Winter Camporee 2011 - Flaming Eagles

How awesome is this? 

First year scouts represent Troop 439 at the District Camporee and walked away with 2nd prize for Soup Competition and 3rd place for Snow Sculpture.  Fatalistic!

How about that soup? 

Nice job Chris for putting a wonderful soup together.

Great effort on the Snow Sculpture!

Thank you Ben and Josh for your teamwork.

You should be proud of the way you worked together and accomplished your jobs.  I know I am proud of you all.

For those that braved the temps and stayed over night, you will get your Polar patch in a couple of weeks.

Remember:

Hanna Winter Camp is our next big event.  We have lots of people going and we should have a lot of fun. 

That’s February 25th – 27th.

Flaming Eagle Events

Over the next six months we will have a very busy schedule.  The spring and summer are where we scouts hit the trails and do lots of outdoor camping.  I will do my best to keep you all informed in advanced.  Remember: Real scouting happens out there, in the woods, on the trails and in all of the outdoors.  See you there!

 

• Feb 6 : Cross-Over for Ben and Chris.  Ian Niles and Ryan Dunn will need to attend.
• Feb 11 - 13 : Winter Camporee at Camp Phillips - During this event, the Flaming Eagles will be finishing their Physical Fitness requirements.
• Feb 15 : Court of Honor.  Flaming Eagles must have their Patrol Flag completed by then as it will be in the ceremony.  Also, POT-LUCK Deserts, bring something.
• Feb 25 - 27 : Winter Resort Campout at Hanna Venture Base.  This is a cabin event.  Flaming Eagles will be working on Second Class skills.
• Mar 5 : Ice Fishing at Tree Lake in Rosholt.  This will be a full day event.  Get your ice fishing poles ready.
• Mar 20 : Spring Hike at Leather Camp Forest Unit from 1 pm to 4 pm.  This will be a day hike with packs and gear for a day hike.

 

July 17 - 23 - Summer Camp.

 

There will be many more things to add to calendar.  I know this is a busy list, but try to make as many as possible. 

 

Why should you go?

1.  They are fun!

2.  We will be working on Rank Skill.

3.  You get a chance to practice your outdoor skills.

4.  You get to show the other patrol how awesome you guys are!

EVENT: Flaming Eagle Patrol Campout

Parents:

The Flaming Eagle Patrol will be camping in the Wisconsin Army National Guard Armory for an overnight stay Jan 22 to Jan 23.  Parents will need to drop off their Scout at 1:00 pm Saturday, Jan 22 and pick them back up at 10:00am on Sunday, Jan 23 at the Armory. 

Armory Address:  (near Marathon Park)
833 South 17th Avenue
Wausau, WI 54401-5301

The only excpetion to this is the Grub Master and Patrol Quatermaster.  The Grub Master and Quatermaster will meet on Saturady at 12:00 pm (noon) for equipment and supply check out at St Therese Gym.  Then they both will be transported by Mr. Branton to the Armory.  On Sunday, the Quatermaster will return to St Therese with Mr. Branton at 10:15 am to check in the equipment.  The Patrol Quatermaster will need to be picked up at St Therese by 10:30 am.

Annual Health and Medical Record Form, Sections A and C, will be required to be completed to attend.  Please present a COPY of this to Mr. Branton once you arrive.

Scouts:

This is an official campout.  You will need to pack for an overnight campout and you will also need to make sure you bring proper clothing for a 2 mile hike in the snow.  Saturday will be indoor all evening.  Sunday we will be getting up early to hike a few miles.  Be prepared for the weather by checking the forcast for Sunday morning. 

If you don’t have a sleeping bag and pad, please let me know.  Don’t forget to pack a small pillow for comfort.

Scout's Outdoor Essentials

Things you should take on every outdoor adventure

 to

 "BE PREPARED"

• A pocket knife (presumably more than just a knife, a Swiss Army knife for example) can come in handy in a wide variety of situations. It is useful for tasks as large as building an emergency shelter or lighting a campfire with poor fuel, or as small as repairing a damaged backpack.
• A first aid kit can be a lifesaver. A basic kit for first aid might include adhesive bandages, medical tape, sterile gauze, moleskin, soap, antiseptic, a mouth-barrier device for CPR, and scissors.
• Extra clothing to match the weather. Multiple layers are superior to a single massive jacket, because layered clothing is adaptable to a wide range of temperatures.
• Rain gear is very important. Being wet from rain may result in hypothermia, a potentially fatal condition.
• A flashlight is, of course, important for finding one's way at night.
• Trail food is good for maintaining your energy. However, the human body can reportedly survive for weeks without food, so starving to death should be the least of your worries if you become lost in the wilderness.
• Water is probably the most important of the Essentials. Dehydration may develop into heat exhaustion and heatstroke. The human body may only survive for a few days without water. Portable water purifiers and water stills may be used to obtain potable water from virtually any source. If a watersource is unavailable the use of a dromedary bag should be considered.
• Matches may be used to light fires for heat, or for signalling purposes. (Publicly owned forests in the United States often have lookout stations for forest fires and signal fires.)
• Sun protection may include sunblock, sunglasses, lip balm and a wide-brimmed hat. Used properly, it will prevent sunburn and possibly heat exhaustion.
• Trail maps and compass are probably the most important tools one can carry in case of getting lost, but they won't be of any use to someone who does not know how to use them. In knowledgeable hands, they can be used to determine one's location and the best route to reach another location.

• Take the time to build your own kit. Use your Boy Scout Handbook (under the Hiking Sections) to start putting it together.  Start with a daypack the move to an overnight kit with a backpack.  Don't forget, you have an overnight trip on January 22, so don't delay.

Physical Fitness

30 Days to Improve

Sunday's initial fitness test marks the beginning of your 30 days of physical fitness.  During the next 30 days, you should take some time each day to practice doing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, long jumping and running.  It's not necessary for you do it all every day, but if you do some each day your body will become stronger and more fit. 

At the end of the 30 day time, will need take the same test again.  It should be your goal to improve on your times and scores.

Remember that fitness is something you should work on all your life. As a scout, you promise to be "Physically Strong".  Try your best to live up to that promise.

What Do You Think?

Here is an idea for the Flaming Eagle Patrol Flag...

It could be mounted like the old Roman Eagle Banners.

Reminder: Troop Meeting

This is a reminder that we have our first Troop meeting:

 ** January 4th at 6:30 pm at the St Therese gym ** 

 

 This month, the Troop will be focusing on First Aid.  So during the meeting the Senior Patrol Leader has planned some First Aid training that everyone will attend.

  

During our Patrol Breakout (that's when our patrol will be taking a few minutes to work on Patrol stuff), we will be discussing three topics.  So take the next couple of days to do some research. 

• (The Boy Scout Handbook is a great way to get the information)

1.  Discussing the parts of the Scout Badge (Your first rank)
2. Talking about the Buddy System and how it is used in Scouting
3. Talking about what a bully is and how to respond to one.

 REVIEW: Also, take a moment to review the Scout MOTTO and SLOGAN.  I will be asking about that.

ELECTIONS:  Plus, we will be accepting names for Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader for the FLAMING EAGLE PATROL..   KA KOW! 

• Remember, the requirements are that you will need to attend one to two extra meetings (plus Troop meetings and Patrol meetings) a month as a member of the Patrol Leader Council.  It's a big responsibility. If you can commit to that, then you can throw your name in the hat.  We will vote on Tuesday night! 

Reminder: First Patrol Meeting - Parents Night

First Patrol Meeting - Parent Night

Patrol and Parents;

Our first patrol meeting is a Parent night meeting.  This meeting will be held on December 28 at 6 p.m.  The address for this meeing is St Therese Gym.  

 I would like to have as many as can attend be there.  We will be talking about scout and parent participation in campouts, days for patrol meetings, going over how the scouts earn money and what equipment the boys might need in the next few months.  If you have questions, this would be a good time to ask.

Wilderness Survival Merit Badge

Winter Wilderness Survival Camp

This year 11 young men braved the 9 degree weather to earn the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge.  It's a tough thing to do.  These rough and tough winter pioneers had to demonstrate shelter building skills, cold climate survival, and excellent fire building skills. 

Next year you may want to give this a try.  BE WARNED!!! You will need to perfected your outdoor woodsman skills that you will learn while working on your First Class Rank.  You will also need to have the right winter camping gear.  Otherwise you will end up a Popsicle. 

Want to know more, just ask your fellow scouts about it at the next Troop Meeting (January 2nd).

See you there.

Quinzee Building

Hey guys, 
Here is something you can do in your back yard.  Build a Quinzee.  A quinzee is a excellent winter shelter that you build by piling up snow then tunneling out the middle.  Here is how I build mine.

Step 1. Build a 5 foot tall pile of snow.

Step 2.  Wait 2 hours for the snow to set.  Very Important!
Step 3.  Start digging from the base (bottom) and slowly work your way to the middle.  You will need a spotter in case of caving, to dig you out...

Step 4. Once you get to the center, slow dig it out.  Try to keep the walls at least 6 inches or more thick.  You will be surprised how roomy you can make it..

Have fun, and be safe!

Patrol Advisor, Roger Branton

First Patrol Meeting - Parent Night

Patrol and Parents;

Our first patrol meeting is a Parent night meeting.  This meeting will be held on December 28 at 6 p.m.  The address for this meeing is St Therese Gym. 
This is not a required meeting, since it is over the holidays, but I would like to have as many as can attend be there.  We will be talking about scout and parent participation in campouts, days for patrol meetings, going over how the scouts earn money and what equipment the boys might need in the next few months.  If you have questions, this would be a good time to ask.

Welcome New Scouts!

This is going to be and exciting, fun and busy year for you guys.  We will be working hard to get the First Class Rank in one year.  That means that we will be having lots of fun learning new outdoor skills and camping in the great outdoors.  We will also be working hard to earn money to pay our way to summer camp at Camp Tesomas. 

In the next few Troop meetings, we will begin working on the requirements for Scout and Tenderfoot.  Besure to attend the meetings and bring your Boy Scout Handbook.  We will be recording your acheivements and learning the skills right out to that very useful book.  Everything you need to know for the next year is in that book.  I recommend you read as much of it as you can. 

I will be posting upcoming events and skill requirements here on this site.  Please try to check it once or twice a week for updates.  If you have any questions, please contact your Troop Guide (Jared).

Remember: 

Troop meetings are every Tuesday evening at St. Therese gym, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. 
Patrol meetings will be announced at a later date.  These will be twice a month.