Troop 306 Weekly Newsletter – 11/22/2020

Troop 306 Weekly Newsletter

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

CALENDAR

Here are some important upcoming dates:

NOVEMBER 

26 - No Troop Meeting (Thanksgiving)

27 - Christmas Tree Tent/Stands Setup at CPC at 8:30 am

28 - Christmas Tree Delivery/Sorting and CPC Church Grounds Cleanup 

28 - Christmas Tree Sale Begins at Noon

DECEMBER

3 - PLC and Troop Committee Meeting

10 - Outdoor Meeting at Catonsville Presbyterian Church

17 - Troop Meeting via Zoom

24 - No Troop Meeting (Christmas Eve)

31 - No Troop Meeting (New Year's Eve)

We hope all of you continue to be safe and well.  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. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Our celebrations may be different this year, but we all still have so many reasons to be thankful.  We hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

RE-CHARTERING

The deadline for the annual re-chartering process to be completed is quickly approaching.  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.  This requirement is mandatory in order for you to be registered with the Troop.  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) The shift schedule for the sale has been distributed.  If you have a conflict and need to swap a shift, please make arrangements with another family.  NOTE:  Swaps can only be arranged between adults, not the Scouts themselves.  Cynthia will send out an email that contains the email address of every Scout family to assist with contacting others in the Troop.   

4) All available Scouts and adults are needed on Friday 11/27 from 8:30 amuntil about 12 pm to assist with setup of the tree stands and the tent.  Parents should remain with younger Scouts (those below high school).

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.

HIKING MERIT BADGE

Those Scouts and adults participating in the Hiking Merit Badge completed the first required 10-mile hike yesterday on the Gwynn Falls Trail!  It was truly an urban adventure!  We are so proud of all of you, and you should feel really great about your accomplishment!!!  We also are very thankful for the leadership and support of Hope Riley!  YOU ROCK!!!

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, particularly on the program side of things.  Please consider ways in which you can get involved now or in the new year.

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