Reposting this for those of you who have forgotten! Please sign up if you aren’t already supporting a good cause!
As many people already know, you can tie your Sooper Card to a participating non-profit and then a percentage of all of your purchases will directly go to that non-profit. We have this setup and use the funds to add to our general expenses account to cover expenses such as new tents, trailer parts, and any other equipment/needs not fulfilled by our annual dues. If you aren’t already contributing somewhere and like to support Troop 640, do so by following these steps:
Log into your account at kingsoopers.com (if you don’t already have an account tied to your Sooper Card, you’d need to create one).
Click on My Account underneath your name in the top-right.
Click on Community Rewards on the left-hand menu.
Add or modify your organization of choice and find BSA Troop 640. Our Organization Number is PM350, if needed.
Why do we hold troop elections…wouldn’t it be easier if the Scoutmaster just appointed someone? As the Scoutmaster, the answer to that question is “no.”
We hold elections because it gives the youth a chance to practice a lot of what they’ve learned for rank requirements and various merit badges – and to continue using the Scout Law as a guide.
In order to campaign and get elected, a Scout has to balance friendliness, bravery, cheerfulness, etc., with what he or she has learned about planning, communicating and leadership. Getting in time as the Patrol Leader or the Senior Patrol Leader also helps pave the way for a Scout to be more successful when it’s time to lead their Eagle project.
So let’s be enthusiastic as we head into this election cycle. More importantly, let’s make sure that the newly elected Patrol Leaders work with their peers to invest time and energy in patrol outings. This is one issue I hear about in my Scoutmaster conferences and I’d like us all to help fix it. Patrol outings are a great way for Scouts to get requirements done together, to work as a group on a unique merit badge, or to goof off as only a bunch of kids should. The patrol method, as developed by Lord Baden Powell, is the most basic function of Scouting which helps to create a group identity and build character in the Scout who leads it. Let’s make the most of that opportunity.
We have implemented a new system over the past year for Scout Accounting. We utilize a 3rd party website called Troop Web Host which allows for everyone to have access to their Scouts accounts at any time with your own logins. If you have lost your login information, please reach out to and we will resend the login info. We will also occasionally (~once per month) send out negative balance emails (some months we will send out everyone’s balance) to those of you who currently owe the Troop money. How do you deposit funds into your Scout’s account? We have several options to make it easier, here they are in order of preference:
Option 1 – Zelle
Zelle is a wonderful method that more and more banks have implemented which allows for direct bank-to-bank transfers between accounts! Think of it as Venmo without the middle man. If your bank supports Zelle (check your mobile app or your banks website), all you have to do is open that portion of your app and initiate a transfer to Send the Troop money. To connect your account to ours the first time, you simply enter our email address () and sometimes also the first and last name. What I’ve found is the names aren’t really usually required, but if asked, you can enter “BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA” for the first name and “TROOP 640” for the last name. Zelle may update the name as it really is just verifying the email address. Once you click send, that’s it! The Troop will receive the money almost instantly and the Treasurer will acknowledge your deposit with an email once the money has been credited to your Scouts Account. (FYI, this goes both ways, so if you need a reimbursement from your Scouts Account, we prefer to Zelle you the money)
Option 2 – Check
You can always write a check made out to BSA Troop 640 and hand it to the Troop Treasurer (currently Mike Bielkiewicz as of this writing). He will deposit your check at his earliest convenience (typically within a day or two as we can do this remotely) and credit your Scouts Account accordingly. He will then send an email acknowledging this process has been completed.
Option 3 – Cash
You can, of course, go with the old standby and give the Troop Treasurer cash. This is the least preferable option as it involves a trip to deposit said cash into our bank account, and therefore takes longest of the three options. The Treasurer will email you once the transaction has been completed and the Scouts Account is updated.
If you have any questions, reach out to or see the Treasurer at a meeting! Thanks so much.
For those new to the troop and as a refresher to those who have been around awhile, we are entering our “summer” season of Troop meetings! What does that mean? Well, traditionally, beginning with the first meeting after Memorial Day (we don’t meet on the holiday) and lasting until the last meeting prior to Labor Day, we meet outside at the church! For those of you were at this past meeting, it’s very similar to that! We still do our flags, just outside the front door, and plan meetings with activities that can be done in the fresh summer air!
What this also means is we abandon our Class A Uniforms for Class B! So you do not need to wear your Uniform shirt – any Troop or BSA shirt qualifies as a Class B shirt. Of course if you have a Board of Review scheduled during a meeting, Class A’s are still required. And any Court of Honor we hold will usually still take place inside the church in full Class A’s.
After most campouts, our tents can be wet, dirty, or both. In these cases, we ask that at least one Scout from each tent take that tent home to clean and/or dry it out. What does that entail? Generally not a whole lot! Usually we simply expect the Scout (potentially with parent help when needed) to unpack the tent, and, if it’s wet, set it up to let it air out. If the weather outside is windy or rainy, this can be done in a garage of course. Unfinished basements tend to work well as well! Once it is setup, take a quick look inside for dirt, grass, weeds, trash and simply brush it out.
If the tent is extremely dirty and brushing it off doesn’t fully clean it (especially when something spilled in/on the tent that’s not water), you can hose it down and spot treat specific problem areas with a non-abrasive sponge, cold water and a non-detergent soap. Gently scrub soiled areas by hand, being extra gentle on coated areas of the floor and fly. This last bit is pretty rare – because Scouts are CLEAN, right?
Once you are sure your tent is completely dry, pack it back up and bring it back to the church at the next event/meeting and ensure we know it’s being returned!
The more attention we pay to these little details, the longer our tents will last and continue to give us years of Scouting fun! If you have questions, ask you Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, or an Adult Leader!
You may be wondering exactly what a Court of Honor is – to put it simply, it’s our way of honoring and recognizing those Scouts who have made progress in Advancement whether it be Rank, Merit Badges, or other Scout Awards and Honors. This is generally a bit more formal than our typical meetings and we highly encourage inviting extended family members to help celebrate your Scouts acheivements! We usually follow the service with some light refreshments which is a great time to meet more people and get more questions asked about upcoming adventures or anything Scouting related.
We generally have 3 or 4 Court of Honors per year (Covid has thrown our schedule a bit out of whack but we are slowly getting back to “normal” on that front) and our next one is coming up in just a few short weeks (May 23rd). This is also a great time for Scouts to finish up those lingering Merit Badges and request those Scoutmaster Conferences and Boards of Review to finalize the Rank advancement!
Over your time with the Troop, you will likely incur expenses that require reimbursement in some form. This can be for food purchased for a campout, mileage driving to/from an outing/activity, equipment purchased explicitly for the Troop, and so on.
To receive a timely reimbursement, we request that you fill out and print a copy of the Reimbursement Request form available on the website under the Resources/Links page. You can submit this digitally or hand it directly to the treasurer at a meeting or Troop event. Email the request along with a scan/copy of the appropriate receipts to and make sure to select whether you’d like to credit your Scout account or have funds disbursed to you directly. If you choose the latter, we can Zelle the money to your bank (fastest and preferred method) or cut you a check which can take up to a week.
We do ask that receipts for specific events/campouts be submitted on a timely manner so we can bill the final amounts due to the Scouts who attended.
For those of you new to the Troop (and as a refresher for those who have been around awhile), here’s our standard procedure for Campout Departure Day.
Arrival Time
Generally, the event info will state our planned arrival time to the Church. This time is very important as we try to ensure we have enough time to pack up our vehicles and/or trailer to ensure we arrive at the campsite early enough to set up camp before dark (when possible). For Project Tenderfoot2022, we ask that all Scouts arrive to the church parking lot no later than 5:00pm. Please meet at the main parking lot and do not come down to the trailers – we will bring the trailer to the main parking lot for organizing/loading.
Friday Dinner
At almost ALL of our campouts which start on a Friday evening, we ask that Scouts come with a sack dinner that they can easily consume either in the car or at the campsite. Many Scouts drop by Subway prior to campouts as it travels pretty well, but you’re welcome to bring anything for dinner that doesn’t require cooking. This should be done BEFORE you arrive to the church.
Med Forms
ALL campouts require a current (signed within the last year) part A, B1, and B2 completed (no doctor signature required) for both Scouts and Adults. Campouts longer than 72 hours (like Summer Camp) also require part C (doctor’s exam/signature). The Med Form coordinator (currently Mr. Bielkiewicz) will let you know if we need an updated Med Form from you. Please note that for this particular trip, most of you will have to supply an updated Med Form – so parents, please don’t leave until we let you know we have all the required forms! If you aren’t sure, please print out and fill out the Med Form in advance if possible, though we try to bring blank copies for those that have forgotten.
Scouts/Adults Who Need An Updated Med Form For Project Tenderfoot 2022: Beckham S. Cooper P. (missing signature only on current med form) Todd P/Cynthia R (whichever is attending) Calvin D. Caleb N. Nick F. Tom F. Evan S. Ryan S. Liam H.
Drivers
Generally, we’ve already determined who will be driving and who will be towing the trailer, if necessary. For Project Tenderfoot this year, Mr. Bielkiewicz will be towing the blue trailer. We will ensure that we have all the necessary gear for the number of Scouts attending (including tents, cooking supplies/equipment, firewood, etc) and then we will add any Scout gear that needs to find transport. For this particular trip, we have not determined drivers as of the writing of this newsletter, but we will minimize the number of drivers since Chatfield charges us an entry fee for each carload. Scouts, led by the trip SPL, will determine who rides with who just prior to departure. For this particular trip, it’s a very short journey.
Final Information
We will usually have a discussion as a Troop to outline our general plan and inform parents of our intended return time on Sunday. Since we are camping close by, we will likely be done prior to noon on Sunday, but Scouts generally contact families via phone/text as we get close to the church. No one is to leave until dismissed by their SPL to ensure we leave the trailer and gear properly cleaned up and tents are properly distributed for cleaning/airing out (if necessary).
Questions? Please bring them to me at the meeting tomorrow or shoot me an email ()
Do you have a question that you can’t find the answer to on our website? Or do you have a pressing concern about an upcoming event or activity? Try our brand new Q&A feature on our website! We are trying out this new feature and will be moderating all questions as they come in (i.e. they won’t show up immediately, however once approved, they will and then can be answered accordingly).
Please let know if you have any issues with this new feature – we are just trying it out for now and can expand its usage if it proves to be popular.
Currently, you can get to it via the Resources/Links tab – or go directly to the address here:
New Scouts may be wondering how and who plans our meals for each campout. Simply put, we all do! Generally at the meeting prior to an upcoming campout, all attendees will meet and decide on the campouts meals. They will also decide on a “grubmaster” who will be the one who goes to the store (with a parent) and purchases all the necessary food based on the menus decided at the meeting.
Why do we do it this way? Aside from the obvious reasons of us being a Scout-led Troop, several rank and some merit badge requirements dictate the need for Scouts to plan, purchase, and cook meals on campouts! We do have a basic budget (see the website under the Resources/Links page) but ultimately ask the parent of the grubmaster to retain and submit the receipt(s) to the Treasurer for reimbursement and proper charging of that campouts attendees.
So next time you’re coming on a campout, make sure to attend the planning meeting prior so you can provide input on what you’ll eat!
