2/25/20 Troop 281 Patrol Leaders’ Council Meeting.  Troop 281 Patrol Leaders will meet on 2/25/2020 at 7:00pm at Gold River Discovery Center to plan details of our March meetings and organize the March camp out.

2/29/20 Every Scout Deserves a Trained Leader.  Adults can take advantage of the closest, most convenient, and easiest Scout leader training that you can possibly find.  Believe it or not, Adult training will be at Cordova Church of Christ, at 10557 Coloma Road, in Rancho Cordova.  It is only about 3 miles from Gold River Discovery Center.  There will be Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Training, Chartered Organization Representative Training, Merit Badge Counselor Training.  But wait, it gets even better.  The cost is FREE.  Registration and Check-in starts at 8:00am.  Classes start at 8:30am.  Check the Troop 281 website calendar for details.

3/5/2020, Northern Tier team meeting at Scoutmaster Block’s house.  We will be going over the transportation plan, training requirements, and equipment requirements.

3/20 - 3/22/20 Camping at China Camp State Historic Park.  China Camp State Historic Park allows scouts to learn about the many people who settled and lived near San Pablo Bay, including the Coast Miwok tribe, European Settlement, and the Chinese who worked as shrimp fishermen.  China Camp Village, the historic center of the park, has a museum with exhibits of the early Chinese settlement.  The park has over 15 miles of multi-use trails, so Scouts who bring their mountain bike can ride the trails to the historic Chinese settlement.  We’re going to have a great time, and you are welcome to join us.  Registration is limited, and there are only 5 slots left, so sign up early on the Troop 281 website.

Recent Events -  Klondike Winter Camping.  16 members of Troop 281 joined over 200 other Scouts and Scouters on our annual Winter camping trip, celebrating the Klondike Gold Rush.  Scouts had fun playing games and testing their skills at Martis Creek Campground.  Three legged races, fire making competitions, first aid games, and snow cones were just some of the memorable and fun events.  The low temperature was 16 degrees on Sunday morning, but our Scouts were prepared and had a great time.  We kept warm with a roaring camp fire, lots of hot chocolate, oatmeal, chili, and good friendship.  Troop 281 presented two excellent skits at the camp-wide campfire program.  Overall a great experience. 

Recent Events - Personal Management Merit Badge Session.  Three Scouts took advantage of the opportunity to earn the Personal Management Merit Badge.  The Scouts played a game, had some in-depth discussions, and completed a large number of the requirements for the merit badge.  Special thanks to Mr. Follestad who organized this event.

Scouts Giving Back.  A number of Troop 281 Scouts bought patches from Australia to help the victims of Australian wild fires. Because of your purchase (and the purchases of other Scouts), Australian Scouts helped build 200 possum and bird boxes to give to animal welfare groups to take into the fire affected bushland; all Scouting memberships for those who have lost their homes have been covered for the next year;  7500 face masks were distributed to those in impacted locations to protect them from air pollution during the clean-up from the bushfires; and Scouts were able to open up their Scout Halls and Camps to provide temporary accommodations for evacuees or the Rural Fire Service.  Patches are expected to ship at the end of March, because the Australian Scouts received orders for three times as many patches as expected.

Yours in Scouting,
Scoutmaster Block

Parents - Want to have more fun and memorable experiences with your Scout?  Joint the Troop 281 Scoutmaster Corps.  What are you signing up for?  You’ll make great friends, both in the troop, and with others outside of the troop.  You can learn advanced skills in areas of your choosing.  You can participate in Troop meetings by helping the scouts deliver their program.  You get to teach and sign-off scouts on requirements.  You don’t have to do everything, just the activities that you want to participate in.  It’s fun and it’s easy. 

Here is what you need to do:  Tell Scoutmaster Block you are interested.  Take Youth Protection Training (which you have probably already done).  Sign-up for and take the Assistant Scoutmaster Training on 2/29/20 in Rancho Cordova.  Then sign up for Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS) on May 1 and 2, 2020 in Orangevale.  IOLS is an overnight class where you learn and practice outdoor camping skills the Scouting way, so you can teach Scouts to be safe and have fun in the outdoors.  Learn more about these classes by going to the following website: http://www.gec-bsa.org/document/gec-training-classes/157728

If you missed Troop 281 Family Snow Day on 1/18/20, you missed out on a great event.  35 people attended.  The weather was just about as perfect as you can have for a snow outing.  Scouts went on a snow shoe hike.  Scouts build snow shelters.  Lots of people sledded down the slopes.  And of course, there was chili to eat, plus hot chocolate, coffee, and tea.  Thank you to all the Troop 281 members who made this wonderful event a success.

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.

• 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.

When being organized just doesn’t come naturally…