Welcome new Scouts and parents to Troop 182 !!!

Welcome new Scouts and parents to Troop 182 !!!
Here is the link to Troop 182 calendar

This month of March has been memorable with the arrival of new 17 scouts and their families to our troop. We had been planning with our older Scouts and Scouters to handle the new wave and I am glad to see that we have had a good fast-paced start for our new scouts during their first two meetings.

As I told new parents during my presentation about how our troop operates, we were a large troop with 36 scouts and now we are a larger troop with more than 50 scouts!

This number requires a lot of organization, management and leadership, specific planning, excellent coordination, and active participation of experienced Scouts, trained Scouters, and committed parents. I like this kind of challenges. We have been weathering many storms since I joined this troop in 2005 and together we have found the sun after the storms. The most important point about our volunteer "job" is to do it with fun for the best of our boy scouts. We all learn from our mistakes to bring the best Scouting program.

Now that we have a larger group of scouts and parents I will use more emails and this blog to post important events, tips, and needs to help your transition from the Pack culture to the Troop methods. Get familiar with this blog, see previous events and pictures, print your calendar, sign up in the meeting board for upcoming events, and keep track upcoming activities.

As a large and successful troop, we are proud of our active scouts, including a large number of active Eagle Scouts, our campouts and trips, our rank centered programs (New Scouts, First Class to Life, Trail to Eagle, Beyond Eagle), our trained adults, our Brownsea trained SPL and youth leaders who do their best to use the Patrol Method, and our multi-tasking parents. As a new scout, you are already experiencing the benefits of our structured program. As a parent, you are welcome to find your spot as committee member, driver, merit badge counselor, assistant scoutmaster, or just as a committed parent willing to support meetings, activities, campouts, and fundraisers.

I am convinced that we are the best troop and I need you to believe it and to be an active part of our success!

Welcome aboard and God bless you and your family.

Jose G. Lepervanche
Scoutmaster Troop 182
www.troop182jax.org

We attended the OA Spring Fellowship

Order of the Arrow members of Troop 182 attended the Spring Fellowship camping in Camp Shands. Four new Ordeal members, four new Brotherhood members, and five old Brotherhood members had a great weekend for a total of 8 scouts and 5 adults. Our Saturiwa Chapter brought 62 campers to this fellowship. We also had the Wood Badge beading ceremony of our Committee Chair.

The Order of the Arrow is the National Honor Society of the Boy Scouts of America. OA members are elected by scouts from their troops. The OA promote camping and the maintenance of BSA camps by providing numerous hours of service. OA members are usually staff for Summer Camps and other youth leadership activities.

As a troop with a numerous number of OA members, we are proud of our extra service to Scouting and we should plan accordingly to be able to accomodate our attendance to troop campouts as well as OA campouts. Camping with the troop create a big bonding and friendship with our patrols and scouts. Camping with the OA bring the benefits of serving other troops and camps, as well as expose our scouts to make lifelong friends in other troops. Scouting is a world movement and we should encourage any opportunity to learn from others and to serve others.

Here are the links to the photo albums (Fellowship 1, Fellowship2, Woodbadge)

TROOP 182 GARAGE SALE

March 14th, 7am - ?
Watson and Osborne Parking Lot (corner of Monument and McCormick)
Need Donations of items, need Scouts working, need signs made up!!
Good opportunity to take donations for baked goods!!

Contact Ms. Phyllis or Ms. Tracey for more information.

Profits go to Scouts donating, Scouts working and Scouts donating and working - and the Scholarship Fund.

ASH WEDNESDAY

Ash Wednesday - No Meeting tonight! February 25, 2009

American Red Cross certified CPR classes

The North Florida Council still has openings in our two American Red Cross certified CPR classes. Check the attached flyer for dates and times

The life you save may be someone you love. Be prepared for any emergency in your troop. Also, this is also a great time to get the CPR portion out of the way before BSA Lifeguard or other classes this spring or summer.

The price of this course is much lower than most courses and materials are included. ($30.00) We need participants so we can continue to offer courses in the future.

Course # 1
Saturday February 28, 2009
8:30 AM—1:00 PM
Registration Deadline: February 25, 2009
Rotary Lodge At Camp Echockotee

Course #2
Saturday March 21, 2009
8:30 AM—1:00 PM
Registration Deadline:March 11, 2009
Taylor Dining Hall
Camp Shands

Annual Recognition Banquet

Join us as we pay tribute to our distinguished volunteer leaders and commence our local celebration of 100 Years of Scouting!

The highlight of the evening will be the recognition of this year's Silver Beaver Recipients:

Robert L. Armstrong

Michael Boylan

Lauren Scott Britt

Charles Carroll

George William Carter

Catrine Fredrikson

Myoinga Glaspey

Edward Kiely

Karen Kircher

Dale B. Lewis

Robert B. Parrish

Rhonda Royston

Minnie Myers Smith

Larry E. Wagner

Catherine Weide <===== Troop 182 Charter Organization Representative

Patrick Wright

Learning for Life, Venturing Leadership, Centennial Quality Unit, and Prime Osborn Award Recognition will also take place.

Honored guest, Chief Scout Executive, Bob Mazzuca will share in this night of celebration for the North Florida Council.

This year's event will take place at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel located at 245 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.

The banquet begins at 7:00 PM. The Heritage Society Reception, honoring benefactors who have generously contributed to the North Florida Council endowment fund, will preceed the banquet and begin at 6:00 PM. Tickets for the banquet are $30/each; there is no charge for attendance to the Heritage Society Reception.

Tickets MUST be purchased by Friday, March 6, 2009. To download a ticket reservation form, CLICK HERE!

To register online, CLICK HERE!

Sunday this Sunday, February 8, 2009

We will be observing Scout Sunday this Sunday, February 8, 2009 at the 8:15 am mass at Holy Spirit. I would like to invite all members of the Troop to attend that service with their families. We will meet at 8am in front of church. Please wear your scout uniform. If you are not Catholic, we would still like you and your family to join us or if you prefer, attend your church service in your scout uniform. Remember that a Scout is Reverent.

Thanks,

Catherine Weide

Charter Organization Rep.