Good evening, 635ers,

Fresh from the Essex JV Football game versus Hartford, I bring you this week's update, jam packed with informative goodness. Before I continue, though, let me add a footnote that if, at any time, I refer to "Groton" in the email below, I'm referring to the campout that we've had at Groton for donkey's years but are having at Mt. Norris this fall. On to the hot topics:

(1) Voting Booth Set Up/Takedown
(2) Late Meeting for non-PLC
(3) Forms (including 2007 Registration)
(4) Event/Merit Badge Feedback
(5) Uniform Inspection
(6) PLC Annual Planning Meeting
(7) Fall Camporee
(8) Notable Feats
(9) A Very Happy Story
(10) A Very Sad Story


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Voting Booth Set Up/Takedown
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Thanks to everyone who showed up for voting booth set up this evening. A reminder that we have takedown tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7:00. The original message was 7:10 but turnout should be light, so a little earlier will be fine.

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Late Meeting for non-PLC
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The PLC needs to wrap up some planning early on, so we will be delaying the regular meeting time to 7:00 again this week. The PLC should be there at their normal time (6:15.)

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Forms (including 2007 Registration)
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In last week's update I attached a number of forms. At the last meeting we passed out a copy of those forms to each boy present. I've attached another copy of each for your convenience and below are reminders about what each is for:
(1) If you're coming to Groton/Norris, make sure your patrol leader knows ahead of the meeting and make sure you return your permission slip.
(2) Please return your 2007 Registration, along with $20 (preferably in check form, made out to Troop 635) and the form noting whether the troop may publish pictures of you on our web site.
(3) Please return the Household Information Worksheet with all current information. We need to receive this before boys can come on events since it has all of their medical information. We ask for the information on this sheet so we don't have to include it on every permission slip throughout the year.

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Event/Merit Badge Feedback
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After consultation with your SPL, Christophero the Great, we are going to take a slightly different tack on planning the events and advancement for 2006-2007. We want every single scout to email his patrol leader/Troop Guide with the two events he liked doing most in the last year. In addition to that, we want a fresh idea out of each Scout. Something we haven't done (at least in the last year or two) that you would be interested in seeing us do as a troop.

Additionally, all scouts who are not in the Psychotic Monkey patrol, we want to know at least two merit badges you'd like to have the chance to work on this year. If you're not super close to Eagle, we want one of your choices to be an Eagle Required badge (I think the only scouts close enough to not need to include an Eagle Required are Mike Kling, Scott Kelley and Tom Cogley.) You may list more than 2 merit badges, but please don't list more than four.

In case you don't remember your patrol leader's email address, here they all are:
Ian Moldovan: GuittarMan10 AT aol D0T com
Ross Kelley: rkelleytwo AT gmail D0T com
Esteban: static.kling AT gmail D0T com
Tyler Heffernan: i_crave_food AT hotmail D0T com

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Uniform Inspection
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I want to give all of the parents a heads up that we are putting a larger emphasis on not only having a uniform inspection each week but making sure that the boys' uniforms get fixed if they are not in order. For boys with merit badges, that includes having all of their earned merit badges on a merit badge sash. We don't go as far as other troops (for instance we don't require they wear scout pants, socks or a belt) but we *would* like their shirt and sash to be in tip-top shape.

The boys have been warned and we're in the process of doing "mega Inspections" which should find any and all problems with the uniform. I just wanted to give you a head's up and to encourage you to have your boys do all of their own sewing--it builds character, it does.

Anything we tell the boys they need they have received from us at some point in the past. They can either root around behind their dressers to find the old uniform parts or we can steer you to where you can acquire new ones.

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PLC Annual Planning Meeting
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If you're not in the PLC, you can skip this one.

As y'all know, we are not having our annual planning meeting on the normal Friday night of Groton/Norris, so we need to schedule an alternative. We have two options that pop out at us:

(1--the better option for your Scoutmaster): Next Saturday or Sunday (the 23rd/24th), afternoon/evening.

(2--an acceptable option for your Scoutmaster): This Sunday from about 12:30 - 3:30. I figure that since we don't usually get back from Groton until 3:30 that this wouldn't cut too much into your day since you may not realize that we'll be home from Groton/Norris by 11:30 on the outside.

I can do either and will go ahead with whatever works for the majority. I'd just prefer next weekend so I can make sure that I get to see a recording of the Notre Dame/Michigan game and maybe make it to all you can eat wings before Mass this Sunday night.

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Fall Camporee
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The fall camporee is scheduled for the weekend of October 6-8. We're hosting the tomahawk throwing exhibit, so we'll need some scouts who would be willing to take this on (with adult supervision, of course.) Take a look at your calendars and see if it will work for you. I'll have permission slips this Wednesday, along with a flier telling you what you can expect.

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Notable Feats
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Our boys have been up to some good stuff. Some of the good stuff I know about:

This past weekend our SPL Chris Fleury went through his Brotherhood ceremony in the Order of the Arrow. This elevates him to the second rank of membership in that organization and is as far as he can go unless he is selected by the Lodge to receive the Vigil Honor at a later date. Congratulations, Chris.

Scott Kelley and Mike Kling have been absolutely *blistering* in the world of academia. Both young men are going through the process of being inducted into the National Honor Society and both of them aced their advanced Calculus AP exams. For those of you not in the math geek world, most colleges will give you credit for Calculus I and II (and some even III) if you score as well as these two did. And they took it after their *Junior* year in high school. Amazing. Well done, lads.

Finally, on the gridiron, Austin Harris has established himself as The Man. When the Hornets were trying to come back late in the game and Hartford was driving down the field, Austin came from the opposite side of the field and sacked the QB for some serious yards. It was a great play at an important time in the game. Rock on.

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A Very Happy Story
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Unbeknownst to me at the time I wrote the update last week, the Irish were not actually #2 in either poll since their victory over Georgia Tech was only by a 4-point margin. Well, they have followed that victory with a 41-17 trouncing of #19 Penn State, so they're back up to #2 in one poll and #3 in another. GO IRISH!

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A Very Sad Story
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I had a meeting with your SPL, Christopher Fleury, last night. We needed to discuss the upcoming meeting and Groton/Norris. One of the first things he mentioned as he walked into my house was that his mother, when in the car, upbraided him for "that crap music" he listens to and for the fact that he listens to it too loud. Not an unusual complaint between mother and child, I suppose. But he was listening to U2. That's right. *THAT* U2. With Bono. And the Edge. And Larry and Adam. *That* U2. Next thing you know she's going to call Mozart "The Hack on the Harpsichord." Good grief! So if you could all kindly think happy musical thoughts in the direction of Mrs. Fleury, I'm sure she'll be cured of her error in judgment soon.

Have a good one, folks, and see you on Wednesday.

Your Scoutmaster,

Sonnick