Upcoving Events

Don't forget to send your pictures of Troop Events and Campouts to John Dolan, dolanjohn13@gmail.com. John will post them on the Web site.

Click Here or click on the Scout Troop 20 logo on the Home Page to view the pictures.

All scouts that are ready for a Board of Review should sign up now regardless of rank.

If you have completed your requirements for rank advancement please do the following:

Arrange to have a scoutmaster conference with your Assistant Scoutmaster prior to the 15th. Please send an e-mail to Mr.Colley with your name and the rank for which you have completed the requirements. (contact Mr. Colley at: jcolley@bolerco.com . Please send this e-mail no later than Thursday, May 10th. If I do not receive this information by the 10th, you will not be scheduled. There will be no exceptions.

All blue cards for merit badges are due no later than the 22nd. All cards received after that date will be processed for the Court of Honor in October so don’t be late!

If your son is requesting a Board of Review, we ask that you serve on one of the Boards. Our troop continues to grow and this requirement is critical to our providing an effective Board of Review for each scout that requests one.

Our next campout is May 19-20 at Camp Wonderland. This campout is the 'fun' campout. In other words, no tents, no cooking, minimal cleanup. Camp Wonderland is a Salvation Army summer camp where there is swimming, climbing towers, crafts, archery, etc. Because of their policies, we need to get an understanding of how many scouts are planning to attend this campout. The plan right now is to leave Winnetka early on Saturday May 19 and return around lunch-time on May 20. Of course, individual groups can leave sooner or later on Sunday. See www.wonderlandcamp.com for more information.

If you are planning on attending this campout, please send an email to Charley Snell at: charley@madedrinks.com

Send a message of "yes" and how many in your group (father/son (s)). Send this to Charley Snell by April 30. Permission slips, etc. will follow in May.

Week 1: Sat 7/22 to Sat 7/28
Week 2: Sat 7/29 to Sat 8/4

The cost of camp this year is $290 per week or $580 for two weeks, sign up now as spots are filling up fast!

Please remember to get reserve your camp weeks with Skip Shade (skip.shade@gmail.com) and he is now accepting payment as well.

John is already an Eagle Scout but continues to give his time and experience to the troop. We’re excited to have him in this leadership role.

For the Court of Honor, Scouts are expected to be in a complete and neat uniform! The founder of the Boy Scouts, Lord Baden Powell said, "The uniform makes for brotherhood, since when universally adopted it covers up all differences of class and country." This is why we take the uniform seriously. The inside cover of the scout handbook has a guide of where to place the various insignia. Each scout should have the patch representing their current rank proudly displayed on their left pocket. There are special adhesive kits at the scout shop. In a pinch, a stapler works wonders too! The scout shop can help with patch placement as well. The scout shop is open on Saturday from 9am to 1pm and weekdays from 9am to 6pm. It is located at 2745 Skokie Valley Road in Highland Park.

Troop 20 recognizes the invaluable contribution our mothers make with our ”Mom’s ribbons” and ask our moms on hand to come to the stage with their son who is advancing in rank. Moms should place the pins representing your scout’s accomplishments on your ribbon. Please wear your ribbon proudly whether or not your son will be recognized for advancement. Obviously, we want Dad up there in the event Mom isn’t on hand.

Merit badges ONLY are worn on the FRONT of the sash. On the back of the sash, additional merit badges may be sewn as well as temporary insignia may be sewn. "Temporary insignia" is defined by the BSA as special insignia for participating in unit, District, Council or national events or programs. Previous rank, service stars and pins are NOT to be worn on the sash. The 50-Miler, large camp patches, Historic Trails Award, aquatic emblems (like Mile Swim or Boardsailing emblems) and other "equipment decoration insignia" do NOT go onto a merit badge sash -- there are separate places for those items.

USED UNIFORMS Have you outgrown your scout uniform? Need a different size for the next Court of Honor and the Memorial Day and Fourth of July Parade? Troop 20 has a limited supply of used uniforms available for free. Elise Ball is our uniform coordinator. You can email her with your size requirements at ballboyz3@comcast.net and she'll let you know what's available. Donations of used uniforms in good condition may be dropped off to their home at any time.

Elise Ball has agreed to extend the exchange program to include camping/high adventure items like rain gear, boots, zip-off pants, etc. So, as you are going through your gear for this summer's trips, please take any items in good condition, that you have outgrown, over to Elise so that we can build up an inventory.

We are open to suggestions of new places to camp. Please E-mail Mr. Huels at huels@att.net if you have any suggestions or comments on our past trips.

Will take place from Saturday, July 14, 2012 to Sunday, July 22, 2012. We'll be rafting all 280 miles of the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

We'll put out in at Lees Ferry, Arizona on Sunday, July 15, 2010 and will take out on Saturday, July 21, 2010 at Pearce Ferry on Lake Mead. The river through Grand Canyon is one of the most challenging stretches of runnable whitewater in the world, including 49 Class IV and V rapids. Class V is the ultimate (Class VI is considered to unnavigable), and numerous other riffles and Class I, II, and III rapids. Lava Falls at mile 179 is considered to be the biggest whitewater in North America, and there are numerous other gems such as Bedrock, Granite, Hermit (my favorite), and Dubendorff.

We will be running the river on two J-Boats, which are motorized pontoons, each of which will carry 14 of us plus 2 professional crew, so there are 28 openings. The motor is a 30-hp outboard which is there for steering and getting us through the calmer and slower stretches of the river.

In addition to running the river, eating hearty meals prepared by the crew, and camping on beaches, we'll making numerous stops along the way to hike and explore caverns, side canyons, slot canyons, waterfalls, and archeological sites such as petroglyphs and Ancestral Puebloan dwellings and granaries. Some of these involve rigorous hikes and non-technical climbs. We'll see spectacular waterfalls, deep pools where we can swim or soak, green riverside oases, wildlife, towering cliff walls stretching to a mile above, and "temples" which rise from the surrounding canyons like church spires.

Anyone who took the 2006, 2008, and 2010 trips can tell what an awesome experience this is. Those who were on earlier trip are welcome to sign up again. This is a popular trip for Dads (and Moms) and sons.

Photographs from the 2010 trip have been posted on the troop website (www.winnetkatroop20.org) by our new webmster John Dolan (thanks John!).

In addition, Mr. Vorwald, who went on the 2010 trip with his son Jack, has produced an amazing and professionally done DVD, which I will be glad to loan a copy on request.

The trip cost is estimated to $3200 - $3300, group size will be 28, and Babcock scholarships will be available for eligible Life and Eagle Scouts. Our outfitter is Canyoneers, Inc. Trip dates are somewhat firm, but can possibly change to a week earlier or later, pending permit availability from the National Park Service to Canyoneers, Inc. and trip costs are tentative pending outfitter fee, airfare, bus and hotel reservations. John Maurus will be making these arrangements far in advance of the trip in order to get the best possible prices. The trip dates will be finalized in early 2011.

Early commitments are necessary because of the long reservation lead time, so contact Mr. John Maurus in person, by phone, or email as soon as possible. As of this date 9 of the 28 openings have been spoken for, and when the roster fills we will start a wait list. As the trip date gets closer, cancellations occur, so those on the wait list stand a good chance of actually getting on the trip. We will be requesting deposits of $500 in early 2011, and this is the way to "put your money where your mouth is" and be officially included on the roster. Deposits will become nonrefunable starting in April 2012 due to reservation penalties thst become assessed as of that time.

Good Turn for America is a national call to service by the Boy Scouts of America to address the issues of hunger, homelessness, and poor health in our nation. In this effort, the Boy Scouts of America is partnering with some of the nation's most respected service organizations, including The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, America's Second Harvest, and the Department of Homeland Security. These organizations and thousands of others will work to provide opportunities for youth and volunteers to fight hunger and homelessness, and teach the habits of healthy living.

Youth and volunteers are looking for ways to serve their communities. At the same time, service organizations need dedicated volunteer help. By working together, we can improve our young people, our communities, and the nation. From canned food drives to disaster clean-up the members of the Boy Scouts of America have recorded over four million hour of volunteer service to their communities over the past two years. For more information on Good Turn for America and to see some heartwarming stories, visit www.goodturnforamerica.org

Do you know a boy, young man or young woman who would benefit from a Scouting program? Maybe a relative, neighbor, or someone from church. Why not let their family know what Scouting has meant to you and your family! Scouting instills values that parents want for their children... Honesty, Integrity, Leadership and Accomplishment and it does it in a way that provides fun and adventure to the child. Remember your Scouting experience. How you felt on your first camping trip, the way you stood proud when you earned your first badge, the sense of accomplishment when you did a good turn. Today's young people can still feel that today. Help them find a Scouting program near them by visiting these helpful websites.

Troop 20 expects all scouts to wear the Troop 20 BSA uniform to all meetings at NSCD. The uniform includes just 3 items: 1. Scout shirt (tucked in) 2. Scout pants or shorts (I see they have new ones that are a little more stylin) 3. Scout belt (green web belt with scout buckle, or other approved scout belts like the Philmont belt). Scouts who do not wear the uniform will not be allowed into the meeting.