April 2014 BE

Welcome to the new Burning Embers online newsletter! To view the newsletter on the T77.org website, you will need to click here AND sign in as member@t77.org, password is BPOElks<lodge number>, where you need to fill in the information in angle brackets, without using the brackets. Yes, case is important when entering the password. Any information that is troop-sensitive is only accessible by signing in. The troop calendar, badge and rank advancement information, campout prep and fact sheets, committee meeting minutes, and just about anything you need to know about Troop 77 is available on the site.

On the weekend of May 17-18 we will be going on the Scout Skills Camp-out. This is a good camp-out for the new scouts as we work on requirements for Scout and Tenderfoot. It is a great time for the older scouts to work as instructors and we work hard at having a great time outside.

Merit Badges! It is really smart the way merit badges are used in Scouts. There is a huge variety, to meet every interest, while a few important topics are required so everyone has to get those to get to Eagle. Instead of putting all the requirements for Eagle in a long list that included all the elements of the required merit badges they list the required badges and let the boys pick from so many others for the electives. The core badges are important but the elective ones are the real genius. Maybe you have an interest in welding, or photography or insect study; this gives you a peak into that world. I believe that merit badges have started boys thinking about a study or a career in an area they would never have even thought about before attempting the requirements of the badge.

The other part of the learning is that usually the boys have to choose the badge, find the counselor, and work on the requirements on their own. This builds greater responsibility and skills in time management. We have many people associated with the troop who are merit badge counselors, and we always need more. There are others who are available throughout the district as well. We have Merit Badge University twice a year and many offered at scout camp. I hope that the boys enjoy the variety and that maybe they find their future vocation or a lifelong interest, in one of the electives.

• April 26, Court of Honor practice 10:30 At the Scout Hall (May be Thursday night if it works)

• April 26, Court of Honor 3:00 Scouts there at 2:00 to set up Calvary Church 3245 Kalmia Ave

• April 27, Bike ride, shake out for Fruita Camp out

• April 29: Regular meeting 7 – 8:30

• May 6: Regular meeting 7 – 8:30

• May 10, Bike ride, shake out for Fruita Camp out.

• May 13: Regular meeting 7 – 8:30

• May 17-18, Scout Skills, Joey in charge

• May 20: Regular meeting 7 – 8:30 Patrol Competition

• May 21, Put out memorial flags Mark McNellan Service Project

• May 26, Bolder Boulder help

• May 27: First Summer meeting 7 – 9

• May 28, Take down memorial flags.

• June 6-8 Fruita Bike trip with Nathaniel White

• June 13 BYOC

• June 21; Water World, Andrew and Evan in charge

• June 27-29 Fulford Cave Camp (was Sand Dunes

• July 5, Movie Night Evan in charge

• July 6-12, NYLT at BDSR for new leaders

• July 20-26, Summer Camp at BDSR

Handy Links:

Troop Calendar

Campout Information

Burning Embers

"Fulford Caves" Campout

by Andrew Seiler

This week, most of our troop members are on the Hut Trek, and the rest are either out of town for Spring Break or just relaxing at home. For the very few in the third catagory, here's a report of our most recent campout-- Fulford Caves. Rather, this was neither a campout, nor did it take place at Fulford Caves. We were stranded at the Elk's Lodge without any conceivable way of reaching Fulford Caves in a safe or timely fashion. So we did what Boy Scouts do in a situation like this: watch movies and go to the Boulder Rec. Center. This is not actually what Boy Scouts do, but we had nary any other options, so we opted for this instead. Much fun was had, and we "camped" "out" in the Scout hall, without so much as even seeing a cave. The cutout bats and "Fulford Caves" signs made of paper that the adults put up did help, though.