Summer is fast approaching and it is time to start thinking abut summer camp!

 Troop Week is Sunday, July 30 through Saturday, August 5. Camp fee for the week with early deposit is $386. Our payment schedule is as follows:

•  2017 Crossover Scouts only - Please pay the $386 payment by Thursday, May 18th, no early deposit required.
  
  
• Returning Scouts - $50 deposit per Scout is due to the Troop by Thursday, March 23rd. The remaining $336 is due by Thursday, May 18th. Note for Returning Scouts only – If you do not pay the early deposit and wish to attend camp, the full fee will be $445.00, so please take advantage of the early discount.

Please make checks payable to “Troop 437”. This is not refundable but is transferable if another Scout is available to take your place.

More details are available on the sign-up form accessable via the button below or from the Scoutmaster.

Something new this year:   Every Scout attending camp will receive the New England Adventure Card from the Spirit of Adventure Council.

The card provides each Scout a discounted camp rate as well as discounts for other Council activities and access to other Council resources.

Please include an e-mail address and phone number to be used for the card registration of your Scout.

Our annual Bike and Sporting Goods sale is the Troop's biggest fund raiser.  It is only possible through lots of work by Troop members.  All scouts are asked to attend to help out.  We also need adults to help out. We need Troop members to come out Friday evening and Saturday during the day to help run the event.

Friday evening we are collecting items for the sale the the Legion Hall.  Saturday is more collection time and the actul sale.  Saturday's events are held on the Westford Common.

Specificly we need volunteers for the following activities:

• Donations
• Consignments   
• Bike Prep

• Donations
• Consignments
• Area Setup  

Please come to this week's troop meeting prepared to sign-up for one of these time slots.  If you are not going to be at the troop meeting please e-mail Mr. Parr at bikesale@westfordtroop437.us and let him know when you would like to help out.

Sign-ups are due this week as we need to commit final numbers to the Zip-Line outfitters.

The May trip for Troop 437 will be a camping trip at Lafayette Place Campground. This trip includes a day hike on Saturday near Franconia Notch State Park. On Sunday morning, we will visit Alpine Adventures Zipline in Lincoln NH for th eultimate Zip-Line adventure.  To find out more about the zip line activity, visit http://www.alpinezipline.com.

Participants will have the choice between two zip-line courses:

The Treetop Tour starts with a gentle ground take-off to put you in the trees. If you’ve never been with us before, we recommend this adventure. It’s a great introduction to ziplining, or for those looking to explore the forest canopy up close and personal. Perfect for families, beginners and thrill seekers alike. Tour has 6 ziplines and one suspension bridge and takes about 2 hours to complete with a group of 13, including a shuttle from our office on Main Street and an exciting Off-Road ride up to the start of the course.

The SkyRider Tour is a bit more of a thrill ride with longer, higher & faster lines than the Treetop Tour. It’s recommended for guests who have ziplined before or enthusiastic first timers and adrenaline junkies as it begins from Treewalk Village, 60′ off the ground! This course takes 2½ hours to complete with a group of 13, including a shuttle from our office on Main Street and exciting Off-Road ride up to the start of the course.

Sign-ups are due April 27th with the required Alpine Adventure waiver form.

Next Monday is a Merit Badge Monday!

March 20th, 7:00pm - 8:30pm at the McKeen home

If you are ready to meet with your merit badge counselor to finish up requirements on a merit badge you started talk with them about meeting on Monday evening.

If you want to start a new merit badge talk to the Scoutmaster and we will see if a session can be held.

As some wise person once said...no well layed plan survives contact with...the School calendar, or the Council calendar, or even the weather.

So once again we have a few updates to the calendar due to conflicts and weather

• The Winter Court of Honor is now scheduled for March 2nd
• The New York Trip has been moved to March 31st - April 2nd
• The April Pawtuckaway trip has been removed from the calendar
• A new Indoor rock climbing trip has been scheduled for March 3rd/4th

We will be getting a good dose of snow just in time for our Winter Camping trip.  There is still time to sign-up!  If you want to go please send e-mail to Mr. Laushine or Mr. McKeen letting them know.

Yes we have a cabin in case you don't want to sleep outside!

Remember to bring you sleds!

The February trip for Troop 437 is a winter survival trip at Camp Resolute located in Bolton, MA. We will be camping at the Mohawk leanto camp site.  We will meet on Saturday afternoon at our campsite and set up camp, cook dinner. Scouts will build shelters to “sleep outdoors” if they desire. Sledding, Skiing and Snow shoeing will also take place weather permitting. Sunday morning we will eat breakfast and depart the site at approximately 9:00am 

All scouts must be prepared for cold weather.  See some tips at our website (http://www.westfordtroop437.us/node/1328).