Last Update: 13 June 2025. Click
your browser's refresh button to ensure you are looking at the most
recent update to this page.It is updated several
times most weeks. Click underlined textto follow the link to additional information.
SUMMER CAMP ACTIVITY SIGN-UP FORM - COMPLETE
BY 20 JUNE!
You should now make your requests for Summer Camp Merit Badges and
First Year Camper Program.
You will have the opportunity to have your selections emailed to you
at the end of filling in the form.
Contact Mr. Clasing at 443-326-6132 if you have any questions or
difficulties choosing your activities.
Troop Dues
Please pay your Troop dues for the year to the Troop Treasurer at the next
meeting. Dues are $75 for all Scouts except Scouts who have joined within
the last 12 months whose dues were part of their joining fees.
Troop 497 Car Wash
Despite the rainy morning with the threat of thunderstorms we had a
successful car wash on June 7th. The tempo picked up significantly when
the sun appeared around noon. We wash a total of 241 cars.
Troop 497 would like to thank everyone who had their cars washed;
contributed or pledged to the scouts; volunteered before, during, or
after the car wash; and our corporate sponsors. Please support our
Corporate Sponsors listed below.
PLCs will generally be scheduled for the second Sunday of each month.
Check the announcements for any changes. All patrols should be
represented by their Patrol Leader or a designated substitute. All
Seniors are expected to participate. Adult Leaders are welcome to join
the meetings.
Please arrive at Joe's Cafe shortly before 6 PM so the meeting can
start on time.Parents should return at 7:00 PM to pick up
their sons.
Troop Meeting, Thursday, 19 June, 7:30-9:00 pm
The meeting Theme for June is Boating.
Join us on every Thursday evening for our Troop Meetings in the St Joseph
Parish Multi-Purpose Room. Check these announcements for any updates.
Water Weekend Camping Trip, 20-22 June - SIGN
UP NOW!
Our next camping trip is Water Weekend. It takes place in the front yards
of several families property along the Susquehanna River. We will be
camping in their yards. We should have the opportunity to swim, canoe,
kayak, water ski, go tubing, boat riding and possibly sailing. It is also
a great time with exceptional food.
Complete
the Event Registration Form and pay the
Troop Treasurer at a Troop Meeting by6
June. We need a good count of participants to arrange
car pooling and to buy enough food for the Scouts and adults.
All Adults should have a current BSA certification for Safe Swim
Defense.
All Adults using any watercraft must have a current
BSA certification for Safety Afloat.
The registration form should be completed by all Scouts and
Adults participating during any part of the weekend including just
driving.
Only Adults, who are registered with the BSA and Troop 497, are
permitted to camp overnight with Troop 497 Scouts.
Re-register if you need to make updates or cancel your participation
after you submit your initial registration.
The
cost for the trip is $35 for Scouts and Adults - the extra
cost offsets the great menu. Pay the troop treasurer at a Troop
meeting.
General Information
This is a tent camping trip with Troop cooking.
The main activity for the weekend is water sports. Photographs
from prior Water Weekend trips are available on the Troop Website.
Carry a flashlight in your pocket for when you arrive.
We will return to the shed on Sunday at 2 PM and take care of the
gear used on the trip. Parents should arrive at 1:45 to pick up
their sons who had carpooled with another adult.
OA Elections will be held around 7:30 PM on Saturday evening. More
information about the elections will be provided at upcoming troop
meetings.
Shelter
We will be tenting this weekend. Scouts must sleep in troop tents
and adhere to normal BSA guidelines for tenting with other scouts as
we do on any other camping trip. Adults may tent in their personal
tents or a troop tent - space is limited so don't bring large tents.
Food
This is a Troop cooking trip with the food selection exceeded that
of a normal camping trip.
Special dietary restrictions: If your son has special
dietary restrictions you would like the troop to attempt to
accommodate on this trip, please contact Mr. Ken Krach at
kf62krach@gmail.com as soon as possible. PLEASE BRING SPECIAL FOOD
AS NEEDED.
The Troop's transportation coordinator may actively recruit parents
to drive to/from the camping location if we don't have sufficient
adult volunteers to drive. You may be asked to drive one or both ways.
Summer Camp Q&A for Parents, 30 June -
check back for location and time
Experienced adults will hold a Q&A session for all parents of scouts
and adults going to summer camp. This is a great opportunity to learn more
about how Troop 497 prepares and conducts a summer camp experience at
Haliburton Scout Reserve. Get all you summer camp questions answers and
bring in all your required forms.
The main meeting event will be a Summer Camp Packing Demo. Learn what
to bring, what not to bring, and how best to pack it for camp. Parents,
especially of first summer camp scouts, are encourage to partake in the
packing demo and learn from adults with many summer camps under their
belts.
Join us on every Thursday evening for our Troop Meetings in the St
Joseph Parish Multi-Purpose Room. Check these announcements for any
updates.
Summer Camp Information
Bring two copies of your completed and signed medical and
insurance forms and give them to Mr. Reidler at the next Troop
Meeting. See the Information/Major Events page for
detailed information.
Summer Camp Information will appear under the Information/Major Events page
of this web site as it becomes available or changes. Generally this page
will have an announcement about any new major information for about two
weeks. The Major Events page is the repository for all the detailed
information that can be shared publicly and that information will continue
to grow as we get nearer to summer camp. Any private information will be
sent in the troop emails. Currently the major Events page has information
about passports, medicals, medications, and payments.
Consent Letter to Allow a Minor Child to Cross the U.S. Canadian
Border
BOTH Parents or Guardians must complete this Consent Letter to Allow a
Minor Child to Cross the U.S. Canadian Border. It
must be signed in the presence of a Notary Public and Notarized. We
will have a Notary at the check-in the Thursday before we leave for
Canada. You can also have it notarized at most banks before then.
Complete Jet Boat Ride Waiver Online - NEW
5 June
We’re working hard towards making summer camp a great experience for
everyone. On the trip to camp, we will take a jet boat ride through the
rapids of the Niagara River Gorge to the Whirlpool. It’s a bouncy fun
ride we have done our last two trips to Canada. Everyone will get
soaked.
You will need the following information to fill out the waiver/consent
correctly:
Trip Location: Queenston, ON (Canada)Group Name: Troop 497
Order Number: 365248
Trip Date: July 18
Trip Time: 1:00 PM
Boat Type: Wet Jet
Upon submission of the waiver/consent form, you will receive an email
confirmation attaching a PDF copy. Please print this copy and give it
to Ken Krach at a troop meeting prior to Summer Camp.
Anyone who does not submit a waiver/consent form will not be able to
participate. Our group rate limits the number of adults that can
participate. Any adult who doesn't want to participate, please let Ken
know.
Passports Required for Summer Camp at Haliburton Scout Reserve in
Ontario, Canada
Everyone traveling into Canada and returning to the US should have a Passport
Book valid at the time of entry. Visit this US Department of State web site
for information on obtaining a passport book. Don't get a Passport
Card - it is not valid for international travel by air which
may be necessary in the event of an emergency. Apply NOW, it takes time to
obtain a passport and is much more expensive if you need it quickly.
A Birth Certificate is required to apply for your passport.
Obtain a birth certificate NOW if you don't have one that meets these
requirements. It must have the seal or stamp
from the city, county, or state which issued it.
All Scouts and adult leaders will need to provide a copy of the
identification (picture) page of your passport as backup.
Northern Tier 2025
PAYMENT INFORMATION
Northern Tier 2025 - Final planning is underway for the 2025 Northern Tier
trip for registered Scouts/Leaders. Current estimated costs for
Scouts/Leaders attending Northern Tier is $3,000 per participant. Payment
in full is requested by the end of April 2025.
Emails from BAC concerning Registration Expiring
Please disregard any emails you may receive from
the Baltimore Area Council concerning scout or adult registrations
expiring.
All scout and adult leaders registration fees that were due at the end of
2024 were paid by the troop in the middle of December.
The Baltimore Area Council is in the process of updating their electronic
system.
Additional Resources for Scouts, Parents, and Adults
Please visit the Resources page under the Information menu
above for additional information about Troop 497 programs and
activities.
