Older News Items

Scouting for Food

Thanks to all the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts who participated in this year's food drive, Scouting for Food, on Saturday, November 14, and thanks to the generous families of Novi for their donations of canned goods to help feed the less fortunate. Here are the item totals collected:

Pack 50, 1373 items
Pack 54, 537 items
Pack 239, 2493 items
Pack 240, 670 items
Troop 54, 119 items
Total, 5192 items

All food collected will stay in Novi and will be distributed to needy families through the emergency food banks at Faith Community Presbyterian Church and St. James Catholic Church.

New Board of Review and Blue Card Procedure

At the last Committee Meeting, it was decided that from now on we will have a once monthly board of review night. The board of review night will be the second Tuesday of each month. We will run two or three board of review tables simultaneously so that all boys who signed up can be accommodated. It is expected that all registered committee members avail themselves on these nights and be present so that the Scouts can advance.

Scouts will still be required to approach Mrs. Budesky to request a Board of Review, but from now on their name will be added to a list which will be kept until the next board of review night. Please do not approach Mrs. Budesky and ask to be put onto the list until your Scoutmaster conference is complete.

This evening will also be the one time per month that blue cards for completed merit badges will be handed in to Mrs. Budesky for processing. She will no longer accept blue cards on occasions other than on the board of review and blue card night.

This system will lend itself to better organization and hopefully streamline things. It has become necessary to make this change because of the growing size of the troop.

Please remember though, that we need all parents who are registered committee members to make this happen.

Changes to Rank Requirements

BSA revised the requirements for many of the ranks effective January 1, 2010. Here is a summary of the changes from BSA's national website. The new requirements do not apply to a scout currently working on a rank but will apply to his next rank.

Holy Family & First UMC Service Project

With the help of scouts and adults from Troop 54, 21 scouts and five adults from Troop 407 worked to clean up and do outdoor service projects for our two chartered organizations, Novi United Methodist Church and Church of the Holy Family on Saturday, May 2. A total of 92.5 volunteer hours were recorded.

Between the two troops, the following work was accomplished:

At Novi United Methodist:

Moved and spread approximately 10 yards of mulch
Removed hardware from an old swingset beam, dug a channel and moved the beam, and surrounded it with mulch to form a balance beam for the preschool
Pulled weeds from around the church
Recovered recyclable materials from a scrap heap and discarded much trash
Cleaned trash from around the dumpster area
Drained and discarded an old trash bin that had filled with water

At Holy Family Church:

Turned mulch around trees, shrubs and parking lot areas
Cleared weeds from meditation area
Washed windows

Scouts and adults were treated to lunch twice: sloppy joes, chips and cookies at Novi United Methodist, and pizza and ice cream at Holy Family.

Thank you to all the scouts and adults who gave of their time on a beautiful Saturday morning and afternoon to return service to our two chartered organizations!

Medication Policy

The Troop Committee has adopted a policy on medications brought to campouts. The policy states that all meds, both prescription and over-the-counter, need to be brought to camp in their original containers, in a zip-lock bag, and kept locked up. Two adults will hold the keys to the lock box and will dispense medications when the scout or adult asks for them. There is an accompanying form that needs to be completed as well. The policy and form are also on the downloads page.

Training Updates

BSA has revised the former New Leader Essentials course by putting it online. It is now titled This is Scouting and is one of the requirements to be a Trained adult. Even if you are not a registered leader, this course is excellent. It covers the values and methods of Scouting, how the various programs of Scouting work, the relationships with the organization and the community, finances and safety. We recommend that all parents take this course, which will only take about 45 minutes to complete online. The new course can be accessed via the Online Learning Center. Use the link at the right side of this page.

Youth Protection Policy

Adults who drive youth members to or from campouts, or who camp with the troop, are required to have current Youth Protection Training, even if not registered with the BSA. YPT is valid from two years from the date the course was last taken. It's available online at the BSA Online Learning Center. Please print a copy of the certificate of completion, or the last page stating you have completed the course, and turn it in to Mary Lynn Mazer for the troop's records. If you are in doubt about your training status, see Mrs. Mazer.

While you are at the Online Learning Center, you might also want to take the Boy Scout Leader Fast Start, which is a great overview of the Boy Scout program for adults. Troop Committee members should also complete Troop Committee Challenge.

Scouting and Your Taxes

As a registered leader in Boy Scouts of America, out of pocket expenses that you incur in your service to Scouting are generally deductible as an itemized charitable contribution. Detroit Area Council has an information page detailing the tax status of units as well as which expenses can and cannot be deducted by registered adults.

Volunteer Opportunities

Do you like to camp, or would you like to learn more about how we do it? We are in need of parents who are able to assist with preparations and adult oversight of our monthly campouts. We have many experienced leaders who can show you how to do it. There are many other opportunities to help the troop, including Assistant Scoutmasters, a Training Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Chaplain, and co-chairing other committee positions. If you are interested in helping in any of these areas, please see Committee Chair Frank Maynard.

Local Merit Badge Opportunities

Several local institutions are offering classes in various merit badges this year. Included are:

Cranbrook Institute of Science, which offers Archaeology, Astronomy, Environmental Science*, Fish and Wildlife Management, Geology, Indian Lore, Mammal Study, Nature, and Soil and Water Conservation
Detroit Science Center, offering Astronomy, Environmental Science*, Electricity and Weather
The Detroit Zoo, which offers Reptile and Amphibian Study.

* Eagle Required

In addition, The Henry Ford is developing scout badge programs but does not offer any at this time.

A signed blue card is required before attending any of the classes. Be sure to check each program for any pre-work needed before attending. Funds in your Scout Account can be used to reimburse you for any of these classes.

Troop Uniform Closet

If you have any uniforms that you‘re not using or which your son has outgrown, please consider donating them to the Troop 407 Uniform Closet. This can be any uniform items such as Field Uniform (Class A) shirts, Scout pants and shorts, troop neckerchiefs, or Activity uniform (Class B) shirts.

Likewise, if you are in need of uniform items, please check to see what‘s in the closet. They are available to all troop members. The uniform closet is coordinated by BettyJane Blossfeld.