T399 Parent Meeting Highlights

T399 Parents:

Highlights from our meeting last night:

Communication Changes:
Jan 1, 2009, I will no longer send individual emails. All my communications will be conducted via our website via the Committee Chair Blog. In order to continue staying informed about T399 activities, you must go to www.troop399.org and register. At the meeting we walked through the steps of subscribing; it is a very simple three-step process. Please contact me if you have trouble registering.

Camp-outs:
#1 Winter Camp: Detailed hand-outs were given and we discussed camp-out details. If you have a Scout attending Winter Camp and you did not attend the meeting last night, contact Nick Fox for details. email address. Thanks to Nick and Phil Condra for organizing our Winter Camp-out. T399 has 25 Scouts attending.

#2 Jan Camp-out: NASA & Camp Strake. Jan 23, 24, 25, two nights at Camp Strake and a Saturday trip to NASA.

#3 Feb Camp-out: Location change: Now the camp-out is a backpacking weekend at El Rancho Cima on Feb 6, 7, 8.

Important Dates:

#1 Spaghetti Supper is Sunday, Feb 8th (at the end of our backpacking weekend). We will need many parent volunteers. Julian Fontana is the Chair.

#2 Court of Honor, Tuesday, Jan 27th 7:00 pm TUMC Fellowship Hall. This ceremony will also include passing of leadership from Mark Marshall to Dirk Heinen. Please plan on coming to this important Court of Honor.

#3 Friends of Scouting: Nick Fox is spearheading the FOS effort and he is encouraging anyone who wants a tax write-off this year, they can make a contribution now that will count for T399 in 2009. You can make contributions on-line and be sure to put Troop 399.

Count down: 14 days to Blog only communications. Are you registered and ready?

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T399 Parent Meeting 12/16, 7pm @ TUMC

T399 Parents,
Please join us tomorrow night for a T399 Parent meeting at 7 pm, TUMC.
Parents with Scouts attending Winter Camp should consider this an important meeting to attend. Nick Fox (the Dad) will be at the meeting to discuss the logistics. Bring your questions and notepad for the details.

We also have three Boards of Review scheduled for tomorrow. If you are able to participate in a Board of Review please e-mail me to let me know. If nine parents volunteer this should only take 15 minutes. We will also assist parents who haven't signed up for our Blog at this upcoming meeting by taking the process step-by-step.

Attention** important email communication warning: On Jan 1, 2009 I will
be communicating with T399 parents via our website Blog site, and only via our Blog site. Have you signed up yet for our Blog? If not, starting in the New year you will no longer be receiving critical T399 information via
email from me. To date, 30 T399 families have registered on our Blog. So
there are remaining families/parents that have yet to register. Now is the
time (it only takes a few minutes). How do you know if you have
registered? This email will be sent via the Blog, so if you don't receive
it again from the Blog, then you are NOT registered. Need help? Attend
the Parent meeting tonight and we will do it together. www.troop399.org

Count down of 16 days until Blog only communications from Committee Chair
Don. Are you ready?

Hope you are enjoying this holiday season & hope to see you tomorrow night,

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.
The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T-399 Merit Badge University Eagle Merit Badges

T399 Parents:

Last night a number of parents asked me if Troop 399 Scouts could get credit for Eagle required merit badge work at Merit Badge University.

The Answer: Troop 399 does not allow credit for Eagle required merit badge work completed at Merit Badge University. These merit badges can be worked on during summer camp and winter camp and through a Troop 399 Merit Badge Counselor during the year.

This has been a long standing rule in T399. Please follow-up with Mark or Dirk for further explanation.

Jonathon Box Eagle Project

Dear Scouts and Parents,

Please come to my Eagle Project on Saturday December 6th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. It will be in the 6th grade courtyard at O. Henry Middle School. We will be building a rock-lined path and two garden beds for the environmental club. Pizza and drinks will be provided. Wear work clothes and bring gloves. Close-toed shoes are also necessary. Please bring shovels, picks, and rakes. O. Henry is located at the intersection of Exposition Blvd. and W. 10th Street. Enter through the side entrance on W. 10th St. There will be signs.

Thank you,
Jonathan Box

T399: Winter Camp - Last Call

T399 Parents:

Last Call for sign-up for Winter Camp, Dec 20 - 23 at LPSR, Lost Pines.
Deadline is November 30th. We have a few remaining spots on our current
reservation, but those will disappear after November 30th. Sign-Up at
www.troop399.org. Winter Camp is an excellent opportunity for Scouts to
earn Eagle required merit badges. Attached is an information packet for
your Scout's review. The cost for Winter Camp is $155. Total fee is due
now, if you paid a $50 deposit, you will owe the remainder ($105). I will ask Dirk to put a PayPal link on the Web site for us to use.

If you have signed-up already, you need to choose your Merit Badge classes.
Review the information packet under Announcements tab at www.troop399.org and notify Nick Fox (the Dad) at nfox@velaw.com. Nick will be registering all participants.

Nick Fox (the Dad) is your contact for any questions regarding Winter Camp, nfox@velaw.com.

T399 Announcements

T399 Parents:

1. The PLC (Patrol Leader Council) meeting for Tuesday, November 18th
has been rescheduled to Tuesday, November 25th.

2. Troop 399 General Meeting for Tuesday, November 25th has been
cancelled. The Troop will meet next on Tuesday, December 2nd for our General Meeting.

3. Merit Badge University registration is open and in the first week
over 700 people have registered. Please go to www.utmbu.org to register.
The date for Merit Badge University is February 21, 2009. This is an excellent opportunity for your Scout to receive up to 4 merit badges in one day. Cost is $7.50 per badge. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

Troop 399 Hoodies and red, class B T-shirts for sale

We are taking orders for Black, Troop 399 Hoodies, great for fall and winter campouts! Respond to katterjohn@earthlink.net with:

1. Your scout's name
2. Phone #
3. Size - pick Youth L, Adult S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL
4. Bring $20 to troop meeting and give to Mark or Peggy Katterjohn

Parents - Order a Hoodie for yourself. It identifies us with our scouts.

DEADLINE FOR HOODIE ORDERS: Wed. Nov. 19th.

Red Class B t-shirts are available at troop meetings for $10. See Mark or Peggy.

Thanks,

Peggy Katterjohn
Troop 399, Class B Uniform Coordinator
263-2370

T399 Announcements

Chuck Robertson has asked me to remind everyone who sold popcorn for Troop
399 that the popcorn will be available for pick-up at the Tuesday Parent/Scout meeting. Since we do not have capacity for storage please make arrangements to attend the Parent meeting or have your Scout attend the Scout meeting if at all possible.

Nick Fox, Troop 399 Senior Patrol Leader, has asked me to send a reminder to all the Troop 399 Scouts that the Class A uniform is mandatory for the Troop meeting to be held on Tuesday, November 11, 2008, at 7:00 pm, at Tarrytown United Methodist Church.

We have invited Cub Scouts from all the surrounding Packs to attend this meeting, and we anticipate as many as 30 Cub Scouts will attend this meeting to review our Troop as part of the process of determining if they want to continue with Scouting and if they do continue with Scouting do they want to be a part of Troop 399. Please attend this meeting if at all possible. It is important to the diversity of our Troop.

We currently have 28 Webelos and 21 Troop 399 Boy Scouts signed-up for the Joint Webelos Campout. Please go to www.troop399.org to sign-up if your Scout can attend.

Thanks,

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T399 Popcorn pick-up, 2 requests

T399,

Important message from our Popcorn Kernal, Chuck Robertson:

"We need at least 2 parent volunteers with trucks that can help pick- up the bulk order of popcorn THIS SATURDAY, Nov 8 and deliver the
popcorn to TUMC. Also, at Tuesday's meeting (Nov 11) all Scouts
that sold popcorn should come to the meeting and retrieve their order for distribution to their customers."

Thanks Chuck for all your hard work! We appreciate it.

T399 Business

T399 Parents. Topics included on this email:

#1 Parent Meeting, Nov 11
#2 Joint Webelos Camp-out, Nov 14 – 16
#3 Winter Camp, Dec 20 – 23
#4 Hornaday Weekend, April 17 – 19, 2009

1. Parent meeting, Nov 11. Please join us on Tuesday night as we will be hosting guests. We have invited several parents and their sons to this meeting from area Cub Scout Packs as they review their options for Boy Scout Troops for their Scouts. Please put this on your calendar and attend if at all possible. I have attached a proposed agenda. We would like to make the Cub Scout parents feel welcome and also learn about our Troop.

2. Joint Webelos Camp-out, Nov 14 – 16. Please go to www.troop399.org and sign-up. Currently we have 18 Scouts and 9 parents from Troop 399 signed-up for this campout. We need all participants to sign-up as soon as possible. (We will have computers available at the parent meeting next Tuesday if you cannot sign-up prior to then.) At last night's Troop meeting the Scouts planned the details of this very important campout. We did this one week in advance because we anticipate over 50 new scouts and parents at the campout and a great deal of planning will be needed for the event to run efficiently. We do not want the Webelos to out-number the active Troop 399 Scouts, so please sign-up immediately.

3. Winter Camp, Dec 20 – 23. We have submitted the names and merit badge selections for 16 Scouts from Troop 399 Scouts to attend Winter Camp. We currently still have open spots on our reservation for 9 additional Scouts, so if your Scout intends to attend please sign-up. We will have merit badge selection forms available at the meeting on Tuesday night. These forms are also available at www.troop399.org.

4. Hornaday Weekend, April 17 – 19, 2009. Troop 399 will be participating in the Hornaday Campout at LPSR. Classes have already begun to fill-up so please sign up immediately. This has become a national event and Scouts attend from all over the country. Troop 399 has always had the largest presence, so let's keep up the tradition. Go to http://www.hornadaybsa.org/registration.html. Please let me know if you are having any difficulty with registration.

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.
The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T399 Scoutmaster Announcement

T399 Parents,

At the last Parent meeting, Dirk Heinen was elected Troop 399 Scoutmaster.

After many years of great service to Troop 399, Mark Marshall has decided to retire as our Scoutmaster effective January 27, 2009. All of us in Troop 399 owe Mark a standing ovation for the great job he has done instilling the Scout Spirit in our sons and helping them along the path to manhood. We are fortunate to have such talented leadership in both Mark and Dirk. We are excited about Dirk's new tenure and look forward to working with him as he transitions into the Scoutmaster position over the next few months.

When you see Mark and Dirk please extend your thanks, as these volunteer positions take a lot of personal time and a great deal of passion. We are grateful for their commitment to the success of our program.

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

Uniform Exchange

Scout Parents

Has your son outgrown his Scout uniform? Does he need an extra pair of Class A shorts? Before donating his outgrown uniform to Goodwill or paying full price for a new uniform, please consider donating any uniform articles to the Troop 399 Uniform Exchange. Currently we have a very limited inventory in the uniform exchange and would like to see this increase so all Scouts can take advantage of it. Please bring any uniform articles (Class A shirts, shorts, pants, Troop hoodies) to the Troop's Parent Meeting on Tuesday Nov. 11 where a basket will be available. Articles will be sorted by size and available for browsing on a first come, first served basis (probably that same evening, depending on the volume received). No need to have donated prior to taking an article. New hoodies can be ordered at the meeting and well as Class B t-shirts.

The Uniform Exchange will be available at all future parent meetings.

Thanks!

Maureen Jasso
(Mom of James Jasso)

Spring Hornaday registration is now open

Hornaday registration is now open for April 17 - 19, 2009. This will be a Troop 399 major campout.

Each parent will be required to register their Scout individually using the Hornaday website. Information on this campout can be found at www.troop399.org under the Announcement tab.

We were told at Fall Hornaday that 80% of the Hornaday classes fill in the first two weeks of registration. Call or e-mail if you have any questions.

Northern Tier High Adventure June 7-16

Good evening Scouts:

The Troop 399 Northern Tier High Adventure will be June 7-16 in Minnesotas Boundary Waters. Northern Tier is a rigorous wilderness canoe trip requiring the strength to carry heavy packs and canoes and paddle six hours a day.

We have room in the canoes for 12 scouts and 4 adults. Scouts must be 13 years old and scout-certified swimmers. We may need to travel the days before and after the above canoe trip dates. Well make travel plans later.

The cost is $500 per person (not including travel expenses) and we will fill positions on a first-come, first-served basis. Please make checks payable to Troop 399 and write (scouts name) on the Memo line. Please deliver the checks to Allen Faries at an upcoming scout meeting or call 892-1307 if you wish to make other arrangements. For more information about Northern Tier, see www.ntier.org.

T399 Parent Meeting, Tues, Oct 21st @ 7 pm, TUMC

T399 Parents:

Reminder about our T399 Parent meeting scheduled at 7 pm tomorrow
evening at TUMC. Hope to see you there!

---Dues are due; if you prefer not to pay on-line, then bring your checks to the meeting.

---Popcorn forms are due.

Venture Crew Announcement from Suzanna Marshall

Troop 399’s Venture Crew will be traveling to the YMCA of the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch, in Colorado from December 28 through January 3. There will be lots of fun winter activities, including skiing at nearby Winter Park. This trip is intended to be a family trip and we would like to invite other families to join us for some winter fun, including celebrating the New Year. There are 3 rooms currently available for families. Reservations must be made by October 27th to hold the rooms. Scouts must be at least 14 years old to attend and must attend with at least one family member or adult. All family members, regardless of age, are encouraged to come with us.

Average cost per family will be between $1100 to $1400 for lodging (depending on how many people stay in one room), two meals per day, and all YMCA activities. Extra charges include ski equipment rental, lift fees, cost for the noon meal each day, transportation, and spending money. We are planning on renting 15 passenger vans to substantially reduce transportation costs; however, you can fly into Denver and arrange for shuttle transportation to the YMCA if you prefer. One family is planning on flying. If you are interested in participating in the trip, please contact Suzanne Marshall at smarshall14@austin.rr.com as soon as possible for further information.

T399 Activities and Actions

T399 Parents:

1. If your Scout is planning on attending the October backpacking camp-out at Lake Summerville on Oct, 24, 25, 26 --- please go to www.troop399.org and register and pay! The cost is $25. An information packet for the camp-out is in the Announcement section of the Web site. It should be a beautiful weekend to be outdoors!

2. There is a Sea Base meeting on October 14 @ 8:15, immediately following the regularly scheduled Tuesday night Scout meeting. Come learn more about the High Adventure trip! If anyone is interested I recommend you and your Scout attend this meeting. Register for Sea Base at www.troop399.org and pay the $100 deposit. The deposit is due to the Boy Scout Sea Base Camp no later than October 21, 2008.

3. Popcorn Selling. Please encourage your Scout to sell at least $150 of popcorn. This is our only fundraiser and our troop functions well if each Scout sells $150. Please contact, Chuck Robertson, Popcorn Colonel (Kernel) for any questions and to obtain a take order form.

4. Are you having difficulty using our new website to sign up for camp-outs? We would welcome any suggestions. Hit us! Please hit us!! We would like to move towards our website as the source of information and registration, etc. by Jan. If you experience difficulties or perhaps just haven't gone there yet, please do so and give us your feedback.

5. Have you signed up for my Blog? As Committee Chair using the Blog will simplify my life and yours. Please sign up to the Committee Chair Blog. Starting January 2009 I will not be sending emails as you are accustomed, all my communications will be sent via the Blog. Stay in the loop, and sign up for my CC Blog.

6. Service opportunity!! TUMC needs Scout to unload the Pumpkin Truck on October 19th at 3 pm. Barbara Klitch will be coordinating this event and recording all participants service hours. Please be sure and wear your Class B t-shirt so she can identify you as a Troop 399 Scout.

7. Dues are due! Please go to www.troop399.org and pay your dues of $85 on-line, or bring a check to the parent meeting on October 21, 2008 ; please make checks payable to Troop 300.

Thanks for all your help!!!

Don B. Maurodmauro21@gmail.com512/657-0195"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helpingthem to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare themto make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their fullpotential.The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oathand Law."

T-399 Hornaday Unit Award Information

The following message is from Matt Love. Matt has agreed to take on the task of organizing the Troop for the Hornaday Unit Award. This is a big responsibility and he deserves our assistance and our thanks.
Congratulations Matt!

Dear Scout Parent:

The Patrol Leader Council has decided that Troop 399 wants to try for the
Hornaday Unit Award but our deadline is the end of October. I know it is
really short notice but we can do this!! We are working with the City of
Austin who has identified 3 special areas for our attention.

Three Scouts will speak at tomorrow night's meeting about the projects for the next 3 Saturdays - October 11, 18 & 25. They will explain what our Troop will be doing. The first part of the Challenge is to work the Tarrytown neighborhood to recruit homeowners to have their yards certified as Wildlife Habitats. The 2nd & 3rd Saturdays are workdays where we will be clearing land in 2 separate areas in Central Austin.

All we ask is that your son come and spend one hour of his weekend so we can earn this Award and our troop be recognized.

It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that we have HUGE participation for this
Challenge. This is where numbers really do count. We must have 60%
participation of enrolled Scouts. Enrolled Scouts includes Crew members and
all the older scouts who are working on their Eagle rank. That means we
must have 52 Scouts participate at any of the 3 dates. It only takes one
hour of your Scout's time to help the Troop achieve its goal of winning this
Award. We cannot double up on any one Scout's participation so we really
need you all to come out for this. Your Scout will earn service hours for his time on this project!!!

Troop 399 has always been a big supporter of the Hornaday Awards for individual Scouts but this is our first attempt at the Unit Award. Only 1
troop in all of Texas earned this Award last year. This is one of the
highest awards for a group in Scouting.

It would be an incredible honor for our Troop to earn this Award. Only one was awarded in Texas last year. Mr. Marshall was one of the first supporters of Hornaday at the Capital Area Council so this award means a lot to him. If he has helped your Scout achieve his goals during his time as a Scout, I hope you will strongly encourage your Scout to help the Troop achieve its goal in earning this Award to share with Mr. Marshall this year.


If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 329-5186 and either I or my parents can help you.

Thank you for your time.

Matt Love
Star Scout
Troop Quartermaster

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T399 Parent Meeting Recap

9/23 Parent Meeting Re-cap

Volunteer * Pay Dues * Visit our Website * Leave No Trace training * Sell Popcorn

Our Scout year is off to a great start! During the weekly Scout meetings and at Blanco State Park, our Scouts completed their Camping merit badge (Eagle required). Thanks to T399 Scout leadership for doing such a great job on teaching the younger Scouts.

Volunteering: Volunteer positions are filling up nicely. Contact Leslie Benitez Benitez, lab@ctw.com, for volunteer opportunities. We would like to see each parent take a volunteer job; we depend on the T399 parents to make the program function. And thanks to Julie Baselice for keeping us organized with those parents that have already volunteered! "I love those red checks."

Training Needs: We need parents to become trained in Leave No Trace. This is important training for various Scout camping areas like Griffith League. We had to change the location of the last camp-out because too few parents are Leave No Trace trained parents. It is not difficult to become trained. Our Scout's experiences rely on our ability as T399 parents to support their program. The same applies to Climbing Instructor Training and Wilderness First Aid. Lack of trained parents will limit our Scout's experience.

Website: www.troop399.org. Go there and use it! Pay your dues on-line, check the calendar, find contract for leadership. Thanks to Dirk Heinen and Barry Books for spending light years of time on building and maintaining its data. We're counting hits, so make some hits yours.

Dues: Dues are Due! Pay on-line or at the next meeting. Dues are due by October 21, 2008 so we can recharter.

Popcorn: Take order has started. $150 in sales is the goal for each T399 Scout. Our Troop requires a successful popcorn sales campaign to maintain the costs of our program. Contact Chuck Robertson to receive an order form for your Scout. Or obtain one at a Scout meeting. Deadline for sales is Tuesday, October 21st.

Camp-out Dates: see our beautiful new website for the calendar: www.troop399.org. Attend a camp out. Drive for a camp out .... We need more parent participation in camping.

Summer Camps: We are scheduled for Buffalo trails for July 12th - 19th. And we have now scheduled a second summer camp session at El Rancho Cima for June 22nd - June 27th.
We need parent participation in both these summer camping opportunities.

High Adventure: Sea Base and Northern Tier were discussed at this parent meeting. Sea Base is scheduled for July 28th - August 3rd. A $100.00 deposit is due October 21, 2008.
Northern Tier is June 7th - 16th.

That's the recap of the 9/23 Parent Meeting! Remember, Troop 399 has a parent meeting once a month. The dates are on the calendar at www.troop399.org .

Thanks!!

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T-399 Hornaday Unit Award Opportunity

Troop 399 has an opportunity in October to earn the Hornaday Award, Scouting's highest conservation honor, for the troop. This award is in addition to the individual awards earned by several scouts in our troop.
Only one unit award was given in Texas last year.

At the PLC meeting on Tuesday the Troop 399 Scout Leadership Team decided this was an opportunity they did not want to miss. Various Eagle Scout aspirants will be making presentations to Troop 399 over the next few weeks to discuss the details of the awards. In a nutshell it is as follows:

To earn the unit award, at least 60 percent of the registered unit members in Troop 399 must participate (52 scouts). The project is the City of Austin's National Wildlife Habitat Challenge, which ends October 31. Troop
399 has three scouts leading conservation service projects in October under the Challenge. This will allow us to meet the Hornaday Unit requirements, if we can recruit a total of 52 scouts to work on at least one of them:

1) Saturday-Sunday, October 11-12- National Wildlife Habitat Challenge - recruiting Tarrytown residents to certify their yards as wildlife habitats
2) Saturday or Sunday, October 18 or 19 - clearing non-native invasive species from the back of Congregation Beth Israel's property at 38th and Shoal Creek
3) Saturday, October 25 - clearing non-native invasive species from the Casis Forest

Let me know if the troop would like to commit to this effort - it would be a terrific honor for the troop, and additional recognition of your involvement with the Hornaday program.

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

Camp-out Issues

T399 Parents:
A recurring issue needs addressing: Drivers for our camp-outs. First of all, I love ya! Second of all, let's plan a better method of communication.

Parent Drivers
Please let us know if you can drive and how many seat-belts you have. Do not assume because you told me, that we have you down.
Please make sure the ramrod knows your driving availability. If you tell me, "I can drive if you need me", then that is not recorded and I will not remember (after all I am 59 years old).

For example:
if you can drive and stay (DS)
if you can only drive there (DT)
if you can only drive back (DB)
can't drive, but can stay (S)

I know this may seem simple, but the flow of information has not been pristine. I learn of available parents, and unavailable parents at the last minute, and quite frankly too late in the process. We end up scrambling to make sure all Scouts are transported safely.

Which brings me to the second point of parents who pick up Scouts and they do not "check them out" or more clearly "tell someone in charge". The obvious safety of us knowing if a Scout has left the camp-out is imperative. We take head-counts on a regular basis and when Scouts appear to be missing, we research (by asking other Scouts) where they might be, etc. Please let us know when you have picked up your Scout or any Scout. You will save us time and worry. This also is useful information when we are trying to locate a "seat belt" for each Scout for the return trip.

We are typically very flexible about Scouts deciding at the last minute to join us on a camp-out. We want all our Scouts to come to all our camp-outs and we want to make it as easy as possible. However, when a Scout has not signed up and shows up at the camp-out, we obviously have not made arrangements for his ride home. It is important that the Scout parent communicate to us when a latecomer and a no-signer-upper has decided to join us. And let me reiterate, we want all our Scouts to come to as many events as possible, we are just asking for clearer communication.

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T399 Patrol Leader meeting, Tues., 9-29 @ 7 pm

Reminder: Patrol Leader meeting @ TUMC, Tuesday, 9-29 @ 7 pm.
> Patrol leaders and Assistant Patrol leaders please plan to attend and
> bring your feedback, ideas and suggestions regarding last weekend's
> camp-out and future camp-outs and events We appreciate your
> leadership in T399!

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T-399 CAMP OUT LOCATION CHANGE THIS WEEKEND

PLEASE NOTE the location of the camp out this weekend has change. The camp out will be at Blanco State Park. Attached is an information sheet giving you all the details of the camp out. Please contact me with any questions, and remember if you want to fish bring your fishing poles and if want to swim bring your bathing suit. The camp out information is under the announcvement tab at www.399.org.

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T-399 Parent Meeting, Tuesday, September 23, 2008 @ 7:00 pm TUMC

Troop 399 second parent meeting of the year is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, September 23, 2008 @ 7:00 pm TUMC.

Topics of discussion will be:

1. This weekend's campout
2. Review of year in camping
3. Finalize summer reservation list
4. Leadership Training
5. Parent Volunteers
6. Popcorn Sales

A number of important decisions will be made at this meeting concerning your Scout's program. Please attend if at all possible.

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T399 Court of Honor : Sun., Sept. 14, @ 6:30 pm TUMC

Troop 399 's first Court of Honor of the new school year is being held on Sunday, September 14th, 2008 at 6:30. The Court of Honor will be at Tarrytown United Methodist Church in the main room of the Fellowship Hall. Please plan to attend to show your support of your Scout's efforts over the past four months. Class A uniform required for Scouts. Please remember to have your Scout wear his 21 nights neckerchief as well.

A Reminder: Our regular Scout meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday, September 9th, @ 7:00 pm in the Scout Room at TUMC. Scouts, please wear your Class B uniforms.

Climbing Instructor Course

Troop 399 needs a volunteer to attend the Climbing Instuctor Course on October 10 - 12 and October 24 - 26. Without a trained/certified climber to supervise our Scouts, Troop 399 will not be allowed to use the Lost Pines Climbing Tower. Please consider this opportunity. The Climbing Instructor Course discription is located in the documents section of the Troop 399 website. Contact me should you have any questions.

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

Summer Activities

T399 Parents:
Yes, believe it or not we are already working on Summer 2009. And we need your feedback. Scouts gave feedback at a recent Scout planning meeting and the Scouts suggested seeking different Scout summer camps for different opportunities. They also gave great feedback about their experience at El Rancho Cima 2008.

Thanks to Mike Coffin, we have reservations for Buffalo Trails Scout Ranch for July 12 -18, 2009. The BTSR website is http://www.buffalotrailbsa.org/camping/btsr_summer.html. Please visit to learn more about your Scouts opportunities and merit badge choices at this camp. Buffalo Trails is a wonderful camp, yet it is further away than our camps in recent years. We have already secured enough volunteer parents to make this camp happen, so at this time we are seeking a head-count of possible Scouts. Please let us know if this week looks appealing for your Scout for summer 2009. Check your calendars --- check out the website and let us know. Ben and Tanner are both excited about attending this camp!

The open question is: Does T399 want to secure a more local option, i.e. going to El Rancho Cima, Lost Pines or another summer camp in June? In order to make this Summer Camp week happen, the Troop needs a volunteer parent to step-up and Ram Rod. Please let us know your Scout's interest and if you can Ram Rod the week. If there is interest, and we can confirm a Parent RamRod, then we will secure reservations for this Summer Camp week. This survey is time-sensitive as Camps are snapped up quickly at this time of year.

For T399's High Adventure trip, Ram Rod Cindy Wiewel has reserved our Sea Base 2009 dates:
1. July 28 - August 3 (Tues - Mon) for 3 Crews (4 youth and 2 adults for each crew)
This trip requires a deposit of $100 per person to be received by Sea Base by November 3rd.2. July 24 - July 30 (Fri - Thurs) for 1 Crew (4 youth and 2 adults)
This trip requires a deposit of $100 per person to be received by Sea Base by October 1st.For Sea Base 2009: Scouts must be 14 years by Sept 1, 2009. A special physical form is required by all.Cost for Sea Base is $670 - this does NOT include airfare or ground transportation. Please visit the Sea Base website at http://www.bsaseabase.org/adventure/outisle.html to learn more about this camp.

Northern Tier High Adventure: T399 is still looking for an adult to step-up and commit to being the Ram Rod for the Northern Tier High Adventure trip. We have not securedreservations at this time. Please contact me if either your Scout is interested in this great adventure and/or if you are interested in Ram Rod-ding the NTHA trip.

Armadillo District Fall Training Days

The Armadillo District is holding its annual Fall Training Day on September 27, 2008 at Highland Park Baptist Church on Balcones Drive.

"Walk in a NEW Leader - Leave a TRAINED Leader" For all the parent volunteers who were not able to attend the Spring Training Day last April this is an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about Scouting and to better equipe you to assist the Troop in your new roal, and to help your Scout achieve his personal goals.

Please sign-up as soon as possible, and if anyone has any questions please give me a call.

T399 Calling Volunteers

T399 Parents,

Have you reviewed the volunteer form yet? I have attached an updated
volunteer form (this form is also on our website). For a successful
Scouting experience, we need more parents volunteering. As Scouts achieve
as Eagles or otherwise, we need replacement parent participation and talent.
If none of our volunteer jobs looks appealing, please let us know your talents; we would like to utilize all of our Scout parents' talents to
further advance and enhance our program.

Please review and complete the volunteer form and either bring it to the meeting on Tuesday or email your interest in a volunteer position to Leslie Benitez, John Yatsu, Mark Marshall or me. Should you have questions concerning any position please give me a call.

Also we have a Scout meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday, September 2, 2008 starting at 7:00 pm. Please remember Class B uniform is required for the meeting. If your Scout is planning a Scoutmaster Conference or a Board of Review then Class A is required.

T399 Stats:
196 parents are registered in our database
101 Scouts are registered in our database
11 parents have volunteered and have filled 33 positions
39 different parents have visited our new website

Show your Scout that you are interested in our program by volunteering,

Don B. Mauro
dmauro21@gmail.com
512/657-0195

"It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping them to install values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

The values we strive to install are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law."

T399 Scout Meeting: 7 pm, Tues., 8-19 @ TUMC

T399 Parents,
Our first Scout meeting of the 2008-09 school year is scheduled for next Tuesday, August 19th, 7:00 pm at Tarrytown United Methodist Church. Please encourage your Scout to attend and remember, Class B uniforms please.

Web-site improvements: We now have the ability to pay our dues and to sign-up and pay for campouts on-line. Currently, there is are links to check out the Sea Base and Northern Tier Scouting opportunities; we are asking parents/scouts to fill out an "expression of interest" form, so we can make decisions about T399 2009 High Adventure trip.

And we can sign-up for instant e-mail messaging for all blog entries. These announcements will be sent directly to your e-mail box. Ultimately, this will be the preferred method of communication for the Committee; our plan is to have the "blog site" as our main source of announcements & communications. Our goal is to have all parents & Scouts subscribe so we are fully prepared for this transition by Jan 09.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!
Don B. Mauro

Parent Meeting August 7, 2008, 7:00 pm TUMC

Troop 399 will hold a parent meeting at TUMC at 7:00 pm on Thursday, August 7, 2008. The purpose of the meeting is to finalize the Troop schedule for this up-coming year, discuss volunteer opportunities and discuss general Troop business. Please attend if at all possible.

The current calendar can be viewed from the Navigation Section. Please click on Calendar.

A Volunteer Form can be downloaded from the Forms and Documents Section in the Navigation Section. Please print out a Volunteer Form for the meeting.

Thanks for your help.

Wilderness First Aid Training

The Capital Area Council is offering Wilderness First Aid training the weekend of November 21st - 23rd, 2008. It is very important to the Troop that we have as many Adult Volunteers and Scouts trained in wilderness first aid as possible. This class fills up quickly, so please respond as soon as possible.

The Wilderness First Aid Application Form and information sheet can be downloaded from Forms and Documents in the Navigation Section.

Adult Volunteer Registration and Training

BSA requires all parents who attend a scout function with their Scouts to be registered as Adult Volunteers, additionally state law requires that all attendees at youth campouts must successfully complete a Youth Protection Training course. This course can be completed on-line and only takes 15 to 20 minutes. After the course is completed you should print your certificate and give a copy to either John Yatsu or me so we can keep our troop records up to date.

All adult leaders should also take Fast Start Training, offered on-line, and New Leader Essentials and New Leader Specific Training both of which are offered on numerous occasions by the Council. Upon completion of these courses an adult leader has earned the right to wear the Trained Patch on their uniform sleeve. Completion certificates for all BSA training should be presented to either John Yatsu or me so we can keep our troop records up to date.

Thanks,
Don B. Mauro
512/657-0195

Parent Meeting Date Change

The March parent meeting date has been changed to March 18, 2008. The meeting was originally scheduled for March 4th, but I was asked to change the date because that is primary election day. The following week is Spring Break and we will not be having a Troop meeting that week, therefore the next available date is March 18th.

At the meeting we will discuss the back packing campout scheduled for the weekend of March 28th, at Lost Maples State Park. It is very important that all the participants of the mini-high adventure trip attend this campout because on Saturday the boys will learn how to properly prepare a pack for an extended campout and we will be taking a hike with packs.