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Water Weekend: 14-16 June

Our next camping trip is our annual Water Weekend. It will take place again this year in the waterfront yards of several homes of friends of Troop 497 along the southern shore of the Susquehanna River.We encourage all new dads to join us on this trip. Our cooks prepare great food for this trip normally including shrimp, roast beef, and corn on the cob so the cost of the trip is a more than normal at $30 for Scouts and Adults.

We will spend the weekend camping along the river and playing in the water. There will be swimming, canoeing, kayaking, boat rides, tubing, water skiing and games on shore. Don't miss this opportunity to come out and play in the water.

Drivers are needed for this trip. Sign up to drive and plan to camp with us for the weekend. Sign up to drive at at Troop Meeting, or contact Dean directly. Here are directions to the cabin. Please remember that the Warren/Merryman's Mill Rd bridge is closed.

Child Protection Training

To All Scouting Parents:

Scout Troop 497 has always maintained the highest level of concern for the well-being of the young men in our care.  We were the first troop in the Baltimore Area Council that required federal background ground checks for all of the leaders who regularly camp with our boys and we strictly adhere to the guidelines for Child Protection and Safe Scouting outlined by the Boy Scouts of America.  A key part of the process for Child Protection is the education of the boys themselves.  As such, we have scheduled a Child Protection evening at the troop meeting on June 27th.  We will be showing a Boy Scout produced video entitled “A Time to Tell” which instructs our boys on how to protect themselves and candidly discusses the issue in a well thought out and well-presented way.  All scouts and parents are encouraged to attend.

We think it important that our parents have a chance to preview the video prior to our Child Protection troop meeting so that you are informed of what will be presented and are well prepared to answer any questions that may arise.  As such, we have posted this video on our website which you may download and view at your convenience.  There will be multiple announcements to the troop in an effort to contact all of our scouting families.

The video has been split into 5 parts to make it more convenient to watch on line or download. Click on the title of each part to watch online or right click to download with most browsers. It is simpler and faster to just watch online instead of downloading.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Kevin Gibson, Ken Krach, or myself and we will be pleased to assist in anyway.

Ray Palmer, Scoutmaster

2019 Summer Camp - Camp Blackhawk, Owasippe Scout Reservation (Updated 5 June)

General Information

Troop 497 will leave for Camp Blackhawk late in the evening of Thursday July 18th and the Troop will return on the afternoon of Sunday July 28th. More trip specifics, an itinerary of additional sightseeing stops and a detailed packing demonstration will be provided as we get closer to departure date. Please mark your calendars now to attend this exceptional Summer Camp experience.

More information, including necessary forms, are available on our Information on Major Events web page.

New 5 June! OWASIPPI DIETARY REQUEST FORM - DUE 29 JUNE 2019 - DO IT NOW!

"Allergies and special diets are a common concern of our campers. Our food service providers are experienced with accommodating most diets, including food allergies, religious restrictions, and other health-related diets. We are happy to accommodate any diet for religious, medical or allergy needs; however, this form must be submitted at least three weeks prior to arrival at camp". Fill out and email the form to the address in the instructions no later than 29 June 2019.  This should be completed by a parent guardian for each scout and by adults for themselves.

Adults contemplating going to summer camp (updated 5 June)

In addition to being a registered adult leader with a completed criminal background check there are Michigan requirements that ALL adults must have been completed more than 6 weeks before going to summer camp. DO THEM TODAY - DON'T PROCRASTINATE!

One form must be filled out online, printed, notarized, and sent by mail. It takes 5-6 weeks for the state to process the request. More information, including step by step instructions for that form, is available on our Information on Major Events web page.

UPDATE 5 June 2019: The Positive Reference and Michigan Youth Protection Agreement is now available for download with the information related to our summer camp session already filled in. Go to the Information on Major Events web page for the form and for the required information in case you already have partially filled in your form.

Summer Camp 2019 Payment Schedule

To reserve spaces, enroll in selected merit badge programs and ensure proper trip planning please confirm your attendance and make deposits to the Troop Treasurer according to the following schedule. The estimated cost for Summer Camp 2019 is $730 per Scout and $400 per Leader (subject to change based upon final transportation costs and activity itinerary).

PLEASE NOTE: The Camp assesses an additional late registration fee of $25 per participant for roster additions after April 2019. Please register for Summer Camp prior to April 15th and remain current with this payment schedule to avoid this additional charge.

Troop 497 Annual Car Wash

Troop 497 would like thank all the Scouts and volunteers who helped with our annual car wash. We washed 296 cars. We would also like to thank our sponsors listed below: