03/14/2025 Trip update

Want to throw axes? Any adult or youth who wants to participate this weekend in axe throwing must complete a waiver and it is only online. No paper waivers will be accepted on Saturday. Sign the waiver here. 

03/13/2025 Trip Updates - read all 

After consulting multiple detailed forecasts and weather expert predictions, consensus is the severe weather will not arrive in Decatur or Covington until after 9:00 PM Saturday night. We feel confident moving forward with this trip, but with a shortened duration. 

We will return home Saturday, NOT Sunday. 

• We will now only go Fri-Sat. The Trip is on but abbreviated for safety.

  • We will assemble as planned at 6:00 PM Friday night (eat dinner before).

  • We will return to OGUMC between 5:00 and 5:30 PM on Saturday. Plan ahead to pick up your scout between 5:30 and 6:00 PM. We will send a Remind notice with real-time arrival ETA after we leave Bert Adams on Saturday. NOTE THAT THIS BERT DEPARTURE TIME AND OGUMC ARRIVAL TIME IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON WEATHER EVENTS. If severe weather dictates an earlier arrival at OGUMC on Saturday, we will communicate that via Remind. 

Parents, join the Troop Remind NOW. 

• Not on Troop Remind? Join NOW. Go here for instructions. 

Eat dinner before arriving at OGUMC on Friday.

• We will not be stopping for dinner.
  
  

Grubmasters - Buy less food! 

• Patrol GMs should ONLY buy for Sat hot breakfast and Sat cold lunch.

Label ALL gear with duct tape and contact info! Line soft bags with trash bag!

• After completing packing, label the outside of all your gear pieces (loose tent bags, gear duffel/backpack, day pack) with a strip of duct tape. There will be thousands of bags unloaded and loaded from the same zone. Labels will identify our troop's gear.

• Label should include: First name, last name, parent cell, TROOP 77

• Line any softsided gear bags with a trash bag in case it rains Saturday.
  
  

Wear a watch!

• Scouts must wear watches. We will have a firm assembly and departure time on Saturday at camp and every Scout needs to know the current time. Reminder: no smart watches or phones!

Pack light!

• Pack light and tight. You don't need much. 

Mandatory Items for Scout Day Packs, to stay with them at ALL times!

• See list below under 3/7 update. 

Driver updates!

• We now have enough drivers for both Friday to Bert and on Saturday, coming home. 

• See below for list of Friday take and Saturday pickup driver, and for important driver instructions. 

03/07/2025 Trip Updates

• We need drivers to transport youth to camp on Friday and back from camp on Sunday (see Drivers section below). Please email sara_crofton@yahoo.com or akrafty@me.com if you can help. Please let us know if you have a cartop carrier too!

• Consolidate gear into as few bags as possible.

• Pack in soft-sided duffles or packs.

• Everyone must bring a full copy of their health form (including front and back of insurance card) in a ziplock bag and carry on them at all times. 

• All youth should wear a watch (no smart watches, no phones).

• All youth should bring a daypack with separate from their gear bag with:

  • • Complete set of personal health forms in ziplock bag

    • labeled headlamp in ziplock bag with extra set of batteries

    • labeled, already-filled water bottle(s) (32 oz total preferred)

    • rain gear

    • sun screen

    • printed Scout Challenge map in ziplock bag 

    • spending money, hidden in inside pocket (optional)*

• Axe throwing is available but parents must complete an online waiver (link coming soon)

• *Some activities, including Oregon Trail knife making, food trucks, and trading post, cost money. Scouts should bring cash if interested, in addition to the $15 for Sunday lunch.

drivers are now set - thank you! updated 3/13

Drivers are listed below. 

Friday drivers

• Michelle Lin

• Jon Mickle

• Vance Shofner

• Bryanne Wrainford

• Leslie Habachy

Saturday drivers

• Eric Klein

• Jon Mickle

• Matt Jacobs

• Genie Iredale

Review this Scout Challenge 2025 Driver Instructions doc

Time commitment on Friday, 3/14: 3-4 hours (6:00 to 9:30ish pm)

• Meet at OGUMC at 6P having already eaten and gassed up

• Depart at 6:30 and drive direct--no stops!--to back of Alcovy High School (14567 Highway 36, Covington, GA 30014) to meet troop 

• Caravan into Bert Adams Scout Camp, drop youth and gear at designated location

• Return home! 1 hour drive. 

Time commitment on Saturday, 3/15: 4.5 hours (2:45 am to 5:45ish pm)

• Meet at driver staging location at 3:45 am (back of Alcovy High School 14567 Highway 36, Covington, GA 30014 - see map below). Wait for text from trip leader.

• Upon receiving text, caravan with other drivers into Bert Adams Scout Camp and follow map below to meet troop, load scouts and gear.

• Arrive back at OGUMC BBQ lot at designated time designated by trip leader (between 5 and 5:30). Scouts cannot leave OGUMC until the Senior Patrol Leader dismisses the troop.

ABOUT THE CAMPOUT

Join over 2,500 of your fellow Scouts for the biggest camping weekend in the Atlanta metro area. The Ready Player Scout theme blends video gaming, board gaming, and card gaming with traditional Scout skills. Troops and Crews from across the Atlanta Area Council will camp jamboree style at Bert Adams for three days and two nights one night and two days.

Discover Epic Adventures at Scout Challenge 2025! 

...and so much more!

Deadlines - Two weeks prior to the campout 

1. All medical forms must be turned in

2. All adult training must be done (YPT, Haz Weather)

If these things are not completed two weeks prior to the campout (Feb 28), the participant will not go. 

MEDICAL FORMS

Every participant will need Forms A, B1, B2 for this campout. You are responsible to keep medical forms current and a copy for your reference. Please keep a copy and submit completed forms to the black box in the lobby. If you need a new form to complete please obtain a copy at . . .

Tenting 

T77 Scouts are to coordinate tenting with other Scout(s) on their own and determine who is bringing the tent. All tents should have a good rainfly and ensure they are set up properly. First Years should notify the Scoutmaster of tenting partners and who is bringing the tent. Check out the Tenting Guidelines here. 

Medication

If your scout will be taking medications during the weekend, follow the below instructions. 

• • • NO prescription, over the counter medicine, vitamins or herbal supplements are permitted in a scout’s gear.

    • Complete this Medication Administration Form:

    • Medications MUST BE in their ORIGINAL containers.  We will be unable to accept anything without the original container. 

    • The Scout’s medication, along with the completed form should be placed in a Ziplock bag. Please label the Ziplock bag with your Scout’s name.

    • Emergency medications such as Epi-pen and albuterol inhalers should be kept with the Scout at all times!!!!!

Meals

Scouts will plan for breakfast and lunch, and dinner on Saturday. More details regarding if meals need to be either simple or hot will be communicated. 

All attending adults will plan meals together as part of an adult patrol. 

Everyone should eat on Friday night before arriving at OGUMC and bring money for Sunday lunch on the drive back to OGUMC.  

When to wear class A uniform

Scouts and adult leaders will wear Class A shirts at the following times:

• Enroute to Bert Adams (we always travel in uniform)

• When volunteering for the troop-sponsored Human Foosball activity

• For Saturday Night’s Scout Talent Show

• For Sunday morning’s Interfaith Service

• Enroute from Bert Adams

Scout challenge links

Camp Map

Scout Challenge website

HOSPITAL

Piedmont Newton Hospital: Emergency Room

5126 Hospital Dr NE

Covington, GA 30014

(770) 786-7053

www.piedmont.org

Annual troop and Scouting America registrations

Click the link below to complete your Troop 77 membership renewal. A link to PayPal is provided at the end of the form to pay your 2025 Troop 77 Scout membership dues of $95.

https://forms.gle/eqToyr9JnKGo6GPg8 

Scouts and Adult volunteers also need to complete their 2025 Scouting America renewal, which is separate from the Troop 77 renewal. You can complete this by logging into https://my.scouting.org and choosing “My Application” and “My Renewals.”

Contact membership.st77@oakgrovescouting.org with questions.