Tuesday, March 2:  Citizenship in the Community merit badge (Ridgeland City Hall Meeting for Group 1-7th grade scouts and older working on merit badge; Ridgeland City Hall is found at 304 Highway 51 at the corner of Lake Harbor and Hwy 51.  Scouts will need to wear CLASS A uniforms including merit badge sashes.  Troop 18 will lead the pledge and prayer before the meeting…review requirement 3 before meeting and take notes.  We will gather by 5:45 pm at City Hall.  Meeting begins at 6 pm.  We will finish at 7. Please be prompt to drop-off and pick up your scout.)

Monday, March 8: Citizenship in the Community merit badge (Jeff Weill, City Councilman, req. 4); Green Patrol

Thursday, March 18-Sunday, March 21: Campout-Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Tuesday, March 23:  Citizenship in the Community merit badge (Jackson City Council Meeting for Group 2-6th grade scouts working on merit badge; Jackson City Hall is found downtown between Pearl and Pascagoula Street.   Scouts will need to wear CLASS A uniforms including merit badge sashes.  Troop 18 will lead the pledge and prayer before the meeting…review requirement 3 before meeting and take notes.  We will gather by 5:45 pm at City Hall.  Meeting begins at 6 pm.  We will finish at 7. Please be prompt to drop-off and pick up your scout.  Parents are welcome to stay.)

Monday, March 29: Citizenship in the Community merit badge (finish req 4, 5, 6 discuss presentation: req 8); Green Patrol

Monday, April 5:  Citizenship in the Community merit badge (Steve Edwards – NCC and Dr. Holt Crews – Lantern Clinic. Discuss req 7 and project); Green Patrol

Monday, April 12:  Citizenship in the Community merit badge (presentations); Green Patrol

Monday, April 19:  Merit badge amnesty night; Citizenship in the Community merit badge (catch up and presentations if needed); Green Patrol

Friday, April 23-Sunday, April 25:  Campout-Andrew Jackson Council BSA 100th Anniversary Camporee

Monday, April 26:  Board of Review

Monday, May 3:  Court of Honor

Saturday, May 15:  Pickin’ & Paddlin’ Festival at Mayes Lake to benefit Neighborhood Christian Center

TBD:  Lantern Clinic service project

Sunday, June 6-Friday, June 11:  Summer Camp Hood

A few items for January and February are as follows:

Monday, January 4 — New Scout meeting for Parents and Scouts

Monday, January 11 — Regular Troop Meeting (First Aid merit badge; Green Patrol)

Saturday, January 16 — Vicksburg National Military Park 12 mile hike

Monday, January 18 — Court of Honor, Miller Hall FPC

Monday, January 25 — CPR Night

Monday, February 1 — Regular Troop Meeting (First Aid merit badge; Green Patrol)

Saturday, February 6 — BSA Swim Test, Baptist Fitness Center (Green Patrol)

Sunday, February 7 — Scout Sunday, FPC 11:00

Monday, February 8 — Regular Troop Meeting (Personal Management merit badge follow up; and planning for patrol campouts)

Saturday, February 13 — Patrol Campouts Weekend

Monday, February 15 — Board of Review

Monday, February 22 — Regular Troop Meeting (First Aid merit badge; Green Patrol)

Monday night meetings are in the Scout Room at 7:00 unless otherwise indicated.

9^th Grade (1)

Barron Garbo

8^th Grade (1)

Whit Ramsey

7^th Grade (16)

Sam Berry

Harrison Creath

Holt Crews

Clark Massey

Jack McBride

Harrison Moore

Peyton Parker

Thomas Phillips

Alex Russell

Rhodes Skelton

Carruth Smith

Daniel Teh

Noah Tidwell

Carl Upton

Tyler Wann

Gene Wood

6^th Grade (19)

Dees Baker

Crayton Bowie

Griffin Callender

Kendall Clarke

Adam Crawford

Vann Crawford

Reece Crumpler

Ross Edwards

William Garrard

John Keeler

Lee Meena

Grant Robinson

Ryan Seawright

Robert Stephenson

Cole Swayze

Mac Temple

Healy Vise

Jacob Whitaker

John Wooley

As previously noted (http://www.troop18.org/2009/05/13/americana-merit-badge-series/), this merit badge instruction will be in conjunction with the OPTIONAL merit badges Indian Lore, American Cultures and American Heritage.  I am calling these four the Americana Series. However, the scouts do not have to earn the three optional merit badges.

The classroom lecture portion of the Americana Series will be covered during Monday night 7:00 scout meetings on September 7, 14 and October 12.  There will be various homework items to be completed as well.

On Saturday, August 15, 2009, I intend to lead a visit to several spots along the Natchez Trace Parkway and to the Old Capitol Museum.  SCOUTS MUST DRESS IN CLASS A UNIFORM TO PARTICIPATE.  We will meet and depart from the Highland Village parking lot with the red double decker coffee bus at 8:00 AM.  We will go first to the Trace and then to the Museum around 10:00.  I anticipate getting back to Highland Village around 1:00 PM.  No meals will be provided, so the scouts should plan on breakfast before coming and having a late lunch afterwards.

The following requirements will be satisfied:

Cit/Nat 2a

Ind/Lore 2d

Am/Cult 1e

Am/Her 4e

This is not a mandatory outing.  These merit badge requirements can be met by other means on your own.  However, if you wish to participate with us on Aug 15, please let me know.  Depending on the attendance, we will need additional drivers and adult supervision.  Please advise if a parent is willing to help us that morning with driving and/or supervision.  For those of you that have not reached the rank of First Class, this field trip will count as an official troop “outing” for the purpose of rank advancement.

The best way to indicate attendance is a reply in a comment to this blog.  That way I can check it periodically and avoid having a lot of emails fill up my inbox.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Lee Bowie

 Sunday will be here before you know it!  We are looking forward to a great week of camp.  At this time, I have received all of the boy’s health forms except for the boys below.  At this stage, just make sure you have the form with you on Sunday.  This is critical as the camp will not admit a boy who does not have a form.  Links for forms and info are below.

 Jack McBride

Lee Meena

Mac Temple

John Wooley

 I have just added Julie Wooley to this email and have noticed that I do not have an email for Mac Temple, if someone could forward this info to them I would certainly appreciate it. 

 Transportation to and from camp is “own your own,” as we anticipate many boys may bring bikes.  Each scout should plan to arrive at the main parking lot (next to the administrative building) at Camp Hood by 2:30 pm on Sunday.  It takes about an hour to get to camp, so plan accordingly.  Wear your red Troop 18 shirt “Class B” uniform for arrival.  If you don’t have a red troop 18 shirt, I will have some extras on Sunday.  We will check in as a group, get our picture made and have our medical checkup/review before we head to campsite 4 (Redwing) to set camp.  The boys will then do a swim test before dinner.

Please contact me should you have any other questions.  Looking forward to a great week!

Kevin

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Should you need additional forms or just want more info on the camp, please go to the below link:

http://www.bsa-jackson.org/events/documents/2009LeadersGuide.pdf

As a reminder, all adults need to complete the youth protection training found at http://olc.scouting.org/  . 

 Remember: if your son brings a bike he must wear his helmet at all times!

 Key: If your son takes daily medicine for anything, please let me know.  We will have a designated adult make sure that he takes his prescription as required. 

 The troop will have three Summer Camp patrols – Ligers, Smurfs, and Platypus.  These groups will be responsible for our daily chores of campsite clean-up, latrine duty, and dining hall duty.  We’ll elect patrol leaders and assistant patrol leaders on Sunday. 

You should make arrangements to arrive by 11:30 am on Friday to pick up your son.  Again, park in the main lot and walk down to Campsite 4.  We plan to leave at 12 noon.

The adult schedule is below.  Many thanks to the men who will help make the week a huge success.  Men, please complete the Class 3 health form and bring this with you when you come (or mail this week).  Also, please complete the Youth Protection training and bring this document too.  On the schedule, I am assuming you will spend the mite for the days shown.  So for example, Harper Keeler is with me on Sunday and Monday nites and will leave out sometime Tuesday am.  This will allow us to keep at least 2 men in the campsite at all times.

Citizenship in the Nation (CN) is an Eagle required merit badge that will be offered this fall. In conjunction with this merit badge, I plan to weave in American Heritage (AH), American Cultures (AC) and Indian Lore (IL). These other merit badges are not Eagle required and are optional.

The scout must print out the merit badge worksheets for these merit badges.

The following requirements will be homework to be completed outside of class and may be worked on over the summer:

CN2d; CN3; CN6; CN8 (letter).

AH1; AH2a; AH2b; AH3a; AH3c; AH5a. [movies: The Last of the Mohicans; The Patriot; Glory; etc.]

AC2; AC4.

For American Cultures (AC), the THREE different groups we will be using are Black (African American); White (European American); and Choctaw (Native American).

If you have the time this summer, I suggest that you visit the Old Capitol Museum. This visit will lead to the satisfaction of requirements CN2a; AC1e; and IL2d.

If you have more time this summer, I suggest that you visit the Historic Natchez Trace along the Natchez Trace Parkway. This visit will lead to the satisfaction of requirement AH4e.

http://www.nps.gov/natr/planyourvisit/upload/map1.pdf

http://www.nps.gov/natr/choctaws.htm

For those of you who plan to attend the Lewis & Clark Heritage Foundation camping trip in October, you will be able to satisfy AH4d.

It will be necessary to attend the Lewis & Clark camping experience in October to satisfy IL2a; and IL3b.

Finally, for those who plan to attend the Lewis & Clark campout, I suggest that you check out from the Welty Public Library, a copy of the four hour Ken Burns’ 1997 video documentary, Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery. I want to see it myself!

http://75.144.59.10/uhtbin/cgisirsi.exe/Pz6GsYnRC5/WELTY/97750154/9

If you have a question, post a comment or send an email.  I will respond when I can.  Thanks, Lee

Although we are not having the Scout Canoe Race this year (and if the DEQ shuts down the lake for possible contamination from a down stream Jackson pumping problem, we may not be able to put boats in the water at all), but we will be have the bands, childrens’ activities and the BBQ lunch. For any of those scouts who may be interested in helping and receiving service hours, they also receive a free pass (includes meal) and T-Shirt (cool green color) if they work a three or more hour shift? See www.NCCJackson.com and hit the Pickin’ and Paddlin’ tab for more info.
The shifts are:
7 a.m. – 10 (this shift will help put up the tents and stage, unload canoes, and other heavier lifting. We also could use help with putting up signs, draping picnic tables, etc.)
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Help with the serving of the BBQ lunch, etc., cleaning up, and children’s activities) Note this is 4 hours but this allows for eating lunch.
2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (lots of continuing children’s activities and taking down of tents, stage, taking canoes out of water, emptying garbage cans, etc.)
If there are some scouts who are interested, please have them (or someone) call me at 668-7422 or Melody Moody at 540-3710 so we will know what shift they will be coming.

We are going to Gulf State park in Gulfshores Friday and coming home on Sunday afternoon. We have campsites reserved already. Scouts need money for dinner Friday and Breakfast Sunday. Each scout should bring cold Breakfast and Lunch for sat. and something to grill on Sat. night. We will fish on Sat so bring rods. My Dad is going but we need another dad. My Mom will send one large cooler full of drinks for everyone.