Troop 306 Weekly Newsletter
Celebrating our 110th Anniversary serving youth in Catonsville and beyond . . .
CALENDAR
Here are some important upcoming dates:
JUNE
15 – Regular Troop Meeting 7 – 8:30 PM, at CPC *Sea Base Shakedown 6 – 7 PM, at CPC
22 – Regular Troop Meeting 7 – 8:30 PM, at CPC *Mandatory Sea Base Scout and Parent Meeting, 6 – 7 PM, at CPC
25 – July 1: Summer Camp at Rodney Scout Reservation, North East, MD
Listed above are the Troop's upcoming activities for the month of June.
We also are providing a link to the Troop's Google Calendar. It will be updated as needed.
Please also reserve the following mandatory service/fundraiser dates on your calendar:
Sunday, September 10, 2023: Catonsville Arts and Crafts Festival, 7 am - 7 pm (We assist with setup and breakdown, and empty/monitor the trash cans throughout the day. Families/Scouts will be needed for 4-hour shifts.)
Sunday, October 22, 2023: Maryland Renaissance Festival, 9 am - 7 pm (We will need a total of 21 volunteers -- at least 7 adults and youth ages 14 & up -- to work at the soda concession stands. This is a full day commitment.)
More info will be provided on each of these events as we get closer to the dates.
IMPORTANT SUMMER CAMP INFO!!!
We are making our final preparations for summer camp, which is less than two weeks away.
Our Summer Camp will again be at Rodney Scout Reservation (same place as last year) and is scheduled from June 25 - July 1, 2023. An important email containing several summer camp details was sent to all Troop families on 4/24. Please take the time to thoroughly read the email if you have not already done so, and note the following items below:
FORMS -- The deadline for all summer camp paperwork was Thursday, June 8th. Cynthia has reviewed all of the forms submitted so far and contacted families regarding any missing info. Please try to provide any missing items by Thursday, June 15. If you have not yet submitted forms for your Scout or have not communicated with Cynthia about the status, please do so as soon as possible.
The medical form, copy of the health insurance and Covid vaccination cards, and a copy of the YPT certificate is required for all adult leaders attending summer camp, too.
PRE-REQUISITES -- The deadline for all pre-requisite work for merit badges is Thursday, June 15th. Parents, please make sure your Scout had completed or is very close to completing his pre-requisites, if there were any. This work must be reviewed by an adult leader prior to summer camp!
SWIM TESTS -- All new Scouts attending summer camp must be classified in a swimmer category: 1) Non-swimmer, 2) Beginner or 3) Swimmer. To be classified as a beginner or swimmer, Scout must take the swim test. The Y of Catonsville is graciously allowing us to use their pool to conduct the swim test. Test is scheduled for Tuesday, June 20th at 5pm. Using the following link, all new Scouts attending summer camp must register.
https://forms.gle/S8bqFT1SpSUNgcsJ6
Scouts must come already dressed in their swim trunks.
Please review the email that Liz Medina sent this morning for additional info and feel free to contact her with any questions.
FOOD COLLECTIONS AND SERVICE HOURS
Food collections will be held on the following FRIDAYS from 4-6 pm in the small parking lot at Catonsville Presbyterian: June 16, & June 30. The food collections will continue every other Friday in July & August. Nonperishable items of any type are needed. Donations will be shared with CEA (Catonsville Emergency Assistance) & Grace AME Church. June food donations are also being delivered to Westowne Elementary to assist families during the early summer months.
Service hours are available for Scouts who are able to assist in these "drive through" food drop offs during any of the collection dates. The collected food is then delivered to the designated site on the following Saturday morning. Thanks to Thomas Cherry who offered to help coordinate volunteers with the CPC chairperson, Jenny Hutton.
CPC is also looking for volunteers to assist with the garden on Saturday mornings. If you're interested, please contact one of the adult leaders.
SCOUT ACCOUNTS
Scout Accounts have been reconciled, and due to the individual fundraisers in 2022 and tips from Renn Fest, many of the Scouts have significant funds in their accounts. Scout accounts can used for any Scout-related activity or expense. This includes summer camp, fall registration, high adventures, uniforms, boots, and camping equipment or gear.
Parents are welcome to fund Scout Accounts throughout the year to help lessen the impact of larger expenses or fees.
If you want to know the current balance in your son's Scout Account, please contact Cynthia.
REIMBURSEMENT FOR FOOD PURCHASES FOR CAMPING TRIPS
Parents and Scouts, please remember that you can seek reimbursement for food purchased on behalf of the Troop for camping trips. However, in order to be reimbursed, receipts must be provided. Going forward, all receipts should be submitted to Liz Medina.
FRIENDS OF SCOUTING
The Baltimore Area Council is still in the midst of its Friends of Scouting 2023 Annual Giving Campaign. Friends of Scouting is very important because it directly supports Scouting opportunities in our local community.
As of Monday morning, the contributions on behalf of Troop 306 have been significant, but there have only been five donors.
We realize that funds may be tight, particularly in light of the upcoming High Adventure Trip in August. Rather than setting a monetary goal, we are asking that every family considers contributing to the 2023 annual campaign so that our Troop can achieve a 100% participation rate. If all families contribute, our Troop demonstrates that we understand the importance of Scouting and ensures that Scouting remains strong in our community.
All donations of any amount are greatly appreciated and also are tax deductible. Please see our personalized donation link below -- we hope the smiling faces of our boys will encourage you to help bring the Scouting experience to others!
https://donations.scouting.org/#/council/220/appeal/6457
Thank you in advance for your generosity!
SEA BASE HIGH ADVENTURE 2023
Our Sea Base High Adventure Crews will be departing for Key West, Florida in less than 60 days!!! The core leadership team recently met for a pulse check on everything. Alexis Willis sent a detailed email with several updates and housekeeping items to all Sea Base families on May 10. Please be sure to thoroughly review the email.
Please also remember that Sea Base attendees should be regularly participating in Troop and Sea Base activities as indicated in the contracts that were signed.
Lastly, it is very important that each Scout continue to continue to focus on upper body strength, conditioning, and endurance! Every crew member should be working out regularly and not just at the shakedown or swimming workouts. Please utilize the exercise tracking mechanisms and other information provided at recent shakedowns.
If you have questions about anything related to Sea Base, please contact Alexis, Eric, Kristal, Liz, Phil, or Sparky.
HAPPY 111TH ANNIVERSARY!!!
It's our anniversary month and we are celebrating 111 years!!! We have so many reasons to be thankful and proud!
We are the oldest Troop in Maryland, if not one of the oldest Troops in the U.S. This accomplishment is greatly due to the consistent support from CPC, the community, and parental involvement. Our Troop is special in so many ways and has positively impacted many families and our community for more than a century. As we go throughout the month of June, we encourage you to take a few moments to think about the honor and privilege it is to be associated with Troop 306!!!
SCOUTING IS IN HIGH GEAR!!!!! LET'S HAVE A GREAT SCOUT YEAR!!!!
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Thursdays 7:00-8:30
1400 Frederick Road
Catonsville, MD 21228