Scouts and Scouters . . . Our next Troop 281 meeting is on 2/12/2019 at 7:00pm at Gold River Discovery Center.  Scouts who are going on the Klondike winter campout should bring their personal gear for a gear inspection.  All scouts will get to practice building a huge (17 foot tall) flagpole using wood and lashings.  The flagpole is one of the competitions at Klondike, and we also use these skills in our March campout.  Speaking of the March campout, it will be held on 3/15/2019 at Sugarloaf Ridge campground.  Webelos are invited on the 3/15/2019 campout.  The 3/15/2019 campout is going to be super awesome because, weather permitting, we will get exclusive use of the observatory to look at the moon and the stars, plus on Saturday we will get to explore the sun using the observatory’s special solar filters.  Be sure to sign up for the March campout soon.  Finally,  Scouts who want to sign up for the High Adventure Trip to Northern Tier Adventure Base in June 2020 need to tell Scoutmaster Block plus we need to get the non-refundable deposit of $135 not later than 2/14/19.  Remember to let the Scout oath and law be your guide.

On February 1, 2019, Scouts BSA was launched.  Scouts BSA is a year-round program for youth in fifth grade through high school that provides fun, adventure, learning, challenge, and responsibility to help them become the best version of themselves.  In Scouts BSA, young men and women go places, test themselves, and have one-of-a-kind adventures that can’t be found anywhere else.  For the first time in its 100+ year history, the iconic program of the Boy Scouts of America is open to young women as well as young men, all of whom will have the chance to earn Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout.  Click here to learn more.  

• A Scout officially earns his rank when he successfully completes his Board of Review (“BOR”).
• BOR’s are arranged by the Advancement Chair, typically the night of the 1^st monthly Troop meeting
• Scouts, PLEASE request your BOR 5 days or more before it's scheduled!
• Troop BOR’s are comprised of 3-6 Troop Committee members. Members of the Scout’s family, the SM and ASM’s may not serve on a Scout’s BOR.

“Scout” is the only rank for which there is NO Board of Review. Eagle palms also do not require a BOR.

The Merit Badge Counselor is a key player in the Boy Scout advancement program. Whatever your area of expertise or interest—whether it is a special craft or hobby (basketry, leatherwork, coin collecting), a profession (veterinary medicine, aviation, engineering), or perhaps a life skill (cooking, personal management, communications)—as a Merit Badge Counselor, you can play a vital role in stirring a young man's curiosity about that particular topic. By serving as a Merit Badge Counselor, you offer your time, knowledge, and other resources so that Scouts can explore a topic of interest.

When being organized just doesn’t come naturally…