NEWSLETTER
tuesday, may 10th
7:30 TROOP MEETING (CoH, DRUG/ALCOHOL PROGRAM)
troop 77's latest eagle recipients
Congratulations to Troop 77’s newest Eagle Scouts, Erik McKeithen and David Anderson!
We had a couple of proud moms on this Mother’s Day!
Thanks to Mitch Leff and Ken Gilbert for serving on the Eagle BoR.
COURT OF HONOR - TUESDAY MAY 10th, 7:30P - OGUMC SANCTUARY
We have one of the three biggest events of the troop year coming up this Tuesday - our final Court of Honor of the 2021-2022 school year (the other two big events are the Fall and Winter Courts of Honor).
On behalf of the Senior Patrol, the ASMs, the Committee, all of our Parent supporters and especially our Scouts—please, please, please make every effort to attend this week’s Court of Honor. More than any other weekly meeting, we need 100% Scout and family attendance for these events, so help us reach that goal by doing your part and joining us. It matters not if a Scout is receiving recognition for advancement or an award. What matters is that Scouts support patrol mates and the troop, and families support their Scouts. From the newest First Year Scouts to our most senior Older Scouts, all are expected to attend as we celebrate successes and accomplishments in this formal, time-honored setting. This is our opportunity to acknowledge our Scouts’ achievements and advancement!
NOTE: Scouts and leaders should wear full Class A uniform (uniform shirt tucked in, olive shorts preferred, belt, troop neckerchief and slide, camping beads, merit badge sash, etc). Also, similar to December’s CoH, this ceremony is abbreviated, lasting from 7:30 to 8:00.
From 8:05 to 8:55, Scouts will attend drug and alcohol presentations by local police officer speakers.
From the SPL
Hey Troop 77, I hope you had a great weekend. I would like to give a special thanks to all those who attended the Survivalist trip at Camp Rotary. I think everyone had a great time. This week there will be a Court of Honor so make sure to wear your neckerchief and sash. If you have any questions, take a look at the meeting plan down below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F_HfakOof9--BZzIJABSX0GRoy2Os5IJRfJKPGYS7nY/edit
Have a great week,
Cadhan Cole
Senior Patrol Leader
from the scoutmaster
We had a great weekend of camping this weekend at Lake Hartwell’s Rotary Scout Camp for our Survivalist Campout. The weather was breezy and perfect for daytime patrol activities and nighttime sleeping. Thank you to the adults that joined us and assisted—especially former Troop 77 member and Eagle Scout Nicholas Oselette, who camped with us as a leader after wrapping up his first year at Georgia Tech (Physics major!). Parents, if your Scout worked on the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge, be sure to ask them how cool it was to start a fire with a mirror and a magnifying glass.
Great job to the First Years for working hard on the Totin’ Chip and Firem’n Chit and continuing to learn how Troop 77 works on campouts. Big thanks to Older Scout Mikes Floyd for servant leadership as basecamp ASPL. Our Second Years built some cool shelters and continue to perfect patrol cooking. Our survivalists slept under tarp shelters, cooked on backpacking stoves, and went without Cracker Barrel cobbler since they were, after all, surviving. Many of us even canoed Saturday afternoon!
If your scout didn’t order a troop survivalist kit (they are really cool!), we might have a few more if interested. The cost is $25, which includes the base kit plus a few extra items. For more info, email Mr. Cole and ask to see a friend’s so you know what you’re missing!
We are still working to finalize details of our summer plans, but we will try to post dates in next week’s newsletter.
If you are looking for service hours this summer, please consider setting up, breaking down, and/or working at Cub Scout Day Camps (special section below).
Finally, if you have not signed up to go to Summer Camp, especially First Year Scouts, then you can still do so. Please see or contact Ms. Crawford and she can help you with the sign-up process.
Be Great Scouts and I’ll see you PROMPTLY* at 7:30P on Tuesday in the Sanctuary for the Court of Honor. (*Early is on time, on time is late, late is unacceptable.)
Mrs. Sara Henderson
Scoutmaster
SPRING AND SUMMER 2021 DETAILEd cALENDAR
Note: The majority of the dates in this section are on the Troop Calendar. If you have not done so already (or if the dates are not showing up--there was a recent issue between Scoutbook and our Google Calendar), please subscribe to the Troop's calendar at https://scoutbook.scouting.org/ics/17077.45861.ics. You can also find the calendar on the Troop's website and in Scoutbook.
MAY
5/10 - 7:30P - Court of Honor - The CoH will not take the entire meeting time, and the remaining time will be devoted to drug abuse education
5/17 - 7:30P - Troop Meeting (Golden Axe - Mustangs)
5/24 - 7:30P - Troop Meeting (“Hodge Podge” - Titans)
5/24 - 6:30P- ASM Roundtable (tentative)
JUNE
We are planning on having summer meetings on different nights during weeks in June (no Tuesday nights due to swim team). More info will be published in next week’s newsletter.
6/6 6/10 - Cub Scout Day Camp service opportunity
6/26 - 7/1 - Ranger Camp
6/30 - 7/13 - Philmont High Adventure Trip
JULY
7/16 - (time TBD) - Pre-Summer Camp Departure Meeting
7/17 - (time TBD) - Depart for Summer Camp
7/17 - 7/23 - Summer Camp - Camp Daniel Boone Scout Camp
7/23 - (time TBD) - Return from Summer Camp
TBD - registration for August Ocoee Rafting trip
AUGUST
8/9 - 7:30P - First Troop Meeting of the 2022-2023 school year
ATTENTION ALL PARENTS & ADULT VOLUNTEERS
As we round out the Scouting "School Year" it's CRITICAL that all invoices and expense reimbursement requests get paid or submitted by Friday, May 20, 2022 (preferably sooner 😊).
This is really important so that we can plan the resources our Scouts need for the upcoming 2022-23 Programming year.
Please submit payments for all outstanding monthly camping events and summer camping immediately.
Additionally, all expense reimbursement requests for 2021-22 activities (i.e. Aug rafting through May Survivalist) MUST be submitted ASAP.
The link to the online expense reimbursement form (preferred method over paper) is here as well as on the Parent Portal Website under the “Forms/Resources” tab.
CAMPING
August Campout
Registration Deadline: Friday, July 15 at 10:00 p.m.
August 12-14
Trip Planner: Andrew Kraft
Trip Links
Trip Sheet TBD
Online Registration TBD
advancement
Congratulations to the following scouts who have ranked up the past few weeks:
Will Henderson - Scout Rank on May 3, 2022
Jon Cole Tjoflat - Star Rank on May 3, 2022
Cadhan Cole - Life Rank on May 3, 2022
Aidan Kraft - Life Rank on May 3, 2022
Spencer Taylor - Life Rank on May 8, 2022
David Anderson - Eagle Rank on May 8, 2022
Eric McKeithen - Eagle Rank on May 8, 2022
Court of Honor - is this during the meeting this week. The COH is to recognize scouts for what has been accomplished and achieved. I hope to see you there!
Board of Review:
Troop 77 Scouts you have been working hard on your rank advancement! If you need a Board of Review (BOR) sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d44aead29a7ff2-troop If the sign up is full and you need me to add a slot for you, let me know.
Pam Crawford
VOLUNTEER AT CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP
Cub Scout Day Camp is June 6-10 at Chamblee United Methodist Church, with setup on Saturday June 4 and camp breakdown Friday the 10th after camp dismisses. Camp leadership needs LOTS of scout volunteers to serve as den chiefs, program staff, on the shooting ranges, and in many other roles. You can volunteer ½ a day, a full day, 2 or 3 days, or the entire week and all hours served are scoutmaster approved for service. For more info, see Mrs. Henderson or Mr. Cole. To volunteer, sign up here: https://www.atlantabsa.org/ht-daycamp
EAGLE COURTS OF HONOR HELP
For anyone (Scouts or Parents) who can volunteer some time to help organize a few things, get things setup, or help take things down at the end of Eagle Courts of Honor, I know Mrs. Cole could certainly use the help. It’s not an overwhelming amount of stuff to get done by a team, but it starts to get overwhelming if you are having to do it all by yourself. If you’re interested in helping with the Eagle Courts of Honor please contact Holly Cole (hpcole77@gmail.com or (770) 401-4992) and let her know. With a big backlog from COVID and being fortunate to have 1-2 Scouts earning Eagle a month, this is a great way to give some time to the Troop on a night other than Tuesdays and a great place to start volunteering.
SCOUTMASTER CONFERENCES
Scoutmaster Conferences for Scout, Star, Life and Eagle are conducted by Mr. Cole. You can sign-up for Scoutmaster Conference for Scout, Star and Life by using the SignUp Genius on the Troop's Website under Scoutmaster Conferences (https://sites.google.com/troop77bsa.com/scout-parent/scoutmaster-conferences?authuser=0) and following the instructions on that webpage. Scoutmaster Conferences for Eagle can be arranged by emailing Mr. Cole at ctcole0308@gmail.com. IF YOUR SCOUTMASTER CONFERENCE IS BEFORE 7P, ONE OF YOUR PARENTS MUST BE PREPARED TO STAY FOR THE CONFERENCE (SO THAT WE HAVE TWO ADULTS PRESENT AND NO ONE-ON-ONE CONTACT) SO THAT WE CAN REMAIN YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING COMPLIANT.
Scoutmaster Conferences for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class are completed by an Assistant Scoutmaster and should be arranged through the ASM Helpdesk or by contacting Mr. Jensen at garyljensen@gmail.com.
VENTURE CREW 77
Venture Crew 77 will be doing Axe throwing May 22nd.
If you are 14 or have completed the 8th Grade (especially if you’re going to Philmont in 2023) and want to expand your Scouting experience, please join Venture Crew 77.
If you have questions or need additional information, then please contact Mr. Leff or me.
Thanks. Mr. Cole
order of the arrow
Hello everyone, this is Ryan Shimabukuro, your Order of the Arrow (OA) Troop Representative. This newsletter contains important information about current and upcoming OA events, and more.
Events and Registration
The link to our Egwa Tawa Dee Lodge website is https://aacegwa.org. It has a calendar of upcoming events and information on how to register for the events. Here are the dates for the upcoming Induction Weekends and the registration deadlines:
August Induction August 26-28, 2022 at Bert Adams Scout Camp; register by August 16, 2022
Fall Induction November 4-6, 2022 at Bert Adams Scout Camp; register by October 25, 2022
Additionally, Lodge days of service are on the following Saturdays, May 21, July 9, and October 8, 2022.
Dues
Yes, there are dues in the OA. This year, and every year, dues are $25. They are due NOW! In some situations, if you did not pay dues last year, then you will need to pay those in order to pay your dues for this year and stay current. HOWEVER, this is important, if you attend OA events in which you pay a fee, the fee should cover your dues.
The Troop does NOT reimburse for payment of Adult or Youth OA dues, unless the Adult or Scout is actively involved in OA (e.g., attends monthly meetings, Chapter and Lodge events, Conclaves, Fellowship Events, Service Events, etc.), in which case you need to talk to me or Dr. Gilbert.
The link for paying dues is: https://www.atlantabsa.org/OAMemberRenewal
What is the Order of the Arrow?
According to the Order of the Arrow’s website (https://oa-bsa.org/), the Order of the Arrow is an honor organization that recognizes Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. This recognition provides encouragement for others to live these ideals as well. Arrowmen are known for maintaining camping traditions and spirit, promoting year-round and long-term resident camping, and providing cheerful service to others. OA service, activities, adventures, and training for youth and adults are models of quality leadership development and programming that enrich and help to extend Scouting to America's youth.
Etowah Chapter:
The following are the elected officials (and advisor) in our Chapter:
Chapter Chief: RJ Holloway rj@rj-holloway.com
Vice Chapter Chief: Violet Todd violet.todd.7@gmail.com
Etowah Chapter Advisor: Ramus Caribbean EtowahAdviser@aacegwa.org
If you have any questions about the events, you can contact me or RJ, the current Etowah Chapter Chief at rj@rj-holloway.com.
Thanks!
Ryan
upcoming scout days
Scout Day with the Braves - Sunday, May 29 @ 1:20 PM
The lockout is finally over and baseball is officially back! See the World Series Champion Atlanta Braves take on the Miami Marlins Sunday, May 29th at Truist Park! Tickets start at $13 with a portion of each ticket sale going back to Metro-Atlanta Scouting! https://offer.fevo.com/atlanta-braves-scout-night-561fffc?fevoUri=atlanta-braves-scout-night-561fffc%2F
Scout Day with the Dream - Friday, June 3 @ 7:30 PM
Take part in our very first Scout Day with the Atlanta Dream and watch as they face off against the reigning WNBA Champion Chicago Sky on Friday, June 3rd at the Gateway Center Arena! Tickets start at $25 with a portion of each ticket sale going back to Metro-Atlanta Scouting! https://offer.fevo.com/atlanta-dream-vs-chicago-sky-ozf4elw-a86e142?fevoUri=atlanta-dream-vs-chicago-sky-ozf4elw-a86e142%2F
RANGER CAMP – JUNE 26 - JULY 1, 2022
For over 30 years, the US Army Rangers has partnered with the BSA to create a unique High Adventure opportunity for up to 100 participants including youth and adult. Highlights include:
Learning knots, including how to tie a climbing and rappelling harness
Climbing, belaying and rappelling on various features, starting out small and leading up to a night rappel
Learning how to construct a rope bridge as part of a team and night rope bridge competition
Land navigation as part of a team using a map and compass
The camp is held at the Camp Frank D. Merrill US Army Ranger base in Dahlonega, GA. Participants sleep in the barracks and eat in the mess hall or MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) in the field. In the middle of the week, participants transition to Yonah Mountain and camp for two nights where skills are put into practice on a larger scale.
MUST BE 14 OR OLDER (OR 13 AND COMPLETED THE 8TH GRADE). REGISTRATION IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.
** REGISTER ON YOUR OWN USING THIS FORM: https://www.nega-bsa.org/files/29905/2022-ranger-camp-flyer
** NOTIFY CHRIS HENDERSON IF YOU’VE REGISTERED (chris@difco.us.com).
For more information, click here: https://www.nega-bsa.org/Ranger.
Mr. Henderson went to this camp as a youth for 5 years in a row and considers it his favorite camp. It is a lot of fun and very rewarding. It inspired him to spend weekends in college climbing, rappelling and camping on Mt. Yonah. He looks forward to going back to Ranger Camp this year and is happy to answer any questions you have.
new eagle required merit badge - citizenship in society
The first new merit badge for youth in the Scouts BSA program since 2017 will become Eagle required over the summer. Called Citizenship in Society, it provides Scouts with opportunities to learn more about our world by encouraging them to explore information on diversity, equity, inclusion and ethical leadership — and to learn why these qualities are important in society and in Scouting.
Troop 77 needs qualified (adult) merit badge instructors to lead Citizenship in Society. Registration is now open for the next two Citizenship in Society Facilitator training sessions. They will be held on March 12th and April 23rd at the Volunteer Service Center (across from the Braves stadium). Follow the link to register: https://www.atlantabsa.org/cis-training
Please e-mail Wes Brewer (wesbrewer@hotmail.com) with any questions.
NYLT
It’s time to register for National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT). We strongly recommend all eligible Scouts that have not previously attended NYLT to register and take part in SBSA’s preeminent Youth training opportunity. To be eligible for NYLT, before the week you plan to attend, you must be:
13 or older
First Class
Completed ILST
Have the recommendation of your Scoutmaster
The NYLT Session Dates are as follows:
Session 1 - Sunday, May 29 2022 - Friday, Jun 3 2022
Camp Jamison (Bert Adams Scout Camp)
Session 2 - Sunday, Jun 5 2022 - Friday, Jun 10 2022
Camp Jamison (Bert Adams Scout Camp)
Session 3 (Part 1) - Saturday, Nov 19 2022 - Tuesday, Nov 22 2022
Adventure Camp (Bert Adams Scout Camp)
-AND-
Session 3 (Part 2) - Saturday, Dec 3 2022 - Sunday, Dec 4 2022
Adventure Camp (Bert Adams Scout Camp)
Session 4 Monday, Dec 26 2022 - Saturday, Dec 31 2022
Camps Emerson & Gorman (Bert Adams Scout Camp)
You can find additional information and register for NYLT at: https://aacnylt.org/
UPCOMING COUNCIL/DISTRICT EVENTS
Allatoona Aquatics Merit Badge Days - Registration Opens April 22, 2022 - Saturday, June 4, 2022; Saturday, June 11, 2022; Saturday, June 18, 2022; Saturday, June 25, 2022; Saturday, July 9, 2022; Saturday, July 16, 2022; Saturday, July 23, 2022; Saturday, August 5, 2022; and Saturday, August 13, 2022
Merit Badge Summits - Saturday, Aug 27, 2022; and Saturday, Oct 29, 2022 (https://www.atlantabsa.org/meritbadgesummit)
National Youth Leadership Training - Session 1 Sunday, May 29 2022 - Friday, Jun 3 2022; Session 2 Sunday, Jun 5 2022 - Friday, Jun 10 2022; Session 3 (Part 1) Saturday, Nov 19 2022 - Tuesday, Nov 22 2022 and (Part 2) Saturday, Dec 3 2022 - Sunday, Dec 4 2022; and Session 4 Monday, Dec 26 2022 - Saturday, Dec 31 2022 (https://aacnylt.org)
Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops - August 20, 2022, September 24, 2022, and November 5, 2022 (https://www.atlantabsa.org/youthtraining)
OA August Induction & Fellowship Weekend - August 26 - 28, 2022
OA Fall Fellowship - September 9 - 11, 2022
University of Scouting - September 24, 2022
IOLS Scouts BSA Outdoor Leader Training - October 8 - 9 (https://www.atlantabsa.org/iols)
OA Fall Induction & Fellowship Weekend - November 4 - 6, 2022
Summer Camp
Sign-up has started for High Adventure at Camp Daniel Boone during our week of Summer Camp, July 17-23! Check out the info and sign-up as soon as you know you want to participate in a backpacking, climbing, or whitewater trek! They are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Here is the Adventure guide:
https://www.campdanielboone.org/files/40125/2022-high-adventure-guide
and the full Summer Camp webpage:
https://sites.google.com/troop77bsa.com/scout-parent/campingoutings/Summer-Camp?authuser=0
summer camp staff opportunities
As a camp staff member, you will experience an amazing life-changing summer and have a monumental impact in helping to serve Scouts. Opportunities to serve as a member of the Atlanta Area Council camp staff are available to outstanding applicants. For more information and to apply: https://www.atlantabsa.org/files/18189/Camp-Staff-Application
merit badge minute
Dunwoody Nature Center
The Dunwoody Nature Center has updated its Merit Badge offerings for the summer. Upcoming workshops include two hard-to-earn Eagle badges: Sustainability (June 25) and Environmental Science (July 16). For more information and to sign up, click here: https://dunwoodynature.org/scout-merit-badges/
Allatoona
Registration for the first few Aquatics Merit Badge Days at Allatonna is now open! Spots for these weekend classes - which include swimming, lifesaving and canoeing - fill up quickly. To find out more and to register, follow this link: https://www.atlantabsa.org/caabmb
Chattahoochee Nature Center
The Chattahoochee Nature Center has updated its Merit Badge offering for May. The CNC will be offering Canoeing on May 1st, Environmental Science on May 15th, and Mammal Study on May 22nd. Sign up here: https://www.chattnaturecenter.org/education/scouts/scouts-bsa/
Atlanta Area Counsel
Last call to sign up for Construction Merit Badge Day with the AAC. Scouts must be 16 years old or above. All classes will be held this Saturday, April 30th, and include welding, electricity and plumbing. Click the link to learn more: https://www.atlantabsa.org/cmb
And last call for the AAC Merit Badge Summit, scheduled for this Saturday, April 30th, at Hyde Park Farm in Cobb County. Merit badges offered include gardening, nature and forestry. Learn more here:
https://www.atlantabsa.org/MeritBadgeSummit
wood badge course registration
Looking to advance your skills as a Scout leader? Complete your Wood Badge training with the Atlanta Area Council. Registration for the final two Wood Badge courses of the year is open.
community service opportunities
Click the link below to see all of the community service opportunities available this fall.
https://sites.google.com/troop77bsa.com/scout-parent/service
Communication
Remind Application
Troop 77 Parents –
Or text @troop77p to the number 81010
Troop 77 Scouts
or text @troop77s to the number 81010
Troop 177 Parents –
Or text @troop177p to the number 81010
Troop 177 Scouts
or text @troop177s to the number 81010
Scoutbook
At least one parent/guardian MUST activate their Scoutbook account.
Only the linked parent/guardian can activate the scout's access to their Scoutbook account. (If you scout does not have an email please make them a free account at gmail.com)
To activate your Scout's account complete please click here How to activate your scout's Scoutbook account
Scoutbook has a mobile app. Search for “Scouting BSA” in the APP Store or Google Play and download today! Your login is the same as the web version.
Coming soon a scout will be able to check their escrow account, if medical forms are out of date, swim test status and much more