Hey its Steven your web master here and I have 2 requests for some great summer reading to pick up that's not boring.

The first is "The Dangerous Book for Boys"

This book is full of weird facts and project ideas  to fill your time of boredom during this summer. When it was brought up several of our fellow scouts cheered having read it saying it was great including none other then our one and only SPL John Paul Schultz. He stated that it was a great book to read. I have picked it up when looking around a book store and it seems pretty good and very interesting.

The information to find it is:

"The Dangerous Book for Boys", Gonn Iggulden & Hal Iggulden, 2007, HarperCollins, ISBN-13: 978-0-06-124358-5

Join us at the Annual Boy Scout Spaghetti Dinner on Saturday, May 28, 2010 at 7 PM.

We need adult help with tickets, decorations, donations, purchasing food, kitchen help, spaghetti cooks, dessert coordinator and dessert auctioneering.

Adults interested in helping with the Spaghetti Dinner or have any questions please contact Margarita Dailey.

The Spring Break campout is just around the corner.   Nestled in a scenic valley of the Boston Mountain Range of the Ozark Mountains, this state park offers outdoor adventures including camping, fishing, kayaking, swimming, mountain biking, hiking, and nature study. For backpackers, the park serves as the western terminus of the 165-mile Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail.  See the forms page for more details.

Registration is now open for the Merit Badge University events to be held at The University of Texas in Austin as well as Texas A&M in College Station. MBUs are day long events held on the university campus during which scouts can work on up to 4 merit badges.

Details and other information regarding these events can be found at UTMBU.ORG and TAMUMBU.ORG. The registration process is different for each event. For the UT event, you register individually and select "204 - SHAC" during the online registration. For the A&M event, all course selection and registration must be done by Mr. Ledeboer. The class schedule is available online but you must send him your requests.

As these events attract approximately 1,000 scouts each, the classes tend to fill up prior to the registration deadline.

The A&M event will be held on Feb 26. The UT event is scheduled for Feb 19, the same weekend as our Little Lake Creek backpacking trip.

What:  Tall Timbers District WEBELOS WOODS annual campout at Camp Strake Scout Camp.  Troop 204 will actively participate in this event and host a group of  visiting WEBELOS and their parents.   We need all available scouts and parents to attend.  This is our most important annual recruiting event.  Mark your calendar and sign up early.  

When:  November 12-14, 2010

Depart:  Depart from Sts. Simon & Jude parking lot at 6:00 PM Friday. 

Arrive NO LATER than 5:00 PM.  

Return:  Return to Sts. Simon & Jude parking lot by 12:00 Noon on Sunday.

Webelos Den Invitations:  We will be identifying the Webelos dens to invite between 10/4 and 10/11.  All invited dens will register directly with the Tall Timbers District under our registration.  Please let me know any invitations that you would like to offer.  All Webelos dens should be registered by 10/22. 

Cost:  The cost for this event will be approximately $15.00 - This fee will be deducted from the scout accounts.  

Meals:  Each patrol will prepare and manage their own menu and meals.  Patrols will be assigned a group of WEBELOS to host and cook for.  Please attempt to keep the food cost for this event to under $10.00 per scout.  Meals needed: light snack for Friday night, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Sunday breakfast.  Dinner Saturday night should include a dessert. Patrol Awards will be given for best menu and best meals.  Do you best.  Let's Impress the visiting Webelos.

Adults:  We always need adult volunteers to help out with the purchase and preparation of meals for the adult leaders on the trips.  If you have not helped with this activity before, now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of their troop!

"Island Adventure" will be the theme as Sam Houston Area Council celebrates its 25th Winter Camp at Camp Strake from December 26 - 31, 2010. Chris Jones, Eagle Scout from 1999 and currently the OA Chapter Advisor from Tall Timbers district will be the director for Winter Camp's 25th Annivsersary. We are expecting 900+ Boy Scouts, 150 leaders and 250 staff members. This camp offers more than 70 different merit badges, many of them Eagle required, a Trail to First Class program and many different evening activities for all attendees to enjoy.

Instead of the Canoeing Clinic Troop 204 went to Schitterbahn in Galveston on Sept. 11, 2010.   The troop spent the day at the Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Water Park enjoying daring speed slides, endless rivers, uphill water coasters, waves for surfing, splashing and relaxing, plus kid-friendly water playgrounds.  Not a bad way to spend a long, hot day.

Troop 204's first fundraiser will be popcorn sales. The official kickoff date is Sept 16th. Adriana Schultz will be in charge of  the program.
 
Troop 204's second fundraiser will be wreath sales. Order forms will be available Sept. 27th.  Any questions should be directed to Margarita Dailey.
 
Profit from both fundraisers will go directly to the scout's account. You can decide to do one or both fundraisers. This is a great opportunity to raise money for winter camp, and other upcoming scout functions.

SHAC Jam is the grand finale celebration in Sam Houston Area Council for the 100th Anniversary of Scouting.

This is one of the largest Anniversary events in the nation – a real “memory maker” for Scouts of all ages. While Boy Scouts and Venturers will camp overnight, there will be plenty of special activities for Cub Scouts and their families to enjoy on Saturday.

When/Where: Friday, October 8th thru Sunday, October 10th, Texas World Speedway in College Station, Just south of College Station on Hwy 6

Arrive: 4pm, Friday, October 8th, St. Simon & Jude parking lot
Departure: 5pm from St. Simon & Jude
Return: ~12pm to St. Simon & Jude parking lot

Uniform: No Open Toe Shoes All Weekend!!
Friday - Class "A" for travel on Friday and for opening show
Saturday - Class "B" all day
Sunday - Class "A" for chapel and travel home

Meals: Friday - bring money for meals in route.  4 Patrol meals - Saturday breakfast thru Sunday breakfast (keep it simple for minimum preparation and clean-up time)

Cost:   Approximately $50-60, including food

Bring: Backpack (or duffle bag), water bottle, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, change of clothes, raingear, meal kit, & personal hygiene kit

Additional Information: Troop Trailer will transport patrol gear, to be issued to the quarter masters upon arrival at camp site.

Call for Adults: We need assistant scout masters, adult drivers, and overnight chaperones (all with YPT and Virtus training).  We also need a volunteer to pull the trailer.

Troop 204 has had some time to rest from their adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  You can relive some of those memories with this youtube video courtesy of Kevin Howe.  It contains highlights of the 2010 summer camp at Claytor Lake Aquatic Base.