This is a first for Troop 22 and should prove to be an awesome adventure. Once we arrive, we’ll be traversing a ropes course and zip lines at ZoomAir, then camping in the Rainforest pavilion at the Zoo. Scouts will need to plan for their own dinner meal. Do not plan on the ability to take patrol boxes, rather smaller hiking stoves, like the ones seen here, and mess kits.   We will be locked in after 6 p.m. and partake in the Night Safari. No one will be allowed to leave afterwards. In the morning, the zoo will provide a continental breakfast and another private tour of the Zoo prior to opening. After that, Mr Chris Davis will be counseling the remainder of the Nature Merit Badge.

ZOOm Air
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens and ZoomAir Adventure Park
3755 N.W. Highway 17-92 at I-4 (Exit 104) Sanford, Florida

Dates: Dec. 10th-11th, 2011
Meet Saturday at HPUMC at 9:30am
Depart at 10 a.m.
Return Sunday noon, arrive back to HPUMC at approx. 1:30-2pm

What to bring:
- Travel and explore in Class B  (if you do not have a Troop Class B shirt, you can purchase one for $20 at the next troop meeting).
- Flag ceremonies and interfaith sunday worship in Class A
- Tight fitting athletic shoes, (no crocks nor five fingers or anything similar is permitted) with a sole, sides and top and laces that attach snugly to the foot.
- Reference gear list under scout resources (page)

If you want to go,
#1 – RSVP to your evite
#2 – Download permission slips and release here.  Fill them out and return to the Nov. 14th Troop meeting.  Otherwise you may scan and email to Mr. Tom Fass (tfass@tampabay.rr.com)
#3 – Pay $50/person via Paypal link below

If you have any further questions, please contact this event’s coordinator, Mr Tom Fass, tfass@tampabay.rr.com, 813-326-9891

We are very fortunate to have found a great group of adult leaders who gave up a week of their vacation to escort our boys to Woodruff Scout Reservation in Blairsville, GA. For those whose sons joined Troop 22 just this year, a Fat Loss Cheat nd for those Scouting families with sons attending Woodruff for their first time, please know that our adult leaders will enjoy benefits that will have positive residual effects on the future of our troop.

One of the truly wonderful and beneficial program highlights at Woodruff is their week-long adult training programs. It has been proven many times over that training is the key to success in administering a FUN, enriching, and appropriate Scouting program. The Boy Scouts of America has invested a lot of time and effort to create a rich heritage of guiding boys on their paths to becoming solid men and valued citizens to our communities. So it is with the trip to Woodruff that our adult leaders will be investing more of their time to learn how to better administer the Scouting program to our youth.

But before you begin thinking that these adults will be locked in a stuffy classroom instead of enjoying the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, I can assure you these people will be having FUN both inside and outdoors! From basic Youth Protection Training held in a classroom to Paddlecraft Safety held at the lakefront, there will be plenty of good times to go around. The staff there will make the training memorable and our leaders will get to mingle with other leaders from around the region.

Then there is the Scoutmaster Merit Badge Program. This is unique only to Woodruff, and is not an official BSA program, but it is designed for adult leaders to have MORE FUN while they are at camp. Leaders must choose to complete 12 items from a list of 20 requirements that include

• 5. Go Fishing
• 14. Learn to tie a new knot. Teach it to a Scout.
• 15. Participate in the Polar Bear Plunge. (Troop 22 practically owned this event in 2010!)
• 17. Sit on a rock and ponder life for a while.

And the personal favorite of most of the adult leaders:

• 18. Take a nap one afternoon. (Sometimes stretched over multiple days.)

Wednesday all Scouts and leaders in camp will be treated to a very inspirational flag retirement ceremony held at the lakefront amphitheatre. In an amazing display of patriotism that will bring mist to your eyes, the camp assembles an evening ceremony guaranteed to leave you speechless. Complete with a real 21-gun salute and a roaring campfire, the ceremony involves veterans of the armed forces and fire, rescue, and police departments; the people who have given their lives to insure the peace and safety of our country.

Thursday is typically a favorite day for everyone because that’s the day Scouts and leaders have the opportunity to

• Go horseback riding.
• Go whitewater rafting.
• Stay at camp and hang out.

Oh, yes, and then there’s the Scoutmaster Brunch and Scoutmaster Dinner…and every morning leaders have a special chow line with bonus foods like yogurt, oatmeal, bagels, and juice. (You have to fuel all that fun and learning, right?)

Friday will end the week with an entertaining waterfront show by the amphitheater followed by a fun bonfire and the awards troops and individuals earned throughout the week.

So let’s stop admiring these adults for “giving up” a week of their vacation time, thinking all they’re doing is herding cats (our boys). Let’s think about all the fun we should be having with them right now and admire how they managed to hold all of this “insider information” from you. (The secret’s out now, but remember they’re on a bus heading to camp…they’ll be no torch-bearing lynch mob.)

Of course, let us also be grateful we have so many good people dedicated to making sure the program is FUN for ALL of us.

Here’s hoping you have all been enjoying a great summer!

Yours in Scouting,

Kim Fatica, Assistant Scoutmaster

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