Troop 4 - Grapevine, Texas

NEW TROOP 4 SCOUT -- Please welcome Micah I. as Troop 4's newest scout. Micah's parents are Greg and Cathy. He is 12 and a seventh grader at Colleyville Middle School.

POPCORN SALES --Joyce Hegeman and Nancy Logue have volunteered to be the troop's popcorn "kernels" in the upcoming Longhorn Council popcorn sales. At the July troop committee meeting, the troop voted to acquire $4,000 in popcorn for the "show and sell" portion of the council's popcorn fund raising project. Each scout will be expected to participate in this project that will include selling door to door on Aug 28. The troop will also participate in October during the traditional advance order sale, with delivery in November. Scout sign up sheets will be at the Aug 15 Court of Honor.

TROOP COOKOUT --There will be a troop cookout, parent's meeting and court of honor at 3 p.m. on Sunday Aug 15 at CCF, the day before school starts in the G-CISD and HEB school districts. Helene Kilianski a member of the Troop 4 hospitality committee is coordinating the cookout and those wishing to bring food, paper plates, etc. should contact her at (817) 540-9394. Also committee member Dirk Stricklin will have information sheets on each scout at the meeting and parents should see him to verify ranks, phone numbers, addresses, e-mail addresses, etc. There will not be a troop meeting this coming Monday night Aug 16.

MERIT BADGES & RANK ADVANCEMENTS by Advancement Chairperson Joyce Hegeman --
Jacob B.: Indian Lore, Archery, Fishing
Michael B.: Family Life, Camping
Ryan B.: Soil and Water, Fingerprinting, Basketry, Fishing
William B.: Emergency Preparedness, First Aid, Canoeing, Personal Fitness, Rifle, Dog Care, Cit. in the Nation
Caleb B.: Archery, Nature, Indian Lore
Jeffrey C.: Lifesaving, Soil and Water, Railroading, Rifle, Archery, Shotgun, Fishing
Kyle C.: Citizenship of the Nation, Rowing, Soil and Water
Michael C.: Emergency Preparedness, Rowing, Communications, Personal Fitness, Communications, Dog Care, Family Life.
Matthew F.: Dog Care, Auto Mechanics
Gregory G.: Archery, Radio, Swimming, Music, E. Science
Tim G.: Woodcarving, First Aid, Archery, Dog Care, Personal Management
Jason H.: Soil and Water, Swimming, Fishing
Matthew H.: Citizenship in the World, World Conservation
Eric H.: Basketry, Fingerprinting, Swimming
Joe K.: Shotgun, Railroading, Fingerprinting, Wilderness Survival, Personal Management
Joseph K.: Geology, Art, Leatherwork
Abi K.: Swimming, Citizenship of the Nation
Joseph L.: Railroading, Indian Lore
Robert L.: Archery, Fishing, Soil and Water
Kevin M.: Canoeing, Rowing, Personal Fitness, Citizenship in the Community
Ryan M.: Indian Lore, Soil and Water, Fishing
T.J. N.: Soil and Water, Swimming, Fishing
Michael P.: Indian Lore, Fishing
Arden S.: Fishing
Nathan S.: Archery, First Aid, Swimming, Soil and Water, Dog Care, E.Science
Morgan S.: Forestry, Citizenship of the Nation, Swimming, Rifle
Andrew S.: Family Life
Ben S.: Emergency Preparedness, First Aid, Soil and Water
Jon S.: Emergency Preparedness, Rowing, First Aid, Soil and Water, Canoeing, Mile Swim, Cit. in the Nation
Joseph S.: Emergency Preparedness, Rowing, E. Science
Cameron T.: Wood Carving, Leatherwork
Cameron W.: Leatherwork, Woodcarving, Personal Management

RANK ADVANCEMENTS:
SCOUT: Jacob B., Ryan B., Kyle C., Gregory G., Jason H., Eric H., Christopher H., Abi K., Ryan M., T. J. N., Michael P., Morgan S., Cameron T.
TENDERFOOT: Gregory G., Jacob B., Abi K., Kyle C.
SECOND CLASS: Joseph L., Caleb B., Robert L., Joseph S., Joseph L.
FIRST CLASS: Robert L., Joseph L., Nathan S., Joseph S.

TROOP 4 BOR's -- Troop 4 boards of review are held the first and third Monday meetings. Scouts are required to fill out a BOR request form available from the troop scribe. Also all scouts are requested to bring their scout handbooks to each meeting so rank advancement requirements can be checked off. Scouts should report merit badge completions and rank advancements to Advancement Chairperson Joyce Hegeman in person, e-mail-- jeh61@earthlink.net -- or by phone to (817) 281-5149.

EAGLE SCOUT UPDATE -- Troop 4's newest Eagle Scout Michael L. was honored with a proclamation Aug 4 for his Eagle service project of repainting the Sparger Park playground and pavilion. Life Scout Drew S. will conduct his Eagle service project Sept 18 (rainout date Oct 2) of digging and constructing a fish pond and environmental area at his school. Life Scout Joe K. has had his service project proposal of designing and building podiums for the Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School faculty approved by the Troop 4 committee. It must now be approved by the Lakeview District pre-cert committee. His planned work days are Oct 9 and 10.

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL -- The Troop 4 Committee has endorsed a plan by Venture Crew 509 member Sarah L. (sister of Troop 4 scout Joseph L.) to teach the Wilderness Survival merit badge. The schedule will be announced later after consulting with the Troop 4 patrol leaders council and final details are worked out.

2005 SUMMER CAMP -- Troop 4 has a reservation to return to Camp Alexander Colorado June 26-July 2, 2005 for summer camp. Exact costs will be announced soon as will travel dates.

CELL PHONES --The Troop 4 Scoutmaster Corps and Troop Committee has endorsed a plan for scouts to turn off all cell phones, Game Boys, and other electronic devices during troop meeting. The reason is they are too distracting to conducting the meeting. Scouts who "must" have their cell phone on will be required to set them to vibrate or ring on silent mode. Scouts should leave the room if they must answer their cell phones.

HOW TO EARN A MERIT BADGE IN TROOP 4

1. Select a merit badge you want to work on. Decide what rank (Star, Life, Eagle) it will go under. Merit badges can be earned at any lower rank (Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class) however, only Star, Life, and Eagle ranks each require a certain number of Eagle required and optional merit badges for advancement. Eagle required merit badges are listed in your Scout Handbook.

2. Get a blue card from Advancement Chairperson, John Flynn. Have either the Scoutmaster, Jeff Carter, or one of the Assistant Scoutmasters sign the card. THE BLUE CARD MUST BE FILLED OUT WITH YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND TROOP NUMBER BEFORE YOU START A MERIT BADGE. BLUE CARDS WILL NOT BE GIVEN OUT AFTER A MERIT BADGE HAS BEEN STARTED OR FINISHED. Blue cards are usually not normally needed in advance for merit badges earned at summer camp, however each camp has its own policy.

3. Select a merit badge counselor from the list on the Troop 4 website http://www.troop4grapevine.com/merit.badges , unless you know of a registered counselor beforehand you are going to work with. Remember the BSA requirement of working with another scout or making sure two adults are present.

4. Your merit badge counselor may decide to keep your card until you complete the merit badge, or he or she may give it back to you to keep. If you keep it, it is your responsibility to keep up with it and not leave it at a troop meeting or somewhere it might get lost.

5. Once the merit badge requirements are completed, RETURN the blue card to the Advancement Chairperson, John Flynn, so it may be entered into your troop records.

6. The merit badge will be added to your troop record as soon as it is finished and recorded, however the badge itself will usually be given to you at the next Troop 4 court of honor.

7. Parents wanting to volunteer as merit badge counselors may obtain a MB counselor and adult BSA application at a troop meeting. If you so desire, you may request to work only with scouts in Troop 4. The application process is very easy.