Troop 1 Parents Meeting

Wednesday January 8, 2003

PRESENT: Kathy Berns, Jamie Cook, Dana Jenson, Chris Klaren, Steve Murphy, Mike Pedersen

OLD BUSINESS:

1) Review/approve previous meeting minutes – the minutes were approved

2) Treasure's report – The troop general fund balance is $396.86. Scout accounts add another $209. We expect to receive the $568.35 popcorn profits and approximately $1300 in wreath profits this month, both which will be split 30% to the troop and 70% to the scout’s accounts.

3) Review activities for last month:

3.a) Rank advancements – Kevin Murphy earned his Bronze Eagle Palm this month.

3.b) Eagle Court of Honor, Dec 8 – Everyone contributed to a meaningful ceremony for the new Eagle Scouts. Many favorable comments were received from parents and guests.

3.c) Post-Christmas setup of church basement, Dec 26 – A number of Troop 1 scouts and parents helped with setting up the tables and chairs after the Christmas masses. The reasonably large turnout only needed about 1/2 hour to complete the job. It’s likely that we will be asked to help setup before and tear down special seating for Easter.

3.d) Harlem Globetrotters, Dec 27th, UNI Dome – Five Troop 1 families took advantage of the scout discount to attend the Globetrotters game at the UNI Dome. Everyone had fun, and, surprise, the Globetrotters won.

3.e) Troop 1 Holiday Party, Jan 5 – Plenty of food, fun, and Secret Santa for everyone.

4) Review scheduled activities for current month:

4.a) Snow Skiing, Jan 17-19 – The group discussed several possibilities, and decided not to consider Sundown due to the danger of intersecting trails. We’ve tentatively selected Chestnut in Galena due to its close proximity and the ability to make it a day trip. This event will be postponed if natural snow is not available, as man-made snow tends to be icy and difficult for beginner skiers. Expected cost is $45-$50 per person for lift ticket and ski rental, and this can be covered with their scout account.

4.b) Merit Badge College at UNI – Steve said that 9 Troop 1 scouts have signed up, with a possibility of 2 more. He is coordinating another trip for Troop 1 scouts to attend another merit badge college in Clear Lake on March 1st.

4.c) Scout Sunday, Feb 2 – Last year Ken Boss and Jim O’Connor coordinated between Troop 1 and Pack 25. Dana will contact them to ask them to leverage their experience and coordinate this year’s event. More information will be forthcoming from troop meetings and emails before then.

5) Wreath sales wrap-up – Lisa was unable to attend, however, we have learned that Meyers Nursery is interested in providing 100 wreaths to the troop for after-mass or door-to-door sales next year.

6) National Jamboree follow-up, July 25 – August 3, 2005. If any scouts are considering attending the 2005 Jamboree, they should strongly consider registering at the scout office. This may be the only opportunity for many of the scouts currently in the troop to attend as scouts, as it is only held every four years. A $100 non-refundable non-transferable deposit is required when registering. Contact Al or the fathers of the older scouts for more information.

7) Troop campout meals & menus – Rather than set guidelines at the parents meeting, it was agreed that there would be more adult involvement in developing and approving campout menus. The emphasis will be on nutrition and scouts cooking.

NEW BUSINESS:

1) Troop budget Jan-Dec 2003 – An review of the last 2 years’ cash flow indicates that for calendar 2003 we can expect the following:

Expense:

$400 Troop general camping expenses

$500 Scout office (awards, badges, etc.)

$400 Troop rechartering in April

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$1300 TOTAL EXPENSE

Income:

$170 Popcorn sales profit

$400 Estimated wreath sales profit to the troop

$260 Estimated Flapjackers pancake ticket profit

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$830 TOTAL INCOME

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$470 INCOME SHORTFALL

Several options were discussed to cover the shortfall – parents could write a check to cover the entire amount for the 15 active scouts shares or the scouts could raise the entire amount in fundraisers. The group decided to set dues for 2003 at $10 per scout (due and payable now), and have the scouts hold a fundraiser in the next 4-5 months to cover the balance. A pancake breakfast in the April-May timeframe was mentioned as a possibility.

2) Internet Scout Patch – The U.S. Scouting Service project offers an Internet Scout Patch for scouts that learn the skills to meet the requirements they have established. Chris will discuss this with the scouts at an upcoming meeting to determine interest and set up activities.

3) Troop Council Liaison – The Council recently sent an inquiry asking that a Troop “Commissioner” as a single point of contact with the Council for the Big Five (Camping, Popcorn, Roundup, Friends of Scouting, and Scouting for Food). We decided that the activity chairpersons capably handle the contact and we will not name a Commissioner at this time.

4) New Adult Leader Applications – As part of new child protection initiatives, all new adults registering with the B.S.A., Council, Troop, or other scouting organizations will need to provide their social security number to enable the B.S.A. to perform a background check on the applicants. New forms have been picked up from the scout office, and any old forms should be disposed of immediately.

NEXT PARENTS MEETING:

Monday, February 3, 7:00 PM, St. Ed’s cafeteria

TABLED FOR FUTURE MEETINGS:

1) Troop trailer insurance (Al, indefinite)

2) 2003 Summer Camp Planning (Feb 2003)

3) Outdoor Activities Chairman update (Chris)

4) Aug 7-18, 2004 Philmont High Adventure, (when appropriate)

5) Jul 25-Aug 3, 2005 National Jamboree (when appropriate)