Troop 306 Weekly Newsletter- 11/15/2020

Troop 306 Weekly Newsletter

Celebrating our 108th Anniversary serving youth in Catonsville and beyond . . .

CALENDAR

Here are some important upcoming dates:

NOVEMBER (Busy Month Ahead)

(14 - 15) - Backpacking Camping Trip near Hagerstown, MD

19 - Mandatory Parent/Troop Meeting via Zoom at 7:30 pm

21 - Hiking Merit Badge

27 - Christmas Tree Tent/Stands Setup at CPC at 9 am

28 - Christmas Tree Delivery/Sorting and CPC Church Grounds Cleanup (see additional details below)

28 - Christmas Tree Sale Begins at Noon

We hope all of you continue to be safe and well.  We recently learned that most activities and meetings inside the Catonsville Presbyterian Church building will remain suspended through the month of December.  Troop 306 is cautiously holding some outdoor events and activities.  Please see the schedule above.  For any outdoor activity, the Scouts will be separated by patrols or small groups.  Social distancing and face masks are required, and hand sanitizer will be available.  We also will be using a non-contact forehead thermometer to check the temperature of any Scout or adult participating in a Troop meeting or activity.  We ask that anyone who is not feeling well or suspects recent exposure to Covid-19 to refrain from attending in-person Troop meetings or activities.  

If there are any changes to the schedule, we will update you as soon as possible. 

RE-CHARTERING

The annual re-chartering process must be completed by the end of November, but we would like to have things wrapped up before Thanksgiving in case there are any issues that need to be handled before the end of the month.  The reregistration fee this year is $125 per Scout.  The cost for adult registered members is $45.  We're happy to report that most families have satisfied the payment.  If you still need to make the payment, please submit it electronically today or let Cynthia know when and how you plan to make the payment.  Electronic payments can be submitted to Jeff via Zelle or PayPal, but please also inform Cynthia.  

If any family has a financial need that would prevent payment of the registration fee, please speak in confidence with Cynthia or Jeff about obtaining assistance from the Memorial Fund.

Parents:  Please remember that funds in your son's Scout account may be used to cover reregistration fees -- you just need to notify Cynthia of your request.  

Adult Members:  Almost all of you have YPT dates that expire next year, so you must complete YPT again this year.  Please complete this requirement today or as soon as possible.  Please notify Cynthia via email when the training has been completed.  Background forms are only required for new adult members or those changing positions.

All:  Please also inform Cynthia of any changes to your contact information -- this includes addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.

CHRISTMAS TREE SALE PREPARATIONS AND CHURCH GROUNDS CLEANUP

We are moving forward with our largest annual fundraiser, which is the Christmas Tree Sale.

Here is some key information about the sale:

1) The sale runs from the Saturday after Thanksgiving until we sell out (which is usually a week or so before Christmas).

2) Every Scout family is responsible for covering shifts during the sale.  The sale is a not a "drop and run" event.  A parent, guardian, or older relative must remain with the Scout during the shift. 

3) There will be a mandatory parent meeting via Zoom on Thursday, 11/19, at 7:30 pm to discuss the Christmas tree sale logistics.  The shift schedule for the sale will be distributed in advance of the meeting, and the Zoom link will be sent on Thursday.  

4) All Scouts in grades 8 through 12 are needed on Friday 11/27 from 9 am - 12 pm to assist with setup of the tree stands and the tent.  We also could use the help of any available adults.

4) Everyone (including parents) should be present on Saturday 11/28 to help with tree delivery and church grounds cleanup.  Scouts should arrive by 8 am, and the grounds cleanup is from 9:30 - 11:30 am.

THANK YOU!

Many thanks to all of the parents have volunteered for a role or responsibility within the troop over the past year.  We also very much appreciate the involvement of the Scout families who joined Troop 306 in late spring.

Parents, we need you in order for the Troop to continue to thrive.  We are in great need of additional support on the program side of things -- we will discuss this in more detail at the parent meeting on 11/19.  Please consider ways in which you can get involved now or in the new year.

We want to acknowledge Eric Fielding and Nate Simmons, both of whom attended the backpacking trip this weekend.  Your support this weekend was critical and greatly appreciated!

SCOUTING IS IN HIGH GEAR !!!!! LET'S HAVE A GREAT SCOUT YEAR !!!!