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

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Meeting Location--Founders
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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.

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Pinewood Rules
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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

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Norris Campout
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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.

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Summer Camp
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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.

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MB Month--Suggestions?
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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.

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New Parents Meeting
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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.

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Parents Training
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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.

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"Old" Parents Meeting
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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.

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Calling All Papists
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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