Dear Scouts, and Parents,

THERE IS NO MEETING NEXT WEEK 5/18/10 DUE TO THE PRIMARY ELECTION.

TROOP WEBSITE: http://troop147.net

RANK ADVANCEMENT: Congratulations to Sagar Patel on First Class!

TENTS AND GROUNDCLOTHS: There are still 4 tents out from our last camping trip. Please return the tents dried and clean on Friday when we meet at 6:15 for the canoe trip.

SAVE THE DATE: Our last troop meeting of the scouting year will be our June Court of Honor on 6/8/10. All scouts and family members are invited to attend this special event!

RANK ADVANCEMENT FOR JUNE COH: Scouts who would like to advance their ranks and be recognized at the June COH must complete their advancement requirements by May 25^th. Please contact Mr. Newman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , if you are not sure about your advancement status.

CANOE CAMPING TRIP: We will meet on Friday 5/14/10 at 6:15 pm in the Church parking lot. Scouts should be in their Class “A” uniforms. We will return on Sunday 5/16/10. Scouts please bring rain gear, water bottles, mugs, camp chair, sleeping bag, change of clothes, towel, suntan lotion, and a dry bag (if you don't have one you can purchase one from Walmart). It will keep your towel nice and dry and any item that you are taking with you in the canoe. Also, do not wear jeans or cotton fabric clothing for the canoe outing, if it gets wet – it will stay wet and you will be very uncomfortable. Instead wear athletic wear such as Under Armour that draws moisture away and allows for quick drying, perhaps wear a bathing suit under the athletic pants. This is one time when synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon will be your best friend. We will be camping at Worthington State Forest located in Northwest New Jersey. Some of the most rugged terrain and splendid views of northern New Jersey can be found here. A rocky and sometimes steep trail follows Dunnfield Creek from the Delaware River to Mount Tammany. There is also Sunfish Pond, which was carved out by glacial forces during the last ice age and is one of 14 rock-basin lakes between the Delaware Water Gap and the end of Kittatinny Ridge.

PATHFINDING HISTORICAL MERIT BADGE: PATHFINDING MERIT BADGE: We are pleased to offer the Pathfinding merit badge (one of four merit badges in the historical merit badge program) on Saturday, May 22nd from 9 a.m. until noon at the church. This merit badge is open to ALL scouts. Don't miss this opportunity to earn this special historic merit badge!

If you would like to earn this merit badge, you must complete all of the requirements on your own (#1-6) and plot everything on a map (#7) and bring everything with you on May 22nd. We will check you in at 9 a.m. and make sure you have the requirements and the map completed. If you do not have the work completed, you will not be able to participate in the class.

Please see the attached file for the Pathfinding merit badge requirements. VERY IMPORTANT--several requirements ask that you find things in relation to "your local scout headquarters". For the purpose of this merit badge, your local scout headquarters will be the Northampton Presbyterian Church.

Please click on this link This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and reply with your name to sign up for the class.

CURTIS READ SUMMER CAMP: Whitewater rafting is open to all of the scouts for an additional cost of $25. Any merit badge work that is missed during the excursion can be made up. If you are interested please see Mrs. Cohen.

MEDICAL FORMS FOR SUMMER CAMP: Medical forms must be completed in order for your scout to attend summer camp. The form can be found on our website listed above. Forms are due now, please contact John Gianni at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and let him know the status of your scout's medical form.

DUES: Each scout must pay $30 for dues for 2009/2010 year. You can pay by check made out to “Troop 147” or the scout can pay $1 weekly.

FAMILY LIFE MERIT BADGE: The next meeting is Thursday May 13, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at the church.

Contact Barry Bailey ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Marc Carr ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) with

questions. You can download the requirements and a worksheet from
http://usscouts.org/usscouts/meritbadges.asp and click on Family Life Merit
Badge #129.

SEWING SERVICE FOR TROOP 147 BADGES: Troop 147 has found a year round fundraiser, sewing badges on sashes and uniforms. Our seamstress is Christine Doyle, who has very graciously offered to provide this service for the troop. It is a minimal charge competitive with your local tailor. The money collected for the service will be given to our Troop. Forms can be obtained from the Troop 147 website at Troop 147 Website Documents.

UNIFORM DONATION/SWAP: Troop 147 has a uniform bin. If you have any uniforms that your scout has outgrown please drop-off in our bin. Like wise, if your scout is in need of a uniform, please checkout our bin.

DRIVER'S PLEDGE: This form is on the website, under documents on the left hand side menu. Any parent transporting scouts needs to sign this pledge. The troop needs to have these on file for our Quality Award.

PARENT ATTENDANCE ON CAMPING TRIPS: Effective January 16, 2009, Troop 147 will require that EVERY adult who goes on a camping trip must complete two BSA online training courses. This means that if you are not an Assistant Scoutmaster or a registered committee member, you must complete the training courses prior to attending any camping trips. These courses are designed to help adults deliver quality Scouting Experiences to the youth.

**Please Note**: We have added a new course, “THIS IS SCOUTING”. This is Scouting is an introductory session that hightlights the values, aims, history, funding, and methods of scouting. It addresses how these aims and methods are reached in an age appropriate style. We feel it is important that every adult who goes on a camping trip understands the fundamentals of scouting. The three required courses are “This is Scouting”, "Youth Protection Training" and "Boy Scout Leader Fast Start". Each course should take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete.

To complete the online training, visit the BSA Online Learning Center at http://www.olc.scouting.org/ click on "Youth Protection Training". You will be re-directed to the E-Learning Portal. Click "connect".

Follow the instructions to register and create a new account. You DO NOT need a BSA Member ID# to register. In the drop down menu for Council Number, please select "Bucks County Council – Doylestown, PA – 777". Once registered, choose "E-Learning" to display the training courses. Under the "General" tab, click "Take Course" next to "Youth Protection Training". Take the training and print your completion certificate when you are done. (You might have to exit the training and go back to the list of courses and refresh the screen before you can print your certificate. "View Certificate" should appear next to "Youth Protection Training"). The Fast Start training course is listed under the "Boy Scout" tab. Take the training and print you completion certificate when you are done.

Please give your certificates to John Gianni, Outdoor Program Chair. He will make sure that every adult who signs up for a camping trip is properly trained.

We encourage all parents to take the online training, whether you go on camping trips or not. You will find that the training will give you a better understanding of Boy Scouting and our Scouts will benefit from having trained parents.

If you have any questions or need help completing the online training, please contact Bill Smith, Training Coordinator, at 215 968-3463 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .