reminders (updated 11/7) Some of these are repeated from below

• Review Medical form and Adult training requirements and deadlines

• All vehicles will need a Georgia State Park pass ($5)

• Mess kits are needed for all participants (plate, bowl, utensils, mug if consuming a hot drink) and remember your water bottle! 

• Remember your 10 essentials and have in a backpack for hiking

• Shoes - For all our campouts, ALL participants must have good shoes that cover the toes and heels and do not have openings where rocks and sticks can get through. Sandals, Crocs, and flip flops are not allowed. Excellent shoes to wear are sneakers, hiking boots, low top running shoes, etc. 

• Tenting 

  • T77 Scouts should arrange their tenting plan with fellow Scouts. Scouts can see who is going on the campout within Trooptrack.  When you log into Trooptrack, find the campout by selecting “Plan”, then “Calendar” and then selecting the November Campout. First Year Scouts should communicate their tenting plan to Mrs Henderson. 

  • AOL Scouts and adults should tent separately. AOL Scouts should plan to tent with other AOL Scouts - start coordinating a tenting plan and finding a suitably sized tent for the number of Scouts. 

About the Campout

AoL will get to be Scouts for the campout! They will participate with T77 Scout patrols in activities, meals, and pitch their tents in the Scout area.  The campout begins Saturday morning by arriving at the OGUMC parking lot by 7:00 a.m. Eat breakfast before arriving, or bring a bagged breakfast with you. You should not plan to stop along the way. 

Everyone should bring a day pack with essentials (water!) and plan to change into a class B shirt after arriving at the camp. 

F.D. Roosevelt (FDR) State Park is Georgia's largest state park and is fantastic for hiking and backpacking. The park is located near Pine Mountain and Warm Springs. The park is named for former U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who sought treatment for his paralytic illness in nearby Warm Springs at the Little White House. The park is located along the Pine Mountain Range. Several structures in the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the Great Depression, including a stone swimming pool and Roosevelt's favorite picnic spot at Dowdell's Knob, overlooking the valley below. President Roosevelt would take polio patients with depression along on picnics at Dowdell's Knob. (thanks to Wikipedia for this info!)

Registration

Contacts

• F D Roosevelt Main Office: (706) 663-4858

• Senior Patrol Leader: Sanjith

• Trip Planner: Andrew Kraft, akrafty@me.com, 678-778-5824

• Trip Leader: Daks Hamner, daks_h@hotmail.com 

• T77 Scoutmaster: Paul Mooring, frostypauly@yahoo.com, ‭(503) 593-1345‬

Notes

1. All vehicles will need a Georgia State Park parking pass or pay the fee to enter ($5). 

2. Our campsite is "Pioneer Site 5" located in the top right of the map. 

3. There should be plenty of parking around our site.  

T77 Scout Notes: 

1. AoL will eat meals planned by T77 Scout patrols. T77 Scouts will review allergy or food preferences submitted by AoL during registration. 

2. T77 Scouts must have Parts A and B of med forms completed and turned in by Friday November 1 or will not be able to attend. 

3. Attending T77 Scout adults must have Parts A and B of med forms and training (YPT and Haz Weather) completed by Friday, November 1 or will not be able to attend. 

4. Tenting—T77 Scouts should arrange their tenting plan with fellow Scouts. Scouts can see who is going on the campout within Trooptrack.  When you log into Trooptrack, find the campout by selecting “Plan”, then “Calendar” and then selecting the November Campout. First Year Scouts should communicate their tenting plan to Mrs Henderson. 

5. T77 Scouts and Adults should bring money for Sunday lunch on the drive back to OGUMC. 

6. All T77 Scouts will need to return to OGUMC after leaving FDR State Park to unload the trailers and do roll call before being dismissed. 

AoL Notes: 

1. Need to borrow gear? A Scout is Thrifty and Kind, and we would be happy to loan you gear for the trip. Please complete this form by Saturday November 2nd, so we have enough time to source the gear. 

2. AoL will begin the campout Saturday morning, arriving at OGUMC by 7:00 a.m. Eat breakfast before arriving or bring a bagged breakfast with you. You should not plan to stop along the way. AoL and their parents can determine their transportation. Consider riding together to reduce the number of vehicles. 

3. Complete Parts A and B of med forms for AoL and the attending adult. 

4. Turn in forms and payment during one of our Tuesday night Scout meetings or the Saturday morning of the campout.  

5. Adults MUST complete Youth Protection Training and Haz Weather training two weeks prior to the campout (take needed training now!) 

6. AoL will eat with T77 Scout patrols and the AoL adults will eat with adults. Ensure you detail allergies or food preferences when you register.  

7. On Sunday, after AoL leave FDR State Park, they are welcome to return directly home rather than reassemble with the Troop at Oak Grove UMC. 

Let Andrew Kraft, akrafty@me.com, know of questions. 

Packing list

See the Gear webpage for a packing list. Remember to be ready for wet and cold weather! (click links for more info and lists)

• Mess kits are needed for all participants (plate, bowl, utensils, mug if consuming a hot drink) and remember your water bottle! 

• Scouts - Money for Sunday lunch 

• Shoes - For all our campouts, participants must have good shoes that cover the toes and heels and do not have openings where rocks and sticks can get through. Sandals, Crocs, and flip flops are not allowed. Excellent shoes to wear are sneakers, hiking boots, low top running shoes, etc. 

Hospital

Warm Springs Medical Center : Emergency Room

5995 Spring St #2149, Warm Springs, GA 31830

http://www.warmspringsmc.org/

(706) 655-9235

Open 24 hours

15 miles, 20 minutes

FAQs from our ASM of FIRST YEARS Sara Henderson

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NOVEMBER T77 TRIP

I've received several really good questions about the trip that I'll address here!

Q: Do you have a gear list you can share for the trip? What gear do we need to bring? 

A: Here is our standard Troop gear list that is available in the Camping section of our troop website. While it is comprehensive, there are some things on this list you won't need. As guests of the troop, you will not need to bring any cooking equipment (T77 will provide all food for the weekend). Adults should bring their own coffee mug for coffee (a T77 adult will serve as barista--we will have plenty of coffee!) and scouts should bring their own mug if they’ll want hot chocolate Sunday morning. You'll also need the standard camping pad, a sleeping bag appropriate for the weather, and rain gear in case it rains (we camp rain or shine). If you have more specific questions about gear, you are more than welcome to email me. Also, see the tenting question directly below.

Q: What is the tenting situation? 

A: As you know, families tent together in Cub Scouts. In Scouts BSA, however, youth and adults are not permitted to share tents and must tent separately. While your boys and girls will still be registered cubs, we encourage AoL  families to follow this model for our November trip to prepare them for the impending change. In order to achieve this, visiting adults will need their own tent and scouts will need a separate tent. We encourage AoL scouts to share tents--we find it makes the transition easier. When we assemble at the campsite on 11/16, the Troop 77 youth Senior Patrol Leader will decide where "Adult Land” and "Scout Land" will be. Adults will camp in Adult Land, AoL will set up their tents in Scout Land with the help of older scouts. AoL Den Leaders and parents should determine tenting arrangements before the trip. Is your scout going to share a tent with a buddy? Decide ahead of time who is going to bring the tent and make sure all pieces are with the tent before departure. If you have a 6 person tent, great! Sleep 6 kids in there. Only have a 2 person tent? That's fine--2 youth can sleep inside or your son or daughter can sleep alone but set up near his/her buddies' tents. 

Q: What if I know my AoL scout won't tent without me? 

A: You'd be surprised. Kids are resilient and tougher than we give them credit for. Often, with a little encouragement and some gentle prep work, they'll come around to the idea. Try setting up your family's tent together a few afternoons to get them used to doing it themselves so they grow in confidence. Talk about how you'll be nearby if they need you. If they adamantly refuse the idea, it's ok. We still want you to join us and as registered cubs, we can't require you to tent separate from your scout. We'd rather you share a tent with your child than not camp with us. But we encourage you to start a dialog with your scout about the concept. 

Q: Can I send my AoL on this trip by himself?

A: Here is the BSA’s official guidance: 

During Webelos Scout dens and Arrow of Light den/patrol camping, each Scout should attend with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). A Webelos Scout or Arrow of Light Scout whose parent or legal guardian cannot attend a Webelos den or Arrow of Light patrol overnight camping trip may participate under the supervision of at least two registered leaders. The leaders and a parent or legal guardian must agree to the arrangement, and all Youth Protection policies apply. 

Troop 77’s caveat would be that the two registered leaders supervising the AoL scout must be registered with the child’s unit. Troop 77 leaders cannot serve as supervising leaders for a 5th grade scout attending without a parent or guardian. We highly recommend that a parent attend; your presence allows you to get to know us, and our troop to get to know you. It’s also very beneficial to have a parent onsite in case a 5th guest experiences any homesickness.

Q: Is there a cost for the trip and how do we pay?

A: Visit the November Campout registration page for more information. The price is $20 total and this covers one 5th grade youth and his/her parent. Payment can be made by PayPal via the registration page. If needed, we can accept a check but please reach out to me if you need that option. 

Q: What about food?

A: Troop 77 will provide all the food for the trip. Current troop adults and youth plan for, buy, and prepare all meals. AoL parents will be in patrols and eat with Troop 77 adults, and 5th graders will be mixed into our 77 youth patrols. We are accustomed to planning around food allergies, so please be sure to note any food considerations when you register yourself and your scout. This includes allergies, intolerances, Kosher, Keto, etc). If you want to supplement your scouts' food with items from home you are welcome to, but we find the most picky kids will eat what is served on troop trips. 

Q: What about BSA health forms?

A: We need them and will collect them Sat morning or you can turn them in early to our Black Box at a Tuesday meeting (see the trip page for more info). On Sunday morning before you depart, we can either return them, or take them back to Atlanta with us and shred them. 

Q: Do you require attending Webelos adults to complete any BSA training?

A: YES. For the safety of our youth, all attending adults be current in Youth Protection Training and Hazardous Weather Training. Please email the completion certificates to Troop 77 Trainer Sean Borja at michael.sean.borja@gmail.com by Friday, November 1st. Each participating pack must provide one adult who is Baloo-trained.

Q: How do we get to F. D. Roosevelt State Park Pioneer site #5? Do we carpool? 

A: Carpooling is encouraged! After all, A Scout is Thrifty. All trip participants will assemble at Oak Grove United Methodist on Sat 11/16 at 7:00 am. AoL families will experience a typical camping-trip departure where scouts pack the trailer, participate in Roll Call, and divide up into carpool vehicles. Pack families are encouraged to ride together. You will need to account for carrying your family's gear in your car. We do not caravan. We also always travel in uniform, so we encourage registered Cub leaders and AoL scouts to wear their Class A uniform to the church on Saturday and back home on Sunday. Once you arrive at camp on Saturday, you’ll unload your gear and then move your car.

Q: What is expected of me in regards to my son or daughter?

A: Get ready for Scouts BSA magic! Your days of being in charge of scouts directly and responsible for everything when you go pack camping are coming to an end. Before the trip, give your scout the packing list and let them  do it while you watch and support. Let them pack their own bag so that when they camp away from you in November, they’ll know where everything is and what clothes are available to wear. Then you'll need to transport your child to and from camp. Beyond that, your work is done. Once we arrive at camp until we leave, your scout will be overseen by Troop 77 youth and adult leaders. Your job until Sunday departure is to relax (bring a comfy chair or hammock), hike the park trails, visit with your new troop friends, and possibly lend a hand for adult patrol duties like peeling vegetables, washing cooking gear, or helping cook evening cobbler. But you will not plan, facilitate, run, oversee, monitor, assist, or manage any youth activities that weekend. That is the job of the troop's Senior Patrol. In fact, if you do see your son it'll likely only be from a distance and possibly for a quick hug at bedtime. 

CHECK OUT THE "FORMS/RESOURCES" SECTION OF THE TROOP 77 SITE FOR MORE INFO?

Want to know more about the troop structure, philosophy, etc? Check out the Forms/Resources page on the troop site. There you'll find New Parent presentations, the Parent Handbook, and more. In fact, I encourage you to browse the entire Troop 77 site at https://www.oakgrovescouting.org/st77.