Hi!
 GC> Well, I am now up to 25 Beavers and 25 Cubs - and we 
 GC> are now closed to new boys ...
Wow!  That's a nice position to be in!
 GC> This is my last year as Group Chairman ...
I'm sure they will miss you!  Its better to take a breather than to burn out, 
though.
We just had a District Camporee last weekend on a hay field.  Great location. 
 Lots of room for the boys to play football.  We had 17 boys.  Another leader 
and I stayed the whole time.  A third Assistant Scoutmaster helped us get 
there, get back and helped during Saturday Evening.  Our Scoutmaster flew in 
from a meeting in Cleveland and spent Saturday night with us.  The 
Scoutmaster and other Assistant Scoutmaster slept in their pick-up camper 
shells while I slept in the rear seat/bed of our customized van.  It got cold 
at night - we had a light frost on the vehicles - low '40s when we got up in 
the morning.
It bothered me that Troop 345 had a generator to power lights and coffee pot. 
 They were across a break from us.  Lots of noise pollution.
We were supposed to have "pioneering" projects with wood and rope lashings.  
There were several towers.  We did "woggles" - wooden triangles the boys move 
with the help of guy lines.  Unfortunately, most of the Troop was at the 
games while the judges came around, so the woggles couldn't be demonstrated.  
The other Assistant Scoutmaster did our menu and most of the cooking for us.  
We set a *great* example for the boys.  Pancakes and pork sausage, tuna salad 
sandwiches, gumbo, beniets (sp? - French donuts) and beef sausage.  We were 
done and cleaned up before one Patrol or the other was beginning to eat.
I went with the boys to the campfire (other leaders stayed behind).  There 
actually were fresh skits (we didn't do one).  Both of our Patrols won blue 
participation ribbons (scores were really close, but about half were given 
red).  One of our Patrols won Best Campsite and Tug-O-War first place awards. 
 Troop 345 won Overall Troop and Best Project awards.
Saturday night, we had a Scoutmaster's cookoff at Troop 354's camp.  The 
generator wasn't so loud there - they must have had the exhaust pointed 
toward our camp.  Summer sausage, cheese, crackers, deer sausage, squirrel 
legs and chili were served in addition to the Scoutmaster's entrees.  We 
entered what was left of the gumbo (took 2nd place) and a Dutch oven cherry 
cobbler (took third place).  First place went to a baked almond trout, named 
"Trout Cobbler".
The boy leadership was really great.  Friday night, the Troop's trailer was 
unpacked and the Patrol's camps set up with little adult interaction.  The 
camps were also broken down with little interaction.  Our Scoutmaster did 
have to step in and direct trailer packing.
At Parent Conference Day at school, we found out that our son has had 
problems completing his homework se we kept him home from scouts that night.  
I also stayed home (shouldn't have).  He has also joined the Civil Air Patrol 
and we are considering having him drop out of that completely until grades 
are in.
 > figure out what's wrong with one of our water 
 > storage tanks, either.....
 > 
 GC> Don't scratch too hard - what is left up top can't take the abuse! :)
Too late!
 GC> usable by myself but in the mean time the district will 
 GC> be compiling and selling a cookbook (kitchen and field) 
 GC> and should have it ready for X-mas.  I will let 
 GC> everyone know and if people are interested we can make 
 GC> arrangements to sell some copies through me.
Let me know prices, etc.
 > The Troop is also beginning Christmas wreath sales - would you like to
 > buy some?
 GC> Details man I need details!   Price, style, 
 GC> materials, shipping time and method etc.
Beautiful wreaths hand-crafted for your holiday pleasure.  A classic style 
wreath that's as traditional as Christmas itself - our wreaths are all 
handmade with the freshest Minnesota Balsam Fir.  This wreath is beautifully 
decorated with selected white-tipped pine cones, festively accented with 
jingle bells and trimmed with a gold backed red velvet bow. They are $18.50 
each.  Door hangars are an extra $1.50.  Delivery to us here in Clinton is 
scheduled for the first week in December.  Will re-ship at cost "on your 
nickel".
We still have last years wreath on the front door - it looks just like new 
except it is no longer green.  It has not fallen apart in our high winds and 
has not yet lost enough needles to notice.
YIS,
Don
Assistant Scoutmaster, Andrew Jackson Troop 88
--- Maximus 3.01
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