Hi, James here inviting you and your son to meet for a final cooking practice for the Camporee competition. It is strongly reccommended and with urgent need  that all attend!

What - Boys practice cooking the entire meal  

What - Parents make Camporee Decorations, bring sissors and 1 inch or 1/2 inch paint brush

When - Sunday, March 29, 2009 1 PM

Who - All Troop 440 Scouts and Parents

Any questions call James Payne or Lori Aguirre

Where is Johnny?

Each of your sons is important to the function of the Patrol. Each adds his strength to the whole. When he is absent the Patrol may not recover and will fail. Each depends on the other for success. The Troop By-laws require a 75% attendance for your son to be considered active. Your son in his Patrol form a community (small scale) developing plans for servicing their needs and set goals just as the community where he lives does. (City or even state) This is to teach how to function as part of a community. When you allow absence out of indifference you prevent this lesson and create a hardship for the rest of the Patrol. Don’t get me wrong I understand illness and family needs, thus the requirement is not 100% attendence and allows for flexibility on a case by case basis. The premise is still true and all arguments aside is an accurate picture of the Patrol.

The Patrol serves the larger Troop. Patrols functions on their own, Patrols also cooperate with the other Patrols of Troop. Multiple Patrols make a Troop and a healthy Troop serves other people on a regular basis. The Troop also serves themselves building and learning, teaching each other skills, knots, cooking, etc. In order to enable this ongoing function we must first teach them.

Water, to drink or not to drink, that is the question!

Boil, Treat, Filter, and Zap! Backcountry Water Treatment Options Plenty of water to drink helps you keep going strong through outdoor adventures any time of the year. Stay hydrated to guard against heat exhaustion and heat stroke on days when the sun is beating down, and against hypothermia whenever temperatures plunge. You can be sure that the water you drink is okay if you've carried it from home. Fill a couple of BSA water bottles before setting out for adventures with your patrol or troop. Did you know that a liter of water weighs more than two pounds, and a gallon just over eight? Enough water to last for longer trips will be too heavy to carry on your back, so be ready to refill your water containers in the field. Tested public water sources can be considered safe. Lake water and water from streams, rivers, and ponds might look clean, but it can be contaminated with microscopic bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Be sure to boil, treat, filter, or zap it so you won't become sick. Here's how: Boil It! Fire up your backpacking stove and bring a pot of water to a rolling boil for at least a minute. That's the surest way to kill anything in it that could cause harm. Although this will not remove chemical pollutants.
Treat It! Water purification tablets are easy to carry and simple to use. Follow the instructions for the number of tablets to drop into a water container and how long to wait before drinking. If the purifying agent leaves an unpleasant taste, add a packet of flavored drink mix after the agent has had time to do its work. Be sure to purge the lid of the container too!
Filter It! Special filters made for campers and backpackers can remove most parasites and bacteria from water. Some filters add more protection by pushing water through a barrier of carbon or chemicals.  Many lightweight filters operate like small hand-powered pumps. Clean them according to instructions. To extend the life of a filter, allow murky water to stand in a pot so that silt can sink to the bottom, then dip the clear water into a second pot and filter it from there.
Zap It! A new tool in the fight for clean drinking water is a battery-powered sanitizer that purifies with ultraviolet light rays. Strain out any silt or debris, then dip the sanitizer end into a bottle of clear water, push a button, and presto! In just a minute or two the sanitizer rays spell death to bacteria, viruses, and most other microscopic bugs.  Easy to carry and simple to use, the ultraviolet sanitizer is a 21st Century solution for the ages-old challenge of having plenty of safe drinking water in the backcountry. For more information on drinking water safety, consult your Scoutmaster or Boy Scouts of America Fieldbook, Fourth Edition or Boy Scout Handbook.

As Scoutmaster, I am always asked "How do I choose the right sleeping bag for my son?", "How much should I spend?", "What is the right brand?" Well I came accross this article which may be helpful: Choosing The Right Sleeping Bag "Happy dreams!" Sixty years ago, that was the advice of the first Scout Fieldbook. Boys in those days wrapped up in blankets and made the best of it. Dreams were a bonus. Today, sleeping well in the woods is easy when you plan ahead and build your bed around a good sleeping bag. Put together a sleeping system that includes a ground cloth, a sleeping pad, and a sleeping bag just right for the time of year. Ground Cloth A plastic sheet cut to size protects your bed from moisture. If you're pitching a tent, a ground cloth beneath the tent can shield the tent floor from damage and add a waterproof barrier against damp soil.
Sleeping pad A foam pad makes a perfect outdoors mattress. You'll have comfort for your hips and shoulders, and insulation between you and chilly ground.
Sleeping bag Match your sleeping bag to the weather you expect. Most bags have an advertised temperature range that gives an idea of the warmth they can provide. A bag rated down to 40 degrees could be perfect during summer, autumn, and springtime adventures. For cold-weather camping and summer trips high in the mountains, look for bags with a rating that's below freezing. Modern sleeping bags are made of a nylon shell that contains fill material. The fluffy fill traps body warmth and keeps you cozy. If your bag has a built-in hood, draw it snug around your head and face. Synthetic fibers insulate well and can keep you warm even if your bag becomes damp. For maximum warmth at minimum weight, consider a bag filled with goose down. Down that becomes wet loses its insulating power, so guard your bag against rain, dew, and melting snow.
Putting It All Together Ready to set up your sleeping system for the night? Take time to do it right. "Choose a campsite with a durable surface where you won't harm the land. (For guidance, check the principles of Leave No Trace in the BSA Handbook and Fieldbook. "Rolling down a slope all night is no way to sleep, so find someplace flat. "Roots and rocks poking your back won't add to the pleasure of your slumber, so find someplace smooth. "Warm nights under a starry sky are an invitation to sleep in the open that's hard to resist. Spread your ground cloth and put the sleeping pad on it. Protect your sleeping bag from moisture by waiting until bedtime before unrolling it on top of your pad. Then crawl into bed and watch for meteorites streaking across the heavens. "A tent can be another important part of your sleeping system. By blocking the wind, it increases the warmth of a sleeping bag ten degrees or more. Your tent will also shield you from insects, rain, and snow. "Add more warmth to your sleeping system by pulling on layers of clothing. A stocking hat reduces heat loss from your head. Dry socks, mittens, long underwear, a fleece vest, and even a down jacket can all help you get comfortably through a night when the temperature drops further than you had expected. Put together a sleeping system that fits the weather you expect to find in the field. Then you can rest easy-and be sure of happy dreams-knowing you're prepared for any conditions that come your way. For further information on sleeping systems, consult your Scoutmaster, Boy Scouts of America Fieldbook, Fourth Edition, Chapter Eleven, "Gearing Up." and your Boy Scout Handbook.