Troop 214

Past Meeting:

Annual Planning meeting

Information:

1. Highlights of the General Discussion (90min)

Meetings

Start Meetings ON TIME - 7pm

Encourage Full Uniform wear to every meeting.

Accomplish Citizenship in Society MB

Perhaps at the roses and thorns of each event, assign 1 or 2 scouts to discuss a recap at the next meeting. Gives them time to prepare a statement and encourage participation in the next event.

Newsletter

Keep newsletter structure similar to what it is now.

Keep sections

Keep new updates up top.

Keep boilerplate items at the bottom for reference each week.

Advancements

Better understand virtual Merit Badges and promote the good MB Counselors

Encourage scouts to take use our troop MB Counselors if available - Especially Eagle required Badges - rather than virtual or council ones.

All Eagle MB’s should be covered within the troop shortly. Parents are actively picking up MBs this summer.

Promote those in-person MB’s that SCCBSA offers.

Encourage scouts and parents to sign up for Suffolk County Council newsletter emails.

Camping & Backpacking

Campouts should enjoy some relaxed time at the campsite as well as whatever activity is also planned.

Campouts should highlight historical locations

Campouts should include specific scout skill items that will be worked on at each campout

Very important to have backpackers this year - both fell through last year.

Use local hikes to build up to the larger backpacking trips.

Have local hikes available in addition to the monthly camping event.

Utilize Patrol Method better by having a patrol take ownership of campout planning - specifically for the scout skills and advancements discussed at that campout.

Include Orienteering on trips (would be best on a backpacker)

Parents

COVID really messed up parent understanding of BSA , especially in light of virtual meetings.

We lost a lot of the youngest scouts bc of virtual meetings.

Parents need guidance to learn about the BSA ways and the upcoming activities.

Will hold a quarterly required meeting for the parents.

Will hold additional me

Sept - West Point Football & Camping - Garrity

Oct - Backpacker Camping - Harriman - Bruder

Nov - Webelos Woods @ BHSC - Morelli

Dec - NYC tripetings with parents more frequently - perhaps in the form of a parent patrol.

Need to establish a New Parent orientation contact(s)

Alpert has offered to be one of these members (he has a more senior experience in the troop)

Position of Responsibility

Every scout is responsible for keep track of their own needs on positions.

We can encourage if we see someone may be missing an important date.

Positions held cannot be passive / "in name only” positions.

i.e. - patrol leaders must actually lead patrols of more than 1-2 persons

Webmasters need to actively work on website projects - project: Troop214LI.com needs serious updating - consider a new website with drag and drop capabilities - something a scout can build and maintain.

Historians need to actually document the troop’s history - project: Glass Case at FPCoS needs updating. New Eagles added to roster. Add recent memorabilia.

Librarian needs to be a MB expert - be there to advise other scouts on how best to accomplish a badge. Project: Update library with current copies of handbooks. Be a resource more than “carrier of the books”

Quartermaster -current QMs are 2 years into position - time for new ones. Project : update patrol boxes with uniform equipment - color coded by patrol.

Bugler - needs to 1.practice taps and reveille 2. show up to meetings and camps 3. bring trumpet 4. Play.

… you get the point.

Recruitment

We would like to do a better job of outreach to the local packs. We only visited pack 340 this past year.

Is there a committee of regular scouts - varying ages - that we can rely on to do this regularly?

Perhaps have a pack night activity ready to go for the Cub units visited

2. Camping Calendar (60 min) -

The new Google Troop214 calendar is already provisionally updated. See calendar for dates. See description for details as they develop. They WILL be updated.

Subscribe here: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/omf9cbce86lms2oobhlab0sn0c%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

Please review the camping activities for the year. We have needs for parent volunteers to oversee management of each trip. Please see the BOLD RED activities in the list below.

Specifically, a parent that is attending Yawgoog and who has previously attended is much needed to be primary manager of this trip!

3. Meeting Activities (60 min)

Framework for the first part of the year has been provided.

Details for each meeting are listed in the description of Troop Calendar events.

Meetings will remain Tuesday that Hauppauge schools are in session. Voted NO MEETING on Valentines Day.

Troop meetings start

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MEMBERSHIP & FUNDRAISING

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ANNUAL RENEWAL

https://bsa-troop-214-outings-collections.square.site/

Annual Fees for Troop 214 can be paid by check to "Troop 214" or by credit online at the link above. Checks go to Beth Davidsen (Treasurer). Please see John Garrity's email from last week with details.

$212 ($218.36 credit) With Boy's Life

$200 ($206.00 credit) W/O Boy's Life

New BSA Members (not transfers) will also have a $25 one-time charge incurred by national.

HEALTH FORMS

If you have not attended Philmont or Yawgoog this past summer, then we do not have a health form on file for your scout. Please fill out ASAP if you plan on attending any events other than troop meetings. You cannot attend trips with our troop if you haven't filed this form. Only Parts A&B are needed (part C is doctor's section and is only needed for high adventure and multi-day camping.)

You must fill out and bring a hard copy to Mr. Garrity at an upcoming meetings

BSA Scouts Health Form

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EVENTS

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August-Seabase

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Service

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Advancements

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Advancement questions? Email Kristinetb4@gmail.com (cc a parent and scoutmaster)

Merit Badge Blue Cards

Download the following PDF to your computer. For best results, open in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Save the PDF again and email it to your scoutmasters and at least 1 other adult (your parent). Directions for completing a blue card can be found HERE on our troop website.

MB Blue Card - Fillable PDF

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Eagle Projects

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Eagle Prospects

Eagle Coach Dave Hubbard is available by phone/ email / zoom. davechub@gmail.com or 516-313-7617.

Active & Upcoming Projects (*denotes "upcoming")

Tommy Morelli - Lost & Found / Book Swap @ Sweetbriar

Shaye Ventura - Expansion of 9/11 memorial @ St Anthony's HS

Jack Garrity - Horse Feed Stations #2 @ Pal-o-mine

Peter Graham - Refurb fence enclosure @ Sweetbriar

Peter Bruder - Bird blind @ Sweetbriar