Happy New Year Everyone!

Head Start Giving Tree was a Great Success! Thank you for your gifts. It really made a difference for the family.

A Troop Tent is Missing. We are going over our Troop gear to get ready for another year of great camping and we find that we are one tent short. Sometimes Scouts take a tent home to dry it after a camp out and forget to return it. Please check your house and return any Troop gear you find. Let’s hope someone finds the tent!

January Campout is at Camp Manatoc January 11-13. This year we have Gilwell Lodge. The Troop hasn’t been to Gilwell Lodge in more than ten years. It is a big cabin. We call this camp out the Klondike Warm-up because it is a cold weather camp out the month before we attend the Klondike in February. The difference is that we have a cabin to warm-up in but at the actual Klondike in February we are in tents. Permission slips are required. Cost is $10.

Plan to practice for the events that you will be competing in at the Klondike. Particularly lashing together and using the Catapult. That was one of the most fun events at last year’s Klondike and it will be held Friday night at the Klondike this year. Other things to practice are fire building, knots, first aid and orienteering.

Look on the Troop website for a list of cold weather camping gear if this is your first time to camp during the winter.

Scout Rank Advancement completed by January 29 will be recognized at the Scout Sunday Court of Honor. Boards of Review must be completed by January 29.

Scout Sunday, February 3, at Faith Lutheran Church. All Scouts and their families are invited to attend the 10:30 a.m. Church Service, following which we will have a luncheon, a short Friends of Scouting presentation and a Court of Honor. We ask that the Scouts and families arrive at 10:15, so that we can all sit together. This service is in the Fellowship Hall where the Troop meets on Tuesdays. For the luncheon we ask each family to bring a salad or a dessert. If your last name starts with A-M, please bring a salad, and if your last name starts with N-Z, please bring a dessert. The Troop will furnish pizza, juice, coffee, plates, cups, napkins, and utensils.

“Vikings of Old Portage 2008 Winter Klondike” is at Camp Butler February 8-10. Yes, we do sleep in tents! The Klondike is the best attended camping event of the year for the District. All Troops in the District attend. It is a Patrol competition among all of the Troops. The events focus on activities involving Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class rank requirements with a few twists and a lot of fun. We will be practicing for this at the meetings between now and then. Permission slips are required. Cost is $20 (includes District fee for event and patch).

16^th Annual Scout Ski Days are February 16-18. Boston Mills and Brandywine Ski Resorts offer Scout skiing for $35 and Scout snowboarding for $40. This includes the equipment rental, a beginner’s lesson and an all day lift ticket. But first you must obtain a Boy Scout Identity Tag for $1 per person from the Great Council Trail Scout Shop, either in person or by mail. Mr. Horvath can also pick up the tickets if you give him the money in advance. This is a great opportunity for Scouts to experience skiing or to take someone who hasn’t done it before. Hope for Snow! Mr. Horvath will have more information at the Troop meetings.

“Scouts in Government Day” is Thursday, February 21, at the Main Branch of the Akron Public Library. The Troop can nominate up to 4 Scouts for this event. Scouts must be in the 8-12 grades. It is a great opportunity to be mentored for the day by an area public official or law enforcement officer. Arrangements to miss school for the day are up to the Scout and his family. Interested Scouts should ask for an information packet at the Troop meeting.

Troop Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser is Saturday, March 1. Kathy and Rick Herbert are chairing the event again this year. Meganne and Jim Kontio are Vice Chairs. It will be similar to past years with the dinner and a bake sale. Scouts are the servers and parents are the cooks and gophers. It is a fun time and very important to the Troop. Remember this is one of the required fundraisers to participate in to avoid paying the registration fee in March. Kathy and Rick will send more information to the Troop Families soon.

** REMINDER ... PLEASE KEEP SAVING THOSE ACME RECEIPTS. And -- be sure to turn in your receipts at the weekly Troop meetings. Put the Scout's name on the top of EACH receipt so they will get credit for participating!! Receipts must be dated between September 29, 2007 and February 16, 2008. Denise Fresh has to get everything to Acme quickly after that. Thank you!!