November 2, 2021

Posted on by Troop 177

In this week’s newsletter

Meeting this Week

Hi Scouts! Autumn here with info regarding the next meeting.

This meeting will be special because it will be our Halloween meeting! This means that you can wear costumes to the meeting and I’ll bring some candy! 

Scouts are going to start the meeting off by going over what changes I’m planning to make for the troop, such as small flag ceremony changes and meal plan/duty roster use. Scouts will then be getting a lesson from Violet about troop positions and what they do we will then break off into groups:

  • Group A will be playing a game that goes over leadership positions in the troop, and then if they have time they can play some other games. 
  • Group B will be the people going to the Cloudland campout. We will discuss skits, camping/food info, hiking, and other components of the campout. We will also be making a duty roster for Cloudland (This will be practice since it isn’t strictly necessary for this specific campout.)

If we all finish up early, we’ll talk about meal plans and duty rosters. 

See you tuesday!

Assistant Senior Patrol Leader Elections

At our last meeting Julian was elected the new Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. We’d like to congratulate both Julian and Autumn for their new positions in the troop and thank Leigh for her service over the last year. We will have an official installation ceremony at the meeting this week.

November Camping Trip

Our November camping trip is this weekend. We will be doing some planning and preparation for this trip this week. If you have any questions, please bring them to the meeting this week, or contact your SPL.

Conservation Weekend

November 12-14 is Conservation Weekend at Camp Woodruff. While this is not a troop event, many of the Scouts from Troop 177 will be there. If you would like to coordinate transportation, please contact Mr. Taylor.

Winter Camp

Winter Camp is a lot like summer camp, but shorter and colder. Held at Bert Adams December 27-31st, Scouts can attend and work on earn merit badges, play winter games, learn Dutch oven cooking, compete in the Klondike Derby, brave the polar bear swim and much more. We will be discussing this in future meetings, but wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the opportunity and the dates.

Details can be found on the Atlanta Area Council Winter Camp webpage.

Cumberland Island Camping Trip

This January we will be returning to Cumberland Island. This trip will be a challenging and memorable experience. During this Martin Luther King Jr weekend, our main focus will be volunteering through conservation and service projects on the island. Scouts participating in the service project(s) (e.g. trail maintenance and restoration, landscaping around National Seashore sites, etc.) will have an opportunity to earn one or more Scouts BSA conservation-based awards. Details are still being sorted, but opportunities may include the following: Outdoor Ethics Awareness Award,
National Park Service Scout Ranger Award, BSA Historic Trails Award, and the Messengers of Peace (Environmental Dimension). Service project work may also count towards other items such as the Outdoor Ethics Action Award, World Conservation Award, and rank advancement. The trip sheet is up and sign up is open on the Camping and Outings page.

Service Opportunities

We have updated the Community Service Page with a number of opportunities coming up this fall. Service hours are required for all ranks, and many merit badges and awards (like the 50th Anniversary EPA Award).

Scout Days

Scout Days are unique opportunities for your family to attend exciting experiences around the Atlanta Area with other Scouting families. All Scout Days are offered at a discounted price of admission, and a portion of the proceeds from each Scout Day is given to the Atlanta Area Council.

On November 13th and 14th, the Georgia Aquarium is hosting Scouts Days, with discounted admission that includes the Dolphin Presentation, Sea Lion Presentation and 4D Theater. The Georgia Aquarium is always fun, and this is a great way to get in the Marine Aquarium visit, if you are working on the Oceanography Merit Badge (see below).

Purchase tickets via the link on the Atlanta Area Council Website: https://www.atlantabsa.org/scoutdays

Merit Badge Opportunities

Atlanta Area Council offers many merit badge offerings throughout the year.
More information about these and other Merit Badge programs at: https://www.atlantabsa.org/meritbadgedays

Chattahoochee Nature Center offers nature themed merit badge classes on the weekends in the Spring through Fall. There are no upcoming classes, but check back often for new offerings.
For more information and to register visit: https://www.chattnaturecenter.org/education/scouts/scouts-bsa/

Dunwoody Nature Center also offers a number of nature related Merit Badges. Upcoming classes include: Environmental Science January 15 & 16, and Bird Study February 19.
Learn more and register at: https://dunwoodynature.org/scout-merit-badges/

Daniel Boone Council headquartered in Asheville, NC has a rolling slate of virtual merit badge programs, with new merit badges offered every week. These are usually two sessions in the late afternoon or evening. There are quite a few popular merit badges including a large selection of Eagle Required. These usually fill up, but if you look at later weeks, there are plenty of seats still open.
Learn more and register at: https://www.danielboonecouncil.org/virtual

Troop Communication

Please be sure to join our Remind Classes to get notifications on all of the Troop 177 happenings. There is an app, but you can choose to get notifications via text messages or email.

Troop 177 Parents

Troop 177 Scouts