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Announcements


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 text to follow the link to additional information.

SUMMER CAMP ACTIVITY SIGN-UP FORM - COMPLETE BY 20 JUNE!

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.

car wash

Patrol Leaders Council (PLC), Sunday, 8 June, 6:00 - 7:00 PM, Joe's Cafe

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.

Please register to participate using the Online Event Registration Form and pay the Treasurer at a Troop meeting.

Actions required by participants before the trip:

General Information 

Shelter  Food
Adult Menu Check back for details
Transportation

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

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.

Troop Meeting, 3 July, 7:30-9:00 pm, Summer Camp Packing Demo

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.

All participants need to complete a waiver and consent form online using the below link. For all youth participants, the form must also be signed by a parent or guardian: https://whirlpooljet.com/group-bookings/groups-niagara-falls/canadian-group-waivers/

You will need the following information to fill out the waiver/consent correctly:

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.