cemetery and place a flag on each and every grave marker.
(last review/update 1/16/2012 by mkl)
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Summer time holds much promise for some great outdoor events and although we take a break from our weekly Monday evening Troop meetings - we strive to take advantage of the warmer weather the Summer brings:
June is our Spring Court of Honor (typically the Monday night just after school lets out) and in some years we support a family weekend campout. The Navy Ship ride up the Columbia River during Rose Festival has been a memorable outing for scouts in years when we can secure tickets. It also marks the beginning of our planning/budgeting process for the upcoming scout year.
July and August bring the opportunity to attend Summer Camp as well as an opportunity to fit in a "high adventure" activity.
Recent "high adventure" activities:
2012 - ????what will it be? - I've heard talk of more hiking experiences this summer :-)
2011 - 50 mile backpack trip
2009 - Mt. Jefferson Wilderness campout
2008 - 50 mile canoe trip down the Willamette River
2007 - Mt. Jefferson Wilderness campout
In some years, scouts (and adults*) have the opportunity to attend National Jamboree back east. Typically our Council supports an extended trip in which scouts get to tour historic sites in addition to attending Jamboree.
2013 - 8 of our scouts and 1 of our adults are already preparing to attend (with a few more still considering)
2010 - 5 of our scouts were able to attend
*adults can either apply to lead a contingent or can apply to be on staff at jamboree
August 1st marks the beginning of our next 6 month scout leadership rotation.
Summertime is also the time to begin planning the calendar of events for the coming scout year - and so the last Monday evening of each month is targeted to review the past year's events and begin the calendar and budgeting for the next year's events.
During the Summertime opportunities for many camp experiences are available:
Summer Camp with the Troop - to keep the experience fresh we strive to attend a "new" camp each year and rotate thru in council as well as out of council camps.
2012 - Easton (Northwest Inland Council - camp is located in the Gotham Bay area of Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho
2011 - Meriwether
2010 - Baldwin
2009 - Parsons (Chief Seattle Council - Situated in the Olympic Peninsula on the shores of the Hood Canal)
2008 - Pioneer
2007 - Easton
2006 - Meriwether
2005 - Baldwin
2004 - Parsons
Summer Camp Leadership Training (NYLT) - open to First class scouts 13 years or older -
Summer Camp Staff - open to scouts 14 or older (scouts should have already applied in January and interviewed in February)
(for information on these additional opportunities - look to the Cascade Pacific Council Website - http://www.cpcbsa.org/camping )
(last reviewed/updated 1/16/2012 - mkl)
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