Troop 497 Announcements

Last Update: 21 May 2026. 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 text to follow the link to additional information.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS - see additional information below

Car Wash Sponsor List (see below)
Car Wash 6 June (Severe Weather Date: 13 June)
Philmont 17 June - 1 July 2026
Water Weekend, 26-28 June, REGISTER ONLINE BY 12 JUNE

Photographs from our Eagle Court of Honor, Wye Island and Junior Leader Training

Photographs from our 19 April 2026 Eagle Court of Honor, our April Wye Island camping trip, and the Junior Leader Training weekend are available in our 2026 Photo Album. Click on the "Photographs" menu item above to navigate to our Photo Album Page.

Troop Meeting, Thursday, 21 May, 7:30-9:00 pm

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, 26-28 June, REGISTER ONLINE BY 12 JUNE AND PAY AT A TROOP MEETING

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.

Actions required by participants before the trip:

Complete the Event Registration Form and pay the Troop Treasurer at a Troop Meeting by 12 June. We need a good count of participants to purchase 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.
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 by clicking the Photogrphs menu item.
Check this link for a General Weekend Personal Clothing and Gear List. In additional to items on that list everyone should bring these items
- glasses strap for sunglasses or other glasses
- sunscreen
- swim suit
- beach towels
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.
(Tentative) 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 Scouting America 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.
Menu Check back for details

Transportation

WE NEED DRIVERS – please register to drive using the Online Event Registration Form.

You should still complete the online registration process if you are a Virtus approved driver and you are volunteering to drive but don't plan to camp.
Click to view the Suggested Driving Directions. It is about 35 miles and about a 55 min drive.
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.

Car Wash – 6th June 2026 (Severe Weather Date: 13 June)

Updated 21 May 2026

Please start submitting your pledges and/or corporate sponsorships to Mr. Zach during Troop Meetings. Thanks to everyone who is helping motivate the boys on achieving their goal, and for helping to make this car wash a success!

The annual car wash is quickly approaching. We began distributing the Car Wash donation packets to the scouts at the Troop meeting on Thursday, April 23rd. If you did not receive your packet, you have two options, either go to the Forms/Current Events page and print the forms, or contact Mr. Zach to arrange a pickup of your packet.

Please get started right away on getting sponsors. Each scout is expected to raise at least $200.00 in pledges and/or corporate sponsorships. The first $100.00 in pledges goes 100% to the troop. Every pledge over the first $100 goes to the scout’s family account, which can be used to pay for summer camp, monthly camping trips, and any supplies related to scouting.

For every $25 in donations that each scout turns in each week, they will get one ticket for that week’s prize drawings. We are in need of donations for the weekly prize drawings. The prizes can be anything you think the boys will like, from a $5.00 gift card to Dunkin', to the unused Christmas gift that is sitting in your basement. No prize is too small!

Please respond to Mr. Zach (jeffzach2002@gmail.com or 847-682-9385) to let him know if you are able to offer any prize donation. Please bring your prize donations to the weekly Troop meetings.

Thanks for helping motivate the boys on achieving their goal, and for helping to make this car wash a success!

CAR WASH - SPONSOR LIST (updated 21 May)

To help our Scouts and the Troop secure sponsors for the June 6th Car Wash, we have compiled a list of all businesses that have sponsored the event since 2016.

Turn in your sponsorship forms. There are still plenty of businesses left to contact. Remember, each Scout is expected to raise at least $200 in sponsorships. Ask a Senior, Patrol Buddy, or Parent if you need help getting started.

In the spirit of fairness and in accordance with the principles of Scout Law, if a current Scout previously secured a sponsorship with a business, that Scout will have the first opportunity to renew that sponsorship.

The attached list (updated 21 May) is divided into two categories: Open and Reserved.

Open means the previous Scout associated with that sponsor has either aged out or no longer active in the Troop. Any Scout may contact that business to request sponsorship.
Reserved means a current Scout has already claimed that business as a prior sponsor relationship. That Scout has until May 15th to renew the sponsorship. If the sponsorship is not renewed by that date, the business will become Open and available for other Scouts to contact.

In addition, if a Scout secures an entirely new sponsor, that Scout will have the opportunity to renew that sponsorship each year until they age out of the Troop.

To help prevent businesses from being contacted multiple times, we are working on a way to keep the list dynamically updated. For now, please send a text to 847-682-9385 whenever you receive either a “yes” or “no” response from a business so we can publish updated versions of the list.

Good luck and thank you for supporting the Troop!

Summer Camp, 24 July - 2 August 2026

We will be traveling to Camp Rotary in Clare, Michigan for our 2026 Summer Camp. We need volunteers to help plan and execute the trip. We are especially looking for several people to help with the logistics, including travel, lodging, and activity arrangements to/from camp.

Please visit our Information / Major Events page for more information about Summer Camp and the items listed below. Information will remain on that page until after we return from camp. Information in these Announcements will be posted for a short time and then removed.

Medical Forms for Summer Camp and High Adventure Camps

Scouting America has updated the Medical Forms for Summer Camp and High Adventure Camps for 2026. The NEW 2026 VERSIONS are available on our Information / Major Events & Resources pages. All adults and Scouts who will be having a medical between now and these events should complete the form and bring it to their medical exam so the doctor can add his/her information and sign the forms.

Self-Certification Statement Out-of-State Clearances - MUST be completed by all adults attending any part of summer camp

All Adults attending any part of summer camp must complete and sign the Self-Certification Statement Out-of-State Clearances document. They will be collected before summer camp. Additional information to follow.

Payment Schedule

Check the payment schedule and please keep up with your payments by paying the Troop Treasurer at any Troop Meeting.

High Adventure Trips to Philmont and Sea Base in 2026

We have two crews who will going to Philmont from 17 June - 1 July 2026.

We will also have two crews going to Sea Base. One will be gone from and 14-20 July 2026 and the other from 14-20 August 2026 participating in a Reef Sailing Adventure.

See additional information, including the payment schedule, on the Information / Major Events page.
Contact Mr. Boutilier to sign up for these trips.

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.

Announcements