Hello Troop 457!

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and are excited to kickoff the new year in just a few short days.  As we prepared for 2023, I'd like to share a few important things in this newsletter:

• Two time-sensitive surveys that all our Scouts should respond to.
• An update on our January 2023 events
• Some important updates on our program, including recent rank and merit badge requirement changes from the Boy Scouts of America.

A new year marks the start of changes and new adventures.  The same is true for our Troop.  On January 1, we welcome a new set of youth and adult leaders and in a few months we'll be welcoming 10+ new Scouts from our Cub Scout Pack.

Change can be difficult, but it also gives us the chance to be creative and find new adventures to embark on.  One of my favorite quotes from Lord Robert Baden Powell (the founder of the Scouting movement) is:

"Life without adventure would be deadly dull."

Like Baden Powell, I'm existed to seek our new adventures and I invite all of you to share your ideas and Scouting aspirations so we can continue to grow our Troop and see where our adventures will take us in 2023 and beyond.

Yours in Scouting,

Mr. Maloney

Scoutmaster, Troop 457

All Scouts are asked to complete the following two surveys EVEN IT THEY DO NOT:

• Plan on attending the Sea Base expedition
• Have an opinion on the neckerchief design

The Troop CANNOT accommodate submissions after the stated due date.  
Submit your responses early to ensure you meet the deadline.

The Neckerchief Survey is due on Tuesday, January 3 and the Sea Base survey is due by Monday. January 16.

Contact Mr. Maloney or Mr. Matusiak with any questions, comments or concerns.

We have another exciting month of activities coming up in January, including:

In addition to these upcoming events, Scouts should be prepared for the following activities during our regular Troop Meetings:

• January 3: General Advancement
• January 10: Citizenship in Society or To Be Determined Merit Badges
• January 17: Patrol Leaders Council (6PM) and Parents (7PM) Meetings
• January 24: Last day to submit rank advancement and merit badge blue cards for January 31 Court of Honor.

In addition to our event calendar, we discussed a few additional items in our December PLC and Parent meetings.  We encourage you to take a few minutes to review each item.