Older News Items

Thank You Webelos Scouts

Thanks to the Webelos scouts and parents who attended our annual Webelos campout in November. We hope you enjoyed being with Troop 407 and taking part in all the activities.

Troop 407 would like to invite your den to attend one or more of our weekly troop meetings and our Winter Court of Honor in January. See the Webelos page for more information.

If you were unable to be at the Webelos campout, please let us know if you would like to visit us at an upcoming weekend campout. Contact Scoutmaster John Heslop if you are interested.

Thank You Novi!

Thanks to Novi citizens and the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of Novi, there are now more than 5200 food items in the Novi food bank pantry for distribution to the needy families of our area. Cub Scouts from Packs 50, 54, 239 and 240 went door-to-door in the community and collected the items, and Boy Scouts from Troop 407 ran the collection point, sorted and shelved thousands of items, and cooked and served fresh doughnuts and hot chocolate. Approximately 150 scouts, adults and volunteers helped with this year's effort.

Novi goes pink for National Bullying Awareness day

Novi schools and Novi Police joined Wednesday, October 20 in the national effort to put a stop to bullying. Our students and cops wore pink, and so did we. Scouting has been proactive in the prevention of bullying, including new requirements to raise bullying awareness. Here is a site with resources, features and a quiz offered by the US Health Resources Services Administration. More on the movement in this story in The Oakland Press.

Signaling Merit Badge during October

During October, Mr. Maynard will be helping scouts to earn the Signaling Merit Badge, one of the four historical merit badges brought back for the Centennial. To help you get ready for the merit badge, visit the downloads page to download the requirements, worksheet and a copy of the 1940 edition of the Merit Badge Pamphlet, which we will be using. This merit badge will require a lot of work to be done outside the troop meetings -- you'll need to memorize the Morse Code, or at least be able to read a chart fast enough to recognize and write down 35 letters per minute for five minutes. You'll also need to memorize the Semaphore code. One of the requirements is to make a code sounder, which you can do on your own or as part of a group activity later this month. Please see Mr. Maynard if you have any questions.

March and April 2011 Campouts Swapped

The Patrol Leaders' Council has chosen to switch the March and April campouts. March will now be Shooting Sports at D-A Scout Ranch, and April will be Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Chief Pontiac Trail Trek Dates Posted

The following dates have been reserved for our Chief Pontiac Trail hikes:

  • Winter Hike: January 15
  • 16.5-mile Trek: April 2
  • Canoe Hike: May 14

Registration information will be announced via e-mail and at troop meetings.

New photos posted

Just posted: pictures from Philmont and Jamboree, in our gallery (click Gallery in the menu to the right). If you have photos of troop events to contribute, contact Frank Maynard for upload instructions.

Troop Calendar Updated

The 2010-2011 Troop Calendar has been updated and posted. There is a one-page downloadable calendar on the downloads page and an online interactive calendar is also available.

Popcorn sale coming this fall!

The fall Trail's End popcorn sale starts October 2. This is an excellent opportunity for scouts to earn money to pay for campouts, equipment, summer camp or any other Scouting-related costs. You can sell as much as you want and make as much money as you need. All troop proceeds from a scout's sales goes to his Scout Account. Start thinking of who you'll sell to, and get ready to make sales and take orders! Details will be coming your way in September; if you have any questions, see Mr. Fadanelli.

Whooping Cough case reported at summer camp

The Michigan Department of Community Health has notified Camp Rotary that a Scout (they did not say who, or which troop) was diagnosed with Pertussis, or Whooping Cough, after he left camp on July 3rd. The MDCH is attempting to contact all scouts and parents who were in camp that week. Please read the important information that the MDCH has asked Camp Rotary to distribute. If you have any questions, contact Cristi Carlton, MPH, Vaccine-Preventable Disease Epidemiologist at the MDCH by calling (517) 335-9104.

Updated Green Book Available

The Troop 407 Green Book, our troop manual, has been revised and is available for download on the downloads page. Changes include adding the Board of Review Night policy that was enacted last year, and a clarification on the shoes to be worn with the Field Uniform, as well as several responsibility changes in the position descriptions and a few editorial changes.

Historical Merit Badge Program Details Released

BSA has issued information on implementing the historical merit badge program, which makes four retired merit badges available to be earned by Scouts during 2010. The merit badges - Signaling, Tracking, Carpentry and Pathfinding - must be completed within the calendar year 2010. The BSA website has requirements, scanned copies of the original merit badge pamphlets, and other resources.

Tracking Cards Available for Centennial Award

BSA has produced pocket cards so Scouts and Scouters can track progress toward the Centennial Year of Celebration award. Tracking cards can be downloaded from the BSA Forms section of the Downloads page.

Scouting for Food

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.

Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional