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Christmas Party, 20 December

• NO uniforms are required for this meeting.
• The cost of the meeting is $3.00 per scout. The entrance fee will help defray the cost of the food and drinks.
• Each Scout is expected to bring a food item. Your patrol leader will contact you with the type of item your patrol is responsible for bringing.
• There will be a voluntary gift exchange at the Christmas party. If you would like to participate you must bring a wrapped gift between $5-10 to exchange. No gag gifts - bring something you would like to receive from another scout.
• Check back for more details of the event as they become available.

Help Needed to Decorate St. Joseph for Christmas, 15, 22, & 23 December

Christmas is upon us and the parish will be needing some helpers to decorate for Christmas. Your time will count to service hours for your Scout ranks.

We will be decorating on three different days:

1. Saturday 12/15 at 9:15 to hang all the Pine roping on the exterior of the church and parish center and to set up the creche at Marys Altar.
2. Saturday 12/22 at 9:15 to carry all the items to create the altar for mass in the MPR.
3. Sunday 12/23 at 1 p.m. to help with all the decorating of the interior of the church.

Contact Jean Thompson and let her know you can help out or just show up. She will provide directions to everyone who helps out. Many thanks for any help you can give.

Gettysburg, Bull Roast, Backpacking, JL Training, and Senior Surprise Photos

Gettysburg, Bull Roast, Backpacking, JL Training, and Senior Surprise Photos are posted to album pages on this web site. If you have additional photographs you would like to contribute upload them to a file sharing site and send a link to the webmaster.

Amazon online purchases yield revenue for Troop 497

We hope you'll take advantage of a shopping tool that will keep you out of crowded malls while paying a dividend to Troop 497.  Best of all, it costs you nothing!

• Instead of going to amazon.com to shop go to smile.amazon.com. Once you sign in you will see "Supporting: Parents Club of Boy Scout Troop 497 Inc" at the top of your window. Make purchases as you would normally on Amazon – there's no markup or premium on the price you'll pay – and once you buy an item, Troop 497 receives 0.5% of the selling price.

It's that simple -- here is additional information, including how to sign up, on our Resources page.

Camping at Rodney Scout Reservation, 11-13 January 2019

Our next camping trip is to Rodney Scout Reservation near Northeast Maryland: 11-13 January. We have sites: Fishermans, Wilderness, Lone Pine, and Windy Point. 

• This is a cabin camping trip. Scouts and most adults will sleep in cabins heated by wood stoves. Adults can opt to sleep in tents but need to make arrangements for tents.
• The adults will cook on this trip and we will crowd into Fisherman's Lodge for our meals.
• Dress for the expected weather and bring appropriate clothing and footwear a temperatures around what is predicted.

Venture Ski Trip, 25-27 January, openings still available

• Seniors, patrol leaders or those who have been patrol leaders and venture scouts are eligible for this trip to Seven Springs Mountain Resort.
• Cost is $295. Fee includes 2 nights lodging, 2 buffet breakfasts, dinner Saturday evening, 2 day and 1 night lift ticket. Seven Springs has 31 slopes and trails. Information on the Resort is available at www.7springs.com
• There is a first $50 deposit due by 6 December. The first deposit holds your spot and reservations are on a first come first serve basis. Make all checks payable to Troop 497.
• Check out the photos from previous year's ski trip and read the flyer giving more information about the trip including payment details.
• Questions, call Mr. Andy Reidler at 410-916-4083 or email your questions to areidler429@comcast.net.
• Check back closer to January for a permission form and equipment request form which must be returned it to Mr. Reidler.

Philmont: 23 June - 5 July 2019 Openings still available

• Travel dates would likely expand the time to 6/21/2019 thru 7/6/2019, it is strongly suggested that participants arrive two days in advance to avoid altitude sickness.
• Philmont Cost: $970.00 per person (not including airfare, accommodations, activity fees, and food)

Several prior announcements have been made about the Philmont trip for next year.

• We currently have five adults and ten scouts set for two crews.  We can accommodate another 9 scouts on the trip (maximum). 
• We have more than the normal amount of adults (generally two per crew) but if any adult feels particularly strong about going let us know.   
• Remember scouts and adults must meet height/weight requirements to qualify, no exceptions or refunds.  
• Philmont is an amazing experience that will have a life-long impact on your Scout.
• It is challenging mentally and physically and the satisfaction of conquering Mount Baldy is incomparable.

Your Scout must be at least 15 prior to the trip and must be able to attend the prep-hikes and shakedowns in advance of the trip. Those already slated to attend have been training but it is certainly not too late for jumping in on the experience. 

Please contact Roger Munn as soon as possible if you or your Scout are interested.