NEWSLETTER

tuesday, november 30th

6:30 PLC

7:30 meeting outside scout hall

FROM THE SPL


Hi Everyone,

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving break! This week kicks off with our PLC at 6:30 this week. Then Mr. Cole will be doing a high adventure presentation. 

See you soon,

David

From the scoutmaster


I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.  We have three more meetings before the end of the calendar year.  This week will start with a PLC at 6:30P, followed by meal planning for Providence Canyon right after flags, and then at the main meeting we will have a presentation on the other national High Adventure Bases (Northern Tier, Summit, and Sea Base).  We will also have a presentation on the High Adventure opportunities at summer camp in 2022 at Camp Daniel Boone.  This week’s meeting will also be the last day for any rank advancement, merit badges, etc. to be entered into Scoutbook in advance of the upcoming Court of Honor. 


The meeting after this one (12/7) will be a combination of our December Court of Honor and a presentation on Youth Protection.  This is a very important meeting, and all Scouts, Adults and Parents should try to attend.  Mr. Gilmer (former Troop 77 Scoutmaster) will be presenting the Youth Protection program at the meeting.  I strongly recommend everyone attend the CoH and YPT program (which will be in the Sanctuary immediately after the Court of Honor).  We ask Parents to attend the YPT program along with your Scout because the material may generate questions or opportunities for parents to have additional discussions at home.  Those discussions may be more beneficial if both Scouts and Parents have seen the materials and have heard the comments from other Scouts and Leaders during the meeting.  IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS NOT BRING YOUNGER SIBLINGS TO THE YPT PORTION OF THE MEETING, AS THE MATERIALS AND DISCUSSION WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR NON-SCOUT-AGED YOUTH. We will have a kid-appropriate movie to show on the TV in Scout Hall for younger siblings.  Scouts BSA, Troop 77, and Troop 177 take youth protection seriously, and that is why we are requesting your attendance at this meeting.  If you have any questions, then please feel free to contact me or Brad Gilmer (brad@gilmer.tv). 

Our final meeting of the year will be a holiday party on 12/14, which you will be hearing more about from David in the next couple of weeks.

A couple of additional reminders:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wp64UN0Eg5qqmqtsbnHhj_yM6c_AXHxi/view?usp=drivesdk for all the details


Thanks. Mr. Cole

PHILMONT 2023 AND INDIVIDUAL TREKS


It’s somewhat hard to believe given we still have not gone on our Philmont 2022 Trek yet (that will not happen until next summer), it is already time to enter the lottery and start making plans for our next Philmont trip during the the Summer of 2023.  If you have any interest (no matter how remote) in attending Philmont 2023 (which will be a combined Units trip with Troop 77, Troop 177, and Venture Crew 77; although, you do not have to be in a co-ed Crew if you don’t want to be), then please email Mr. Cole at ctcole0308@gmail.com and put “PHILMONT 2023” in the Subject line.   You can attend Philmont with us in 2023 if you are 14 by the Summer of 2023 time (for practical purposes, please use June 1st as our departure date; although, our actual departure date will likely be later in the summer), OR if you are 13 and have COMPLETED the 8th Grade by the Summer of 2023.  While it appears travel and ancillary costs will remain relatively close in 2023 to what they are right now for our 2022 trip, Philmont is raising its prices again.  My best guess estimate is your total all-in cost for 2023 (Philmont fees, Travel (air and ground) fees, Miscellaneous fees, and Souvenirs) will be approximately $2,800.  Keep in mind there are a limited number of Philmont Scholarships that are available and other activities (such as fundraising) that can be done to help mitigate some of the costs.  In addition, we are constantly evaluating travel options and costs to be as Thrifty as possible.  As some of you may know, Philmonts’ fees remained virtually unchanged or increased nominally for decades, and the now consistent nearly 10% year-over-year fee increases are simply a normalization of what probably should have been happening for the last 20 years and wasn’t.

While on the topic of Philmont, I want to remind those Scouts that have already been before or who are Older Scouts and not sure they want to spend 10 days on the trail with some of our younger Scouts, Philmont offers a number of robust individual youth programs for you to attend, and in some cases at no or very low cost.  The individual programs to check-out can be found on Philmont’s website at:

 https://www.philmontscoutranch.org/philmonttreks/individualprograms/

Those programs include: OA Trail Crew, Ranch Hands, Rayado (really good to do if you think you might want to work at Philmont in the future after turning 18), Roving Outdoor Conservation School (ROCS), STEM, and Trail Crew.

service opportunity this saturday


Coralwood School Nature Trail Service Project - Saturday 12/4 (10am-12pm)

Any Scouts interested in earning conservation service hours (including for the BSA EPA award) should plan to attend the joint Pack 577 / Troop 77 service project at the Coralwood School Nature Trail on Saturday, December 4th at 10am. We will be undertaking a number of trail clean-up activities, hanging bird feeders, etc. Bring work gloves and any tools you have that you think might be useful for trail clean-up. Contact Mr. Bryant (williambbryant@gmail.com) with any questions.

advancement


Court of Honor -  Our next Court of Honor is only a week away!   It is time to finish up your merit badges, awards (including the EPA 50th Anniversary Award, Outdoor Award, etc.).  If you have finished your Cyber Chip, Totin or Fire’m Chit this Fall, please make sure I know about it so you can be recognized at the ceremony.  

Awards - I feel sure we have scouts who qualify for the World Conservation Award and/or the National Outdoor Award.  

National Outdoor Award for Camping, Hiking, Aquatics, Conservation, Riding AND/OR Adventure - Many of our scouts qualify for one of these 5 award categories.  For more info go here and let me know if you qualify.  

https://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/award/national_outdoor_badges-2113.asp

World Conservation Award -  Check to see if you qualify for this award.  All you need are the following 3 merit badges: 

1.  Earned the Environmental Science OR Sustainability merit badge

2.  Earned the Soil and Water Conservation OR Fish and Wildlife Management merit badge

3. Citizenship in the World merit badge 

If you have the 3 merit badges needed, fill out the form found here and bring it to me at the Advancement Table and we will get the patch awarded to you:

https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/World_Conservation_Application-Scouts-BSA-1.pdf

Rank Advancement / Board of Review - If you are close to finishing up your rank, stop by the ASM helpdesk to get the items signed off, finish your Scoutmaster conference, then schedule your Board of Remember you must have ALL requirements signed off including the Scoutmaster Conference BEFORE we can hold your BOR.  I have updated the sign up genius with the available slots for November.  If you need a BOR and need a date or time outside those offered, please let me know and I will work with you.  To sign up for a BOR, go here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D44AEAD29A7FF2-troop

BOR Parents - Any parents who can help with the BOR, please go ahead and sign up even if a scout is not listed.  It is very helpful to have volunteers already signed up rather than have to scramble for them each week.  And, I really appreciate your help and know the scouts appreciate getting to rank up in a timely manner. 

Yours in Scouting,

Pam Crawford, Advancement Chair

pamcrawford1@me.com

CAMPING

December Campout  - - Geology and Hiking at Providence Canyon 

December  11 - 12, 2021

Registration Deadline: Monday, November 29 at 10:00 p.m.

Trip Links       

January Campout  - - Service Project on Cumberland Island  

January  14 - 17, 2022

Registration Deadline: CLOSED

Trip Links        

EPA/BSA 50th Anniversary Award


If your Scout is trying for the EPA/BSA 50th Anniversary Award, please e-mail Mr. Brewer (at wesbrewer@hotmail.com) so we can create a roster of candidates.  For a list of the requirements, please look here:  http://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/512-09821_EPAAward.pdf

As far as the EPA Award service hours requirement, we will accept any hours done during the 2021 calendar year (yes, dating back to January) that are "conservation" or "public health" related.  Check your Scout book.

If you still need hours, Frazier-Rowe is having its last scheduled 2021 work day this Saturday, November 13th, from 9:00 until noon.  Please e-mail Mr. Brewer if you plan to attend.  

OGUMC CHRISTMAS LOT


Scouts needed for the OGUMC Youth Christmas Tree Lot!   The OGUMC Youth Christmas Tree lot is back in 2021!   This is a great opportunity to earn service hours and to serve our chartering organization, Oak Grove UMC.   There are 2 ways to serve:

summer 2022 bert adams camp staff opportunities


Would you like to have all the fun and excitement of a summer camp experience and get paid in the process?  The Atlanta Area Council is  searching for excellent leaders, just like your Scouts, to serve on the staff at Bert Adams Scout Camp and Woodruff Scout Camp for Summer 2022.  Camp Staff members must be age 15 or older, but those that are 14 can serve as a Counselor-In-Training (CIT) for a two-week volunteer experience.  

As a member of Camp Staff, Scouts will work in one of the many exciting program areas like aquatics, shooting sports, nature, COPE, climbing, handicraft, dining hall, or the trading post. In these areas, Camp Staff will teach merit badges, provide program, and serve the thousands of other Scouts who come through the summer camps. 


Click here for more information and apply today!

NYLT camp staff opportunities


We’re looking for NYLT graduates to join us as staffers for all of our 2022 courses! It’s a chance to recapture everything you loved about NYLT – the skills, the songs, and the Scouting spirit – while growing even more as a leader and as a Scout.

Ask any NYLT staffer and they’ll tell you: serving on NYLT staff is some of the most fun you can have in Scouting, and it’s also an incredible opportunity to develop both the skills you learned about at NYLT and entirely new ones. As an NYLT staffer, you will be in the unique position to give other Scouts the gift of leadership you received as a participant, and you’ll be part of a truly youth-led program. It’s a chance to be part of Scouting at its best. All we need from you is an application, and a healthy dose of, yes, enthusiasm.

To see stories from NYLT staffers and learn more, check out our presence on Instagram or Facebook. To view dates and apply, visit https://aacnylt.org/staff-nylt . Sign up soon – interview slots are filling up quickly!

GOLDEN EAGLE LUNCHEON


Mr. Cole is hosting a table on behalf of Troop 77 at the Atlanta Area Council’s Golden Eagle Luncheon Friday December 10th (gathering at 11:30A and event starts at 12P) at the Cobb Galleria Center.  The Keynote Speaker will be Chris Womack who is Chairman, President and CEO of Georgia Power.  This is a great opportunity to learn more about Scouting in Atlanta and for those with additional means to enhance and further contribute to Scouting as we continue the character building and leadership development in the the young men and women participating in Scouts BSA.  If you are interested in taking part in the Golden Eagle Luncheon, please contact Mr. Cole directly or register at https://www.atlantabsa.org/ge-register and put Clinton Cole in the “Who Invited You to Attend the Luncheon” line.

winter camp 2021


Register today for 2021 Winter Camp at Bert Adams! For 5 days and 4 nights in December, Scouts BSA and Venturers will have the opportunity to camp and take part in unique programs and merit badges not available during Summer Camp. Check out our website for more information.

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.

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.

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.

https://www.atlantabsa.org/woodbadge

merit badge minute

Earn merit badges at home with the Daniel Boone Council.  The course list will be continuously updated over the summer, so check back often.  Scouts need a valid Cyber Chip before starting any on-line merit badge.  Scouts also need approval from Mr. Brewer, Mr. Cole, Mr. Gupta or Mr. Narula before enrolling.   More information through the Daniel Boone website:  https://www.danielboonecouncil.org/virtual

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 –

Troop 77 Scouts

Troop 177 Parents –

Troop 177 Scouts

Scoutbook

Other Announcements

Troop 77 Calendar: Use the following address to access the Troop 77 calendar from other applications. You can copy and paste this into any calendar product that supports the iCal format.

https://www.scoutbook.com/ics/17077.45861.ics