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Bicycle Ride BWI Trail – (19 miles), Saturday 21 April, 9 AM
Meet at Marley Station Mall 9AM. The rides starts at 9:15 and ends around
11:30 at Marley Station. We will ride around the airport loop taking two
breaks at parks by the airport to watch planes and have drinks and snacks.
We'll finish up at Ann’s Dari-Crème for lunch by Marley Station.
Directions to Marley Station Mall – Take I-83 S. Take I-95 S, I-695 S and
I-97 S to MD-648 S/Baltimore Annapolis Blvd in Ferndale. Take exit 16 from
I-97 S. Drive to MD-2 S in Glen Burnie. The physical address is 7900
Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061 Email Mr. Schaller at BiknDave@Comcast.net
with any questions.
Swim Test and Water Requirements for Ranks, 22 April, 3-5 PM
Our last schedule Swim Test and Snorkel Practice sessions is on Sunday
April 22nd from 3pm-5pm. Every scout and adult Sea Base
participant must have attended the previous session or attend this one
so that we can administer the BSA swim test that is required before we
go to Sea Base.
This is also an opportunity for all Troop 497 scouts to achieve water
requirements such as reaching and throwing rescues and line and tender
rescue.
The Towson YMCA (Orokawa), 600 W. Chesapeake Ave, Towson, MD 21204 has
a nominal facility fee of $5 that each person participating must pay at
the front desk, just say you are with Boy Scout Troop 497 for the swim
test. Parents and those administering the test are not required to
pay the facility fee.
Updated Youth Protection Training Now Available
An updated youth protection training is available for staff, leaders
and parents (Youth Protection Y01). The training includes a three-module
course and a Certification Test that all leaders will be required to
complete by September 30, 2018. View the instructions
for taking the new course and login to your BSA account at my.scouting.org to take the
course. The course and test will take about 90 minutes to complete but
can be completed a module at a time.
Patrol Leaders Council (PLC), Thursday, 26 April, 6-7:30 pm
The next PLC will take place in the Parish Center, room 2B before the
Troop meeting. Seniors should arrive at 6:00 pm; Patrol Leaders at 6:15.
All patrols should be represented by their Patrol Leader or a designated
substitute.
Friends of Scouting Leadership Reception, 1 May, 6:30 pm
Please join us for the 2018 Friends of Scouting Leadership Reception to
support the Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. The reception
will take place at the Red Lion Hotel, 2004 Greenspring Drive, Timonium,
MD 21093 on 1 May 2018. Door open at 6:30 PM and the program begins at
7:00 PM. Heavy hors d'oeuvres/Beer & Wine will be available. For
more information or to RSVP please contact Jim Lindsey, 410.961.4433.
Eagle Court of Honor, 6 May, 2-6 pm
Please join us for our Eagle Court of Honor on 6 May from 2-6 pm at the
St Joseph's School Multi Purpose Room. Scouts will receive recognition
for their rank advancements, merit badges, and other awards. Several
Scouts will be receiving their Eagle Rank during an Eagle ceremony.
There will also be a sit down dinner as part of the event. All Scouts,
their parents, and siblings are encouraged to attend. The deadline for
reservations in 3 May. Make your reservations and obtain your tickets
from Susan Shaffer at Troop Meetings starting 22 March or contact Susan
at skgeshaffer@comcast.net
or 410.337.7323. See the
information and registration flyer for more details.
Volunteers Needed for set-up and serving dessert at our Eagle Court
of Honor. See Susan Shaffer at the Thursday troop meetings.
Committee Meeting: Monday, 7 May, 7:30 PM, Joe's
Cafe - NEW DATE AND LOCATION
All adult leaders and parents are welcome to participate in the
Committee Meeting. Committee meetings are generally scheduled for the
first Tuesday of each month in the Parish Center, Room #2. We are
changing the day to Monday, 7 May and the location to Joe's Cafe
(formerly known as the Lower Hall) for just this meeting because of a
church conflict.
Camping at Calvert Cliffs State Park: 18-20 May
Out next camping trip is to Calvert Cliffs Sate Park. The main activity
is an "Amazing Race".
This is your last opportunity this spring for PASS meals so sign up
with Mr. Kakel. You will need money for lunch on the way home on Sunday.
Check back for additional information.
Check back for directions. It is about 102 miles to the campsite and
takes about 2 hours with normal traffic. Sign up to drive Scouts on this
trip or future trips using Troop
497's online signup site. ALL adults driving Scouts are asked to
sign up.
Bicycle Ride, B&A Trail, 26 May (26 miles)
The ride on 7 April has been cancelled. The next ride is on Saturday 26
May – B&A Trail – (26 miles)
Meet at Marley Station Mall 9AM. The rides starts at 9:15 and ends
around 2PM at Marley Station.
We will ride down to Annapolis have lunch, tour around and head back to
Ann’s for ice-cream. See the flyer
for additional information on the 26 May, 9 June, and 10-11 August
rides.
The annual car wash is quickly approaching. We will start
distributing the Car Wash donation packets to the scouts at the Troop
meeting on Thursday March 15th. If you do not receive your packet,
you have two options, either go to the Current
Events Forms Page on this web site and print the forms , or
contact Jeff Mann 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 $200.00 in
pledges is split 50/50 between the troop and the scout family
account. Every pledge over the first $200 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' Donuts, to the unused Christmas gift that is sitting in your
basement, or a donation of your time. In the past families have donated
prizes of “time” by sharing their personal passions/interests like
fishing, sporting events, family games, and other similar
activities. No prize is too small!
Please respond to Jeff Mann (Jeff@Mann-Home.com or 443-377-6699) 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!
Aquatics Supervision Courses, 9 June and 7 July
When a BSA scouting unit plains an aquatic activity (swimming,
canoeing, kayaking, white-water rafting, tubing, etc.) without a
responsible outfitter or at non-BSA sites, it is strongly
recommended that a person from that unit age 21 or older holds a
valid Paddle Craft Safety and Swimming and Water Rescue
Certifications. This training helps you obtain both these
Certifications. Both dates are at: Camp Saffran, Broad Creek Scouting
Reservation. Read this flyer
for additional information. The course limit for each date is 30
so register
on the BAC website here. Adults teaching aquatic merit badges or
working on the waterfront this summer are strongly encouraged to take
this training.
Sea Base, Coral Reef Sailing Adventure: 24-30 June 2018
Troop 497 also has planned a Sea Base High Adventure trip for the summer
of 2018 for more experienced Scouts. Tentative dates are 24-30 June -
these may change slightly to accommodate travel arrangements.
Our crews will be doing the Coral Reef Sailing Adventure. Your home for a
week will be on a large sailing vessel over 40 feet long. During the
adventure, you will be sailing the Florida Keys and have the chance to
snorkel some of the most beautiful reefs in the Keys and part of the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. You will also have the opportunity
to study astronomy, navigation, fish identification, and coral reef
ecology.
Both Sea Base and Summer Camp require significant planning and
preparation. One aspect of that planning process is a payment schedule
which provides families with an opportunity to make payments for their
Scout trips over a period of months. The following payment schedule has
been designed for Sea Base. Please remain current with payments to the
Troop Treasurer for the 2018 trips.
Since our campsite at Haliburton Scout Reserve is only accessible by water
it is guaranteed we will all be in boats this summer. Since we are also
running our own waterfront, many of us will be involved supervising
swimming activities. According to BSA policies: BSA groups shall use Safe
Swim Defense for all swimming activities. Adult leaders supervising a
swimming activity must have completed Safe Swim Defense training within
the previous two years. BSA groups shall use Safety Afloat for all boating
activities. Adult leaders supervising activities afloat must have
completed Safety Afloat training within the previous two years.
It is strongly recommended that all adult leaders going to summer camp
have completed Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense with two years of the
close of summer camp. Even though water activities might not be
your primary responsibility you might find yourself being asked to help
out some events or be out in canoes with scouts for fun and recreation.
You can take both training modules at my.scouting.org. If you will be
joining us for water weekend you should take both courses before that trip
so you assist with providing a safe swimming and boating environment
during the weekend.
17 March 2018 Update:
WHIRLPOOL JET BOAT TOURS PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT
This participation
agreement must be signed (with no alterations) by each person
participating in any Whirlpool Jet activity. For any participant
under 18 years of age the consent at the bottom of the agreement must be
signed in advance by Parent or Legal Guardian. Completed forms should be
turned in during checkin on the Thursday we leave for summer camp.
19 February 2018 Update:
COPIES OF MEDICAL FORMS AND PASSPORT ID PAGE MUST BE TURNED IN BY
28TH JUNE 2018
Copies of your medical forms and passport ID page must be turned in by
28th June. This is required so that we can organize this important
information before our departure and provide the camp with the
information they request. Please see the requirements in the MEDICAL and
PASSPORT sections below. Turn in your completed forms to Mr. Andy
Reidler, Mr. David Miller, or Mr. Kevin Shaffer at a Troop meeting.
2 February 2018 Update:
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM 2013:
Here are photographs
from our 2013 Summer Camp at Haliburton. These photographs will
give you a better feel for Haliburton and how we set up or camp and run
our program. Adults and older scouts who attended camp in 2013 will be
happy to answer any questions you might have. We will also be sharing
more information as it becomes available.
MEDICAL:
Scouts and Adults will need a physical within 12 months of going to camp
and provide two copies of their doctor signed BSA
medical form and copies of the front and back of their insurance card in
preparation for going to camp. There is a link on our Administrative Forms page of our
website to the BSA site where you can read the instructions and download
the current BSA Medical Form. Use the material in the section
under "Are You Going to Camp?". Here is a direct link to the same BSA medical
web site.
PASSPORT:
Everyone traveling into Canada and returning to the US should have a
passport book valid at the time of entry. An alternative is a passport
card however it is only valid for land crossings (not airplanes) and is
really designed as a convenience for people who cross frequently. We strongly
recommend that everyone going on the trip carry a passport book.
This is in case something happens and they have to return to the US
quickly - they would be able to fly home from Canada. With just a
passport card they would have to use a land crossing into the US before
they could fly to Baltimore. Visit this US
Department of State web site for information on obtaining a
passport. Apply NOW, it takes time to obtain a passport and is much more
expensive if you need it quickly. All Scouts and adult leaders will need
to provide a copy of the identification (picture) page of your passport
as backup.
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Troop 497 will be traveling to the Haliburton Scout Reserve in Ontario,
Canada for Summer Camp 2018. Haliburton Scout Reserve is the largest
Scout Camp in Canada with 5,000 acres of lakes and forest.
Campsites are accessible only by boat making this a truly unique Summer
Camp experience. Due to the remote nature of the Camp, all Merit Badge
instruction and cooking for Troop 497 will be performed by the Troop so
Leader participation is greatly appreciated.
Troop 497 will leave for Haliburton Scout Reserve late in the evening of
Thursday July 19th and the Troop will return on the afternoon of Sunday
July 29th. More trip specifics, an itinerary of additional sightseeing
stops (including Niagara Falls) and a detailed packing demonstration
will be provided closer to departure date. Please note that all Scouts
and Leaders will need to have current Passports for border crossing
and/or Passport Cards (land crossings only). Please mark your calendars
now to attend this unique Summer Camp experience. All Troop 497 Scouts
are expected to attend Summer Camp.
The estimated cost for Summer Camp 2018 is $700 per Scout and $625 per
Leader (subject to change based upon transportation costs and final
activity itinerary). In order to reserve spaces and ensure proper trip
planning please confirm your attendance now and make deposits to the
Troop Treasurer at Troop Meetings according to the following schedule: