The Latest Happenings
"Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!" is underway. Thirty toadies have plunked
down $340 and made a commitment to be a part of this wild ride. Now is
the time for the real fun to begin.
Kenny and Alice Riancho will be hosting the first Alaska 2000! party. It
will be held March 11th at 6:00 p.m. at their house. Each toady must have
a 30-second presentation on some aspect of Alaska as it relates to our
trip. In this way, we will have a good working knowledge of Alaska before
we even get there. Please coordinate your subject with John Combs.
Andrew Smith was selected as crew chief (toady leader) and Mike McFall
as his assistant. These Scouts are taking care of trip arrangements and
will also provide leadership during the trip. Sounds scary, doesn't it?
Your $400 is due February 7th. Please pay this now! Also, the medical form,
permission slip and advancement requirements need to be completed over
the next several months. A requirements checklist is posted at the meeting
room and you should check this to see what you have left to do.
Backpacking Basics
What better way to experience the natural beauty of Alaska then by exploring
the backcountry! Simply put your portable house on your back and hit the
trail. Although it sounds simply enough, ample preparation is necessary
to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.
First, future backpackers will want to begin an exercise program now. You
should exercise between 30 and 45 minutes four to five times a week. Don't
overdo it initially. Start slow and gradually build up.
Second, you must participate in two preparation backpacking trips and the
last one is required. Please note the locations have changed. Do yourself
a favor and try to attend them all.
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Happy Hunting Grnds, 2/25-26, 12 miles
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WPAFB, 3/24-25, 10 miles
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Red River Gorge, 4/7-9, 20 miles
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Rick's choice, 5/5-7, 20+ miles
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These trips will teach skills such as how to back a backpack, proper footgear,
what to pack, backpack cooking, tent pitching, water purification, trail
first aid, proper storage of smellables, bear awareness, working as a group
plus much, much more. We will also spend some time selecting and training
backpacking group leaders.
Our first backpacking trek will be the Happy Hunting Grounds trail at Woodland
Trails. We will meet at the church on Friday, February 25 at 6:00 p.m.
Green Meadows will be our evening campsite. On Saturday morning, the troop
will break into crews and choose crew leaders. We will then hike the 12
mile trail carrying our everything you brought including tents. Once the
hike is finished, we will return to the church Saturday night hopefully
no later than 8:00 p.m.
Parent's Meeting
Our January high adventure parent's meeting resolved a few issues. First,
we agreed a class B uniform will be worn to and from Alaska and during
other appropriate times. This means registered Scouts and Scouters will
wear a troop T-shirt, Scout pants, belt & socks while others will wear
a troop T-shirt and blue jeans. For toadies who need troop t-shirts, Roger
Forney will be holding a sale in mid March.
Packing for the plane will definitely be a challenge. Toadies are on their
own to ensure that the airlines will accept their baggage based on size,
weight and quantity. When in doubt, give them a call.
The troop will pay for a laundry party half way through the trip. Therefore,
you will only need to bring one week's worth of clothes.
In the Works
We are looking for volunteers to serve as quartermasters, drive vans, and
to send out thank you notes to those who helped with various aspects of
the trip. Interested parties should call John Combs ASAP.
For you computer geeks, we have a web site containing various info. Point
your browser at http://www.infinet.com/~combs/bsa/alaska/
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