Troop Committee Meeting
April 17, 1002

Attendees: John Benavides, Dan Lassiter, Larry Herrin, Pat Kelly, Rick
  Montgomery, Tom Schob, George Kerr, Tom Martin, Charlie Hood, Richard
  Carter, Rita Bonds
Scouts: Matt Teplow, Brent Martin
Chair: Mark Steger
Minutes: Mark Steger

1. Calendar
     April 20: Junior Leader training at RBFC
     April 22: Troop meeting (SPL election, applications for leadership
       positions for 2002-2003 are due)
     April 29: Troop meeting (Campout planning, patrol leader elections)
     May 3-5: Campout
     May 6: Softball game, Scout Show ticket sales/returns due
     May 11: Scout Show
     May 13: Court of Honor
     May 20: Summer Camp fees due

2. Treasurer 
     o March report
        - 8 month YTD income is $27058. Expenses are $25518.
     o Camporee financials
        - Campout looks like it will break even.
     o Fundraiser: T-shirts sales
        - T-shirt sales are within $117 of breaking even. The troop
needs
          adults who will help organize setting up a table outside a
local
          merchant.

3. PLC 
     o Patrol leader elections will be April 29. 
  
4. Roundtable - Ed Nichols
     o There was no Roundtable business meeting this month.

5. Campouts - Richard Carter
     o Camporee review
       - Troop 81 placed second overall. Troop 81 Webelos took first
place.
         Congratulations to Brenden Kerr and Mitchell Hampton for
preparing
         and leading the troop. And thanks to Richard Carter for adult
         oversight.
     o May Campout (canoeing) - Brent Martin
       - Worth Scout Ranch (near Palo Pinto), May 3-5
       - Primary activity: canoeing (for 1st class), TFC (for 1st years)
       - Fees are due April 29.
       - Quartermaster needs to count tents.
     o Summer Camp
       - Camp Constantin, July 14-20
       - Cost is $175, including transportation, activities and all
meals
       - Fees are due May 20. 
     o Scout Night at Texas Rangers - Cindy McCarthy
       - No one expressed interest in Scout Night at the Ballpark.
     o Scout Show
       - Arrangements for selling tickets can be made with Cindy
McCarthy.
         Profit from ticket sales go directly to one's own Scout
account.
         This is a great way for Scouts to pay part of their own
expenses
         for participating in Scouting.
       - Signup for staffing Troop 81's booth will be Monday night.
Troop
         will be demonstrating one requirement from the Electricity
Merit
         Badge. This is a fun way to spend some time at the Scout Show.
         Scouts and adults are needed.
     o Northern Tier - Rita Bonds
       - Troop has one crew planned for 2002.
     o Sea Base - Mark Steger
       - Troop has one boat planned for 2002.
       - No coordinator for 2003 came forward. Troop will not have a
boat
         in 2003. Reservations for 2004 can be made in February, 2003.
     o Philmont - Mark Steger
       - Troop has two treks reserved for June, 2003

     o Tents and chuck boxes
       - Committee discussed possibility of changing troop policy on
tents.
         Current policy has too little responsibility for care and
         maintenance of tents, resulting in excessive damage and loss.
A
         suggestion that has been recommended before is to assign
         individual tents to individual Scouts or patrols.  Another
         suggestion is long-term checkout of tents to scouts (with
         deposits). Another is to allow use of personal tents on
campouts.
         Scoutmasters will discuss further and make a recommendation to
the
         committee.
       - Committee discussed ways to lighten the load on campouts.
         Replacing big, heavy wooden chuck boxes and hiking in to
campsites
         with gear in backpacks is one possibility, at least on some
         campouts.

6. Meetings - Bill Merriman
     o Nothing to report
   
7. Leadership - Tom Schob
     o Troop committee discussed changing length of service for patrol
       leaders from 1/2 year to 1 year. Scoutmasters will discuss
further.
     o Applications for troop leadership positions for 2002-2003 are due
       Monday night.

8. Advancement - Bonnie Branch
     o Eagles - Pat Kelly
       - Matt Lassiter will have an Eagle Court of Honor April 28.
       - Jirah Cox and Scott Kelly passed their Eagle Boards of Review.
       - Scott Steger and CJ Carter are writing their reports. 
       - Jeff Collins, Travis Carter, Jay Herrin, Ben Nichols, and
         Brenden Kerr are working on their project plans: 

9. Committee - Mark Steger
     o Webelos
       - 30 Webelos joined the troop April 15. A big welcome to our new
         Scouts and their parents. New Scouts were asked to name buddies
         that they would like to be in their patrols. We expect to be
able
         to meet everyone's request to be with their best buddy.

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The next Troop Committee meeting will be May 15 at RBF.

Troop web site: http://www.bsa.net/tx/t81

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Mark Steger