2004 Registration

• The Troop re-registration process has begun. Letters will be sent to our scout families to respond and enclose the 2004 dues. Each letter will include the number of activities for each scout. Notes will be included to those scouts who did not meet the goals of one overnight backpack trip and two additional overnight trips. The twelve or more service hour requirement will not be included this year as our records for service projects are incomplete.

Troop Meeting Reformat

• As you have noticed, we have not returned to Blue and Green Group Meetings on alternate Tuesdays. We have felt that we can revise our Tuesday agendas to accommodate and improve the Tuesday Troop meetings as a single meeting. Over the next months, we will be installing a new format as outlined below under Scoutmaster Reports.

November Activities

• The Fall Bike Hike that was scheduled for November 1-2 was cancelled because the Angeles National Forest was closed due to the fire hazard. The activity has been rescheduled as a day trip from Chilao to Switzers on Saturday, November 22. Prior to the hike, all bikes must be inspected to insure the equipment is safe. We will meet at the scout house at a time TBA, bring a sack lunch and water.
• The Troop will lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the Manhattan Beach Veteran's Day activities on November 11. Scouts are to meet at 10:45 am in their class A uniforms at the Scout House. Pizza will be available afterwards.
• On Saturday, Nov. 15th at 9 am we will have a service project to assemble packages for the Neighbor-To-Neighbor program. Scouts will wrap packages for the needy. These packages will be distributed during the holidays. It is anticipated that one to two service hours will be earned. Details will be at the meeting.
• The Eagle Court scheduled on the calendar for November will be cancelled. We are looking to possibly holding an Eagle Court on February 22nd, 2004.

December Activities

• The University of Scouting will be held on December 6 from 8 am to 4:15 pm at Andrew Carnegie Middle School in Carson.
• The Night Hike on December 12 to 14 will be to Henninger Flats above Altadena. This is a great hike to the site of the LA County Fire Department Forestry Tree Farm. This hike features patrol competition and scout skills. Scouts who have not been on a backpack hike this year should try to go on this hike.
• A meeting of prospective Philmont 2004 attendees will be scheduled during December.

Discussions of Past Events

• We had a very successful Hometown Fair fundraising effort. Thanks to all the scouts and adults who volunteered to work the booths. An especially big thanks goes to our two booth coordinators.
• SPL Elections were held on October 23 with a Blue and a Green Senior Patrol Leader elected. Four Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders have been appointed.
• Twelve scouts attended the Ten Commandments Hike on October 22. It was a very interesting walk, well done by docents, and attended by about 300 people. Participants received a very nice patch.
• We had a successful Fall Rock Hike to Joshua Tree on October 19 to 21. Forty scouts and 31 adults participated. There were 10 BSA certified Rock Climbing instructors included in the group.

Committee Chairman Report

• We will be scheduling meetings to meet with the parents of the second year Webelos in the three Manhattan Beach packs. This will be the third year doing these meetings to introduce them to Troop 849, invite them to the Rocket Hike in January, and to ask them to be sure to find a Troop that meets their needs, not just their city.

Scoutmaster Reports

• The Scoutmasters briefed the committee on the new Troop meeting format that will be slowly rolled out. The restructured meetings will have 4 segments that are 20 minutes each. During some of these periods, the younger and older scouts will have separate activities. The structure implementation time frame will start with the older scouts that will establish an infrastructure for implementation, engaging the patrol coordinators, and introducing across the Troop. For the younger scouts the segments envisioned are: patrol corners; team building; with patrol coordinators: scout skills by older scouts, and advancement by older scouts. For the older scouts: higher adventure outings and planning of outings, teaching younger scouts, training, etc. To be successful, we need to get the adult patrol coordinators more involved as mentors.
• The scouts were polled to see what activities they are interested in for Troop or Patrol activities. Among the activities are: amusement park trip, beach trip, canoe trip to Colorado River (3 day trip), Dutch oven cooking, kayaking, model rocket trip, more snow trips, whale watching, white water rafting Kern river, bowling, laser tag, LA Auto show. We will plan a three day canoe trip to the Colorado River October 14 to 17, 2004. We are looking for patrols or coordinators to organize some of the other activities for 2004.

Subcommittee Reports

• Communications Subcommittee - The first pass calendar for 2004 was handed out and discussed. We will finalize the calendar in December.
• Quartermaster - New equipment: SAM splints, pots, a number of new 3 person tents that look good for car camping that we received for free.
• Photo CD - The last day to submit photos is December 17.
• Summer Camp 2004 - We have scheduled the week of July 18 to 24 at Emerald Bay, and the week of August 1 to 7 at Chawanakee. Emerald Bay will be $420 and Chawanakee will be $260.

Other Discussion Items

• HAT training (High Adventure Team - Backpack Leader Training) for Troop 849 adults was discussed. The District HAT training is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of February 20 to 22, 2004. It was noted that past history shows we have been able to add only one or two new hike leaders a year. Because of the number of hikes and weekends we are now doing, we need to add at a higher rate than in the past.
• We are encouraging all parents and scouts to sign-up for our broadcast system at announce@troop849.org. We need to use this system to communicate more thoroughly and completely because of the size of the Troop. If you are not on the list, please sign up by going to www.troop849.org/homeMailingList.html.
• 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, December 4th, 2003, in the School Hall, American Martyrs School at 7:30 PM.

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