May 11, 2021

Posted on by Troop 177

In this week’s newsletter

Troop Committee Meeting This Week

The troop committee meets on the second Monday of every month, which is this week. We will be planning the troop activities for the upcoming months. All adult leaders and parents of Scouts are invited to attend. This is a zoom meeting, so you don’t even need to leave home to participate. Contact Jimmy Gilmore or join the Troop 177 Parents Remind channel for the meeting link.

Troop Meeting This Week

We are going to try to one more time to do our swim tests for summer camp and Allatoona. We will meet at the Decatur YMCA (1100 Clairemont Ave, Decatur, GA 30030) at 7:30 p.m. Scouts will be testing two at a time inside, while the rest of the troop meets on a grassy area outside the building. Scouts are encouraged to wear something over their swimsuits that they can get wet, to avoid having to use the changing rooms at the Y. Uniforms are not required. And as several members of the troop have siblings in Troop 77, you may arrive late and leave early from our meeting to accommodate pick up and drop off at Oak Grove UMC.

Any changes will be communicated through the Troop 177 Parents Remind channel.

Court of Honor

We will be holding a joint Court of Honor with Troop 77 on May 18th. If you are close to completing any rank or Merit Badge requirements that you would like to be recognized for at the Court of Honor, please be sure to make arrangements to finalize those requirements this week. Please remember that Courts of Honor require full uniform, including neckerchiefs.

Upcoming Camping Trips

Next weekend (May 14-16) we will be returning to Lake Allatoona Aquatics Base for an Aquatics themed weekend. We have a number of boats available to use this weekend and will be working on the aquatics requirements for rank and enjoying some time on the water. Signups close Monday night, so make sure you register if you are planning to go.

Summer Camp

If you have not already registered for camp but would still like to attend, please let Mr. Taylor know. We can register additional Scouts for camp until June, as long as there are still spaces available. More information can be found on our Summer Camp Information page.

Service Opportunities

Woodlands Garden, a local nature preserve, has opened up an opportunity for Scouts to do drop-in service hours at our convenience to help with projects around the gardens. In order to do those self-directed hours, Scouts will first need to complete a training session with one of their Master Gardeners. The first opportunity for training will be May 12th at 4:00 p.m. at the Gardens. The training will last 30 minutes, but Scouts can stay and do more service hours if they choose. Service hour time will be spent picking up trash, pulling invasive plant, and turning compost. These hours can be counted as conservation service hours for those that need them.

This is open to all Scouts in Troop 177 and their families (including Scouts from other troops). If you are planning to attend please RSVP in Scoutbook. If you have any questions please contact Mr. Taylor.

Each of the above opportunities can be counted for regular or conservation service hours for those that may need it for rank, merit badges, or other awards.

Merit Badge Opportunities

Construction Merit Badge Day
Atlanta Area Council is holding a construction Merit Badge Day on May 15 for Scouts 16 or older. Merit Badges Offered include: Drafting, Electricity, Landscape Architecture, Surveying, and Welding. Note that while the dates on the info page are for 2020, registration is open for the 2021 Construction MB Day.
More information and registration at: https://www.atlantabsa.org/cmb

Atlanta Area Council Merit Badge Days
The Atlanta Area Council offers several Merit Badge days dedicated to specific Merit Badges. Upcoming Merit Badge offerings include Aviation and Railroading.
More information at: https://www.atlantabsa.org/meritbadgedays

STEM Academy
Georgia Tech is offering an on-line STEM ACADEMY June 6-11. This program for 8th graders and older, gives Scouts the opportunity to earn STEM-related merit badges and explore STEM related professions. Registration is $100 and needs to be completed before May 14.
https://www.atlantabsa.org/stem-academy

Northeast Georgia Council Pathfinders
Scoutland is a Northeast Georgia Council Scout Camp on the shores of Lake Lanier. This summer they are offering two weeks of merit badge classes, where you can work on, and in most cases complete, one merit badge per day. There are still a lot of openings for most merit badges. This a great opportunity to work through several merit badges this summer.
More information and registration at: https://www.nega-bsa.org/Pathfinders

Daniel Boone Council Virtual Merit Badge Classes
Every week Daniel Boone Council in North Carolina is offering several virtual Merit Badge classes via Zoom. Most classes are $10 and are two evenings per week, after school hours.
More information and registration at: https://www.danielboonecouncil.org/virtual