Troop 650

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Prior News & Updates:

3/27/2010

The next regular scout meetings are scheduled for:

Tuesdays 3/30, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27 at 7pm

Next PLC meeting is 4/6 at 7pm

Shane Brinkley has a number of days scheduled for his Eagle Scout project. Please check calendar dates to determine when you can help out (4/3, 4/10 and 4/11).

AND - our next Campout is planned for 4/16-18 at Hamman Scout Ranch

We are working on getting our pictures loaded from our last campout at Inks Lake… However, please take some time and view recently added 2009 and early 2010 Troop 650 Pictures

2/14/2010

We had our Court of Honor on 2/2/2010 where a number of Scouts received recognition for their hard work.

As of 2/8/10, We have a new EAGLE SCOUT- Theo Kaberides He became our 34th scout in the history of the Troop to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. - Congratulations Theo !!!!!

The next regular scout meetings are Tuesday 2/16 and 2/23 at 7pm

We will be participating in Crossover for Pack 650 on 2/20/2010.

There will be a Patrol Leadership Council meeting on 3/2/2010.

AND - our next Campout is tentatively planned for 3/5-6

1/4/2010 - HAPPY NEW YEAR

There will be a Patrol Leadership Council meeting on Jan 5.

The next regular scout meeting is Jan 12.

The next campout is the Freeze-O-Ree at Canyon Lake Ranch the weekend of Jan 22-24.

The next troop court of honor is Tuesday Feb 2.

As of 12/14/09 - We have a new EAGLE SCOUT - Congratulations to Alex Tello !!!!!

11/18009

No meeting week of Nov 24.

Regular meeting on Dec 1. Normally that would be a leadership only meeting but with the November and December holidays the scouts need to have a meeting that day.

Eagle Court of Honor for Michael Cantu on Sunday Dec 6. Start time is 5 PM. Please be 15 minutes early. I hope to see you all there.

Gift exchange on Dec 15. Each scout is to bring a wrapped gift. Maximum price this year is $10. The activity is for Scouts only.

Dec 22 and 29 are NEISD holidays. That means no troop meetings on those days.

Winter Merit Badge Extravaganza is Dec 28-30.

The next campout is to Enchanted Rock Dec 11-13. We are camping in the normal camping area on Friday night, backpacking further into the park on Saturday and sleeping in the primitive camping area Saturday night. Adults who plan to attend please shoot Joey McKnight an email asap. Please review the Scout Master's list of critical gear with your scout. Scout motto: BE PREPARED.

10/03/2009

Troop 650 would like to THANK ALL of the Webelos that joined us in our last Troop meeting on 9/22/09. We look forward in your return.

We held our Court of Honor last Tuesday and a number of Scouts received their advancements and merit badges.

Our next regularly scheduled meeting is 10/13/09 - 7 p.m. at Crown of Life Lutheran Church.

PLC will be meeting 10/06/09

FYI - We have a new Webmaster and he is working to get our photos up to date... so please check back soon...

08/21/2009

Some answers to questions asked at Tuesday’s meeting.

High Adventure:

1. The high adventure age requirement was verified to be 13 by Jan 1 of 2010.

2. The Laguna Station manager has verified that the scouts can put together a hybrid program. The scouts had wanted to do some deep sea fishing but spend the rest of the week in the “Island Adventure” program.

3. Due date for $75 deposit is Sept 1.

4. The operating dates for Laguna Station changed a bit. Their first week will be 6/20. That will be our target week with a 6/27 second preference.

5. The troop will be looking for minimally 2 adults to accompany the troop on this trip. For High Adventure adults pay the same as the scouts. If only 2 adults sign up, a third adult who can attend in an emergency will need to be identified.

Regular Scout Camp - Reminder

By Sept 1, adults need to express their preference, questions, comments, concerns, etc. on next summer’s regular camp. Please contact Kathy Kaberides, Joey McKnight, or Hector Tello. If we go to New Mexico or Colorado the price is anticipated to be in the $500-600 range. We will need firm commitments from multiple adults who will be able to go the entire week. Fee for adults will be less depending on the adult camp fee. The fallback plan is to attend Bear Creek.

07/17/2009

The annual planning meeting will be held on Sunday, August 2^nd from 2 to 5 PM at the scoutmaster’s house. All scouts First Class and above are invited to attend.

On August 8 and 9, Theo Kaberides will be working on his Eagle project. His project involves installation of a dog run at a animal rescue center in Spring Branch. More details to follow.

On August 14 – 16, all troop OA members should try to attend the Ordeal and Brotherhood meeting at Bear Creek. Contact the scoutmaster for more information.

The official kick-off for the school year is August 18^th. The troop will have a swim party at the SOCOMA recreation center. All troop 650 scouts, their family, and any other youth who might be interested in joining troop 650 are invited to attend. The party will begin at 7 pm and refreshments will be served.

On August 22^nd, the troop will host an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Ryan Wagner. Time: 5 PM. Location: Crown of Life Lutheran Church.

05/11/2009

May 30^th is still the planned date for the shotgun shooting outing. Time is TBD.

The scouts have added a school’s-out game night to the schedule. It will begin at 6 PM on Thursday June 4^th and run until around 10 AM Friday June 5^th. The location will be Crown of Life. That Thursday is the last day of classes for NEISD. Dinner and breakfast will be served. A small fee will be required.

Tuesday June 2^nd is the next Court of Honor.

Summer camp is just over four weeks away. Everybody needs to be completing their medical forms in the next few weeks.

Information on the pre-summer camp swim test will be distributed soon.

04/08/2009

On Tuesday, April 14^th the scouts are working on their patrol flags. If you have old paint brushes, sponges, canvas (or pillow cases), etc. that the scouts might use to create their flag, please send it with them on Tuesday. That is also the night of the next troop committee meeting. All parents are always invited and encouraged to attend.

On Thursday April 16^thwe will need the assistance of about five scouts and an adult or two to set up a canopy at River City Christian Center. You can meet us there at 6:30 or meet us at the church at 6. Let Bill Fischer know if you can help at the Tuesday meeting.

April 22 is a Field Trip at the Apple Store, La Cantera. It starts at 7 p.m. and is free. Please wear troop shirts.

The next campout is April 24 – 26. We will be camping at the Lost Pines Scout Reservation in Bastrop TX. Adults – please send me an email if you will be joining the fun. Those scouts going to Northern Tier need to make a best effort to attend this month’s campout.

On April 21^st we will be collecting the final payments for summer camp. Contact me or Mark Faulkner if you have any questions.

On April 28^th the older scouts would like to start the Pioneering merit badge. The troop is looking for an adult volunteer or two to serve as the merit badge counselors. That badge will take many meetings to complete. I have the supplies and can provide guidance so don’t be shy.

The troop welcomes Richard Swallows (father of new troop members James, Ethan, and Andrew) and Kelly Wagner (mother of new member Brendan). We also welcome Reese Brinkley, Shane’s younger brother.

03/27/2009

Congratulations to Alex Tello who completed his Eagle Project at Crown of Life Lutheran Church. Pictures will be posted soon.

The troop is proud to announce that ten scouts have joined the troop in the last 45 days. Nine of them crossed over from Webelos after earning their Arrow of Light award.

Reminder: The next troop campout is on April 24 – 26 at Lost Pines Scout Reservation, Bastrop, TX.

Other Upcoming Events & Activities:

Mar 28 - Eagle Courts of Honor - AJ and Ryan Lane – Crown of Life - 4 PM.

April 7 - PLC – No regular troop meeting

April 14, 21 & 28 – Regular troop meetings

April 16 – Setup canopy at River City Christian School for Fiesta – 6 PM

April 19 – Canopy takedown, River City Christian School – 12:30 PM

April 21 – Summer camp final payment due

June 14 – 21 – Summer camp – Lost Pines Scout Reservation, Bastrop, TX

July 22 - July 30 - High Adventure Trip to BSA Canoe Base, Canada

July 22 - July 30 - High Adventure Summer Camp Trip to BSA Canoe Base Northern Tier Canada

03/07/2009

Congratulations to Ryan Wagner who complete his Eagle Project at Live Oak City Park. Pictures will be posted soon.

The next troop campout is on March 20-22 at Lake Somerville, TX.

Upcoming Events & Activities:

Tues Mar 10 - no meeting - spring break.

Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat - Multiple days during spring break - Eagle project workdays for Alex Tello

Tues Mar 17 - first regular meeting in March

Fri, Mar 20-Sun Mar 22 - campout at Lake Sommerville - come join the fun

Tues Mar 24 - summer camp deposits due - informational meeting on summer camp

Mar 28 - Eagle Courts of Honor - AJ and Ryan Lane - COL - 2 to 5 pm.

March - final Northern Tier payment due

May 2 - Merit Badge University

June 14 - June 20 - Basic Summer Camp at Lost Pines (Bastrop, Tx)

July 22 - July 30 - High Adventure Summer Camp Trip to BSA Canoe Base Northern Tier Canada

01/20/2009

Our troop congratulates AJ Lane who became an Eagle Scout on January 9^th. AJ is the 29^th scout from Troop 650 to achieve the rank of Eagle.

Troop 650 will have an Eagle Court of Honor for Luke Thacker this coming Saturday, Jan 24, at 5 pm. The location will be Crown of Life church.

Steven De Lorenzo will have a work day for his Eagle project at COL the same day from 8 am to 3 pm. Scouts should bring work gloves, eye protection, shovels, rakes, etc.

12/20/2008

The troop congratulates Ryan Lane who became an Eagle Scout on December 8^th. Ryan is the 28^th scout from Troop 650 to achieve the rank of Eagle.

There are no troop meetings during the weeks of Christmas and New Years. The first troop meeting will be Tuesday, January 6^th. The first outing of the new year will be the Eagle District Freeze-O-Ree. The campout is Friday Jan 9 through Sunday Jan 11 at Bear Creek.

11/06/2008

The December campout will be at McKinney Falls State Park. The troop will depart at 6 pm from Crown of Life Church on Friday Dec 12^th. Any Webelos or youth considering joining Boy Scouts are invited to attend.

Congratulations to Ryan and AJ Lane who completed their Eagle projects in the last month. Pictures will be posted soon.

Also, congratulations to Charles Engel, our troop's 26 th Eagle Scout who held his Eagle Court of Honor Ceremony last Saturday at the church.

As always, check out the calendar for the latest troop and council events as well as adult training.

09/30/2008

The next troop campout will be the Eagle District Camp-O-Ree on October 10 – 12. This year the camp-o-ree will be held at Lake Calaveras.

Ryan Lane will have an Eagle project work day at Crown of Life on October 4^th from 8 am to 1 pm.

09/12/2008

Congratulations to Luke Thacker who is Troop 650’s newest Eagle Scout. On Monday Luke met with and was approved by an Eagle Board of Review. His parents were in attendance to hear the good news.

Michael Cantu, Life Scout, was elected as the Troop 650 Senior Patrol Leader in late August. He selected Michael Fischer and Ryan Wagner to be the Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders. The Cobra patrol elected Steven De Lorenzo as its patrol leader. Theo Kaberides was elected as the Hawk patrol leader. Congratulations to all the elected scouts on their new positions.

As always, check out the calendar for the latest troop and council events as well as adult training.

08/05/2008

What a busy summer! The older scouts spent a week at Lake Amistad. Daily activities included boating, fishing, water skiing, tubing, kayaking, and swimming. The whole troop went to summer camp at Camp Constantin off of Possum Kingdom Lake. The highlight of the week was winning the raft race where all troops raced rafts that had been built by the scouts.

The troop is proud to announce that Charles Engel has reached the rank of Eagle Scout. Charles is the twenty sixth scout in the troop’s history to achieve the rank of Eagle and the third one in 2008.

The troop will hold its kick-off swim party at SOCOMA recreation center on August 19 from 6:30 to 8:30. Any interested scouts and their families are invited to attend. Contact Hector Tello at (210) 863-8654 for more information.

Next Tuesday, Aug 12, there is an informal troop meeting at Crown of Life at the normal time. All scouts are welcome to come and hang out. I am scheduling this meeting so that I can start scoutmaster conferences for the following scouts that are ready for rank advancement. First come, first serve.

Den Chief is a position of responsibility within the troop. There are several local packs that ask for den chiefs each year. This position would be good for any Scout who has other commitments on Tuesday nights that make it hard for him to attend regular troop meetings. If any scout is interested please let me know. There is training coming up in a couple of weeks. This position is restricted to scouts who have reached the rank of First Class.

As always, check out the calendar for the latest troop and council events as well as adult training.

04/04/2008

Thanks go out to Carl Soderstrom and Jim Wagner who helped on the March campout.

All adults are encouraged to take the safe swim defense and safety afloat on-line training. It won’t take a lot of time. Contact Hector Tello or Kelly Peroutka if you haven’t done on-line BSA training before.

If another adult would like to take some time to teach another outdoor merit badge, the scouts would be very interested.

Important dates for upcoming events -

	Sat, April 5: Chris P. Eagle Scout project workday #1
	Sat, April 12: Chris P. Eagle Scout project workday #2
	Thurs, April 17: Service project at River City Christian School to set-up large troop canopy for the Fiesta Especial event
	Fri, Apr 18 - Sun, Apr 20 : Campout – Karankawa Scout camp (Lake Corpus Christi). Meet Friday at 6 pm at COL. As a troop we will start working on the canoeing merit badge. Adults: please volunteer to drive and spend a night or two with us. This is the last regular campout for this school year. Here is a link to the camp: http://www.stxbsa.org/site/c.8eIELTOwGnF/b.1073565/k.1BA2/Facilities.htm
	Sat, April 26: Chris P. Eagle Scout project workday #3
	Tues, April 29: Troop meeting to be held at a local pool or the Blossom pool for the annual BSA swim test
	Fri, May 9: Troop game night and over-night lock-in at the church. Adult volunteers are needed.
	Sat, May 10 - our troop activity of the month is a white-water kayaking training session. We have arranged for a half day of kayaking instruction at the Power Olympic Outdoor Center. Cost per scout will be $35. Adults are $47. We are limiting this event to members of the troop. That is a 50% or greater discount off their normal rate. We will need drivers to take scouts to and from San Marcos. Here is a link with info: http://www.kayakinstruction.org/Kayak_Instruction/Home.html

03/14/2008

There is no troop meeting the night of 3/18/2008 due to Spring Break.

Important dates for upcoming events -

	Mon, Mar 24: Informational meeting for those who have signed up or want to sign up for the 2009 high adventure canoe trip. 7 pm. Crown of Life Church.
	Tues, Mar 25: Regular Troop Meeting - Bring a check for $95 if you want to get the early bird pricing for summer camp. The regular price is $220. Early bird is $190.
	Fri, Mar 28 - Sat, Mar 30 : Campout – Choke Canyon State Park. Meet Friday at 6 pm at COL. Come have some fun. There is the big lake and we are camping off of a smaller 75 acre lake. There is room for bikes. There are basketball courts and a baseball field. Come enjoy the short TX spring. We are looking for adults to drive and camp with us. Please attend if you can. Thanks go out to Mark Thacker, Jim Wagner, and Ken Crook who helped on the February campout.

Chris Peroutka has received approval to proceed with his eagle project. The work days will be in April. Exact dates are TBD.

02/20/2008

Important dates for upcoming events -

	Fri, Feb 22 - Sun, Feb 24 : Campout at Wolf Mountain Scout Ranch (LLano, Texas)
	Tues, Feb 26 : Regular Troop Meeting - OA Elections, SPL Election
	Sat, Mar 8 : Basura Bash (7:30 – 1:30) – Local river cleanup service project
	Tues, Mar 11 : Crew Formation Day – Northern Tier HA Trip - 2009 (sign up date)

As always, check out the calendar for the latest troop and council events as well as adult training.

01/31/2008

Important dates for upcoming events -

	Sunday, Feb 3 : Scout Sunday - Service times are 8 am and 10:30 am. Please be there 10 minutes early in uniform.
	Tues, Feb 19 : Regular Troop Meeting - OA Elections, SPL Election, View High Adventure Base DVD
	Fri, Feb 22 - Sun, Feb 24 : Campout at Wolf Mountain Scout Ranch (LLano, Texas)
	Sat, Mar 8 : Basura Bash (7:30 – 1:30) – Local river cleanup service project
	Tues, Mar 11 : Crew Formation Day – Northern Tier HA Trip - 2009

As always, check out the calendar for the latest troop and council events as well as adult training.

01/04/2008

The Eagle District Freeze-o-Ree will be held at Bear Creek Scout Ranch on January 11 – 13. Webelos are invited to attend on Saturday.

The troop will hold a Court of Honor at the Socoma Rec Center on Tuesday, Jan 29, at 7 p.m.

In February the troop will be backpacking at Wolf Mountain Scout Ranch near Llano TX. The dates are Feb 22 – 24.

Check out the calendar! The dates for summer camp and the high adventure trip have been posted. The troop will be going to Camp Constantin/Jack D. Furst Aquatics Base which is located on Possum Kingdom Lake in Palo Pinto County, near Graford, Texas. This camp has over 385 acres and covers six miles of shoreline that look towards the majestic Castle Cliff on Possum Kingdom Lake. Activities include hiking, rifle, shotgun, archery, canoeing and swimming in one of the clearest lakes in Texas. Camp dates are Sunday June 22 through Saturday June 28.

Congratulations to the Scouts who attended Merit Badge Extravaganza. A total of 10 merit badges were earned by scouts in our troop. Way to go!

Be sure to check out the calendar link and photo album link to the left for the latest dates and pictures!

11/06/07

Check out the calendar! The dates for summer camp have been posted. The troop will be going to Camp Constantin/Jack D. Furst Aquatics Base which is located on Possum Kingdom Lake in Palo Pinto County, near Graford, Texas. This camp has over 385 acres and covers six miles of shoreline that look towards the majestic Castle Cliff on Possum Kingdom Lake. Activities include hiking, rifle, shotgun, archery, canoeing and swimming in one of the clearest lakes in Texas. Camp dates are Sunday June 22 through Saturday June 28.

Congratulations to the Scouts who attended Merit Badge University. Those scouts who worked hard on their pre-requisites walked away with full credit for up to four merit badges that day. Way to go!

Fall dues of $75.00 are now due. Please hand dues to Janet Lane, Danny Lane, Hector Tello, or Kathy Kaberides.

Registration is still open for the Winter Merit Badge Extravaganza – December 27 - 29. See Mr. Tello for the registration form.

Planning information for the summer 2008 High Adventure trip will come out soon. Initial deposits will be due in November.

Calendar:

Tuesday, Nov 13 – Regular troop meeting – sign up for November campout.

Friday, Nov 16 through Sunday Nov 18 – troop campout

Tuesday, Nov 27 – Regular troop meeting

Be sure to check out the calendar link and photo album link to the left for the latest dates and pictures!

10/09/07

Congratulations to Luis Garza on reaching the rank of Eagle Scout. His Court of Honor was held on September 22, 2007 at Crown of Life Lutheran Church. Luis was Troop 650's 23rd Eagle Scout. Check out pictures of our Eagle's projects at the link to the left.

Fall dues of $75.00 are now due. Please hand dues to Janet Lane, Danny Lane, Hector Tello, or Kathy Kaberides.

Registration for Merit Badge University has closed. Location for MBU is Northwest Vista College. Those Scouts who registered should deliver $10 MBU fee to Hector Tello.

Registration is still open for the Winter Merit Badge Extravaganza. See Mr. Tello for the registration form.

Planning information for the summer 2008 High Adventure trip will come out soon. Initial deposits will be due in November.

Any Scout age 14 or older who would like to be joined with other Alamo Area Scouts on a Philmont contingent should contact Hector Tello or the

Council for an application form. As usual, this is a first come/first served process.

Calendar:

Tuesday, Oct 9 - Regular troop meeting -

Sign up for Texas Ski Ranch on Oct 20. Also need to know which Scouts and adults will be going on the Oct 19 - 21 campout. Planned location is

Guadalupe State Park.

Bring any popcorn orders and monies. Ms. Kaberides will be collecting that information. Last meeting to turn in popcorn orders is Oct 23.

Saturday, Oct 13 - COL Workday - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Come help the church and get service hour credit

Still looking for adult volunteers - we can't do it without you!

Be sure to check out the calendar link and photo album link to the left for the latest dates and pictures!

09/12/07

Congratulations to Preston Fox on reaching the rank of Eagle Scout. His Court of Honor was held on September 11, 2007 at Crown of Life Lutheran Church. Special guests included Eagle Scouts Texas State Representative Frank J. Corte Jr. and Marc Cross.

The Court of Honor for Luis Garza will be Saturday, September 22, 3 p.m. at Crown of Life. The Troop 650 Court of Honor will be held on Tuesday, September 25^th at 7 p.m. at Crown of Life.

Other upcoming events:

	The troop is camping at Mustang Island during the weekend of September 14 – 16.
	The next PLC will be October 2^nd.
	The next campout and outing to Texas Ski Ranch is planned for the weekend of October 12 – 14.
	The troop will hold an open house on Tuesday October 23^rd. The even is open to Cub scouts, Webelos, and anybody else interested in learning more about Troop 650.

Be sure to check out the calendar link and photo album link to the left for the latest dates and pictures!

06/15/07

Preston Fox is Troop 650's latest Eagle Scout. Congrats to Preston on achieving Scouting's highest award!! (Check out all 22 of T-650 Eagle scouts at the link to the left.)

Our Scouts will return from a week-long basic summer camp at Bear Creek late tomorrow morning.

Our High-Adventure trip will depart for Packard Scout Base in Colorado early Saturday morning, July 14 and will return late Sunday, July 22.

We will have a Fall semester kick-off swim party and cook-out at 7 pm on August 21, at Socoma Recreation Center.

Be sure to check out the calendar link and photo album link to the left for the latest dates and pictures!

04/08/07

We will retake the BSA swim test in lieu of our regular Troop meeting this Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30 pm at the NEISD Swim facility at Blossom stadium. Please meet at Blossom at 7;30 pm (not 7 pm) and remember to wear your swimsuit and bring a towel. This test is required for all scouts who plan to participate in canoeing on the April 20-22 campout or who are going to High Adventure Camp in CO this summer.

Our next campout will be April 20 - 22. We will be camping near Canyon Lake. Tentative plans are that we will be canoeing on the upper Guadalupe river.

Our troop is to set up our large tent at the River City Christian School on Monday, April 16. We will meet first at the COL church and need parent drivers to take scouts to the school. This will count as community service hours. The tent will be used for the annual Fiesta Especial event. We will also take down the tent on Sunday, April 22 following our campout return.

Preston's Eagle project work day has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 28 at 9:30 am.

Our troop is currently finalizing plans to initiate a Venture Patrol geared to the interests of older scouts. The requirements to belong to this patrol will be that you must currently be in High School and have attained the rank of Life Scout. You will be expected to attend at least two troop weekend events (one of which may be a Venture Patrol only event) per school semester and a minimum of two regular troop meetings per month. Duties for positions of responsibility within the troop must still be fulfilled and leadership roles within the Venture Patrol will not count towards rank advancement. Participants in the Venture Patrol will still belong to regular patrols and are expected to participate in regular patrol activities. Accordingly, Venture Patrol activities will be timed to minimize conflict with regular Troop activities. The goal of the Venture Patrol will be to provide activities and events more suited to older scouts and to provide encouragement towards completion of the rank of Eagle Scout.

Be sure to check out the calendar link and photo album link to the left for the latest dates and pictures!

03/30/07

Preston's Eagle project workday for this Saturday (Mar 31) has been postponed due to weather.

The Troop Committee meeting will be this Monday (Apr 02) at &:30 pm at the Crown of Life church.

The Patrol Leader Council (PLC) will meet this Tuesday (Apr 03) at the church at 7 pm. Accordingly, there will be no regular troop meeting next Tuesday night.

We will retake the BSA swim test on Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30 pm at the NEISD Swim facility at Blossom stadium. Please meet at Blossom at &;30 pm (not 7 pm) and remember to wear your swimsuit and bring a towel.

Our next campout will be April 20 - 22. We will be camping near Canyon Lake.

03/09/07

There will be no regular troop meeting next Tuesday night (March 13) due to Spring Break.

However, our next campout will be next weekend (March 16 - 18) which is the last weekend of Spring Break. We will be attending the Aviation Merit Badge camp at Hondo Municipal Airport. Be at the church at 6pm next Friday night (Mar 16) for departure. Also, be sure to wear your Class A uniform shirt (this is a council-wide event).

We will retake the BSA swim test either the second or third week in April (dates TBD) at the NEISD Swim facility at Blossom stadium. All scouts should plan to attend and complete this requirement.

02/08/07

Troop spring semester dues for $75 should be paid by now. Please bring your check made out to "Troop 650" for $75 to the next meeting or the campout this weekend if you have not already done so.

The next PLC will be this Tuesday (Feb 13) at the Crown of Life church at 7:00 pm. There will not be a regular meeting this Tuesday.

The troop elections for Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) and Patrol Leader (PL) will be held during the regular Troop meeting on Tuesday, Feb 20, 2007.

Our next campout will be this weekend (Feb 9 - 11) at Bear Creek Scout Reservation. This will be a district event (Freeze-O-Ree). Remember to wear your Class A uniform shirt to the church when we depart on Friday evening at 6 pm. Class A shirts are mandatory for this event. Also remember to bring your T-650 t-shirts to wear (or other scout t-shirt if you don't have a T-650 one yet). There are some T-650 t-shirts available for purchase for those who need them. Also, remember to bring a rain coat and old shoes in case it gets damp on Saturday.

01/20/07

Troop semester dues for $75 are now due. Please bring your check made out to "Troop 650" to the next meeting this Tuesday night if you have not already paid.

Our annual Court of Honor banquet will be held on Tuesday, Jan 30, at the SOCOMA Recreation Center on Knight's Cross at 7 pm. The cost for dinner will be $10 per person. We will also have a cake auction so be sure to bring your favorite dessert.

We will be distributing flyers next Saturday for Goodwill announcing the clothing drive pick-up for the following Saturday. This service activity should take no more than 1-2 hours. Preston's Eagle project workday will also occur next Saturday following the Goodwill event at the church. Scouts participating in either event will earn service hours towards rank advancement.

Several scouts are needed to help out at the Pack 650 Pinewood Derby next Saturday at SOCOMA Rec Center. Please let AJ know if you can help.

12/19/06

There will be no Troop meeting tonight. The planned trip to the bowling alley was cancelled as there were no lanes available for our group.

Our next regular Troop meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan 09, 2007 at 7:00 pm at the Crown of Life Lutheran Church.

Have a Merry Christmas!

12/02/06

Thanks for the great turn-out today for our service project at the church. We spread 30 yds of mulch in one hour!!...(has to be a record)......

For those going to the Spurs game tonight, do not meet at the church. We'll meet at the game (starts at 7 pm). GO SPURS GO!!!!

Troop Committee meeting is this Monday (Dec 4) at the church at 7;30 pm.

No regular Troop meeting this week - PLC instead at the church at 7 pm.

09/17/06

Troop Leadership Training (TLT) will be held today at SM Fox's house from 2 pm - 4 pm. All troop officers should attend. Bring $5 for pizza and your PLC notebook.

If your scout is already a 1rst Class scout or higher and is not listed for one of the leadership positions, please have him contact the SM now to accept a position of responsibility (required for rank advancement after 1rst Class).

Please remember to pay your dues of $75 to the troop for the fall semester if you have not already done so. Also, all Order of the Arrow members who completed their ordeal prior to this year need to pay dues to the troop ($10 for adults and $8 for scouts).

We need to firm up the list of scouts and adults going whitewater rafting and rappelling at Packard High Adventure Base in Colorado next July 13 – 23, 2007. The cost for the trip is expected to be $500. We need to submit a deposit of $50 per person ASAP in order to reserve our spot. Please sign up and bring a check for $50 to hold your reservation to this Tuesday's meeting. These reservations are non-refundable but are transferable to another scout if you decide later that you do not want to go and can find another scout or adult to take your place. You must be at least 13 by Jan 01, 2007, or have completed 7th grade by the end of this school year to be eligible to go (camp rules).

Our website recently encountered some problems when it was moved to a new server. This caused some obsolete information to be erroneously published in the calendar. These have been corrected now so be sure to check out the calendar link to the left to get the latest information regarding meetings, campouts, and training events. Thanks to Kelly Peroutka for updating the website calendar.

Also, we've added some scuba pictures to our summer sailing trip photo album. Be sure to check the Photo Album link to your left. (If you have any digital photos from Bear Creek Summer Camp, please send them to SM Fox so that he may post to the website.)

09/11/06

If the weather is bad tomorrow night, we’ll have to postpone our pool party again and will meet at the church. If the front passes through before 7 pm and the weather is clearing we’ll go ahead with the pool party as planned. A short e-mail notice and phone call tree by patrols will be initiated tomorrow after 5 pm to let everyone know the decision. If you go to the pool and we’re not there, go to the church instead.

Congrats to Wesley Clifford, our new SPL, and the other new officers. We’re looking forward to a great 6-month term for these officers.

All scouts holding a position of responsibility should attend the Troop Leadership Training (TLT) next Sunday (Sept 17) from 2 – 4 pm. Meeting place is TBD but we’ll let you know at tomorrow’s meeting.

We need to firm up the list or scouts and adults going whitewater rafting and rappelling at Packard High Adventure Base in Colorado next July 13 – 23, 2007. The cost for the trip is expected to be $450 - $500. We need to submit a deposit of $50 per person ASAP in order to reserve our spot. A sign-up list will be provided at tomorrow’s meeting. Please sign the list if you plan to go and bring a check for $50 to hold your reservation. These reservations are non-refundable but are transferable to another scout if you decide later that you do not want to go and can find another scout or adult to take your place.

Check the link to your left for pictures from recent events. If you have any digital photos from Bear Creek Summer Camp, please send them to SM Fox so that he may post to the website. Also, be sure to check the calendar link to the left to see upcoming events and training sessions.

08/24/06

We will have a Parent's party and kick-off planning meeting on Sat, Aug 26, at 6:30 pm at the Socoma Rec Center. This will be a lot of fun so be sure to RSVP with Mark or Melinda Swann ASAP for the food headcount.

The first troop meeting will occur on Tuesday, Sept 5, at 7 pm at the Socoma Rec Center. We will have a pool party and all scouts can complete their annual swim test. Scouts will also elect their SPL and PL's for the next 6-month term. Any scout with the Rank of Star or higher who wishes to run for SPL should notify SM Fox by Aug 31.

Our PLC met last Sunday and made some exciting plans for the Fall 2006 and Summer 2007 seasons. They have also elected to consolidate our troop into two patrols. A roster was e-mailed to all troop parents showing the new troop organization. Upcoming plans include:

Campout Sept 29-30 - District Fall Camp-O-Ree at McGimsey Scout Park (possible day field trip by troop)

Campout Oct 27 - 29 - Sol Mayer Scout Camp, Menard, Tx (shotgun, tour Ft. McKavett)

Campout Nov 17 - 19 - Garner State Park, Concan, Tx (backpacking, hiking, bike rides)

Campout Dec 15 - 16 - Enchanted Rock, Fredericksburg, Tx (hiking, climbing, tour Nimitz museum)

Campout - Bear Creek Scout Camp, Hunt, Tx (wilderness survival training)

June 2007 - Basic Summer Camp at Bear Creek

June or July 2007 - High Adventure Camp at Packard Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base, Pocha Springs, CO (white water rafting, hiking, climbing)

Our Troop OA Rep, Preston Fox, needs to know if you want to renew membership in OA. The cost is $8 for scouts and $10 for adult scouters. Please contact Preston ASAP to let him know and pay out troop if you plan to renew your membership.

08/03/06

There will be a Council-wide (i.e., city-wide) Roundtable expo tonight at University Methodist Church beginning at 6 pm. Several vendors will have displays set up and this will be a great way to learn about planned council activities for the upcoming year, training sessions, summer camps, high-adventure trips, etc. All are invited to attend. This event happens only once per year!

We will have our first Troop Committee meeting of the new scouting year this Monday, Aug 7, at 7:30 pm at the Crown of Life Lutheran Church. All parents are encouraged to attend to learn about troop plans and to help make our great troop even better!

Our PLC will meet for their annual planning session at SM Fox's house on Sunday, Aug 20, at 2 pm. All troop officers are expected to attend this important meeting.

We will have a Parent's party and kick-off planning meeting on Sat, Aug 26, at 7 pm at the Socoma Rec Center. This will be more fun than work as we'll have dinner and get to do some socializing!

The first troop meeting will occur on Tuesday, Sept 5, at 7 pm at the Socoma Rec Center. We will have a pool party and all scouts can complete their annual swim test.

It is way past time to collect annual dues for all Order of the Arrow members who have already had their Ordeal. Dues are $8 for youth and $10 for adult. We need to get this money into council soon so please remember to pay ASAP (check made out to Troop 650).

Photos from our recent events have just been posted. Check the link to your left. If you have any digital photos from Bear Creek Summer Camp, please send them to SM Fox so that he may post to the website.

07/31/06

Our PLC will meet for their annual planning session at SM Fox's house on Sunday, Aug 20, at 2 pm. All troop officers are expected to attend this important meeting.

We will have a Parent's party and kick-off planning meeting on Sat, Aug 26, at 7 pm at the Socoma Rec Center. This will be more fun than work as we'll have dinner and get to do some socializing!

The first troop meeting will occur on Tuesday, Sept 5, at 7 pm at the Socoma Rec Center. We will have a pool party and all scouts can complete their annual swim test.

06/13/06

Our High Adventure Sailing trip to the Florida Keys was a blast! Winds were light, so most of the sailing included engine time. But the light winds made conditions excellent for scuba diving and snorkeling. Scouts even got to dive on a real Spanish Galleon (the "San Pedro") sunk in a hurricane in 1722. The cannon, anchor, and ballast stones were still there to see and touch! We also were able to dive on a 300 ft freighter (the "Benwood") which was torpedoed by the Germans during WWII.

Most of our scouts are currently attending summer camp at Bear Creek this week. They will return this Saturday by 12 noon.

Congratulations to Michael Kozar for earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Mike is the 21rst scout to earn the Eagle rank in Troop 650. We will be having Mike's Eagle Court of Honor this evening at Bear Creek so that most of our troop may attend. Mike and his family will be moving back to Maryland tomorrow. They will be sorely missed but we are glad to have enjoyed their involvement and friendship these past two years.

It is time to collect annual dues for all Order of the Arrow members who have already had their Ordeal. Dues are $8 for youth and $10 for adult. We need to get this money into council soon so please remember to pay ASAP (check made out to Troop 650).

Photos from our recent events will be posted soon. Check the link to your left.

05/11/06

We will meet at the church tomorrow night (Friday, May 12) at 6 pm for departure for our campout to Canyon Lake (Potter's Creek Park). Be sure to eat before departure. Bring your sleeping bag, bed pad, bowl, spoon/fork, water bottle, flashlight, scout manual, hat, swimsuit, extra t-shirt, and sunblock. We will be waterskiing, tubing, and working on rank advancement.

Our next Court of Honor will be Tuesday, May 16, at 7 pm at the church. Class A uniforms are required. A lot of our scouts will be presented with awards and we will honor the adult leaders who are retiring this summer from positions within the troop.

You should have already paid for summer camp or the high adventure sailing trip by now. Please contact Janet Lane, our new troop treasurer, to check your balance and to make any final payments, if applicable.

Check out the latest photos from our recent events at the link to your left.

05/01/06

There will be no Troop Committee Meeting tonight. Also, no regular Troop meeting tomorrow night (1rst Tuesday of the month). The PLC will meet tomorrow instead (Tuesday, 5/2/06) at 7 pm at the church.

The Parent's party has been moved to August so that we could obtain a more suitable venue. We'll send out more information later in the summer.

Our next Court of Honor will be Tuesday, May 16, at 7 pm at the church.

The next campout will be held at Canyon Lake (Potter's Creek campground) on May 12 - 14. We will be waterskiing, tubing, and working on rank advancement.

There will be a meeting for all parents of scouts going to summer camp at Bear Creek. This meeting will occur during our next regular Troop meeting on Tuesday, May 9, at 7 pm at the church.

Congratulations to Alex McBride and Chase Blake who have both earned the rank of Eagle scout. Also, congrats to Mike Kozar and Charles Engel for completing their Eagle projects.

Thanks to all of the scouts and adults who helped set up and take down our large tent for the River City Fiesta Especial event last week. This Fiesta event was attended by several thousand area disadvantaged youth who were able to enjoy games and rides. Kudos to the scouts and leaders who helped Charles Engel construct booths for his Eagle project. Our own Bernadette Engel was a key organizer for Fiesta Especial.

Check out the latest photos from our recent events at the link to your left.

04/14/06

Our district camporee last weekend was enjoyable with beautiful weather and cool evenings. Several of our scouts were tapped out for OA and all enjoyed the morning contests and afternoon trip to the movies.

Mike Kozar is having his Eagle project work day tomorrow, Sat, Apr 15. Please help Mike to finish his Eagle. We’ll meet at the church at 10 am on Saturday and carpool to the Cibolo Nature Center (in Boerne). Lunch will be provided.

There will be a regular meeting this Tuesday (Apr 18) at 7 pm at the church. We will be reviewing lashings, working on merit badges (Personal Fitness, Auto Mechanics, Environmental Science), and working on talent show skits. We're looking for a parent volunteer to be the Auto Mechanics merit badge counselor.

All new OA candidates who were tapped out at the April camporee, the first chance for completing the OA Ordeal weekend will be May 5 – 7 at Bear Creek. You must complete the OA ordeal within one year of your tap-out in order to become a full member of OA. Registration for the May OA ordeal must be turned into the council office by April 28. A registration form should have been provided to you or you can get one at council. You will also need to fill out the Class 1 medical form (no physical required). The only other opportunity for the OA ordeal currently scheduled is in August, which will be hotter than this one in early May. Better to get it done now than later if you can.

Several parents could not make the date on Apr 22, so we have moved the party to Monday, May 8. This party will be in lieu of the monthly committee meeting and will be a party for parents only (no youth please – its our turn to have some fun). We will honor parents who are stepping down from troop committee positions, welcoming new parents, and giving out updated info on summer camp and the sailing trip. Food and beverages will be served. We’ll charge a nominal fee of $7 per person to help cover the cost of food and beverages. Please mark your calendars for this fun event.

Our troop will be setting up our large dining fly at ~ 6 pm on April 20 at the River City Christian School. This will be done to help the school for their annual Fiesta Carnival for special needs youth. We'll then return and take down this tent at 2 pm on April 23.

Check out the latest photos from our recent events at the link to your left.

04/05/06

Our next campout will be this weekend and will be a district camporee at McGimsey scout park. We will meet at the church at 6 pm. Wear your Class A uniform. Don't forget to bring your sleeping bag, ground pad, plastic cup, bowl, spork, water bottle, and flashlight. Also, bring $8 for Laser Tag as we will be going there for a game Saturday afternoon. The camporee will include inter-patrol competition activities, and OA Indian lore demonstration, and an evening campfire program.

Our next regular meeting will be this Tuesday at 7 pm at the Crown of Life church.

We welcome 8 new scouts and their parents who crossed over to our Troop last Saturday from Pack 650. We are proud that they decided to join T-650 and look forward to many fun activities with them as they advance in their scouting career.

Mike Kozar will need help with his Eagle project on April 15. Please let him know if you are free to help out on that Saturday.

Check out the latest photos from our recent campouts and tour of the state capital in Austin at the link to your left.

03/07/06

There will be no regular Troop meeting and no PLC meeting tonight.

Our next regular troop meeting will be Tuesday, March 21, 2006. We will elect new Patrol Leaders and make plans for our upcoming day trip to tour the capital and museum in Austin on Saturday, March 25.

Scouts wishing to go to summer camp at Bear Creek on June 11 - 17 need to make the $165 payment for camp by March 16. Please contact Mr. Swann if you plan to go to summer camp so that he can add you to the list.

Have a safe Spring Break holiday next week.

03/04/06

Our troop is hosting Webelos and their parents for an overnight campout today at the Crown of Life Lutheran Church. This event begins at 3 pm and will end at 10 am tomorrow morning. Activities will include camping skills, rank advancement, games, cooking a great dinner and dessert, and an evening program. There is no cost for this event and the only gear needed is a sleeping bag, ground pad, flashlight, and eating utensils.

A Board of Review will be held this Monday night for all scouts who have completed their Scoutmaster Conference for their next rank. Contact Mrs. Kozar to participate in the BOR if you are eligible.

The March Troop Committee meeting will be this Monday night at 7 pm at the church. All members and interested parents are asked to attend.

There will be no regular Troop meeting this Tuesday. The Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) will meet instead at 7 pm on Tuesday (Mar 7) at the church. Preston Fox is the newly-elected SPL. He and the SM will be selecting the ASPL's this week. Patrols are to select their Patrol Leaders this week, also.

02/24/06

Elections for Troop Sr. Patrol Leader (SPL) will be held at this Tuesday's meeting. We will also be planning for the upcoming "open-camp" party that will be held at the Crown of Life church on Saturday, March 4. This event will start at 3 pm. We will be hosting 2nd year Webelos and their parents for this overnight campout on the church grounds as an invitation to check out our troop prior to cross-over.

02/04/06

We will be collecting donated goods for Goodwill this afternoon. Please meet at the church at 1:30 pm. Wear your "Class B" T-650 t-shirts. Drivers are needed. This service project should take about an hour.

Tomorrow (Feb 5) is Scout Sunday. Scouts are asked to be at Crown of Life Church to assist with ushering, handing out bulletins, and representing our troop at the 8:00 am and 10:45 am services. Please arrive 15 minutes before the service and wear your Class A uniform.

The February Troop Committee meeting will be this Monday night (Feb 6) at 7 pm at the church. All committee members are asked to attend. Any interested parents are welcome to participate, too.

The February PLC will be this Tuesday (Feb 7) at the church at 7 pm. The SPL, ASPL's, PL's and Scribe are expected to attend this planning session.

Our next campout will be to Big Bend National park on Feb 10 - 12. We will be leaving early from the church this Friday morning (school holiday) at 7 am. This is a beautiful park and you won't want to miss this event. Parents are needed to go on this 3-day campout.

Don't forget to check out our calendar and photo links to the left.

01/27/06

We will be distributing door flyers this Saturday advertising the Goodwill "Good Turn" clothing drive the following weekend. Please meet at the church at 9 am. Wear your "Class B" T-650 t-shirts. Drivers are needed. This service project should take no more than an hour.

The annual Court of Honor Banquet will be held this Monday (not Tuesday) Jan 30, at the Socoma Recreation Center at 7 pm. Tickets for the dinner will be $10 for adults and youth, and $5 for children age 9 and younger. This will be a catered dinner. We will have a guest speaker and slide show. Wear your full Class A uniform (including sash and long pants). There will be a bake auction so be sure to bring your favorite dessert to include in the items offered for sale.

On Saturday, Feb 4, we will gather donated goods for the Goodwill Good Turn clothing drive. Meet at the church at 9 am. Drivers are needed for this event. Should take about 2 hours.

Our next campout will be to Big Bend National park on Feb 10 - 12. We will be leaving early from the church that Friday morning (school holiday) at 7 am. This is a beautiful park and you won't want to miss this event. Parents are needed to go on this 3-day campout.

Don't forget to check out our calendar and photo links to the left.

01/05/06

Happy New Year!

Our Troop raised $300 in donations for Hurricane Katrina victims thru our bake sale at the church winter festival last month. This money was used by our sister Troop 650 in Alta Loma, California, to buy Christmas gifts for families of military personnel who lost their homes in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Check out our photo album link to the left for pictures from last fall's activities and the calendar link for upcoming events.

Alex McBride will be having his final Eagle Scout work session this Saturday at 10 am at Commanche Look-Out Park. Please help Alex finish his Eagle rank by coming to this project. Alex expects this to take only 2 hrs to finish. The group will meet back at the church for pizza afterward.

All scouts who need to finish the Personal Management Merit Badge should plan to meet with Mr. Muldowney at the church this Saturday (Jan 7) at 12:30 pm. Bring $5 for pizza if you want to join Alex's group for lunch.

Our next regular meeting will be held this Tuesday (Jan 13) at the church at 7 pm. Please bring your $75 for spring semester dues to this meeting and remember to wear your Class A uniform. Dues must be paid before scouts are allowed to participate in campouts or to earn rank advancement.

A few scouts have not yet paid for the car wash booklets or returned the unsold booklets. Please be sure to take care of this with Mrs. Lane by the meeting next Tuesday.

Our next campout will be Jan 13 - 15 at Bear Creek Scout Reservation (near Hunt, Tx). We will meet at the church Friday (Jan 13) at 6 pm for departure.

The annual Court of Honor Banquet will be held on Monday (not Tuesday) Jan 30, at the Socoma Recreation Center at 7 pm. Tickets for the dinner will be $10 for adults and $5 for children age 10 and under.

09/24/05

We will be selling popcorn at the church this Sunday at 9 am and 12 noon. Scouts are asked to arrive 15 minutes early and to wear their Class A shirts. Scouts who participate will earn cash credit in their scout accounts for troop dues and/or camp fees.

Our fall Troop Court of Honor will be this Tuesday at the church at 7 pm. Please wear your Class A uniforms to the Court of Honor (including sash). All parents are expected to attend troop Court of Honor ceremonies (3 per year) as a show of support for your scout and the troop.

Our SPL has established new troop policies concerning rank advancement sign-offs.

Our next campout will be Oct 22-23. We will be camping and horseback riding at El Rancho Cima (scout camp north of Canyon Lake).

Merit Badge University will be held on Nov 19 at St. Mary's Law School. Mr. McBride has registered scouts for this event. Future details will be forthcoming.

Fall semester troop dues of $75 are past due. Dues must be paid before scouts are allowed to participate in campouts or to earn rank advancement.

09/14/05

Our troop held our 18th Eagle Court of Honor last night for Brandon Fox. Congratulations Brandon! Check out pictures of Brandon's Eagle project at the "Eagles" link to your left.

We will meet at the church this Saturday at 7 am for our campout at Canyon Lake. Our feature activity will be canoeing down the upper Guadalupe river. The cost of the campout will be $20 per person. Please bring your money and permission slips to the church on Saturday. Also, be sure to wear your swimsuit and hat as we will be traveling straight to the canoe starting point from the church. Wear a pair of old tennis shoes that can get wet. Sandals are not sufficient protection for wading over the rocks when out of the canoe. Bring your regular camping gear and an extra pair of shoes and dry clothes. Be sure to bring a sack lunch for Saturday. The troop will provide drinks for Saturday lunch. We will be camping at Canyon Lake Park on Saturday night and should return on Sunday at 12 - 1 pm. If you need a copy of the tour permit, click on the link below:

Sept 2005 Campout Permission Slip

Merit Badge University will be held on Nov 19 at St. Mary's Law School. Registration deadline is this Friday (9-16-05). Contact Mr. McBride before then if you wish to participate.

All scouts should bring their scout manuals to the meeting this Tuesday (9-20-05). Mrs. Kozar will be checking rank sigh-offs in the manuals against our Troopmaster database to make sure both are up to date.

Fall semester troop dues of $75 are past due. Dues must be paid before scouts are allowed to participate in campouts or to earn rank advancement.

08/25/05

Our pool party last Tuesday evening was fun and a great way to start the new scout year. All scouts who attended completed the BSA swimmer's test and are eligible to participate in troop water activities for the next 6 months.

The next Troop Committee meeting will be this Monday, Aug 29, 7 pm at the Crown of Life Church. All parents are encouraged to attend our committee meetings (your presence will help this troop run better – even if you have never been to a committee meeting before).

The scouts will elect a new Sr. Patrol Leader and 3 new Patrol Leaders at our next regular Troop meeting this Tuesday (Aug 30). All candidates for SPL are to prepare speeches for the election this Tuesday and are to contact Mr. Fox prior to Tuesday's meeting to discuss their goals for the troop and how they plan to meet those goals. The troop trailer will also be at the church this Tuesday for our annual clean-up and inventory of troop camping gear by the scouts.

All new scouts (i.e., those who have joined our troop last Spring or this Summer) should bring their scout manuals to the church this Tuesday. Mrs. Kozar (Advancement) and Mr. Swann (ASM for newer scouts) will be updating troop advancement records and scout manuals for the new scouts during this meeting.

The new PLC members will be expected to attend Jr. Leader Training to be held on Sunday, Sept 11, at 2 pm where they will learn about their roles and responsibilities.

Fall semester troop dues of $75 are to be paid now. If you did not pay at the last meeting, please do so at the next meeting.

The first fall campout will be Sept 16 – 18 at Canyon Lake. We are planning to go canoeing down the Guadalupe River. There will be a charge of $20 to help cover the cost of canoe rentals and group camping at Canyon Lake for this campout. It is especially important for all of the newer scouts to attend campouts to earn rank requirements.

Our Oct campout dates have changed to Oct 21 - 23. This change was made to allow the scouts to try horseback riding at El Rancho Cima Scout Ranch during the campout.

Please come into every troop meeting by 8:15 pm to hear the closing announcements (Of course if you’d like, we’d love to have you present during some meetings to help us run activities for the scouts! Don’t be shy or scared – we’ll show you how you can help.)

Be sure to check out our calendar at the links to the left and mark your calendars for important events. Also be sure to look at the summer camp photos from last June at Camp Wehinahpay, in New Mexico.

8/17/05

A lot of troop parents have already signed up to help with specific tasks for the year, which will make our troop better than ever. We are asking for all parents to volunteer for at least one task or position of responsibility so that we can offer an outstanding scouting experience for our boys. If you have not volunteered yet, please contact Mr. Fox or Mr. Muldowney to discuss your interests and capabilities. We’ll match you up with a task that won’t be overwhelming and you’ll have the reward of being an integral part of your son’s scouting journey

Next Tuesday’s meeting (Aug 23) will be a pool party at the Socoma Recreation Center (1000 Knight’s Cross – east of Stone Oak) from 7 – 9 pm. All family members are welcome and scouts are encouraged to bring their friends. Cost will be $3 per person (youth, adults, siblings, friends) to cover the cost of the facility rental and lifeguards. The troop will provide drinks, but are asking each scout to bring a snack or dessert. Scouts may bring snorkeling gear if they want.

Fall semester troop dues of $75 are to be paid now. If you did not pay at the last meeting, please do so at the next meeting.

The next Troop Committee meeting will be Monday, Aug 29, 7 pm at the Crown of Life Church. All parents are encouraged to attend our committee meetings (your presence will help this troop run better – even if you have never been to a committee meeting before).

The scouts will elect a new Sr. Patrol Leader and 3 new Patrol Leaders at the regular Troop meeting on Aug 30. The troop trailer will also be at the church that same night for our annual clean-up and inventory of troop camping gear by the scouts.

The first fall campout will be Sept 16 – 18 at Canyon Lake. We are planning to go canoeing down the Guadalupe River. It is especially important for all of the newer scouts to attend campouts to earn rank requirements.

08/10/05

Thanks to all of the parents who have signed up to help with troop activities and responsibilities. This is going to be a super year in Scouting with your support. Our first committee meeting of the year was last held lat Tuesday and the parent turnout was great.

Our first regular troop meeting of the year will be this Tuesday, August 16, at 7 pm at the Crown of Life Lutheran Church. Make sure to attend that meeting to start the scout year off right!

07/27/05

After 2 great years as our Troop Scoutmaster, Mr. Steve Glazener will be stepping down. Much thanks is owed to Mr. Glazener and his tireless efforts to make our excellent troop even better. Our new Scoutmaster will be Mr. Clayton Fox.

There will be a PLC meeting for the SPL, ASPL's, and PL's this Sunday (July 31) at 2 pm at Mr. Fox's house. Please bring your PLC notebook and ideas for the coming year's activities. This PLC will probably last until 5 or 6 pm as we have a lot of work to do to get ready for the coming year. We'll order pizza for the meeting, too.

A Parent's Meeting will be held this Monday night (Aug 1) at 7 pm at The Hungry Horse Restaurant, located at 12333 West Avenue (between Rhapsody & Nakoma). Those who wish to eat may order dinner and we'll meet in a private group room to discuss upcoming plans for the troop. It is very important for troop parents to attend this meeting, as we need to go over key issues facing our troop in the coming year. This meeting is for Parent's only, no youth please.

Our first regular troop meeting of the year will be Tuesday, August 16, at 7 pm at the Crown of Life Lutheran Church. Make sure to attend that meeting to start the scout year off right!

06/20/05

Fourteen scouts and four adults attended summer camp at Camp Wehinahpay, located in the beautiful mountains of central New Mexico. Daytime temperatures were in the upper 70's and the evening lows were in the lower 40's. Quite a pleasant change from the Texas heat! Scouts completed many requirements for merit badges and rank advancement, as well as the COPE program which challenged their mental and physical capabilities. Check out the photo album link to your left for pictures of this summer's camp.

There will be no regular meeting until the fall school season nears. PLC and parent planning meetings will occur in August in preparation for the fall 2005 season. Further notification will be sent to all troop members as the schedule materializes.

Have a safe and happy summer. And wear your sunscreen!

05/23/05

Our campout on the beach at Port Aransas last weekend was a lot of fun. Scouts had fun swimming, cooking, building a raft, and just hanging out on the beach. Thanks to all of the parents who joined us to make this event a reality. Pictures of the campout will be found in the Photo Album link.

This Tuesday's meeting will be a troop Court of Honor at 7 pm at the church. All scouts and their parents are asked to attend this Court of Honor to recognize rank advancement awards earned by troop members. All scouts should be in full Class A uniforms (including merit badge sash). Wolf patrol members are to bring drinks and cups, Hawk patrol members are asked to bring snacks and desserts, and Cobra patrol members are asked to bring plastic plates, forks, and napkins. Contact your patrol leader for details.

The fifth payment of $50 for summer camp (June 11 - 18) at Wehinahpay was due by May 17th. Please make sure that your scout has paid at least $250 for summer camp. The final payment of $50 will be due by the June 7 meeting.

There will be a parent's meeting for all scouts going to Wehinahpay at the May 31 troop meeting. Please mark your calendars now to attend that important event.

Congratulations to Garrett Glazener for completing his Eagle Court of Honor last Saturday. Garrett is our troop's 16th Eagle. You can find pictures of his project and ceremony through the Photo Album link.

05/10/05

There will be a regular troop meeting tonight at the church at 7 pm. We will be making plans for our campout to Mustang Island State Park at Port Aransas this weekend. Parents are needed to go on this campout to provide rides and to help oversee activities. Families are invited to join us for the campout. Pets are allowed, but must remain on a leash. We plan to camp right on the beach and activities will include swimming, beach-combing, building a raft, and cooking seafood. There are currently only two parents signed up to go (Mr. Muldowney and Mr. Fox) and one of those may be unavailable due to family medical leave. Parents, please attend tonight's meeting and let the troop know if you can help out by going on the beach campout this weekend. If you have not been on a campout with us recently NOW is the time to help out!

The fifth payment of $50 for summer camp (June 11 - 18) at Wehinahpay is due by the May 17th meeting. Please make sure that your scout is paid up to $250 for summer camp by this date. Our troop must make the final payment to Wehinahpay by May 19 and we need to know who is definitely going (via payment) by that date.

The Eagle Court of Honor for Micah Culpepper is this Saturday, May 15, at 2:00 pm at the Castle Hills Baptist Church. The Eagle Court of Honor for Garrett Glazener will be Saturday, May 21, at 2:00 pm at the Crown of Life Lutheran Church. All scouts are encouraged to attend these ceremonies to honor the highest achievements earned by Micah and Garrett.

There will be a parent's meeting for all scouts going to Wehinahpay at the May 31 troop meeting. Please mark your calendars now to attend that important event.

Congratulations to Brandon Fox for completing his Eagle Project last weekend. Thanks to Preston, Trey, Garrett, and Steven for helping Brandon complete this milestone.

05/03/05

The monthly PLC will be tonight at 7 pm at the SPL's house. There is no regular meeting tonight.

Merit badge University (MBU) will be this Saturday, May 7, at 7:45 am at McGimsey. Scouts signed up to go are reminded to be in Class A uniform, and to bring the merit badge books for the classes that they are signed up to take. Also, bring $5 - $6 for lunch and make sure to complete the required prerequisites for your merit badges prior to attending MBU. Mr. Fox has purchased the merit badge books for your MBU classes. If you have not picked them up from Mr. Fox, contact him this week to get them. Books cost $3.50 each (payable to Mr. Fox).

Our next campout will be to Port Aransas where we will be camping on the beach at Mustang Island State Park. Families are invited to join us for the campout. Pets are allowed, but must remain on a leash. Drivers are needed to make this campout a reality as we currently only have two dads signed up to go on the trip. Activities will include building a sailing raft from logs, swimming, beach-combing, etc. A total headcount is needed to plan for food and transportation. The PLC will determine the cost for family members and will distribute this information when decided. Please let the SPL know how many in your family plan to go on this campout.

There will be a parent's meeting for all scouts going to Wehinahpay at the May 31 troop meeting. Please mark your calendars now to attend that important event.

04/12/05

Congratulations to our two newest Eagle Scouts, Micah Culpepper and Garrett Glazener. Both passed their Eagle Board of Reviews last night. Garrett becomes our Troops 16^th Eagle Scout and Micah is our 17^th.

We will have a regular troop meeting this evening at the church at 7 pm.

Scouts need to sign up at the meeting this evening to help with the River City Christian School Fiesta Carnival on April 22 or April 23. We will also need to set up our big dining fly there on the evening of Wed, April 20 and take it back down on Sunday afternoon, April 24. This event is geared toward disabled children and will be a great way for our troop to earn service hours.

Pack 650 Webelos will cross-over to our Troop this Saturday, at 7:30 pm at Blanco State Park. Troop 650 Scouts are asked to join Mr. Glazener to welcome our new cross-over scouts at this ceremony. Contact Mr. Glazener if you can participate.

Merit badge University (MBU) will be Saturday, May 7, at 7:45 am at McGimsey. Scouts signed up to go are reminded to be in Class A uniform, and to bring the merit badge books for the classes that they are signed up to take. Also, bring $5 - $6 for lunch and make sure to complete the required prerequisites for your merit badges prior to attending MBU.

We ask all scouts and their families to keep Bernadette and Charles Engel in their thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of Chili Engel, who died suddenly while working in Atlanta last Saturday. Chili was a devoted father, husband, and scout leader and his wit and wisdom will be greatly missed by all in our Troop. Funeral services for Chili Engel will be this Friday at 2 pm at the Baptist Church in downtown Alice, Texas. Several scout leaders and scouts plan to attend this service in full Class A uniform to honor Chili’s life-long commitment to the scouting program. If you wish to attend this service, please let Jerry Muldowney or Steve Glazener know to share a ride.

04/05/05

There is no regular Troop meeting tonight. The Patrol Leader Council (PLC) will meet instead at the church at 7 pm for the monthly planning session. The SPL, ASPL's, PL's, and Scribe are expected to attend tonight's PLC meeting.

There will be a Board of Review tonight at the church at 7 pm for those scouts who are ready and have notified our new Advancement Chairman, Marion Kozar. Thanks to Ms. Kozar for taking over this important committee position.

Our next campout is this weekend to Camp Hamman (near Bandera). We will be receiving climb training on the climbing wall tower at Hamman from their staff. Meet at the church on Friday, April 8, at 6 pm for departure. Remember to bring your permission slip and $6 to cover the cost of the climb training session.

Don't forget that we will be helping the River City Christian School with their Fiesta Carnival on April 20, 22, & 23. We will set up our big tent and help at the carnival as a service project. This carnival is geared toward activities and events for disabled youth.

03/22/05

Thanks to all of the scouts and adult leaders who came to our "open-house campout" at the church last weekend for recruiting new scouts. We had several potential boys who are interested in joining our troop. The threatening weather Saturday night turned clear and the scouts and guests enjoyed a great cook-out and campfire under the moon and stars.

Our next regular meeting will be this evening. We will have an activity tonight focused on rock climbing in preparation for our upcoming campout April 8 - 10 to Camp Hamman. The staff at Hamman will be teaching us climbing skills on their climbing wall as a feature activity for this campout.

Congratulations to Garrett Glazener on completing his Eagle Project at Shearer Hills Baptist Church. Garrett installed benches, a small foot bridge, and landscaping at this church. Look for pictures of his project on our Eagles page soon. Garrett has completed all of the requirements for Eagle, except for his final Eagle Board of Review. We'll be looking for Garrett to be our 16th Eagle in the near future!

03/18/05

There will be a PLC at the church this Saturday, March 19, at 11 am. The SPL, ASPL's, PL's, and Scribe are asked to attend this meeting.

There will also be a meeting at the church this Saturday, March 19, at 12 noon for the parents of all scouts going to summer camp at Wehinahpay in the mountains of central New Mexico. This meeting will provide a short briefing on details for the camp (e.g., dates, travel arrangements, cost, required equipment, etc) and should only last about 30 minutes. A short video about the camp will also be shown.

Our troop is hosting a recruiting "camp" at the church starting at 2 pm this Saturday, March 19. We will set up camp in the back wooded grounds of the church property and give camping skills demonstrations to 5th grade boys and their parents from area elementary schools. Interested 5th grade guests and their parents will be allowed to "camp" overnight with our troop and enjoy outdoor cooking and an evening campfire program. All troop scouts are asked to participate in this event to help make it a success.

2/27/05

Our campout to Garner State Park last weekend was a wet one! The huge tent fly and great Dutch oven dinner helped to keep our shirts dry and our spirits up. Thanks to the Webelos and their parents who joined us for this event. Check out pictures of the campout at the Photo Album link to the left.

The SA Rampage game is today at 4 pm at the SBC Center. Look forward to seeing those who bought tickets and should be a lot of fun.

Congratulations to our new Troop officers who were chosen at last Tuesday's meeting. The new officers for the next 6 months will be:

SPL - Steven

ASPL's - Chase and Preston.

PL's - Wesley (Hawk), Luis (Cobra), and Michael (Wolf)

QM - Matt

Scribe - Nathan

Historian - Alex M.

Chaplain Aide - Garrett

OA Rep - Brandon

Troop Guide - Danny

Troop Instructor - Micah

There will be no regular troop meeting this week as we have the monthly PLC (Patrol Leader's Council) instead. The newly-elected SPL, ASPL's, PL's and Scribe are expected to attend the PLC this Tuesday at 7 pm at Mr. Fox's house. We will order pizza, so bring $5 if you want to eat.

Your Spring semester troop dues of $75 are now past due if they have not been paid. Please pay them if you have not already done so.

The second payment check of $50 for summer camp in New Mexico (June 11 - 19) is now past due. Please pay this money now to ensure that your son is on the list for summer camp. Monthly payments of $50 will be required until June to cover the $300 expected cost for summer camp in NM. Parents interested in going as leaders also need to inform Mr. Fox ASAP in order to complete the required training class.

02/12/05

Our annual Court of Honor Banquet last Tuesday night was a huge success. Thanks to all who helped plan this event and to all of the parents who attended.

Our next regular troop meeting will be this Tuesday (2-15-05) at 7pm at the church. We will be taking nominations for the SPL and ASPLs. The SPL candidates will interview with the SM during the next week and those deemed eligible by the SM will need to prepare a short speech for the elections to be held during the next troop meeting on Feb 22. The ASPLs will be selected by the Scoutmaster and the new SPL from the list of nominated ASPLs.

We will also be hosting webelos from Pack 650 at this Tuesday's meeting. These Webelos will be joining us on our next campout to Garner State Park this coming weekend. We will meet at the church this Friday, Feb 18, at 6 pm for departure and return the following Sunday (2-20-05) at approximately 1 pm.

We are going to the Scout night at the SA Rampage hockey game on Sunday, feb 28, at 4pm. The cost for admission, hot dog, soda, ice cream, and commemorative patch will be $12.35 per person. Family members are encouraged to join us. Registration deadline is this Friday, so please bring your money for this event to the meeting this Tuesday (Feb 15) if you and any family members plan to go.

Your Spring semester troop dues of $75 are now past due if they have not been paid. Please pay them if you have not already done so.

The second payment check of $50 for summer camp in New Mexico (June 11 - 19) is now due. Please pay this money now to ensure that your son is on the list for summer camp. Monthly payments of $50 will be required until June to cover the $300 expected cost for summer camp in NM. Parents interested in going as leaders also need to inform Mr. Fox ASAP as there are several district training requirements that will need to be completed.

Any scouts interested in a possible ski trip over spring break should notify Mr. Fox as soon as possible. The details of this trip are currently being worked out. Expected dates for this trip would be Mar 11 - 16 and the cost should be approximately $350 - $400. The success of this trip will depend on availability and the number of scouts who are able to go.

01/29/05

The PLC will be tomorrow, Sunday (Jan 30) at Mr. Fox's house at 2 pm.

There will be a Board of Review (BOR) this Tuesday at the Church. Contact Ms. Ramos if you plan to take the BOR for rank advancement. There will be no regular troop meeting this Tuesday (Feb 1).

We had an excellent turn-out from our Troop today to distribute door information flyers for the annual Council Goodwill "Good Turn" clothing donation drive. We will be picking up donated clothes next Saturday (Feb 5). Please be at the church at 9 am in your Class B (troop t-shirt) on Saturday.

There will be a planning this Thursday night at 7 pm at the church for the upcoming Court of Honor Banquet. All committee members and parent volunteers are asked to attend this meeting.

The February Troop Committee meeting will be one week from this Monday (Feb 7) at the church at 7 pm. All troop committee members and interested parents are asked to attend. Eagle scout candidates needing Troop committee review of their project plan are to contact Mr. Ginn this week if they plan to make presentations at that committee meeting.

Semester dues of $75 are to be paid now. Please pay them if you have not already done so.

The initial deposit check of $50 for summer camp in New Mexico (June 11-19, 2005) is required. Please pay this deposit ASAP to reserve your spot for summer camp. Monthly payments of $50 will be required until June to cover the $300 expected cost for summer camp in NM.

Our annual Troop Court of Honor Banquet will be held at the Socoma Recreation Center on Tuesday, Feb 8, beginning at 7 pm. The dinner will be catered BBQ and will feature a guest speaker, slideshow of events for the past year, and dessert auction. Most importantly, we will recognize our scouts for the advancement awards that they have received. Cost of the event will be $10 for adults and $5 for all youth (under 18). If you have not already RSVP'd with Mr. Muldowney, please do so in order for us to plan for the correct amount of food. You will pay at the door for this event.

Mark your calendars for the Scout Night at the SA Rampage ice hockey game at the SBC Center on Sunday, Feb 27, at 4 pm. The cost is $12.35 per person and includes a hot dog, soda, and ice cream. All scouts will also receive the 2005 Rampage patch for attending. Registration deadline is Feb 18, so we will be taking names and collecting funds for scouts and family members who want to go at the Feb 15 meeting.

01/28/05

Our Troop is participating in the annual Council Goodwill "Good Turn" day this Saturday (Jan 29) and the following Saturday (Feb 5). We will be distributing door flyers this Saturday in the "Hills of Stone Oak" and in the "Arrowhead of Stone Oak" subdivisions. We will then return on the following Saturday to pick up goods left for donation and will drop them off at a Goodwill collection site. All scouts are asked to be at the church this Saturday at 9 am. Please wear your Class B shirt (troop t-shirt). Parents are needed to help transport the scouts so please contact Mr. Fox if you can help out.

The PLC will be this Sunday (Jan 30) at Mr. Glazener's house at 2 pm. There will be a Board of Review (BOR) this Tuesday at the Church. Contact Ms. Ramos if you plan to take the BOR for rank advancement. There will be no regular troop meeting this Tuesday (Feb 1).

Semester dues of $75 are to be paid now. Please pay them if you have not already done so.

01/12/05

The Freez-O-Ree campout will be this weekend at Bear Creek. We will meet at the church Friday, Jan 14, at 6pm for departure and return Sunday, Jan 16, at approximately noon. This Freeze-O-Ree will feature a klondike sled competition where patrols will pull sleds that they made last weekend between events to test their skills and thinking power. Remember to bring adequate clothing for the cold weekend. Also, bring your water bottles as they are required gear for the klondike competition. As always, remember to bring your scout manual, sleeping bag, cup, bowl, spoon, and flashlight. One of the events will most likely require a low-water crossing so bring an extra pair of dry socks and shoes in case your feet get wet. Scouts should also bring their compasses, scout knives, Totin' Chip cards, and a small daypack if they have them as each team will need to have two of each of these items in order to compete. Remember to eat dinner before we meet for departure at the church Friday night at 6 pm and wear your Class A shirt for departure (mandatory).

Semester dues of $75 are to be paid now. Please bring a check made out to Troop 650 to next Tuesday's meeting if you have not already done so. The initial deposit check of $50 for summer camp in New Mexico (June 11-19, 2005) is required. Please pay this deposit also next Tuesday.

The annual Council Goodwill "Good Turn" day will be Sat Feb 5. Scout troops are asked to distribute flyers in their neighborhood on the preceding Saturday morning (Jan 29), and then collect donations on Sat, Feb 5. Please make plans to participate in this event on these two Saturdays.

The OA Lodge Winter Banquet will be Saturday, Jan 29, at 7 pm at 1rst Presbyterian Church (404 N. Alamo). The cost of the catered dinner will be $12. All Troop 650 OA scouts are asked to attend. Contact Mr. Fox by this Thursday evening so that he can RSVP for our group by the registration deadline this Friday.

Our annual Troop Court of Honor Banquet will be held at the Socoma Recreation Center on Tuesday, Feb 8, beginning at 7 pm. The dinner will be catered BBQ and will feature a guest speaker, slideshow of events for the past year, and dessert auction. Most importantly, we will recognize our scouts for the advancement awards that they have received. Cost of the event will be $10 for adults and $5 for all youth (under 18). Reservations will be requested so that we can order the proper amount of food. Information flyers will be distributed at the next meeting. Please mark your calendars now to attend this important and fun event.

01/08/05

There will be a PLC at Mr. Fox's house today, Saturday, from 1 pm - 3 pm. The SPL, ASPL's, and PL's are expected to attend to plan for the next two months meetings and activities. Bring $5 for pizza.

All scouts are invited to Mr. Fox's house this afternoon (Sat, 1/8/05) from 3pm - 5pm to build Klondike sleds for the Freeze-O-Ree campout next weekend. Tools and materials will be provided. Contact Mr. Fox for directions to his house.

The Jan Troop committee meeting will be this Monday night, Jan 10, at the church at 7 pm. All troop leaders are asked to attend. Interested parents are always welcome, too.

Our first regular troop meeting for the Spring 2005 semester will be at the church this Tuesday, Jan 11, at 7 pm. Remember to wear your Class A shirts and bring your scout manual for us to update our advancement records if you did not do so last month. Also, remember to bring a check for $75 made out to Troop 650 for the semester dues.

Our summer camp will be at Camp Wehinahpay from June 11-19, 2005. It is located high in the mountains of central New Mexico and is a beautiful camp with lots of fun activities for both new and experienced scouts. Check out our Photo Album link for pictures of our summer camp at Wehinahpay two years ago. Please bring an initial deposit check for $50 made out to Troop 650 to the next troop meeting on Jan 11 in order to reserve your place for summer camp.

The Freez-O-Ree campout will be next weekend at Bear Creek. We will meet at the church Friday, Jan 14, at 6pm for departure and return Sunday, Jan 16, at approximately noon. This Freeze-O-Ree will feature a klondike sled competition where patrols will pull sleds (that they have made prior to the campout) between events which test their skills and thinking power. This campout should be a lot of fun. Signups, permission slips, and planning for this campout will be done at the troop meeting this Tuesday.

Our annual Troop Court of Honor Banquet will be held at the Socoma Recreation Center on Tuesday, Feb 8, beginning at 7 pm. Please mark your calendars now to attend this important and fun event.

01/04/05

There is no regular troop meeting tonight. The next troop meeting will be next week (Jan 11, 2005) at 7 pm at the church.

The PLC scheduled for tonight has been postponed until tomorrow night, Wed (Jan 05, 2005). This meeting will be from 6:00 pm until 8:30 pm at the church. The SPL, (2) ASPL's, and (3) PL's are asked to attend this important planning meeting.

12/17/04

Our last regular troop meeting for the Fall 2004 semester was last Tuesday night. Congratulations to Bucky, Wesley, Chase, Luis, & Trey who earned rank advancements at the Board of Review. Our next regular troop meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005, at 7 pm at the church. There will be a PLC meeting on Tuesday, Jan 4, at 7 pm at the church. Check out the calendar link to the left for upcoming events.

Our troop is hosting 3 scout leaders and 4 scouts from the T-650 troop in California this Saturday night. This group of scouts are on their way from California to Florida to deliver gifts to those who were devastated by the hurricanes this year. All Troop 650 scouts are asked to be at the church this Saturday (Dec 18) at 3 pm in Class A uniform to welcome the visiting troop. Executives from the Alamo Area Council and the local media are expected to attend this event in recognition of this great community service project.

Photos of our latest campout to Enchanted Rock are now posted on the Photo Album link to the left.

Hope that you have a safe and Merry Christmas!

12/14/04

Our campout at Enchanted Rock this past weekend offered beautiful blue skies, and lots of colorful scenery. The relatively short backpacking trip to our campsite allowed time for scouts to explore and climb the various granite hills from which to view the interesting contrasts of yellow, orange, and green landscape. Check out pictures of this campout at the Photo Album link to the left.

We will have the final regular troop meeting for the fall semester tonight. We plan to have an outdoor campfire building session so wear a warm coat to tonight's meeting. Also, bring a wrapped gift under $5 if you plan to participate in the gift exchange with other scouts tonight.

There will also be a Board of Review tonight during the meeting for the four scouts who have scheduled to participate. Those scouts must appear in full Class A uniform (including sash) and must also bring their scout manual for review by the BOR members.

If you did not bring your scout manual to last week's meeting, please do so tonight. We are updating the troop advancement records for each of the scouts and the manuals are needed to verify these records. This is especially important for any scouts who have transferred into our troop from another unit during the past year.

Our troop is hosting 3 scout leaders and 4 scouts from the T-650 troop in California this Saturday night. This group of scouts are on their way from California to Florida to deliver gifts to those who were devastated by the hurricanes this year. There will be a short meeting following the tonight's troop meeting to coordinate their arrival, housing, and feeding for this Saturday night and Sunday morning. Any help from troop parents would be appreciated.

Check the Calendar link to the left for troop activities.

12/07/04

Thanks to the scouts and dads who contributed to the service project at the church last Saturday morning. We had a large turnout and were able to transport and spread approximately 15 cubic yards of mulch on the church grounds. The pizza party afterwards was fun, too.

We will have a regular troop meeting tonight. Our troop will be conducting a training session on lashings, followed by an activity to test your skills. We will also be making final plans for the upcoming backpacking trip this weekend to Enchanted Rock. There will also be a Board of Review tonight during the meeting for those scouts who have completed their Scoutmaster Conference for their nest rank.

All scouts are asked to bring their scout manuals to tonight's meeting. We will be updating the troop advancement records for each of the scouts and the manuals are needed to verify these records. This is especially important for any scouts who have transferred into our troop from another unit during the past year.

Our next campout will be to Enchanted Rock State Park this weekend. We will depart from the church on Sat, Dec 11, at 8 am and return the next day (Sunday, Dec 12) at approximately noon. This is a backpacking and camping trip. All scouts attending should bring their own backpack, sleeping gear, mess kit, at least 3 liters of water, and rain gear and coat. Scouts will also need to pack their own lunch for that Saturday. Please use the checklist provided at the last meeting to make sure that you pack properly for this campout. We will have a short hike to our camping area and then climb some rocks for a magnificent view of the area. We will cook dinner using the meal kits constructed by the scouts during the previous troop meeting. Check out the photos of Enchanted Rock from previous campouts at the Photo Album link to the left.

Check the Calendar link to the left for troop activities.

11/29/04

Our November campout to Camp Sol Mayer and Ft. McKavett was fun in spite of the rain. Scouts were able to shoot shotguns and the tour of the nearby fort was interesting. Check out photos of the campout at the Photo Album link to the left.

We will have a regular troop meeting tomorrow night. A representative from the church will be at the meeting to discuss possible service projects with the scouts which would benefit the church and to finalize plans for the upcoming service project this Saturday. In addition, there will be a demonstration and review on backpacking equipment and scouts will be making their own back-packing meals for the upcoming campout to Enchanted Rock.

Popcorn money is due to Mr. McBride by no later than Dec 2, 2004.

Our troop will be hauling mulch to the church for a service project this Saturday (Dec 4). Meet at the church at 9 am and bring gloves, shovels, and wheel barrows if you have them. We will obtain free mulch from the city brush recycling center next to the airport and haul it to the church using pickups and trailers. All scouts and any adults who are able to attend are asked to participate.

Our next campout will be to Enchanted Rock State Park. We will depart from the church on Sat, Dec 11, at 8 am and return the next day (Sunday, Dec 12) at approximately noon. This is a backpacking and camping trip. All scouts attending should bring their own backpack, sleeping gear, mess kit, at least 3 liters of water, and rain gear and coat. Scouts will also need to pack their own lunch for that Saturday. We will have a short hike to our camping area and then climb some rocks for a magnificent view of the area. We will cook dinner using meal kits constructed by the scouts during the next two troop meetings. Check out the photos of Enchanted Rock from previous campouts at the Photo Album link to the left.

Check the Calendar link to the left for troop activities.

11/23/04

There will be no regular meeting tonight due to the holiday break.

Popcorn money is due to Mr. McBride by no later than Dec 2, 2004.

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

11/12/04

Merit Badge University (MBU) will be held this Saturday, Nov 13, 2004, at San Antonian High School, located on West Avenue just north of Loop 410 (#1 black dot in map below). You must provide your own transportation to and from the event if you have not already coordinated with others who are going from our troop.

Check-in for MBU begins at 7:45 am and the classes run until 4 pm. Lunch may be purchased in the cafeteria (bring $5 - $7). Our troop has 7 scouts signed up. Class A uniforms are required for this event. Also, you must bring the merit badge pamphlets for all merit badges you intend to take and have completed all prerequisites prior to attending the event. You can download the latest requirements for each merit badge from the following link:

http://www.meritbadge.com

Our camp location for the Nov 19 – 21 campout has changed from Camp Fawcett to Camp Sol Mayer. This change was required due to closure of Camp Fawcett for Nov – Jan for deer hunting season. Camp Sol Mayer is located about 25 miles NW of Junction, TX. Maps of the camp location and campground may be found in the "Maps" link on the left side of this page.

Camp Sol Mayer is only 3 miles from historic Fort McKavett State Park. This fort was first established in 1852. Following is a link to the park’s website:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/fortmcka/fortmcka.htm

We have scheduled a tour of the fort at 2 pm on Saturday (Nov 20) afternoon. We will also perform a 1-hr service project at the fort after the tour to cover the cost of our admission (and to earn service hours).

Popcorn money is due to Mr. McBride by no later than Dec 2, 2004.

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

11/09/04

Tonight's meeting will feature a guest speaker from the San Antonio Police Department. He will be talking about his duties as a police officer. In addition, Chase will give a short presentation on camping preparations and Mr. Fox will talk briefly about how to deal with chiggers.

Merit Badge University (MBU) will be held this Saturday, Nov 13, 2004, at San Antonian High School, located on West Avenue just north of Loop 410 (#1 black dot in map below).

Check-in for MBU begins at 7:45 am and the classes run until 4 pm. Lunch may be purchased in the cafeteria (bring $5 - $7). Our troop has 7 scouts signed up. See either the SPL or Mr. McBride to coordinate rides to MBU at tonight's meeting. Class A uniforms are required for this event. Also, you must bring the merit badge pamphlets for all merit badges you intend to take and have completed all prerequisites prior to attending the event. Mr. McBride has offered to pick up the booklets if you let him know and give him the money for their purchase. You can download the latest requirements for each merit badge from the following link:

http://www.meritbadge.com

Our next campout will be Nov 19 - 21, 2004, at Camp Fawcett. This scout property is located 30 miles NNW of Uvalde on the clear Nueces River and is one of our favorite campsites. You can see photos of this location from prior campouts at the Photo Album link to the left.

Please bring your popcorn sales forms and money from your popcorn sales to tonight's meeting. Also remember to bring your check for $75 to cover the fall troop dues if you have not done so already.

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

11/01/04

Our fall camporee last weekend was held at McGimsey Scout Park. We took a short drive to New Braunfels Saturday where the scouts enjoyed tubing down the Comal river. Check out photos of this campout at the "Photo Album" page link to the left.

All orders for popcorn must be turned into Mr. McBride or Alex by tomorrow. Please call Mr. McBride or Alex and let him know your sales quantities.

There will be no regular meeting this Tuesday (11/02/04) as we will have the monthly PLC meeting instead. This PLC will be held at Mr. Fox's house instead of the church and will begin at 6:30 pm. Only the SPL, ASPL's, and PL's are asked to attend this PLC so that we may work more efficiently to complete planning tasks for the next two months and end the meeting by 8:30 pm.

There will be no Board of Review this Tuesday (11/02/04) since no scouts have made arrangements for a BOR with Ms. Ramos.

Merit Badge University will be held on Saturday, Nov 13, 2004, at San Antonian High School. Check-in begins at 7:45 am and the classes run until 4 pm. Lunch may be purchased in the cafeteria (bring $5 - $7). Our troop has 7 scouts signed up. If you are not registered and wish to attend, contact Mr. McBride for information. Class A uniforms are required for this event. Also, you must bring the merit badge pamphlets for all merit badges you intend to take and have completed all prerequisites prior to attending the event.

Please bring your check for $75 to cover the fall troop dues if you have not done so already.

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

10/26/04

Tonight's meeting will finish the Red Cross CPR and First Aid certification training. Remember to bring the first aid kits that you have constructed to the meeting tonight in order to earn the first aid merit badge.

Our fall campout this weekend will be the Fall Camporee at McGimsey Scout Park on NW Military. We will meet at the church at 6 pm for departure on Friday night (10-29-04) and return Sunday morning by 10:30 am. Class A uniforms are required (as for all campouts). Please remember to wear your Class A shirt when you arrive at the church Friday evening or you will be asked to go get it! There will be a $10 activity fee for this campout as we are planning to take a day trip on Saturday to go tubing in New Braunfels (bring a swimsuit and a towel). If the weather is not suitable, we will make alternate plans for an indoor field trip during the day on Saturday.

All orders for popcorn must be turned into Mr. McBride or Alex by Nov 1, 2004. All scouts are asked to sell at least $50 in popcorn in order to help fund troop expenses.

Please bring your check for $75 to cover the fall troop dues if you have not done so already.

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

10/17/04

We will have Red Cross CPR certification training during our regular meeting this Tuesday (10/19/04). The troop meeting held the following week (10/26/04) will cover Red Cross certification for First Aid.

Please bring a check for $25 made out to John Rodriguez (Red Cross Instructor) this Tuesday to cover the cost of CPR and 1rst Aid training. Scouts who complete this training and who bring a first aid kit that they have made to the meeting on 10/26/04 will receive credit for all first aid requirements up through 1rst Class rank, and for the 1rst Aid Merit Badge.

Troop dues for the Fall 2004 semester have increased to $75. Please make your check for $75 to Troop 650 and bring it to next troop meeting if you have not already done so.

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

10/01/04

We will be selling popcorn this Saturday and Sunday (Oct 3 - 4) to raise much-needed funds for our troop at the Washtub Carwash located at 17780 Blanco Rd (~ 1/2 mile inside Loop 1604 on Blanco). The times will be from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm on Saturday, and from 12:30 pm - 5:30 pm on Sunday. Scouts are asked to sign up to work a 3 hr shift and to wear their Class A shirt for the popcorn sale. Saturday shifts are from 8:30 am - 11:30 am, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, and 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm. Sun shifts are from 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm, and 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm. Please contact Alex or Mr. McBride to sign up for a time to sell.

The monthly troop committee meeting will be at the church this Monday at 7 pm. All troop committee members and interested parents are asked to attend so that we can coordinate upcoming troop activities.

The monthly Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) meeting will be at the church this Tuesday at 7pm. All members of the PLC (SPL, ASPL's, & PL's) are expected to attend the PLC to plan upcoming troop events for Oct & Nov. Accordingly, there will be no regular troop meeting this Tuesday.

Thanks to Vanessa and Harlan for their efforts to make the Fall Court of Honor last Tuesday a success. Congratulations to all scouts who earned new rank and/or merit badges. Way to go, scouts!

Troop dues for the Fall 2004 semester have increased to $75. Please make your check for $75 to Troop 650 and bring it to next troop meeting if you have not already done so.

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

09/26/04

We have our Fall Troop Court of Honor this Tuesday at the church beginning at 7:00 pm. All scouts and parents are asked to attend to recognize the advancements our scouts have made earning rank and merit badges over the summer. Scouts, please remember to wear your full Class A uniforms (including the green scout pants and merit badge sash). Also, if you have not brought all of your badges up to date, now is a good time to get it done so that you are looking sharp for the Court of Honor. Scouts who volunteered to bring refreshments to the meeting, please remember to do so.

We will be selling popcorn this Saturday and Sunday to raise much-needed funds for our troop at the Washtub Carwash located at 17780 Blanco Rd. The times will be from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm on Saturday, and from 12:30 pm - 5:30 pm on Sunday. Scouts are asked to sign up to work a 3 hr shift and to wear their Class A shirt for the popcorn sale. Saturday shifts are from 8:30 am - 11:30 am, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, and 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm. Sun shifts are from 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm, and 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm.

We had a great campout at Canyon Lake last weekend. The water skiing and kayaking were a lot of fun. Check out photos of the campout at the Photo Album link to the left.

Our last meeting focused on an interesting and informative map orienteering session and outdoor practice course led by Chase and Mr. Blake. This was supplemented with some knot tying challenges from Landon.

The Patrol Leaders for the Fall semester are: Preston Fox (Wolf Patrol), Chase Blake (Cobra Patrol), and Brandon Fox (Hawk Patrol). They will be working closely with the new SPL Alex McBride, and ASPL's Landon Ginn and Steven Muldowney to ensure that we have a great season of meeting activities and campouts.

Troop dues for the fall 2004 have increased to $75. Please make your check for $75 to Troop 650 and bring it to next troop meeting if you have not already done so.

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

09/12/04

We have a regular meeting this Tuesday at the church at 7 pm. Please wear your Class A uniform (scout shirt) to this and all future meetings and be at the church by 6:55 pm so that we may begin the meeting on time. All parents are asked to come into the meetings at 8:15 pm in order to hear the latest news regarding troop activities. This meetings activities will include a skills session on knots taught by Landon Ginn, selection of Patrol Leader's by the three patrols, and preparations for the upcoming campout to Canyon Lake this weekend.

Alex McBride is the new SPL. The new ASPL's are Landon Ginn and Steven Muldowney. Please congratulate our new officers and work with them to have the best scouting year yet!

Congrats to Brian Kraemer on his Eagle Court of Honor last Saturday. Brian is our Troop's 14th Eagle Scout. Check out the Eagles page to the left for photos of Brian's Eagle Project and ceremony.

Congratulations to Michael Kozar who passed his Board of Review (BOR) for 2nd Class Scout last Tuesday. Also, congrats to Preston Fox for passing his BOR and earning the rank of Star Scout.

Troop dues for the fall 2004 have increased to $75. Please make your check for $75 to Troop 650 and bring it to next troop meeting if you have not already done so.

Our first campout for the fall will be at Canyon Lake this weekend (Sept 18 - 19, 2004). We will be departing the church for the lake on Sat morning (not Friday night) and enjoying lake water activities (water skiing).

Check out the photos link to the left for pictures from this summer's camp at Bear Creek (Philmont photos to follow soon).

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

09/01/04

Congratulations to Alex McBride, who was elected SPL for Troop 650 at last night's meeting. Alex and Mr. Glazener will select and notify the ASPL's and other troop officers this week.

Alex led a discussion regarding troop meeting activities for this fall in which many great ideas were proposed. The new SPL and Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) will be working to make those ideas become reality at the next PLC meeting this coming Tuesday (Sept 7) at the church at 7 pm. Accordingly, there will be no regular meeting this Tuesday. We will be holding PLC meetings on the first Tuesday of each month and regular meetings on the remaining Tuesdays of the month. The SPL, ASPLs, and Patrol Leaders are required to attend this (and every) PLC.

Parents, meetings will begin promptly at 7:00 pm. Please make sure that your scout is at the church by 6:55 pm so that we may begin meetings on time. All parents are asked to come into the church to observe our closing segment of each troop meeting at 8:15 pm. This is the best way to hear first-hand important troop news and planned activities. We will be back in Scout Class A uniforms beginning with the next regular meeting on Sept 14.

Troop dues for the fall 2004 have increased to $75. This was approved at the last Troop Committee meeting in order to cover troop expenses in light of decreased fund raising revenue. Please make your check for $75 to Troop 650 and bring it to next troop meeting. Also, please make up any past-due payments to the troop. Our Treasurer, Bernadette Engle, has the records if you need to check on your account balance.

Board of Reviews (BOR) will also be held on the first Tuesday of the month. If you need a BOR this month, please notify Mr. Glazener so that we can have a BOR prepared. Thanks to Vanessa Ramos, who has accepted the important role of Advancement Chair for our troop and will be transitioning into this assignment.

Brian Kraemer's Eagle Court of Honor will be held on Saturday, Sept 11, 2004. This event will be at the church and begins at 2 pm. Mark your calendars now to attend and congratulate Brian on his achievement of the rank of Eagle Scout. (Only 2% of all scouts make it to Eagle!)

Our first campout for the fall will be at Canyon Lake on Sept 18 - 19, 2004. We will be enjoying lake water activities (water skiing).

Check out the photos link to the left for pictures from this summer's camp at Bear Creek (Philmont photos to follow soon).

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

08/30/04

We will have elections for Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) at this Tuesday's troop meeting (8-31-04). The SPL candidates are to be prepared to discuss with the adult leaders prior to the election their plans for how to conduct a PLC and how to make the Patrol Method work better in our troop. SPL candidates are also expected to give a short presentation to the troop prior to the election covering their plans for a typical month of troop meetings and activities.

We will also see a slide presentation by Chase on this summer's expedition to Philmont.

Check out the photos link to the left for pictures from this summer's camp at Bear Creek (Philmont photos to follow soon).

Check the calendar link to the left for troop activities.

The next PLC meeting will be the first Tuesday in Sept (9-6-04) at the church at 7 pm. There will be no regular troop meeting on that night, but there will be a Board of Review for those who are ready for advancement.

Our first campout for the fall will be at Canyon Lake on Sept 18 - 19, 2004. We will be enjoying lake water activities (water skiing).

08/17/04

It is with sad hearts that we mourn the passing of Julius Archie, father of troop member Brent Archie, who died suddenly from medical complications on Aug 16, 2004. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to Brent and the entire Archie family in this time of sorrow. Julius was admired by all in our troop and he will be sorely missed.

Our first meeting of the year was held tonight. Check out the calendar link to the left to learn dates of planned events.

Next week's meeting (8-24-04) will include nominations for troop officers with elections held on the following Tuesday (8-31-04). Any scouts wishing to run for SPL or ASPL need to contact Mr. Glazener prior to next Tuesday's meeting. All scouts wishing to be nominated should be prepared to speak briefly at next Tuesday's meeting regarding their qualifications and plans to serve in the office you seek.

Bring your scout manuals to the next two meetings as we will be updating rank records in preparations for the Sept Court of Honor.

Brian Kraemer's Eagle Court of Honor will be held on Saturday, Sept 11, 2004. Mark your calendars now to make this important event.

The next Troop Committee meeting will be at the church this Monday (8-23-04) at 7 pm. All committee members and interested parents are asked to attend as we will be making plans for the year.

05/29/04

We will have one more troop meeting this year on this Tuesday, June 1, 2004.

There will be two mandatory Saturday morning training sessions for those scouts and adults going to Philmont. The first meeting will be this Sat (June 5) and the second will be on Saturday, June 26. Both sessions will meet at the church at 9 am. Bring your backpacks ready to go to Philmont for these sessions as we will be inspecting the gear to make sure all are prepared.

There will be a field trip to New Braunfels airport this Saturday afternoon for all scouts participating in the Aviation Merit Badge. We will meet at the church at 1:30 pm this Saturday and drive to New Braunfels to learn about airport operations, aircraft pre-flight, and to take a short orientation flight in a Cessna C-172. Mr. Blake is the counselor for this merit badge. Scouts working on this badge are to hand in their written answers this Tuesday regarding job opportunities, qualifications, and what job they might be interested in if they were to pursue a career in aviation.

Bear Creek summer camp will be held from June 6 - 12, 2004. We will meet at the church on Sunday, June 6, for departure by 11 am to Bear Creek. If you have not turned in your son's medical form for Bear Creek, you must contact Jane Classen and do so immediately!

05/19/04

Our annual banquet and Court of Honor were held last night. What a great event. Thanks to all who helped make this a fun evening and especially to Eagle Scout and former Troop 650 member Joe Brezinsky, recently returned from active duty in Iraq, who gave an inspiring speech on how scouting has impacted his life. Check out photos of the event at the "Ceremonies" link to the left.

Our April campout to Karankawa was rained out. We held a Saturday morning hike exploring the San Antonio missions instead followed by a pizza party to put back on the calories that we burned off on our hike.

We will have two more troop meeting this year on the next two Tuesdays. The final troop meeting for this school year will be on June 1, 2004.

There will be two mandatory Saturday morning training sessions for those scouts and adults going to Philmont. The first will be on June 5 and the second will be on June 26. Both sessions will meet at the church at 8 am. Bring your backpacks ready to go to Philmont for these sessions as we will be inspecting the gear to make sure all are prepared.

Bear Creek summer camp will be held from June 6 - 12, 2004. We will meet at the church on Sunday, June 6, at 11 am for departure to Bear Creek. Thanks to all of the parents who have signed up to drive and especially to those parents who have committed to stay overnight to help make this camp possible. Special thanks to Jane Classen for coordinating this summer camp and to Jimmy Ginn for volunteering to be the Scoutmaster in charge for the entire week of summer camp.

04/30/04

The PLC (Patrol Leaders Council) will meet this Sunday (May 2) at the SPL's house at 4 pm. All ASPL's and PL's and the Scribe are expected to attend this important meeting to plan upcoming troop meetings and activities for the next month.

The Troop Commitee meeting will be this Monday (May 3) at the church at 7 pm. All committee members and interested parents are asked to attend to help coordinate upcoming troop activities.

All unsold Krispy Kreme discount cards and money raised from their sale are due at the meeting next Tuesday (May 4). Do not forget to bring these to the meeting or your parent's will have to make an extra trip to get them up to the meeting that night. We must turn in the unsold cards and funds by the next day to Krispy Kreme and any cards not returned by next Tuesday's meeting must be bought by the scouts who do not turn them in.

Our next Court of Honor will also be a dinner banquet. It will be held Tuesday, May 18, at 7 pm at the Sonoma Recreation Center on Knight's Cross. Tickets to the COH Banquet will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. Volunteers are needed to help with set-up and meal preparation. Please contact Mr. Muldowney if you can help in any way.

Despite the strong storms this past weekend in SA, we had good weather for our campout to Camp Fawcett, 30 miles north of Uvalde. Scouts had fun fishing, swimming in the clear Nueces river, and playing football. The evening road trip to Rocksprings to visit the "Devil's Sinkhole" was unique and provided a close-up view of the evening bat exodus from the cave. Check out photos of the campout via the "Photo Album" link to your left.

For all scouts and adult leaders going to Philmont, your Class 3 physical form should be completed by your family doctor and returned to Mr. Muldowney. This form is a special form that is specifically intended for Philmont. (This is not the Class 3 form located in the "Downloads" section.)

All scouts going to summer camp at Bear Creek also need to get their summer physical scheduled with their family doctor and turn in the completed form. We are not going to be giving physicals during our regular scout meetings as we have done in the past. The medical form was provided at the Parent's meeting today. You can download additional copies of the form at the "Downloads" link to the left. The Class 2 or Class 3 forms are appropriate for Bear Creek. Recommend that your scout uses the Class 3 form as this allows him to participate in the COPE program at Bear Creek (older scouts). Jane Classen has volunteered to be the coordinator for the Bear Creek summer camp.

Our next campout will be May 14 -17 at Camp Karankawa (Lake Corpus). We will be waterskiing and canoeing on this campout.

04/25/04

Despite the strong storms this weekend in SA, we had good weather for our campout to Camp Fawcett, 30 miles north of Uvalde. Scouts had fun fishing, swimming in the clear Nueces river, and playing football. The evening road trip to Rocksprings to visit the "Devil's Sinkhole" was unique and provided a close-up view of the evening bat exodus from the cave. Check out photos of the campout via the "Photo Album" link to your left.

The Krispy Kreme card fund raiser sale is ending this week. All cards and money should be turned into Mr. Lane by the meeting this Tuesday (April 27). The absolute latest day to turn in the cards and money is this Saturday (May 1) and you will have to call Mr. Lane to make arrangements to meet him by Saturday if you do not turn the unsold cards and money at the meeting this Tuesday.

For all scouts and adult leaders going to Philmont, your Class 3 physical form should be completed by your family doctor and turned in at the meeting this Tuesday (April 27). This form is a special form that is specifically intended for Philmont and has already been provided to all scouts going to Philmont by Mr. Muldowney. (This is not the Class 3 form located in the "Downloads" section.)

Our next campout will be May 14 -17 at Camp Karankawa (Lake Corpus). We will be waterskiing and canoeing on this campout.

04/17/04

Thanks to all of the parents who made it to our Parent's Meeting this morning. Jerry Muldowney, Troop Committee Chairman, did a great job passing out information regarding Troop organization, summer camp plans, etc. We had several parents step forward and volunteer to fill key positions which will only help make our troop even better. We are asking for at least one parent of each scout to volunteer to help with at least one task during the year. Contact Jerry Muldowney to discuss your interests/skills and availability to help with a troop activity.

Troop meetings now start promptly at 7:00 pm and end at 8:30 pm. Parents, please ensure that your scout is at the church by 6:55 pm in order for us to begin on time. We also ask that parent's come back and attend the meeting at 8:20 pm to hear the latest news regarding upcoming events during our closing ceremony. We meet every Tuesday unless otherwise stated (i.e., no more PLC - only meetings on 1rst Tuesdays). The Patrol that is responsible for meeting setup needs to be at the church no later than 6:45pm on the nights that they are assigned this task (see SPL for dates).

Our next campout will be this weekend and we will be going to Camp Fawcett (~ 30 miles NNW of Uvalde near Camp Wood, Tx). This is a 3 day campout (school holiday on Friday). We will meet at the church for departure this Thursday (April 22) at 6pm. Eat dinner before coming or bring a sack dinner to eat at camp Thursday night. We will be camping near a clear stream so bring your fishing gear. All scouts going to Philmont are required to bring their backpacks fully packed and ready for Philmont on the campout this weekend as a check of readiness. We will be hiking, fishing, and visiting the Devil's Sinkhole (Friday evening) in Rocksprings to learn about the large bat colony there.

All scouts and adult leaders going to Philmont, get your Class 3 physical scheduled with your family doctor and turn in your completed form (signed by the doctor) no later than the April 27, 2004 meeting. This form is a special form that is specifically intended for Philmont and has already been provided to all scouts going to Philmont by Mr. Muldowney. This is not the Class 3 form located in the downloads section.

The troop is now selling Krispy Kreme discount cards for a fund raiser. Each scout should have received their initial 5 cards from Mr. Lane at the previous scout meeting. The cards sell for $10 each and entitle the holder to a free dozen plain glazed donuts with each purchase of one dozen for a total of 10 visits. The proceeds and cards are due back to Mr. Lane by May 01, 2004. Scouts may pick up more cards from Mr. Lane if needed and will receive 60% of all profits in their troop account. The top three sellers in the troop will win a prize.

Check out the Calendar link to the left for all of the upcoming events and the Photo Album link to see pictures of our latest campouts.

04/09/04

We will have a Parent's Meeting in combination with a QuarterMaster Day on Saturday morning, April 17, 2004. All scouts and at least one parent of each scout are required to attend that morning. This is our most effective way to get the critical information to parents regarding summer camp and other troop stuff while the scouts get their troop gear back in shape.

All scouts going to summer camp at Bear Creek also need to get their summer physical scheduled with their family doctor and turn in the completed form. This form will be provided to parents in the near future. We are not going to be giving physicals during our regular scout meetings as we have done in the past.

The troop is now selling Krispy Kreme discount cards for a fund raiser. Mr. Lane distributed 5 of the cards to each scout at last Tuesday's meeting. The cards sell for $10 each and entitle the holder to a free dozen plain glazed donuts with each purchase of one dozen for a total of 10 visits. The proceeds and cards are due back to Mr. Lane by May 01, 2004. Scouts may pick up more cards from Mr. Lane if needed and will receive 60% of all profits in their troop account. The top three sellers in the troop will win a prize.

Check out the Calendar link to the left for all of the upcoming events and the Photo Album link to see pictures of our latest campouts.

03/06/04

The troop elected new officers for the Spring 2004 season. The following Scouts are your new leaders:

SPL - Daniel Gonzales

ASPL's - Brent Archie & Garrett Glazener

PL's - Chase Blake (Cobra), Wesley Clifford (Hawk), & Preston Fox (Wolf)

We had two scouts complete their Board of Review at last Tuesday's meeting. Congratulations to Wesley Clifford who earned First Class Scout and to Brent Archie who earned Life Scout.

We will not have troop meetings for the next two weeks (due to band UIL conflicts and Spring Break). The next troop meeting will be on Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004. Please make every effort to be at the church by 6:50 pm so that we may begin the meetings promptly at 7:00 pm.

All scouts are asked to attend their Precinct meeting next Tuesday (Mar 9) at 7:30 pm in lieu of our usual regular meeting. Your precinct meeting is held at the same location as where your parents vote in the primary election on that same day.

We will have a Parent's Meeting in combination with a QuarterMaster Day on Saturday morning, April 17, 2004. All scouts and at least one parent of each scout are asked to attend that morning. This is our most effective way to get the critical information to parents regarding summer camp and other troop stuff while the scouts get their troop gear back in shape.

All scouts going to Philmont, get your Class 3 physical scheduled with your family doctor and turn in your completed form (signed by the doctor) no later than the April 27, 2004 meeting. This form has already been provided to all scouts going to Philmont by Mr. Muldowney.

The troop elected to try selling Krispy Kreme discount cards for a fund raiser. Mr. Lane will obtain the cards and distribute to the troop at the next meeting.

Check out the Calendar link to the left for all of the upcoming events and the Photo Album link to see pics of our latest campouts.

02/20/04

Patrol Leader Council (PLC) meetings will no longer be held on the first Tuesday of the month. The first Tuesday of the month will now hold regular troop meetings. The PLC will begin meeting once a month at a time and place to be announced by the Scoutmaster.

The next regular troop meeting will be Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004. We will be discussing the definition of "Boy Led Troop" and preparing for troop elections.

Our trip to Big Bend over the previous 4-day weekend was a lot of fun. The icy, foggy weather parted into blue skies and beautiful scenery as we entered camp. Our 10 mile, 2000 ft climb to the South Rim was great practice for the upcoming trip to Philmont this July.

12/31/03

There will be a Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) meeting at the church this Tuesday (Jan 6, 2004) at 7 pm. All troop officers are asked to attend.

The next regular troop meeting will be Tuesday, Jan 13, 2004. This meeting will also be a Board of Review (BOR) for those scouts who have completed their rank requirements for advancement. If you are ready, please contact Mr. Glazener for a Scoutmaster Conference prior to Jan 13, 2004, in order to be eligible for the BOR.

Spring semester dues of $50 are due at the meeting on Jan 13, 2004. Also, if you are going to Philmont this summer, the final payment of $350 is due by Jan 6, 2004.

11/28/03

For this Tuesday's meeting, we will be using lashing skills to make a catapult. We will also be planning the upcoming campout to Enchanted Rock State Park. This campout will be held on Dec 6 - 7. We will be backpacking and camping overnight on Saturday night. If you have never been to Enchanted Rock, this would be a great chance to enjoy its beauty. You may hike with us for the day if you do not wish to spend the night. Check out photos from previous Enchanted Rock campouts (Dec 2002 & 2001) on the Photo Album link to the left.

11/23/03

There is no Troop meeting this Tuesday (Nov 25, 2003) due to the Thanksgiving Holidays. Regular meetings will resume on the following Tuesday (Dec 2, 2003). We will be making a catapult using lashing skills.

Our next campout will be on Dec 6 - 7, 2003. We will be backpacking at Enchanted Rock State Park.

Posted 10/28/03:

We wrapped up our Red Cross training at tonight's meeting with 26 scouts and adults completing the Basic First Aid course.

Our trip to "Camp Coleman" that was planned for this Saturday (Nov 1) has been postponed due to conflicts with other school activities.

We will be selling popcorn at the 11:00 am service at the church this weekend. Please contact Mr. McBride if you will be able to help out.

The next Committee Meeting will be this coming Monday at the church at 7 pm. All committee members and interested parents are invited to attend.

There will be no regular meeting next Tuesday - remember, the first Tuesday of the month is PLC for troop officers and a Board of Review for those who have completed rank requirements. If you need a BOR, contact Mrs. Dash to schedule your time.

The next campout will be Nov 15 -16. We are going to Camp Hamman (near Bandera). We will meet at the church at 7 am on Sat, Nov 15 and return at approximately 1 pm on Sunday. This is a backpacking campout. All scouts are encouraged to get a back pack (internal or external frame) for this event.

Stay involved and don't miss all the scouting fun!

Posted 10/25/03:

Our day hike to Hill Country Natural Area State Park was a lot of fun. The morning mist cleared to beautiful fall skies and the clean air and great exercise were good for the soul. Check out the hike photos on the Photo Album link to the left. Come join us on our future hikes - you will be glad that you did.

The Red Cross First Aid course will be conducted at this Tuesday's meeting. There is no additional cost (already included in last week's fee for CPR). The First Aid class will last approximately one hour (much shorter than CPR).

We are going to "Camp Coleman" in San Marcos on this coming Saturday, Nov 1, to buy backpacking gear. All those needing backpacks, sleeping bags, etc, at great prices are encouraged to go. We will be stopping at Randolph Air Base on the return for the Air Show.

Stay involved and don't miss all the scouting fun!

Posted 10/21/03:

We will be going on a day hike this Saturday (10/25/03) to Hill Country Natural Area State Park, which is about 10 miles southwest of Bandera. We will meet at the church at 8 am and return between 2pm - 3pm on Sat. Wear hiking shoes (boots preferred) and bring a lunch and water. Also bring either a camping backpack or school book backpack to carry your food and water. We will hike approximately 5 miles and practice reading topo maps and using the compass during the hike. This event will count as a troop activity for rank advancement and as required training for those scouts going to Philmont next summer.

We successfully completed the Red Cross CPR annual training at tonight's meeting with 26 participants. The Red Cross First Aid course will be conducted at next Tuesday's meeting. The cost for this course was included in the $20 already paid for tonight's CPR. Next Tuesday's First Aid class will last only 1 hour.

We are going to "Camp Coleman" in San Marcos on Saturday, Nov 1, to buy backpacking gear. All those needing backpacks, sleeping bags, etc, at great prices are encouraged to go. We will be stopping at Randolph Air Base on the return for the Air Show.

The next campout will be Nov 15 -16. We are going to Camp Hamman (near Bandera). We will meet at the church at 7 am on Sat, Nov 15 and return at approximately noon on Sunday.

Stay involved and don't miss all the scouting fun!

Posted 09/18/03:

Jonathan Smith's Eagle Court of Honor will be this Saturday (9/20/03) at 11:00 am at the church. All troop members and their parents are encouraged to attend to help Jonathan celebrate this lifetime milestone!

We are selling popcorn at Blockbuster Video in the HEB shopping center at the corner of NW Military and Huebner this Friday and Saturday evenings from 5 pm - 8 pm. Please wear your uniform and plan to come help sell popcorn to raise money for the troop, your council, and your own scouting expenses (each scout keeps 25% of sales in his own troop account to be used for scouting expenses).

Those scouts needing to finish either Rifle or Shotgun merit badge should contact their Scoutmaster to arrange to attend the finish-up session to be held this Sunday (9/21/03) at the Bracken Gun Range at 2:00 pm.

The campout at Canyon Lake last weekend was a lot of fun. This time we had two boats to keep everyone on the water and the hike Sunday morning was outstanding. We even had 6 scouts complete their water-skiing merit badge on this campout.

The next campout will be at the National Scouting Complex on Oct 3 -5. There will be shooting activities including shotgun, rifle, and archery along with military displays and ham radio sessions. This camporee promises to be new and unique.

We will be conducting our annual CPR training class at the troop meeting on Oct 21, 2003. The cost will be $15 for each scout or adult (parents and siblings are welcome).

Stay involved and don't miss all the scouting fun!

Posted 07/22/03:

Congratulations to our Troop's newest Eagle Scouts! Dan Pulliam is the 11th Eagle and Jonathan Smith is the 12th. Dan's Eagle Court of Honor will be held Sept 6, 2003, at 1:00 pm at the church. Please make plans now to attend. Jonathan's date is TBD.

Summer camp in the mountains of New Mexico (Camp Wehinahpay) was a lot of fun. The 10 scouts and 3 adult leaders all had a great time participating in the COPE program and the cool days and cold nights were a welcome relief from the Texas heat.

Summer camp at Lost Pines was also a great success, in spite of the heat and rain! The boys earned several merit badges and rank requirements were completed.

Our Troop PLC will be busy over the next few weeks planning the activities for the upcoming year. We have a lot of changes in store for our Troop as we train for Philmont 2004. The youth leaders for our Troop will be expected to participate more and develop further than ever asked before, but the benefits and additional fun will be worth the commitment. Stay tuned for more.......

Posted 06/02/03:

There will be no more weekly troop meetings for the summer break with the following two exceptions:

(1) There will be a meeting on Tuesday, June 17, 2003, for all scouts going to Camp Wehinahpay summer camp in New Mexico. This meeting is mandatory. Scouts are to bring all of their gear packed and ready to go for this trip. We will be inspecting gear to make sure that everyone is prepared. The meeting will be at the church at 7 pm.

(2) There will be a meeting on Tuesday, July 01, 2003 for all scouts going to Lost Pines summer camp on Lake Bastrop. The meeting will be at the church at 7 pm.

The trip to Camp Wehinahpay for mountain summer camp will depart from the church at 7 am on Saturday, June 21, 2003, and return to the church on Sunday, June 29, 2003 at approximately 3 pm.

The trip to Lost Pines for basic summer camp will depart the church on the morning of Sunday, July 6, 2003, and return to the church on Saturday, July 12, 2003, around noon.

Posted 04/02/03:

We had an excellent turnout of 17 youth and 11 adults for our March weekend trip to Corpus Christi and the sleep-aboard program on the USS Lexington aircraft carrier. Scouts learned a lot about the history of the "Blue Ghost" and the brave men who served aboard her during WWII. A side trip to the Texas State Aquarium was a lot of fun, too. Check out photos of the trip at the Photo Album Link to the left.

There will be a Parent's meeting this Saturday (Apr 5) at 9 am at the church. At least one parent from each scout is expected to attend. This meeting will cover details for summer camp and other important troop news. The meeting will last one hour.

All scouts are expected to attend the annual Quartermaster Day to clean and organize troop equipment. Be at the church at 9 am. We should be done by noon and will be going to Malibu Grand Prix for some fun. Bring $10 for one round of golf, go-cart race, and some games (more if you want snacks or more gaming).

We will be giving camp physicals for both 2003 summer camps at the April 22 meeting. All scouts who received a camp physical last year are covered for this summer camp (unless you plan to do COPE at Wehinahpay). All adults must receive a physical.

Our troop will be sponsoring a booth at the church carnival on Sunday, April 22, 2003. Please plan to attend and help out. This will be a good opportunity to help our sponsor and to advertise our troop to the church members.

We are going to Camp Karankawa on Lake Corpus Christi on May 2 - 4, 2003. We will be water-skiing and canoeing on this campout. Additional ski boats are needed (please contact Mr. Fox if you can bring one). Also, an additional vehicle is needed to pull either the troop trailer or Mr. Fox's ski boat (please contact Mr. Bross if you can help out).

A $75 reservation fee for either 2003 summer camp was due at the regular Troop meeting on 14 Jan 2003. (Refer to the Calendar link to the left for dates of key troop events.)

The "basic" summer camp will be held July 6 - 12, 2003 at Lost Pines (on Lake Bastrop). This camp is open to all scouts and is intended for younger scouts working on rank, or for any scouts who can not make the second camp and who wish to work on merit badges. Lost Pines was chosen by our Troop this year over the traditional Bear Creek in order to offer some variety to the scouts who wish to focus more on water activities. A final payment of $80 is required for Lost Pines at the April 8 meeting.

Our second camp will be something new for 2003 as we will be escaping the Texas heat and going up into the cooler mountains of south central New Mexico to Camp Wehinahpay. This "mountain" camp will be open to any scouts who are either at least 13 years old, or who have attained the rank or First-Class at the time of camp and will be held on June 21 - 28, 2003. A second payment of $125 is due at the April 8 meeting. A final payment of approximately $150 (subject to change as plans are finalized) will be due at the May 13 meeting.

Posted 03/08/03:

We are going to Corpus Christi on Saturday, Mar 29, 2003, to spend the night on the USS Lexington. We currently have 19 youth and 11 adults signed up to go. Cost of the trip is $30 which includes lodging, food, and ship activities. Bring extra spending money for snacks and/or souvenirs, if desired.

A $75 reservation fee for either 2003 summer camp was due at the regular Troop meeting on 14 Jan 2003. (Refer to the Calendar link to the left for dates of key troop events.)

Posted 02/16/03:

Our Troop Feb 2003 campout at Garner State Park was a lot of fun. We had clear skies, cool temperatures, and great food. The afternoon hike around Garner to see Crystal Cave was great exercise and the fresh air and hill country scenery reminded everyone of the best that scouting has to offer. Check out pictures of the event at our Photo Album link to the left.

Congrats to Troop 650! We won the best overall award for medium-sized troops at the Jan 2003 Freeze-O-Ree held at Bear Creek. Our troop was competing against 13 other troops in this category. The competitions for this event were fun and challenging. Everyone agreed that this was the best district event that Troop 650 had ever attended. Kudos to the organizers for this great time!

Our troop had an excellent turn-out to help distribute food and clothing to the less fortunate at the Church Under the Bridge on Jan 2, 2003. This worthy organization ministers and feeds people almost daily. It is sponsored by the Community Bible Church and can always use donations of clothing, blankets, and money.

We also had a good showing to deliver toys to the Children's Shelter of San Antonio in Dec 2002. The scouts were given a brief tour of the facilities and information regarding the mission of the Children's Shelter and future plans for expansion.

A $75 reservation fee for either 2003 summer camp was due at the regular Troop meeting on 14 Jan 2003. (Refer to the Calendar link to the left for dates of key troop events.)

There will be a Patrol Leader Council (PLC) meeting on Feb 18 for all officers and a Board of Review (BOR) for any scouts who have completed their Scoutmaster Conference for their next rank.

Posted 02/16/03:

Our troop had an excellent turn-out to help distribute food and clothing to the less fortunate at the Church Under the Bridge for our Jan 2003 service project. This worthy organization ministers and feeds people almost daily. It is sponsored by the Community Bible Church and can always use donations of clothing, blankets, and money.

We also had a good showing to deliver toys to the Children's Shelter of San Antonio for our Dec 2002 service project. The scouts were given a brief tour of the facilities and information regarding the mission of the Children's Shelter and future plans for expansion.

A $75 reservation fee for either 2003 summer camp was due at the regular Troop meeting on 14 Jan 2003. (Refer to the Calendar link to the left for dates of key troop events.)

There will be a Patrol Leader Council (PLC) meeting on this Tuesday for all officers and a Board of Review (BOR) for any scouts who have completed their Scoutmaster Conference for their next rank.

Posted 12/18/02:

Our Troop hike and overnight campout at Enchanted Rock was another successful event. The weather was perfect and we could not have asked for better conditions. View photos of this campout via the "Photo Album" link to the left.

Our Christmas Service Project will be this coming Monday, Dec 23. We will meet at the church at 8:45 am on Monday (Dec 23) to take donated items to the Children's Shelter of San Antonio. Please bring your donated items to the church on Monday. A "wish list" of donation items was distributed to troop members to aid in shopping for your gifts.

A $75 reservation fee for either 2003 summer camp will be due at the regular Troop meeting on 14 Jan 2003. (Refer to the Calendar link to the left for dates of key troop events.)

Other than the service projects on Dec 23 and Jan 2 mentioned above, our next Troop meeting will not be held until Tuesday, Jan 7, 2003. Hope your holidays are full of joy and laughter.

Posted 12/08/02:

Our Troop outing to the Spurs basketball game against the Seattle Sonics on Nov 24 was a lot of fun (except for the last minute loss). We had 44 people attend the event. The new arena is impressive (and how about those food prices?!).

Our December activity is a day hike (for all members) and an overnight campout (for first class and up) at Enchanted Rock State Park. For those who have never experienced the beauty of this park, click on the "Photo Album" link to the left and look at photos from last Dec (2001) campout.

We will meet at the church at 7am on Saturday (Dec 14). Those participating in the day hike only should return by 4 pm Saturday (Dec 14). Overnight campers will return to the church by 12:30 pm on Sunday (Dec 15).

Wear good hiking boots, and protection from the cold using layers of clothes that you can shed as the day warms up (eg., t-shirt, outer shirt, sweatshirt, coat, etc). Don't forget thick socks, gloves, and a hat (ski cap). You will need to bring a canteen and lunch and a means to carry both (light backpack, school pack, etc). And don't forget a raincoat or poncho if the forecast includes a chance for rain.

Overnighters will be camping in primitive camping areas. We will backpack in all necessary gear. The troop will provide the tents, backpack stoves, water bags, and trail dinners and breakfast which will be distributed among overnight campers at the beginning of the hike. Focus on packing light and saving room in your backpack to carry some of this additional group gear.

If you plan to attend, please get the attached permission slip signed and bring to the next troop meeting (Dec 10).

The date for our Christmas Service Project has changed to Monday, Dec 23. This is the first day that school is out for the Christmas holidays. We will meet at the church at 8:45 am on Monday (Dec 23) to take donated items to the Children's Shelter.

Please bring your donated items to the regular Troop meeting at the church this Tuesday (12/10) where we will have a box to collect donations. If you can't make it by this Tuesday, no problem! You can bring your items to the PLC meeting at the church the following Tuesday (12/17), or to the church on Monday, Dec 23, at 8:45 am.

Our troop will also be donating a new kareoke machine to the Children's Shelter to fulfill their wish for indoor play activity equipment. Any scouts interested in helping to shop for this item, please contact Mr. Fox so that we can make arrangements.

Please consider helping serve food and clothing to the less fortunate at the "Church Under the Bridge" on Thursday evening, Jan 2. We will meet at our church at 6 pm and carpool to the Church Under the Bridge (a few blocks from the Josephine St. Cafe). Mr. Glazener needs to know how many people from our troop will participate so please let us know at this Tuesday's (12/10) meeting.

Posted 11/18/02:

We had a great campout this past weekend at Hamman Scout Camp. View photos of this campout via the "Photo Album" link to the left. Thanks to Mr. Ginn for teaching Wilderness Survival Merit Badge and to the other adult leaders who helped on this campout. (Great stew Mr. Brooks!) Most of the scouts built a shelter away from base camp using only a tarp and spent the (chilly) night sleeping in their shelters.

We will have a regular meeting this Tuesday (11/19/02) in lieu of the PLC. All new scouts are reminded to bring their scout handbooks to obtain sign-offs for rank.

There will not be a meeting next week in observance of the Thanksgiving holidays.

The Spurs basketball outing is this Sunday. Mr. Muldowney has purchased 44 tickets for those who have ordered them. Meet at the church at 5 pm. Bring money for snacks at the game.

All scouts interested in going to Philmont in the summer of 2004 (must be 14 or older then) will need to notify Mr. Muldowney at the Dec 3 regular meeting and will need to provide a $50 check (non-refundable) for reservations. Make the check out to Troop 650.

Posted 10/21/02:

Our next campout will be this weekend at Camp Fawcett. We will meet at the church Friday (10/25) evening at 6:00 pm for departure and return to the church Sunday (10/27) at 12:30 pm. This private scout property is located right next to the clear Nueces river and is one of our favorite campsites. For pictures of this great facility, click on the Photo Album link to the left.

Activities planned are fishing, orienteering, rank advancement for newer scouts, model rockets (weather & winds permitting), and astronomy (skies permitting).

Parents are welcome to join us on this campout (as on any campout). This one will be fun and relaxing so bring your lawn chairs (and a good book). We will provide tents, cooking gear, good food, and great comradery. You just need to bring a sleeping bag and a foam pad or air matress to sleep on. Please notify Mr. Fox or Mr. Smith by Tuesday evening (10/22) if you want to go so that we can include you in our headcount.

With 15 scouts and only 4 adults signed up to go so far, we are going to be cramped on the drive. So we could really use a few more "volunteers" to go camping with us on this trip. If you are willing to join us, please notify Mr. Fox or Mr. Smith by Tuesday evening.

Also, be sure to turn your signed permission slips and pay your $40 fall camping fee if you have not already done so.

Posted 10/14/02:

Regular Troop meeting at the church this Tuesday (10/15). Scouts will be working on merit badges and new scouts will be working on rank advancement.

Twenty-two scouts and adults completed the Red Cross Adult CPR certification training at our regular meeting on Oct 1. Cards should be received from the Red Cross in the next week and will be distributed at the following meeting.

Congrats to Jonathan and Landon who completed their requirements for the water skiing merit badge last Saturday.

Our next campout will be Oct 25 - 27 at Camp Fawcett. Please bring your signed permission slips to the regular meeting this Tuesday. Also, remember to pay your $40 fall camping fee if you have not already done so.

Posted 9/23/02:

There is no regular Troop meeting at the church this Tuesday (9/24). However, there will be a Patrol Leader Council (PLC) meeting for all members of the PLC at 7 pm Tuesday (9/24) at the church.

There will also be a Board of Review this Tuesday (9/24) at 7 pm at the church for all scouts wishing to complete their next rank requirement and who have completed their Scoutmaster Conference with Mr. Smith. All scouts attending the Board of Review must wear their full Class A uniform and bring their scout handbooks.

Please participate in our annual "Show & Sell" event this Friday (9/27) at Blockbuster Video (Evans & 281) from 5 pm - 7:30 pm. This is our best opportunity to sale popcorn and raise money for the troop. All scouts who participate will split their share of sales to go towards their scout fund accounts.

The three scouts who signed up for water skiing merit badge should meet at the church at 12:30 pm this Saturday (9/28). Wear your swimsuit, t-shirt, and water shoes (or old tennis shoes) and bring a towel and sun block. We will drive to Lake Calaveras in Mr. Fox's vehicle and should return by 5:30 pm.

The next regular meeting will be one week from Tuesday (10/1). This entire meeting will focus on completing the requirements for completing the Red Cross CPR certification course. The meeting will begin promptly at 6:30 pm (don't be late) and will end by 9 pm. The cost of this course is $15 per person and is open to all scouts, parents, and family members. Please pay at the meeting on Oct 01. A head count is needed by this Wednesday for all who plan to attend. Please e-mail or call Mr. Fox by Wednesday (9/25) and let him know how many in your family plan to attend.

Also, please bring your check to Troop 650 for $40 for the fall camping fee at the Oct 01 meeting if you have not paid it already.

Posted 9/15/02:

The annual Scout popcorn sales campaign began yesterday (9/14) and continues until Nov 5. Information packets were distributed at last week's Court of Honor. You can help our troop raise operating funds by selling to relatives, friends, neighbors, etc (we do not encourage door-to-door selling). A great way to help is to attend our "Show & Sell" event at Blockbuster Video (Evans & 281) on Friday, Sept 27, from 5 pm - 7:30 pm.

This week's troop meeting (9/17/02) will be a "Parent's Night" for all parents of troop scouts. All parents are asked to attend this meeting to learn about our plans for this year. The new Troop Committee Chairman, Jerry Muldowney, will make a brief presentation to all parents. Also, please bring your check to Troop 650 for $40 for the fall camping fee to this meeting along with your signed permission slip.

Scouts will continue working on their merit badge at Tuesday's meeting for either Citizenship in the Community (Mr. Glazener) or for Computers (Mr. Smith). Please bring your worksheets and prepare for class prior to the meeting.

All new scouts will be working on rank advancement in lieu of merit badge classes under the guidance of the Troop Guide and ASPL. New scouts are asked to please purchase your Scout handbooks from the Scout Shop (at the Alamo Council office next to McGimsey scout park - see map link at left for map to McGimsey) and bring them to the meetings from now on so that your rank requirements may be signed off as they are completed.

The next campout will be this weekend (Sept 20-22) at McGimsey. It will be the Fall Camporee and we will be hosting several Cub Scout visitors and cooking a Saturday dinner for T-650 parents to attend.

Any Troop 650 scouts who are interested in earning their water skiing merit badge should contact Mr. Fox. Class size is limited to 4 scouts and two openings currently remain. The classes will be held from 12:30 - 5:30 pm on three consecutive Saturdays afternoons beginning Sept 28. Please do not sign up if you can not attend all three sessions (Sept 28, Oct 5, & Oct 12).

Our troop will be conducting CPR training for all scouts and their parents (and/or siblings) at our regular troop meeting on Tues, Oct 01. This class will begin at 6:30 pm and will end at 9:00 pm. The class will be taught by Red Cross personnel and will cost $15 per person. Annual certification in basic CPR will be earned. Please plan to attend this important class. Sign-ups will be requested in advance.

Posted 9/4/02:

New Troop officers were elected at last night's meeting (9/3). All new officers are expected to attend the Troop Jr. Leader Training session this Saturday (9/7) at the church from 9 am - 1 pm.

Next Tuesday's meeting (9/10) will be a Court of Honor. Please attend and wear your full class A uniforms. Congrats to all those scouts who passed their Board of Review last night.

Merit badge classes for Citizenship in the Community and Computers began at last night's meeting. Please bring your worksheets and prepare for each of these classes before each meeting.

New scouts will be working on rank advancement with our Troop Guide and ASPL during the merit badge meetings. Please purchase your Scout handbooks from the Scout Shop (at the Alamo Council office next to McGimsey scout park - see map link at left for map to McGimsey) and bring them to the meetings from now on so that your rank requirements may be signed off as they are completed.

Any Troop 650 scouts who are interested in earning their water skiing merit badge should contact Mr. Fox. Small groups of 3 scouts can be accommodated for water skiiing class to be held 30 minutes south of San Antonio on Lake Calaveras during Saturday afternoons in Sept and Oct.

The next campout will be Sept 20-22 at McGimsey. It will be the Fall Camporee and we will be hosting several Cub Scout visitors and cooking a Saturday dinner for T-650 parents to attend. Your fall camping fee of $40 for the Fall semester is due at the Sept 19 meeting. Campout permission slips will be e-mailed to all troop members and are due on the 19th, too.

We will be selling popcorn on Friday, Sept 27, from 5 - 8 pm at the Blockbuster at Evans and 281. Please plan to help out with this very important fund raiser.


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