Good afternoon, everyone,

If you or your child is not planning on attending the camporee this weekend, you can delete this email now. Otherwise, I wanted to make sure we're on the same page for a number of things:

(1) Due to the large number of people coming, it is imperative that you bring a tent for yourself if you have one. If you are able to do this, please let me know via phone (734-1221) or email (just respond to this) letting me know that you'll be able to do so and how many people your tent can hold.

(2) New scouts may not realize that we do *not* ever have a Friday night dinner for campouts. Please either eat before you come or bring something to eat once we're at the campground.

(3) To compensate the state for giving us a reduced rate for entry into the park, we will be doing an hour's worth of service on Saturday morning. Please bring work gloves, clothes and sturdy boots if you have them.

(4) Don't forget your class A uniforms! They're required for the opening and closing ceremonies and the campfire.

(5) They're going to have a special brand (i.e. hot iron thingy that will blacken wood and leather as it hisses like a Vicious Asp of Doom), so if you have some leather or wood that you'd like to have branded for posterity, bring it along.

(6) I've attached a packing list for those of you who have an aversion to checking out the fabulosity that is your Scouting Handbook.

Finally, there is a web site with more information about what is going to be happening at the camporee. If you'd like to check it out, the URL is: http://www.scoutingvermont.org/Leaders/dist6/Activities/Camporee/index.html

Your Scoutmaster,

Sonnick

Welcome back from vacation. I know we had families in Italy, Mexico and all over the country. I hope you're all safe, happy and well rested.

First, I'd like to congratulate Chris Fleury on being elected the new Senior Patrol Leader at the meeting on April 26th. After following the 1-2 combination of Mike Kling and Scott Kelley he has some huge shoes to fill but given the number of email messages and telephone calls at work, home and on my cell that I've been receiving, I gather that he's up to the job. So, here is our first troop email in the Age of Fleury.


(1) New SPL, New Tag Line
(2) PL Elections
(3) Meeting Plan
(4) Scouting for Food--Need Parent Drivers
(5) Camporee Permission Slips
(6) Summer Camp Sign Up
(7) Adults Needed for Event Supervision
(8) Backpacking
(9) Service Opportunity
(10) Eagle Courts
(11) Congratulations

*****************************
New SPL, New Tag Line
*****************************
This is kind of funny. Almost every person I've run into, upon learning Chris Fleury is our new skipper wanted to know what the new tag line at the end of each email from this account would be. Given that the masses are much more original and interesting than I am, I am turning this into a contest. Tell me how you think our emails should close, extolling (or something) about Chris. Make 'em good (but remember that Chris will see all of them and is either your boss or your boss' boss for the next year. Heh.)

***************
PL Elections
***************
Since most of the patrol leaders weren't able to make it to last week's meeting, we are having the patrol leader elections and the end of the meeting this week. Please let me know if you're interested in running at the beginning of the meeting. The requirement is that you be at least first class and in eighth grade to be eligible.

****************
Meeting Plan
****************
This is the final week in our advancement month, so you all should know what you're doing. A couple of general notes:

Psychotic Monkeys: You're taking your second physical fitness test whether the sunshine is of the genuine or liquid variety. Be prepared!

Personal Management: Boys in Personal Management--make sure you bring your budgets with you along with anything else Mrs. Sharp has asked you to have. Don't let three months of hard work be for naught because you forgot to bring that stupid folder. GAH!

*********************************************
Scouting for Food--Need Parent Drivers
*********************************************
Scouting for Food is this Saturday and we still need adult drivers to help us collect the food. Please contact Andy Watts at ajwatts@us.ibm.com or Maureen Fraser at sleepyhollowmoe@pshift.com to volunteer.

In addition, please remember this is the only required event of the year for all of the boys. The only valid excuses are things such as first communions, familial obligations and hospitalization (i.e. sports are not covered, so don't even try.)

If you don't make the event, you need to make up the service before your next Scoutmaster Conference can take place. Since this is a 3-hour project, if your absence is excused, you only have to make up those 3 hours. If your absence is unexcused you have to make up 6. And remember, it has to be done *before* your next SM Conference and if it's unexcused, it doesn't count as service towards your rank requirement.

*********************************
Camporee Permission Slips
*********************************
Permission slips for the camporee next weekend are due at the meeting. Remember that we need scouts to help with the tomahawk throwing and tower building. If you can make it, even for a short time, please do!

If you need the permission slip, you can download it here:
Spring Camporee Permission Slip 2006

****************************
Summer Camp Sign Up
****************************
The cutoff for the early bird discount is next Wednesday's meeting. In order to qualify we need to have your full $255 by that time. Otherwise, the cost of camp is $285. We strongly encourage all boys to attend. It's a week of fun in the sun and provides the boys with tremendous opportunities for advancement.

Additional information for summer camp can be downloaded here:
2006 Mount Norris Info
2006 Mount Norris Info page 2

******************************************
Adults Needed for Event Supervision
******************************************
We still need adults for all of the events we have scheduled this spring and summer. These events are:

Spring Camporee (May 12-14)
Bike Hike (June 3-4)
Indian Brook Canoeing and Lifesaving (June 24-25)
Summer Camp (July 30 - August 4)

Please let me know if you're interested in helping us out.

***************
Backpacking
***************
This summer our Assistant Scoutmaster Bob Thompson and ASPL Leo Gauthier are putting together a series of backpacking hikes for those boys who are interested in that sort of thing. The current plan is to do a one-nighter that covers about 10 miles, a two-nighter that covers about 20 and a 6 or 7 nighter that will qualify for the 50-miler award. We will have more information soon--if you're interested in this, keep your eyes peeled.

***********************
Service Opportunity
***********************
If you're not able to make the camporee next weekend and are interested in volunteering to help with a children's event from about 11:00-2:00 on Church Street Marketplace, we have just the thing for you. Head on over to the web site to check it out.

Additional infoation can be found in this download:
Go-Kart Event Job Descriptions

****************
Eagle Courts
****************
When it rains it pours! Matt Turnbull has announced the date for his Eagle Court of Honor. It is going to be on Sunday, June 18th at Memorial Hall. Please add it to your calendars. In case you've not yet gotten to it, pen in Mike Klings on Sunday the 11th (same venue) as well.

******************
Congratulations
******************
Congratulations to Adam Watts for being on the winning 8th grade debate team a couple of weeks ago. I believe the topic was "Resolved: That the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are the most storied team in the history of collegiate sports." Though it's true Adam had the easier argument to make in that he was on the "pro" side, it's still a notable accomplishment.

And yet another feather in the well-plumed cap of our JASM Michael Kling. Mike won the algebra and arithmetic categories in the 2006 math team competition. He was the linchpin of an EHS sqad that went undefeated this year. You think I'm kidding? You think I'm exaggerating his importance? Then how do you explain that he won the Scott Memorial Award for being tops in the state? Aha! Didn't think you could. I hear he's just returned from a weekend of touring college campuses, one of which was MIT. Heh. MIT. Mike, with a record like yours you should hold out for a visiting professorship...

That's it for now, folks. See you on Wednesday.

Your Scoutmaster,

Sonnick

Good afternoon, 635ers. Yes, this is just barely before the meeting but I think it is *very* important to keep you all guessing just a little bit. Or maybe it's just that I was busy. Whatever the true reason, you can be sure it's a good one and that I was thinking of all of y'all fondly whilst aware I was leaving you twisting in the Breeze of Meetingly Ignorance.

Those topics on which you can feast your eyes below:

(1) JASM Scott
(2) PLC Elections
(3) Meeting Plans
(4) Eagle Court: Sunday, June 11th
(5) Camporee Permission Slips
(6) Summer Camp Information/Permission Slips
(7) No Meeting Next Week
(8) PLC Meeting on May 2nd
(9) Congratulations

**************
JASM Scott
**************
For those of you who were not present at the end of last week's meeting, I would like to say a word or two about your last Senior Patrol Leader, Scott Kelley. He was fantastic. Ok, that was three words. And I'm not done. After the Year of The Kling (the previous SPL) I knew that no matter who the following election, there was no way the following term would be comparable to Mike's. I have seldom been so happy to have been so completely wrong. Scott was everything a Scoutmaster could ask for--enthusiastic, energetic, punctual, creative--everything. Because of all of his great work I elevated him to the position of Junior Assistant Scoutmaster at the last meeting and hope you all will congratulate him the next time you see him (though it will not be tonight since he's somewhere above the Atlantic on his way to Paris right now.)

*****************
PLC Elections
*****************
We are having elections for Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leader for each of the patrols except for the Psychotic Monkeys at the end of the meeting this week. Since this is the April election, we will also be making appointments for all of the other positions ( e.g. Scribe, Librarian, Quartermaster, &c) over the vacation. If you're interested in filling one of these positions, make sure you email me by this Friday.

*****************
Meeting Plans
*****************
Psychotic Monkeys: Wear clothes good for playing frisbee. You'll be headed out to the athletic fields once you've finished some skills training.

Everyone else: Come prepared to continue working on the advancement you chose earlier this month.

**************************************
Eagle Court: Sunday, June 11th
**************************************
We will be having an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Michael Kling on Sunday, June 11th at Memorial Hall in Essex. The time has not yet been fixed but will most likely be mid-afternoon. Put this on your calendars now!

*********************************
Camporee Permission Slips
*********************************
We're accepting back permission slips for the camporee starting at this meeting, even though they're not due until May 3rd. Get them in now so you don't have to endure Personalized Scoutmaster Hectoring about participating in this event.

****************************************************
Summer Camp Information/Permission Slips
****************************************************
I will have the summer camp information and permission slips at the meeting tonight. I'll also forward them via email to everyone on this list after I've sent this note. The Early Bird price of camp is $255 and to enjoy that you must return your reservation and check to us by Wednesday, May 10th. After that the cost goes up to $285. If you have any questions or comments, you know where you can reach me.

***************************
No Meeting Next Week
***************************
Essex Schools are on vacation next week, so there's no meeting.

******************************
PLC Meeting on May 2nd
******************************
Since no meeting often equals no weekly update, I wanted to remind people that the next PLC meeting is at my house on May 2nd from 6:30 - 8:00.

******************
Congratulations
******************
Our very own nimble-fingered violinist Ross Kelley tried out for All-State Orchestra (Violin) and he made it! Word on the street is that this is a really difficult thing to accomplish, especially as a freshman. Given his considerable accomplishments in the classroom and on the athletic fields as well as his involvement in our troop as a patrol leader and leading rabble rouser, it's amazing he finds the time to be proficient in one of the finer arts as well. Given topic #1 today, it seems there are some good genes in the Kelley family.

That's a wrap. I'll send those attachments mentioned above very shortly and will hopefully see you all this evening. If I don't, have a safe and happy vacation and I'll see you in May.

Your Scoutmaster,

Sonnick

Matthew Turnbull, our most recently-minted scout-turned-Assistant Scoutmaster, went through his Eagle Scout board of review this evening. After answering the boards questions adeptly and withstanding their pokes and prods, he was unanimously deemed qualified and assumed his new rank at 8:44 PM. Congratulations both to him and to his parents for raising such a fine man. We will publicize information about his Court of Honor as it becomes available.

Your Scoumaster,

Sonnick

Good afternoon, folks,

I'm sending this around a little earlier than usual because of the note about voting booth set up which is *** TONIGHT *** at 6:00 at EMS.

Les Topics du Troop:
(1) Voting Booths
(2) PLC
(3) This week's meeting
(4) Camporee--Need Tomahawk Overseers and Lashers
(5) Need Adult Drivers for Scouting for Food
(6) The Ninjafication of a MOBster

*****************
Voting Booths
*****************
A quick reminder to everyone that we have voting booth set up and take down duty tonight and tomorrow night, respectively. Set up is tonight at 6:00 at EMS in the little room to the right of the gym as you walk through the gym entrance way. Take down is tomorrow night at 7:10 in the same place. Both will take about half an hour. If you can, send me a quick email to let me know you're coming but if you can't email me, feel free to come anyway.

*****
PLC
*****
PLC at my house tomorrow night from 6:30 - 8:00. Be there on time and have something with which and on which you can write. Or be Ninjafied (see # 6 below.)

************************
This week's meeting
************************
This is Week 2 in our advancement month. Boys who have Mr. Peterson: he sent you an email today reminding you what you need to bring ready to the meeting. Please make sure you read it and show up prepared. Psychotic Monkeys and ex-MOBsters working on their Target First Class requirements, make sure you have your books and that you're reviewed anything you learned last week that you still need to get signed off. Everyone else, just be ready to show up and be your bright and shining selves.

************************************************************
Camporee--Need Tomahawk Overseers and Lashers
************************************************************
The Spring Camporee will be held at Grand Isle State Park on the weekend of May 12 - 14. There are a couple of big things that we need:

(1) Scouts who are competent lashers to help us bring home the "Best Gateway" prize. I envision something along the lines of the towers we build at summer camp and then festoon with all sorts of flags, though I'm open to whatever else the lashers can come up with.

(2) We are hosting the Tomahawk Throwing event which means we need older boys to set up and run this event for both the morning and afternoon activity periods. We'll also need at least one adult willing to keep an eye on things.

If you're into tower building or you're mature(ish) and would like to throw a bunch of tomahawks around, let me know ASAP.

***********************************************
Need Adult Drivers for Scouting for Food
***********************************************
Scouting for Food is coming up on Saturday, May 6th. This is the annual food drive that we do to help keep the local food shelf stocked through the summer, which is a time when their needs outstrip their donations. In order to make this work, we need adults who can drive the boys around to pick up the food on that morning. If you are willing to help in this regard, please contact Maureen Fraser at sleepyhollowmoe@pshift.com to let her know.

************************************
The Ninjafication of a MOBster
************************************
Congratulations to Colin Watts who, after a long day of rock climbing and movie watching during the Day of Koolness, successfully tested for his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Just when I thought I was getting the upper hand with that crew...


See you all on Wednesday (or sooner.)

Your Scoutmaster,

Sonnick

Good afternoon,

I apologize for the late update but last night got a mite busy. Here's everything you could possibly want to know about what's going down:

(1) PLC Moved to Next Tuesday
(2) Parents Meeting This Week
(3) Day of Koolness (aka Lanageddon)
(4) Campout Round Up
(5) Norris Cooks--Don't Forget to Return Gear
(6) First Psychotic Scout
(7) Cool Early-Morning Event

**********************************
PLC Moved to Next Tuesday
**********************************
The PLC has been moved from today to next Tuesday due to a work commitment that just came up. It will still be at my place from 6:30 - 8:00. If you are responsible for contacting any of May's speakers, please make sure you have solid commitments from them by that time.

*********************************
Parents Meeting This Week
*********************************
We are having a meeting for all parents at this week's troop meeting. The new parents will start off with a meeting specifically for them while the rest of the group will have a Friends of Scouting presentation. At around 7:00 we will all come back together and review a number of topics from adult training to future events (especially Summer Camp) to participation. Please do what you can to be at this meeting.

*****************************************
Day of Koolness (aka Lanageddon)
*****************************************
This year's Day of Koolness is going to find us doing some indoor climbing at Petra Cliffs from 10:00 - 1:00 on Saturday followed by (perhaps ultimate frisbee and) a movie and LAN party at the Abode of Sonnick. Some notes about this event:

-- We did not get the permission slip out at the last meeting so I will email it shortly after I have sent this weekly update. I'm not attaching it here because some email addresses on the troop list cannot accept attachments and I don't want anyone to miss this email. We will have blank slips available at the meeting but we need to have them returned on Wednesday (or an email to me letting me know your boy is coming and whether you can help with transportation.)

-- For those of you not used to geek speak, a LAN party is a party when we hook up a bunch of computers to each other and play games. We'll also have some TVs with XBoxes and PS2s.

We obviously need computers, TVs and gaming systems for the LAN. We have a number that are already committed but on the desktop/laptop front, people who bring their own gear are guaranteed the ability to be involved in most every game. We have some extras but they're, well, extra and you'll have to rotate through using them.

-- The LAN party will start either (a) immediately after Petra Cliffs if the weather is bad or (b) immediately after the ultimate frisbee that we'll play if the weather is nice. If the weather is nice, the movie/LAN will start at 3:00.

-- We're still up in the air on the mid-afternoon movie. The first possibility is "Der Mann Wer Gewinnen Konnte Nicht", a riveting German-language love story about a Bavarian shepherd whose dedication to his profession make it all but impossible to find a bride. In a brilliant twist towards the end it morphs from a heart-breaking tragedy into a triumph of the spirit when he finds a disaffected Romanian tap dancer and convinces her to leave her Goth ways for the simpler and more fulfilling life among the livestock. It's all close captioned, though it's in those Germanic fonts that are a little hard to read. The second possibility is "Pirates of the Caribbean." We'll take a vote on it on Saturday.

-- One very big change: The LAN will have two phases. Phase 1 will last from the end of the movie until 9:00. Everyone is welcome and during this phase we will play no XBox or PS2 games rated M or above except for a Halo Room where people will be able to play that game. If you do not wish your child to play Halo, just let me know and I'll make it so. Phase 2 will last all night and go until 8:00 Sunday morning. In order to come to this, you must be in 8th grade or above and we will allow M-rated games on the aforementioned gaming systems. Parents--to reiterate, we'll have a regular computer LAN upstairs, so if you do not wish your son to play any M-rated game, just let me know and we'll keep him occupied elsewhere.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

-- I know that the 8th graders are on a trip to DC and will be getting back late on Saturday night. As in past years, if you're going on this trip and would like to come to the LAN when you get home, let me know and I'll come to the school to pick you up when your bus arrives.

-- The cost for going to Petra Cliffs is $13. The cost of the afternoon/evening LAN is $5. The cost of the overnight LAN is another $5. Please submit your a la carte permission slips in a timely fashion.

-- As anyone who has had cause to drive by my house will certainly know, my yard is a wreck. I'd like to spend Saturday morning cleaning it up so my neighborhood association doesn't force me to sell my house and move out. That means we'll need a couple of adults who are willing to stay for the entire time at Petra Cliffs for supervision. Please let me know if you're willing to be one of these adults. I will go if I have to but I really like living where I do and would appreciate your indulgence.

-- If you are a youth going to Petra Cliffs, you need to have a waiver signed by a parent as well. The link for these waivers is here: http://www.petracliffs.com/waiver.pdf We will also have copies of the waiver at the meeting on Wednesday and when we meet on Saturday.

***********************
Campout Round Up
***********************
This weekend found 32 members of Troop 635 on the grounds of Mount Norris Scout Reservation for a weekend of huah fun. From the second they arrived, many of the boys were accosted by...well...me to make sure they were ready to camp and unlikely to commit the Mortal Sin of Whining due either to being unprepared for the weather or for the rigors of troop camping.

The deluge from the opened sky didn't diminish the spirit of the boys or the cooking fires of those working on their 2nd Class cooking requirement. Everyone spent some time working on advancement appropriate for their current rank and then in the afternoon we had a troop search and rescue mobilization and an ultimate frisbee game. The evening was consumed with various snowball fights, three great dinner dishes (Mexican delicacies from Seamus, chicken with oh-my-aching-head-tasty chipotle goodness from Mike Fraser and tacos of magnificence from Josh) and a 8-man dice game to 10,000 points that saw E-meister funk overtaken in the homestretch by Leaping Leo Gauthier. Nice.

Because I promised everyone that I would have pizza for them before the meeting this week if they were ready to go by 8:00 and since only a couple of loose ends were dangling when 0800 came around (and needed my assistance for their resolutions), I announce that for everyone who was camping this weekend (and *ONLY* people who were camping this weekend), there will be Little Caesar's from 6:00 - 6:15 at EMS this week. Come early or go hungry!

*************************************************
Norris Cooks--Don't Forget to Return Gear
*************************************************
If you were a cook at Mt. Norris this past weekend, please do not forget to bring the cooking gear you used back to the meeting on Wednesday. You'll be checking in your gear with our Quartermasters during the inspection, so make sure you arrive on time.

**************************
First Psychotic Scout
**************************
Congratulations to Cole Smith who is the first Psychotic Monkey to complete all of the requirements for the rank of Scout. He worked hard at the campout this weekend and was the first to withstand the withering scrutiny of his Scoutmaster Conference. He was quickly followed by Joey Ramada, Tom Vanzo, Justin Coli and Corey Rainville. Jake Bovee, Patrick Roy, Nick Parks are hot on their heels and will hopefully finish up their Scout rank at this Wednesday's meeting. Good work, gentlemen!

******************************
Cool Early-Morning Event
******************************
Shortly after 1:00 Wednesday morning there will be an interesting time/date phenomenon that only happens once a century on the clocks and calendars of officialdom. The first scout to tell me what that interesting event is will get a Secret Sonnick Prize. Because they're brainiacs, if the first person is either Mike Kling or Scott Kelley, the second person will also get a prize.

That's it for now. I'll send along the DoK permission slip shortly.

Your Scoutmaster,

Sonnick

Hey All!

I just wanted to let you know that there has just been a massive update to the site. Of the major improvements, there is now a user system (so you can register and make comments) and a content posting system (previously I was doing data entry by hand directly into the database). So OMG uber w00t!

You may notice that you can neither register nor comment. I did that unpurpose. For the time being those new features will be disabled util I can finish a few more things. But, rest assured, these will be enabled soon!

Alog with these changes comes new management (well sort of). As of now, all of the content on the pages will be managed by our new webmaster Adam. Congrats!!! So, if you have any questions about the content on the site, Adam is the man to ask. I, Matt Turnbull, will remain the system administrator, so if you have problems using the site (error messages or other problems), I'm the one you want to talk to.

So, please bare with us while any remaining bugs in the code get stomped and the management gets transfered.

A quick note for those who were not at the meeting last night:

A couple of the new boys mentioned they wanted to come to the campout but had left their permission slips at home. Because of that, I've extended the registration deadline to tomorrow at 5:00. If you email me with your intention to come before that time, you're good to go.

One note: We do have limited space left (I think we have room for 3 more.) This is first come/first served so let me know ASAP if you'd like to be added to the list.

Your Scoutmaster,

Sonnick

P.S. A point of clarification for new parents. I heard I gave the impression to a number of you that we discourage first year parents from coming to campouts. I apologize for that because it couldn't be further from the truth. The only camping to which that applies is Summer Camp at Mount Norris. A this campout and any others we welcome you with open arms.

That being said, we are really tight on room this time because the cabins have limited space but if you would like to come, have not already registered, and can bring a tent in which you can stay, you're more than welcome to add your names to the list.

Goooooood evening, everyone,

A little bit of length to this week's email, folks. If you're not inclined to read the whole thing, at least make sure you check out the list of topics and read the ones relevant to you.

The Many Things to Let You Know:
(1) Meeting Location--Founders
(2) Pinewood Rules
(3) Norris Campout
(4) Summer Camp
(5) MB Month--Suggestions?
(6) New Parents Meeting
(7) Parents Training
(8) "Old" Parents Meeting
(9) Calling all Papists

*********************************
Meeting Location--Founders
*********************************
Remember that the meeting for the coming week is *not* at EMS because the school is being used for a festival of some sort. We are instead meeting in the cafeteria at the Founder's school.

Westfordians--When you've made the final turn to get to EMS and you have the bus depot on the left and a school on the right, Founders is the school on the right.

*******************
Pinewood Rules
*******************
Here are the rules that govern the Pinewood Derby as cut directly from your SPL's email to me (ok--maybe one or two quick edits):

Max Weight: 1lb (16oz)
Max Length: No longer than original car
Max Width: 2cm overhang allowed on either side
Max Height: No taller than the length of the original car
NO explosives, fire, projectiles, animals or rudimentary nuclear devices
NO propulsion other than gravity
Wheel modification allowed
No axle restrictions
NO lubrication on the track
Shorter than the original length is all right
Must have a wooden chassis (wheels connected by something wooden)
Must have some original pine left
Felt on bottom is all right (sled design)
electronics such as lights are all right so long as they don't aid in propulsion
All rule discretions will be decided by SPL

******************
Norris Campout
******************
Don't forget to register for the Norris winter campout by the end of this Wednesday's meeting. On Friday night all of the trip organizers and new Instructors will be going up to train and get things settled. Then on Saturday everyone else comes up. Advancement is geared specifically to the boys who are under 1st Class but we will also be doing the emergency mobilization requirement for Emergency Preparedness.

******************
Summer Camp
******************
I've had a number of requests to confirm this year's summer camp dates over the last two weeks, so I'm sending it out now. The troop is headed to Mount Norris for the week of July 30 - August 4th. Right now I'm the only adult signed up to attend. If you are a parent who has been involved in the troop for at least a year and would like to join me and our excellent group of boys, let me know--we will certainly need the help.

More information soon.

******************************
MB Month--Suggestions?
******************************
Attention all scouts who will be working on merit badges during the advancement month of April--Scott and I will be finalizing the badges that will be offered during the meeting on Wednesday, so this is your last opportunity to give us input. Let me know what you think.

*************************
New Parents Meeting
*************************
We would really like to meet with all parents of the boys who just joined the troop who were not able to make the March 8th meeting. We went over a lot of material at that meeting that we'd like to review with these parents. Please make an effort to be at the meeting next week (March 29th) spot on at 6:30.

*******************
Parents Training
*******************
We need at least one parent of each boy to go through our Youth Protection Training. We'll hold this on the 29th directly after the new parents meeting mentioned above. Plan on 7:15 - 8:00. Many parents of the recently-disbanded MOB haven't been through that training either due to the fractured way in which y'all joined the troop last year, so please be there if you haven't been through this program.

**************************
"Old" Parents Meeting
**************************
We will have a meeting for all parents with a son *not* in the Psychotic Monkeys at the first meeting in April that will start at 6:45. We'll be reviewing the balance of the scouting year and summer to include summer camp. We'll talk about positions in the adult leadership that are opening up and which need to be filled and we'll have a Friends of Scouting presentation.

**********************
Calling All Papists
**********************
Are you Catholic? Interested in working towards receiving a religious award? I have received permission from Father Ranges at Holy Family Church to instruct a class for both the Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII emblems. Ad Altare Dei is targeted for boys from 13 to 15 and Pope Pius XII for those who are 14-17. If there is enough interest it is my intent to teach AaD this spring and PPXII in the fall but we can manipulate the schedule for athletics, vacations, &c.

Please email me by next Wednesday if you are interested in working towards these awards.

And that is that. See you all soon.

Your Scoutmaster,

Sonnick

Good evening, Gentlepeople,

This weeks notes:

*********************************************
(1) Old Guide, New Guide
(2) Meeting Plan
(3) Mansfield Meeting on Wednesday
(4) Service Project Moved
(5) PLC
(6) Committee Meeting
(7) Voting Booth Setup
(8) Spaghetti Logic
*********************************************

**************************
Old Guide, New Guide
**************************
There are many Scouters who would argue that the position of Troop Guide is second in importance only to Senior Patrol Leader. The entire first year program depends upon his planning, resourcefulness and dedication. I would like to thank Chris Fleury for the work he has done over the last year to prepare the members of the MOB for their membership in the troop at large. I would also like to thank his assistant Esteban first for being such an able assistant but also for volunteering to take on the responsibility of being our newest Guide.

****************
Meeting Plan
****************
This is it! One last week of advancement in February. MOBsters, you have one last week of fun in the sun with Troop Guide Chris. Everyone else, you'll be wrapping up your merit badges.

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Mansfield Meeting on Wednesday
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For all of those boys who are interested in going on the Mansfield hike, let your intentions be known! If you're planning to go up on Friday we'll have a quick meeting after the normal Wednesday meeting to go over gear requirements. Otherwise, we just need to know you're coming.

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Service Project Moved
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The service project this weekend has been moved. The time is still 8:00 - 11:00 but the cookies will now be at 929 Harvest Lane, near Walmart.

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PLC
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PLC. Next week at my house. Oh, wait. You're on vacation. So it's the week after. Oh, wait. You're on vacation that week too. So the Tuesday after that. So be there.

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Committee Meeting
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This Thursday. Chez Cogley. 6:30 - 8:00. SPL Scott will be doing an acapella version of "O Sole Mio" in the key of E flat minor. It's really something not to be missed.

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Voting Booth Setup
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We have voting booth set up and take down next Monday and Tuesday nights in the little room off the gym at EMS. Monday set up is at 6:00, Tuesday is takedown at 7:10. Both will take about half an hour. This is a good way to serve your community *and* knock off a troop event or two, so please give it consideration. There will be a sign up sheet at the meeting.

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Spaghetti Logic
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I have been accused by the Bookwyrm of exhibiting "spaghetti logic" in my note about the PLC. Guilty as charged! But I figured since it follows the normal rule of "first Tuesday of the month when there's school" that a little noodly infirmity would be ok. Apparently not. So it's on March 7th. Chez moi.

I'm forgetting something but...well...I don't know what it is. So if you happen to get an update tomorrow or the day after, don't fall over from shock.

Your Scoutmaster,

Sonnick