TROOP 433

TROOP COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

Nov 10, 2008

Note: action items are underlined

Present: Steve Wiberg, Rich Logan, Kelvin Vartti, Scott Betlach, Wyeth Lewis, Steve Frost, Lee Hunt, Mike Checky, Linda Christensen, Steve Lindloff, Fred Koerschner, Paul Hoff, Dave Puskala

 

PLC Report:   Winter Camping Theme

11/17: Clothes and Equipment, Skis, ShoeShoes; Finish Patrol flags.  Ski Relays

                Preopening – (15 min)—         Which 'W' Game" being planned by Spencer C. and Kyle Y

                                    Opening – Skit or Song --    Hawk patrol

Skills / Instruction -                 High Adventure (30 min) – presentation on winter camping by Spencer C (What to bring), Matt Norlien (Skis), Mr. Wiberg (Snow shoes), and Luke S (Snowboards).

Patrol Meeting (20 min) –        Finish our Patrol flags (flags and stands)

Inter-Patrol Activity (20 min) –               Team Ski Relays (Ben L and Kyle Y have volunteered to bring the skis).

Closing (5 min) –

Scout Master Minute –             Steve W.

PLC Need:

11/24: Topographal Map activities.  Map symbol worksheet and relay. 

Preopening – (15 min)—         Map Symbol Worksheet" (Ben L)

                                    Opening –                            Moose Patrol

Skills / Instruction - (30 min) –               Topographical Map Activities (led by Luke S and Jesse L).

Patrol Meeting (20 min) –        Plan Patrol Merit Badge Outing

Inter-Patrol Activity (20 min) –               "Map Symbol Relay" (Mr. Puskala).

Closing (5 min) –

Scout Master Minute –             Steve W.

PLC Need:

 

Pancake Breakfast:  Luke S. will be overall lead, with Logan F., Ben G. will work with getting boys signed up and Kevin F./ Taylor S. will be working on food.

 

·          Aviation Merit badge will be offered by the troop with a Merit badge councilor that the contacted the troop.

·          $15 camping fee for last weekend.

·          Kyle Y. mentioned that he hasn’t paid the fall camporee costs from Oct.  The Troop needs to send out an email with the Fall Camporee costs.  Kyle Y was PLC with Steve K. as the adult lead.

·          Winter Campout signup? 

·          Scott mentioned the Luke did an excellent job as PLC at the last weekends campout.

 

Minutes:

Approved.

 

Treasures Report:

About $8900 in troop accounts with $1900 in scout accounts, ~$7000 in troop accounts.  There is one scout who has pending charges for this years Tomahawk.  Steve L. will write a letter to this scouts family.

 

Steve L. mentioned that we should have an outing expense form listed on the web site.  We need to check the council web site to see if there are example forms to follow.  Multiple adults will look for example forms that the troop has used in the past and will bring them to the next committee meeting.   Kelvin will check for the best way to store campout P&L online so they can be used as references for future outings.

 

Financial Accounting software:  TroopMaster is currently be used to track scout advancement.  Scott mentioned that TroopLedger should be used to integrate the two packages.  Scott suggested that we update TroopMaster software also.  The scout accounts are currently being run by Quickbooks by John Y.  Rich mentioned that the different people run the financial books and scout records so the software packages don’t need to be the same.  Steve L. and John Y. should take a look at TroopLedger to see what software to keep.  Bring recommendations at the next committee meeting.

 

Service Events:

Pancake Breakfast and Eagle Projects are coming up this month.

 

Fred mentioned the food shelf drive should be looked at.  This needs to be brought up with the PLC to pick a date.  This could be a service project for any month.  Any food collected can be counted for the Scouting for Food total. 

 

Outdoor Activities:

  • Winter Camping interest.  Lee doesn’t have a list of campers but he will get the list from Jesse
    • Next Monday 11/17, Spencer and Isak will put together a poster on winter camping.
    • Lee will have a meeting just before flags for Winter Camping Signup.

 

Other:

Steve F. said that this month’s scouting magazine has an article of mix age boy patrols to keep older boys interested in scouting.  Steve mentioned that both models work but keeping age based patrols together keeps boys in scouting because their in patrols with there friends.  Patrols with low turnout may need to be combined and worked with Patrol mentors and the Scoutmaster.

 

Dave P. mentioned that while he was scoutmaster in Roseville they moved to the mixed age patrol for about 1 ˝ years.  There could be a struggle with picking patrols.  In addition, the older boys tend to be the leaders over the younger scouts and the younger scouts didn’t get leadership responsibility.  The Troop ended up going back to the age grouped patrols.

 

Wyeth mentioned the Troop guides could be used to have the older scouts guide younger scouts.

 

Mike C mentioned the following points that he learned in training:

    1) A troop that isn’t run by patrols isn’t a troop. 

    2) Mixed age patrols is the way to go. 

    3) Be open to change.

 

FOS: 

Tom D. is FOS chair and Paul is assisting.  This year’s base goal is $6800.

 

Venture Crew:

Wyeth mention that the districts is starting a Ski and Snowboard venture crew where the crew that skis nine times (Sundays) and one weekend for $175 for early signup.  Venture crew is age 14 to 21, mixed crews.  They would like to get a crew size of 30 to support a bus.  Dennis Sebisica is running the crew.

 

Other:

Mike C. mentioned that the Karate class he attends is offering one months free lesions and Steve asked if he could send on email out to the troop list.  Motion passed.

 

 

Re-Charter is starting.  Fred will be sending out emails.

 

Steve mentioned that he is seeing the Scouts Progress reports from Scouts from other troops with Eagle BOR listing all of the scouts troop activities.  Scott mentioned that the report is from Troopmaster.  For this to work with our troop we would need someone to update Troopmaster with the scouts activities, possibly the troop scribe.