September Activities

• Rock climbing instruction class will start next week. There are 6 people signed up to date. If you are interested in "learning the ropes", please contact Steve Filarsky. Details are available on the Troop website.
• Change of Scout Meeting. The meeting on Tuesday, September 11 will be for both Green and Blue groups. Scouting Skills and Ten Essentials basics will be the topic. At the meeting, the Mystery Hike details will be announced and sign-ups will be taken. Patrol leaders are to call their patrols about this change.
• September 25 is the Fall Court of Honor to recognize scouts who have advanced since the last Court. All scouts and parents are invited to recognize these achievements. The Court will begin promptly at 7:30 PM at the O'Donnell center at American Martyrs. The Court is scheduled to end at 8:30 PM and will be followed by refreshments.
• We have two Eagle Projects at the Sulphur Springs Campground in the Angeles National Forest. Both projects will be on September 29th, the date of the second project. We will need to have strong support from the scouts and parents to staff both projects. The projects will have an overnight on Saturday; however, those that wish to come for the day are also welcome.

October Activities

• Hometown fair is October 6 and 7. The Troop will have a Hamburger Booth this year. We are looking for a lot of support from the Parents to make this major fundraiser for the Troop a success. Sign-ups to work will be at the Scout meetings and the Court of Honor. Sign-up early to get your preferred times and jobs.
• We are schedule for climbing at the LA Rock Gym on October 11. The sign-up sheets are at the scout house.
• The Fall Rock Climbing Hike will be October 20 to 22 at Joshua Tree. Hike prep will be on Tuesday October 16th. The sign-up sheets are at the scout house.
• A Fall Bike Hike is scheduled for November 3 and 4. In preparation, October 30 is hike preparation and bike inspection.

Eagle Candidates

• The committee approved the draft document describing the Troop's Eagle candidate requirements. The document will be sent to scouts and their parents as they attain age 16 or the rank of Life Scout.

Discussions of Past Events

• The Long Term Hikes: Trans Sierra, Silver Lake to Tuolumne Meadows, and Tuolumne Meadows to Silver Lake, were all successfully completed. There were two items noted for future hikes. First, the importance of pack inspection and adhering to the Troop checklist was noted. Second, pack to fit all food and personal toiletries in the bear canisters by revising guidelines to minimize the volume of personal "smellables" (toothpaste, lotions, etc.). One group had bears visit nightly and claim their bear bag.
• The two summer camps were successful. We went to Chawanakee for the first time and were pleased with the camp, although some improvements will be requested.

Long Term 2001/Backpacking Subcommittee

• A subcommittee has been formed to review the guidelines, requirements, qualifications and makeup of the Long Term groups. This revives the review program that the Troop used in the past with a great deal of success. If you are interested in serving on this subcommittee please contact Mike Vahey.

Other Discussion Items

• Two impromptu meetings of committee members were reported. The first discussed summer camp and the speed of advancement. A number of adult leaders have become concerned that the speed and review of scout advancement may jeopardize the quality of the Troop's program. The committee discussed a number of steps to take to improve the review and approval process. An area of focus will be changing how progression to the Star and Life ranks occurs. The second impromptu meeting formed guidelines for candidates to be Senior Patrol Leader and Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders. Prior to this change, the Troop policy was to be a Life Scout. The new policy will be First Class and above with other requirements including scout elections and approval by the Scoutmasters (Senior, Blue and Green).
• The committee reviewed the Troop's Philmont reservations and concluded that we should pursue a group of 12 rather than two groups of 8. The surplus reservations will be offered to other Troops and the District.
• Suggestions/ideas for improving the Troop are always welcomed and should be directed to the Committee Chairman or Asst. Committee Chairman.

The next Troop Committee Meeting will be Thursday, October 4th, 2001, at the School Hall, American Martyrs School at 7:30 PM.

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