Matthews Troop 46 Update - Camping / Recharter and Annual Dues

Greetings Troop 46 Scouts, Parents and Leaders,
April Trip 4/4-6: This trip signup is little out of our normal rotation due to Easter and Spring Break. But, it will be a great opportunity for base camping and a day hike to visit some scenic waterfalls. The signup is a little light, so please take a moment and consider clicking the link below and come join us as we head to Dupont National Forest. Signup link

Recharter and Annual Dues: You should have received an invoice from the troop for your annual dues. Please pay that. However, if you continue to get notices from Scouting America - noreply@scouting.org, please ignore those. We chose as a unit to recharter together as a group each year in March. Our annual recharter paperwork was submitted to the council about two weeks ago. When it comes to registration and dues, it is ok to ignore notices from Scouting America and direct any questions to our troop leadership. Thank you for being a part of Matthews Troop 46.

In Scouting,
Brad McLelland
Committee Chair
[url]www.matthewstroop46.org[/url]
704-488-4701

Troop 46 - Welcome to Troop 46

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to Troop 46! We are happy that your scout and you have joined us.
As I was writing the April Signup email, I used the term "Basecamping", and I wanted to provide a little context around that.

Our monthly trips are generally one of two types: basecamping or backpacking. PRO TIP: It's pretty typical that we arrive at our campsites on Friday night after dark, so a decent headlamp is a critical piece of gear.

Basecamping:
Scout's personal gear should all fit in their backpack
A basecamping trip will include items like our Patrol Boxes (cooking/cleaning gear), large camp stove, dining flies, etc.
A basecamping trip provides opportunities for scouts to get creative with their menus.
Each patrol will make a menu plan on the meeting night prior to the campout weekend and a "grubmaster" will be chosen. To be clear, that means that a scout's parents will be chosen as the grubmaster.
We encourage you to take your scout with you on that shopping trip and introduce them to things like unit pricing at the grocery store and help introduce them to that.
Keep your receipts - you'll get reimbursed when the expense is submitted. It's super easy and we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. We don't generally assign really new scouts to grubmaster role right away. 
We currently use a $10.00/scout budget for food (that may increase due to grocery costs), but no worries if you're over budget (within reason), we'll cover it.
For a basecamping trip, the patrol's food will be stored in a cooler and a bin for non-perishable foods.

Backpacking:
Scouts will carry their personal gear as well as food, cook kit and half the tent in their backpacks.
Backpacking meals (Mountain House, PEAK, etc.) are generally packed.
Scouts will be eased into backpacking adventures as they take some practice. They would typically involve a pretty short hike because it's a really good time to make adjustments to their backpacks.
We take breaks when anyone needs a break. A shorter hike means that there is no time pressure and if we need to break 20 times, we'll do it.
Many trips will be comprised of a split "trek": A more challenging one for older, more experienced scouts, and a less strenuous one for younger scouts so they can learn the skills and work their way to the more challenging treks.

Some useful links:
https://matthewstroop46.org/documents/Cold_Weather_Camping_Packing_List.pdf
https://matthewstroop46.org/documents/Warm_Weather_Camping_Packing_List.pdf
https://matthewstroop46.org/documents/Troop_46_Handbook.pdf

OK, whew! I know that's a lot, but if you have any questions at all, please let me know.
Please tell me if you received this email (sent from Scoutbook), I'd appreciate that.

Yours in Scouting,

Bruce Hethcote
Scoutmaster | 704-877-9109 | bhethote@hotmail.com

Troop 46 - April 2025 Camping

Greetings Troop 46 Scouts, Parents and Leaders,

This trip signup is coming out with a little bit of a short notice, and I apologize for that, but Easter and Spring Break crowded that schedule a bit, and I apologize for that.

That being said, I am happy to announce our April trip to the DuPont National Forest. We'll day-hiking in the DuPont Forest on Saturday, April 5 to check out some awesome waterfalls, a covered bridge and spectacular views.
This will be a base-camping experience, so Patrol Boxes will be coming, and we'll be looking forward to some creative menus!

Signup link: https://forms.gle/dNZR2FwYVTk9YFTv6
Map Link: https://www.bing.com/maps?q=dupont+national+forest+nc&FORM=HDRSC6&cp=35.197028%7E-82.594314&lvl=16.0

Yours in Scouting,

Bruce Hethcote
Scoutmaster
704-877-9109 | bhethcote@hotmail.com

Matthews Troop 46 - Trip Reminder

Reminder for those going camping this weekend. We will meet at the church at 6pm. If you are new to the process, here are some points of information.

- Scouts should wear their class A uniform (Tan shirt) with a Troop T shirt underneath. We always travel in Class A. We go down to the troop T Shirt while at camp and then return in our class A tan shirt
- Scouts should have already eaten dinner. We discourage food and drinks in the cars during travel time.
- There is a packing list for Warm and Cold weather camping on our website https://matthewstroop46.o...g_List.pdf
- We will load the trailer and head out.
- Each patrol has a designated Grubmaster that should bring the food for their weekend. Patrol food works best if contained in a single box and cooler. The troop has coolers if needed.
- If a new scout doesn't not have a ground pad or backpack, we can loan one. I send out a gear purchase recommendation each winter in November. If you would like to see last year's list, I can provide it.
- We return on Sunday about 12:30pm. Once we unload and store gear, the scouts will be released to go home.
We are pleased to have some new scouts and families on this trip. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out and thank you for being a part of Matthews Troop 46.

In Scouting,
Brad McLelland
Committee Chair
www.matthewstroop46.org
704-488-4701