The Zroni Roll fundraiser is coming to a close this Tuesday and so far we have sold over 180 rolls!  That’s $900 to be credited to our Scout’s accounts!

REMINDERS

Just a few reminders as we close in on the deadline:

• Online orders will be closing soon.  We hope to keep the orders open through our meeting on Tuesday, but we may need to close earlier to accommodate a request from Zroni Roll.
• You must turn in any outstanding paper order forms AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  If you have a paper order form, take a picture of it and email/text it to Mr. Roy and myself.  You should also turn in your form along with all payments (except those taken through Venmo) at Tuesday’s meeting.

ORDER PICKUPS

Zroni Roll orders must be picked up in the ELC parking lot at 6PM on Friday, March 8.  If you cannot make that time, it is your responsibility to make other arrangements to pickup your order.

We are excited to announce our upcoming Zroni Roll Fundraiser, a delicious opportunity to support our troop and earn credits for your Scout’s account. Here’s everything you need to know about this mouth-watering event:

• Price: Only $16 per roll.
• $5 credited to your Scout Account for each roll sold – a fantastic way to boost your Scout’s funds.
• Serving Size: Each roll generously feeds 3–4 people, perfect for family dinners or sharing with friends.
• Zroni Rolls are made fresh and then flash frozen to lock in all the delicious flavors, ensuring you receive them at their best.

We will be providing additional details and options to purchase online in January.

Please note, there is no shipping option available for the Zroni Rolls. This fundraiser is all about community support, and we’re focusing on our local area to make sure everyone gets their rolls fresh and ready to enjoy.

Why Participate?

Apart from being a delicious addition to your meal plans, every Zroni Roll you sell contributes directly to your individual Scout account that they can use to fund their participation in Troop activities from weekend camping trips, Summer Camp, and even Sea Base or other future High Adventure Base trips. It’s a win-win – you and your friends get a tasty treat, and our Scouts get more opportunities for adventure and learning.

We’re counting on your enthusiastic participation to make this fundraiser a success. Remember, more details will follow in January, so stay tuned. Let’s make this a flavorful and fruitful event for everyone!

We’ve recently become aware that some of our Troop families are not receiving communications sent from the Troop. Staying informed is crucial for the smooth operation of our Troop and the safety and enjoyment of our Scouts. To address this, we want to remind you of several ways to ensure you receive all our communications:

1. Add Additional Adults to Your Household: It’s important to have all relevant adults in your household connected to our communication channels. For instructions on how to get a TroopTrack account, which is our primary tool for communication and planning, please visit: How do I get a TroopTrack account?
2. Update Your TroopTrack Profile with Mobile Number and Carrier: Adding your mobile number to your TroopTrack profile ensures you can receive text updates, which are crucial for time-sensitive information. For guidance on adding your mobile number, see: How And Why Should I Add A Mobile Number To My TroopTrack Account?
3. Whitelist Troop Email Addresses: To prevent our emails from landing in your spam or junk folder, add our email addresses to your whitelist. The email domains to include are @trooptrack.com, @troop457zelie.org, and @troop457zelie.trooptrack.email. Specifically, make sure to whitelist [email protected] and [email protected]. For instructions on how to whitelist email addresses in various email clients and mobile OSes, click here.

In our effort to ensure the accuracy of our communication system, we will be sending out a semi-annual data check email in December. This email will summarize each household’s current TroopTrack configuration. It’s a great opportunity to review and update your information as needed.

Additionally, we will be testing the TroopTrack text messaging functionality in January. This test will help us confirm that all members are setup to receive time-sensitive updates and alerts.

We understand the importance of clear and reliable communication in our Troop activities, and we appreciate your cooperation in helping us achieve this. If you have any questions or need assistance with any of these steps, please do not hesitate to reach out.

As we continuously strive to improve our camping experiences, one key area we’ve focused on is the meals and nutrition during Troop campouts. Our Troop leaders have observed some trends that we believe are important to address to ensure the health and safety of all our Scouts.

Firstly, we’ve noticed a significant amount of food waste, with Scouts often not eating the meals prepared. Additionally, many Scouts bring extra snacks on campouts, which can attract animals to tents and cabins. Moreover, the meals planned by the Scouts sometimes lack balance, missing essential food groups. While we understand that some Scouts may have specific eating preferences beyond food allergies, it is crucial for everyone to have well-balanced meals to stay energized for our activities.

To address these concerns, Troop leadership is committing to:

• Incorporate All Five Food Groups in Meal Planning: Going forward, we’ll ensure that our meal plans cover all five food groups, providing a balanced diet that is essential for the health and energy levels of our Scouts.
• Share Planned Menus in Advance: We will provide the menu for each campout ahead of time. This will allow Scouts who might not be interested in the planned meals to bring their own suitable alternatives.
• Gathering Feedback: We will ask our Scouts to provide feedback on what foods they like and don’t like so we can consider those preferences in our meal planning.  We will also gather feedback on the specific meals prepared during campouts so we know whether to include them in future plans.

We are asking for the cooperation of Scouts and their parents/guardians in the following ways:

• Encouragement to Eat Provided Meals: We urge everyone to encourage Scouts to eat the food being prepared. This not only helps reduce waste but also ensures that all Scouts get the nutrition they need.
• Inform Leaders About Alternative Food Arrangements: If a Scout decides to bring their own food, please let the Troop leaders know in advance. This information is vital for us to make accurate food purchases and avoid unnecessary waste.
• Limit Snacks Brought to Campouts: While snacks are often a fun part of camping, bringing excessive amounts can lead to problems, including attracting wildlife. We request that the amount of snacks brought be limited.

We believe these steps will help make our campouts more enjoyable and healthy for everyone involved. By working together, we can ensure that our meals are not only delicious but also nutritious, keeping our Scouts fueled and ready for adventure!

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

IT’S OFFICIAL!  Troop 457 is heading to Seven Ranges Scout Reservation in Kensington Ohio for summer camp June 23 – 29, 2024.  This event has been added to the Troop Calendar in TroopTrack and Scouts can RSVP now to hold their spot.

The Seven Ranges Summer Camp experience is very different from what Scouts experienced at Beaumont last summer.  Beginning in December, our monthly newsletters will include a special section discussing what Scouts can expect during their week of Summer Camp.

One important item to note, Seven Ranges’ summer camp runs Sunday through SATURDAY (not Friday like Beaumont last year).  This is to accommodate the Pipestone Camp Honors program (which will be the topic in our December newsletter).

At Troop 457, we recognize that cell phones have become a ubiquitous part of our Scouts’ everyday lives and phones are both powerful tools and major distractions. It is unrealistic to expect Scouts to leave their devices at home, but it is important that cell phones not interfere with our Leaders’ ability to deliver an effective Scouting Program.

During the October 2023 Patrol Leaders Council and Troop Committee Meetings, Mr. Maloney proposed the adoption of a Troop Cell Phone Policy that provides Scouts with clear guidance on how cell phone are (and are not) to be used during Troop meetings and events.  The policy was adopted by the PLC and Troop Committee in November 2023 and can be found below and on the Troop Website.

• Troop 457 and its leadership are NOT responsible for the cell phone if it is lost, stolen, or damaged during Scout activities.
• Cell phones are a Scouts personal property (just like their tent and camping gear).  It is the Scout’s responsibility to keep track of the phone. If a cell phone is lost during a scout activity the Troop will not spend a large amount of time looking for it.
• Scouts should not be on their cell phones during Troop Meetings unless explicitly needed for the activity.  Cell phones will only be used during down times at Troop meetings and events and should never be a disruption to troop activities.
• Cell phones will NOT be taken into restrooms, shower facilities for any reason (charging, private phone calls, or for pictures/video). This is a violation of Youth Protection.
• No pictures or videos will be posted by Scouts on any social media site without the permission of the person in the picture or video.  The Troop is permitted to post photos / videos to the Troop social media accounts and TroopTrack.
• Use of the cell phone should follow the 12 points of the Scout Law. Inappropriate content should not be accessed.
• Cyber bullying is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
• Adult leadership will NOT provide their vehicles or other means for charging cell phones.
• No music playing at any time, especially at night. Earbuds are to be worn to not disturb others.

Our Troop holds our Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) and Patrol Meetings on the third Tuesday of every month.  These meetings play an important role in operating our Troop.  Let’s take a quick look at the objectives of these meetings and how they will be changing over the next several months.

Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) Meetings

The Patrol Leaders Council (or PLC) meeting should be attended by any Scout who holds a leadership position in the Troop (e.g., Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Quartermaster).  During these meetings, our Youth Leaders receive important information about the operation of the Troop and discuss what activities will be taking place in the upcoming 2 months.  They also assign responsibility for planning these meetings to specific Patrols.

Patrol Meetings

Patrol Meetings are held immediately following the PLC meeting (during the Parents Meeting) and should be attended all Scouts in a Patrol regardless of their leadership position.  During these meetings:

• The Patrol Leader (and any other members of the patrol in leadership positions) will review what was discussed in the PLC and share any important updates.
• The Patrol members will provide their Patrol leader with any updates on their personal rank advancement and what requirements they need to complete to earn their next rank.  The Patrol leader will share this information with the PLC in the next meeting.
• Patrol members will work together to plan any upcoming Troop meetings or events to which their Patrol was assigned responsibility.

Scouts should maximize their time working together to complete these plans in order to be prepared for their upcoming meetings.

What is Changing

The following changes will be made to the Patrol Meetings in the upcoming months to ensure our Scouts are actively working on event planning:

• The Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster will actively participate in Patrol Meetings once their updates have been completed in the Parents Meeting.
• Scouts will have access to a structure planning check list for Troop Events and Troop Meetings (coming soon)
• Planning checklist will be reviewed by the Scoutmaster / Assistant Scoutmaster before leaving the meeting.
• The final planning checklists must be presented to the Senior Patrol Leader and Scoutmaster:
  • Troop Meetings – At the meeting the week before the meeting the patrol is planning
  • Troop Events / Campouts – At the meeting 2 weeks before the event.

The Troop website has a new “Service Portal” from which our members can quickly perform a variety of actions, including:

• Request changes to TroopTrack Accounts (add/remove a user, add an email address to a Scout’s account)
• Learn more about Health Forms and Permission Slips
• Request an Application for Merit Badge (a.k.a. Blue Card)
• Request approval of independent Service Hours
• Request a Scoutmaster Conference or Board of Review
• Submit an adult leader application (including merit badge counselor applications)
• An online Lost and Found where you can submit items found at an event or items you are missing from an event.

We’re in the process of finalizing a few features (including limiting it to only Troop members via their TroopTrack user accounts), but please start using these tools to submit your requests rather than emails.

Cell phone have become a ubiquitous part of today’s society.  Many of our Scouts carry their phones with them to Troop meetings and events.  These phones can be a tool to help the contact parents, store information, or look things up to complete rank and merit badge requirements.  They can also be a distraction at meetings and isolate Scouts from one another.

We recognize that it is unrealistic to ban cell phones from Troop meetings and events, but our leadership has decided that we need to set clear expectations of how cell phones should be used during Troop functions.  Below is a proposed cell phone policy.  We invite Scouts and Parents / Guardians to provide their feedback to their youth leaders, the Scoutmaster or Committee Chair before November 19, 2023.  The official policy will be adopted in the November 21 PLC meeting.

Proposed Cel Phone Policy

• Troop 457 and its leadership are NOT responsible for the cell phone if it is lost, stolen, or damaged during Scout activities.
• Cell phones are a Scouts personal property (just like their tent and camping gear).  It is the Scout’s responsibility to keep track of the phone. If a cell phone is lost during a scout activity the Troop will not spend a large amount of time looking for it.
• Scouts should not be on their cell phones during Troop Meetings unless explicitly needed for the activity.  Cell phones will only be used during down times at Troop meetings and events and should never be a disruption to troop activities.
• Cell phones will NOT be taken into restrooms, shower facilities for any reason (charging, private phone calls, or for pictures/video). This is a violation of Youth Protection.
• No pictures or videos will be posted by Scouts on any social media site without the permission of the person in the picture or video.  The Troop is permitted to post photos / videos to the Troop social media accounts and TroopTrack.
• Use of the cell phone should follow the 12 points of the Scout Law. Inappropriate content should not be accessed.
• Cyber bullying is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
• Adult leadership will NOT provide their vehicles or other means for charging of cell phones. 
• No music playing at any time, especially at night. Earbuds are to be worn to not disturb others.

Registration

We are currently at capacity for the Troop Lodge for summer camp (22 scouts and 6 adults signed up).  We can accommodate more campers on our site if they are willing to camp in tents / hammocks.

If you or someone in your family plans on attending Summer Camp:

• Review your RSVP in TroopTrack to make sure you have responded.
• If you haven’t RSVPed for the event, register on Trooptrack ASAP so we know how many people to expect and to plan transportation.

The absolute final date to sign up or change your response is May 16.  After that date, campers will be charged based on their RSVP.

Merit Badge Planning

The schedule for merit badges classes has been released for our week of camp.  Scouts should review the schedule and create a plan for what badges they would like to participate in during the week.  Registration for merit badge classes will open at noon on Tuesday, May 6.  We are working on a plan to register Scouts for their classes at that time as some classes fill up quickly.  Additional information will be shared at an upcoming meeting.

Reading The Schedule

The schedule for our week of Summer Camp is available HERE.  The file contains 4 pages that look like the image below:

• There are 9 possible scheduling slots for the week (called “pods” on the schedule). This includes:
  • Morning sessions each day Monday through Friday
  • Afternoon sessions each day Monday through Thursday.
• Some merit badges require more than one pod to complete.  The color of the cell indicates whether the Merit Badge requires one or more pods to complete:
  • Merit Badges requiring 1 pod are shown in GREEN.
  • Merit Badges requiring 2 pods are shown in shades of ORANGE.
  • Merit Badges requiring more than 2 pods (i.e. Hiking MB, Project COPE) are shown in PURPLE.
• Note that the pods are shown OUT OF ORDER in the document (e.g., Monday AM and Tuesday AM are grouped together).  This is because badges requiring multiple sessions have classes in the morning or afternoon on consecutive days.
• Multiple classes may be offered for a merit badge in a week.
• The final four columns of the document contain additional information about pre-/post- requirements, cost and additional information.
  • “Starting Requirements” are the pre-requirements to be completed BEFORE arriving at Summer Camp.
  • “Finishing Requirements” are requirements that will be finished by the Scout AFTER Summer Camp.
    • Scouts will earn a “partial” on these badges until the requirements are finished.
    • The Merit Badge Counselor may allow Scouts to show they have completed these Finishing Requirements before arriving at camp, but this is up to the Counselor’s discretion.
  • Merit Badges with additional costs for supplies are indicated in the Costs column.
    • Some of these kits must be purchased at the trading post before starting the merit badge.
    • Scouts are responsible for bringing cash to camp to cover these costs.
• Many merit badges will have work to be completed at camp during a Scout’s open time.
• Classes are planned to be capped at 15 scouts with a waitlist in the event that a class is filled.

Preparing Your Merit Badge Plan

• Review the BSR Merit Badges Week 2 schedule.
• Plan to fill up to 7 of the 9 “pods”.  Leave some time for “campwork” and for personal advancements. If you fill all of the “pods”, you will have a very busy week.

• • Write out your ideal schedule for the week with your top preferences.
  • Include 3 or 4 possible alternates.
  • All scouts who do not have First Aid MB or Swimming MB must make those your top 2 choices.  There are 4 sections of each of those MBs in the course of the week.  Talk to your peers and plan to register for the same section.
• We are working on a plan for getting the actual registration completed.  You will be asked to bring your plan to a future meeting so we know how to register you.

In February 2023, the BSA updated the Guide to Safe Scouting policy to revise the Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse and the Cub Scout Coordinated Camping Sections.  The Scouting Barriers to Abuse change directly impacts who is permitted to stay overnight at a Scouting activity.

The following requirements are effective September 1, 2023:

Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including all meetings. There must be a registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over in every unit serving females. A registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over must be present for any activity involving female youth or female adult program participants.

Notwithstanding the minimum leader requirements, age and program-appropriate supervision must always be provided.

All adults staying overnight in connection with a Scouting activity must be currently registered in an adult fee required position as listed or as an adult program participant.

See: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss01/

What does this mean for our Troop?

Starting on September 1, any adult participating in overnight events with the Troop must be Registered Adult Leaders in fee-paid leadership positions.  (Merit Badge Counselors DO NOT meet this requirement.)

Adults who do not meet these requirements may participate in the events during the day but will NOT be permitted to spend the night.

How to become an Adult Leader

In order to become an adult leader, you will be required to complete a membership application, obtain necessary clearances, and complete the BSA’s Youth Protection training (YPT).  Instructions can be found HERE.

Troop leadership will help you determine the correct position based on how you would like to engage with the Troop as this can impact the Troop’s Journey to Excellence (JTE) score.

• Parents who want to play an active committee member or assistant Scoutmaster must take additional training to increase our JTE score.
• Parents who don’t want to play an active role in the troop can be registered as Unit Scouter Reserve.  YPT is the only required training.

Troop 457 is excited to welcome Elizabeth Peterson as the Troop’s new Advancement Chair!  Mrs. Peterson is taking over the position from Mrs. Byers who has filled this role for several years.

As Advancement Chair, Mrs. Peterson is responsible or:

• Encouraging Scouts to advance in rank
• Helping plan and conduct induction and advancement recognition ceremonies.
• Working with the Scouts to maintain the Troop’s advancement records.
• Arranging Troop Scoutmaster Conferences, Boards of Review and quarterly Courts of Honor.

Look for an email from Mrs. Peterson soon with additional information.  You can alway connect with Mrs. Peterson using the Advancement mailing list in TroopTrack or by completing advancement request forms in the Advancement Hub on the Troop website.