Troop 140 Scoop

April 2025

The Official Newsletter of Troop 140

Welcome!

Greetings, Troop 140! Seems like Mother Nature turned the heater on and our eight-month summer has commenced! Lots of news and updates to share...keep scrolling for more!

In This Month's News:

Fees and Dues
Scoutbook Entries
Aiden M. Eagle Court of Honor
Eagle Project updates
Order of the Arrow
Climbing Merit Badge
Troop Election Recap
Friends of Scouting
Camp Strake April 25-27
Upcoming Campouts - Quick Link
Advancement
April Committee Meeting
Flags Across Sienna
Troop 140 Website and Calendar
Class B - Order by April 21
News to Share?
Thunderwolf/SHAC Calendar
Troop 140 Contact List

Fees and Dues

First things first...Please make sure your scout account stays current (camping fees, FAS balance, etc.). With large deposits for high adventure camps going out plus the recurring costs associated with running the troop, it's important to pay any invoice sent by Mr. Benson in a timely manner. If you have questions about your scout's account, please email him directly, bensonkris@hotmail.com.

Scoutbook Entries

Scoutbook is our digital hub for tracking all scout advancement. It’s a great tool for parents and scouts to see at a glance how the scout is progressing. Parents, please do not mark your own scout’s advancement or merit badge requirements in Scoutbook! Only ASMs, Merit Badge Counselors and other troop leaders should be doing this. Questions? Contact Missy Warner, missy.m.warner@gmail.com.

Aiden M. Eagle Court of Honor

Congratulations to Aiden and the entire Molina family! It was an honor to attend Aiden's Eagle Court of Honor this weekend. Thank you to all the scouts and adults who came out to support Aiden and his family.

Eagle Project Updates

Thank you to all the scouts and adults who volunteered this weekend working on Daniel G.'s Eagle Project. Daniel built a gathering area, including a fire pit, at St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral.

If your scout is looking for volunteer hours, another project is coming soon.

Andrew H. will be building 3 wooden benches for the courtyard at Ridge Point High School April 13. Sign up at this link: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A44ADA62EA20-55749634-andrew__;!!PVeQBqD1!oKxe88AzFCsLt-omZFG4Ww3clrX_xFoKqSgE322s12HES2hHjDZOvgF-ZI542SwWa1c0mqWt1XiELQ6RRQ$

Order of the Arrow

Gabriel G. attended the Order of the Arrow Ordeal at Camp Brosig February 28-March 2. Order of the Arrow is the honor society of Scouting America, composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. Congratulations, Gabriel!

Climbing Merit Badge

There will be a Climbing Merit Badge session at Sienna Library this Saturday, April 5th, 10am - 12pm, Multipurpose Room. Wear Class B & bring water.

We will be covering req.s 1, 2, 6, & 7. Please bring applicable portions of the workbook + pen/pencil so Scouts can complete it as we go through the material. I recommend practicing the listed knots beforehand.

Future: Tellepsen Tower Rappelling - May 3rd, tower reserved 1 - 5pm, focus on 3 rappels & belaying

Do the following:

Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you may encounter while participating in climbing and rappelling activities and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, and respond to these hazards.
Show that you know first aid for and how to prevent injuries or illnesses that could occur during climbing activities, including heat and cold reactions, dehydration, stopped breathing, sprains, abrasions, fractures, rope burns, blisters, snakebite, concussions, and insect bites or stings.
Identify the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person.

Learn the Leave No Trace principles and Outdoor Code, and explain what they mean.

Rope. Do the following:

Describe the kinds of rope acceptable for use in climbing and rappelling.
Show how to examine a rope for signs of wear or damage.
Discuss ways to prevent a rope from being damaged.
Explain when and how a rope should be retired.
Properly coil a rope.

Knots. Demonstrate the ability to tie each of the following knots. Give at least one example of how each knot is used in belaying, climbing, or rappelling.

Figure eight on a bight
Figure eight follow-through
Water knot
Double fisherman's knot (Grapevine knot)
Prusik hitch applied to rope.

Troop Election Recap

Congratulations to our newly elected scout leaders! These positions are effective April-September 2025.

Troop Leadership

Senior Patrol Leader* - Jacob Warner
Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders* - Nicholas Benson, Gabriel George, Aneek Pifer, Augustine Robinson
Troop Quartermaster* - Patrick Wilty
Buglers - Garrett Carlin, Jackson Reed
Chaplain's Aid - Aidan Donohue
Historian - Cooper Miles
Instructor - Andrew Golumb
Librarian - Martin Robinson
Order of the Arrow (OA) Representative - Augustine Robinson
Outdoor Ethics Guide* - Ameya Vyzasatya
Scribe* - Sebastian Robinson
Troop Guide* - Andrew Golumb
Webmaster - Michael Andrade

Patrol Leadership

Blazing Phoenix - Liam Freyaldenhoven (Patrol Leader)*, Landon Frysinger (Assistant Patrol Leader), Levi Pierson (Patrol Quartermaster)
Chimera - Aneek Pifer (Patrol Leader)*, Luke Harrison (Assistant Patrol Leader), Ethan Crum (Patrol Quartermaster)
Dragon Slayers - Atish Anuramchand (Patrol Leader)*, Jackson Reed (Assistant Patrol Leader), Arjun Gajja (Patrol Quartermaster)
Nuclear Sharks - Ameya Vyzasatya (Patrol Leader)*, Holden Conley (Assistant Patrol Leader), Garrett Carlin (Patrol Quartermaster)
Samurais - Alex Uttrodt (Patrol Leader)*, Cooper Miles (Assistant Patrol Leader), Gabriel George (Patrol Quartermaster)

* These roles are members/participants in our Patrol Leaders' Council which typically meets ~monthly (often the Monday following campouts) in lieu of regular full Troop meetings

One final point. While we originally scheduled our ILST (Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops) training for our newly elected leaders for this Saturday, 3/29, due to both an Eagle Project and Eagle Court of Honor, we will be rescheduling this important session. Details to be announced shortly.

Friends of Scouting

From Marcus Jackson, Field Director of the South Division of the Sam Houston Area Council:

I am a parent & Assistant Scoutmaster of a Scout who just crossed over into a Troop. Like you, I have seen the value of Scouting in my own family. I would like to take a few moments to invite you to support Scouting America’s vision of preparing every eligible youth for responsible citizenship guided by the Scout Oath and Law.

For generations, Scouting has transformed thousands of lives here in Southeast Texas. Scouting is made possible through the generosity of volunteers, families, members of our community, and companies who all believe that a strong foundation of character and leadership developed in youth, leads to stronger, more productive lives.

Friends of Scouting is the Sam Houston Area Council’s annual campaign for individuals and companies to make a 100% tax-deductible investment to grow the local Scouting program.

The Sam Houston Area Council will invest nearly $450 in each of our more than 28,000 youth in 2025 alone.

While some of those costs are offset through various fundraising activities and the Council's endowment fund, we need your help to fill the gap to keep Scouting affordable for all youth. By investing in this campaign, you are supporting families who need financial assistance to participate, five year-round facilities (including four camping properties and the Cockrell Scout Center), and an infrastructure of professionals who support the over 8,000 adult volunteers who bring Scouting to life. Investments from people just like you, through the Friends of Scouting Campaign, made that possible.

Friends of Scouting is the most cost-effective way to support Scouting programs, and every dollar raised stays here in Southeast Texas to support the Scouts in our communities.

Will you help us keep Scouting growing strong across the Houston area?

Your support of Friends of Scouting today allows the quality experiences across our Council to be enjoyed by even more Scouts and may even allow the Scouts of Troop 140 to attend Full Throttle weekend at a significantly discounted rate!

How?

Every Scout Troop has a Friends of Scouting goal, which, if achieved by March 31st, 2025, will allow every Scout from that Troop to attend with a 50% discount!

Troop 140 goal: $5,300

Contributions to date: $0

To achieve goal: $5,300

To make your pledge, you may:

Send an email to me, Marcus.Jackson@scouting.org, with your name, phone number, and pledge amount. You can request to be billed monthly, quarterly, or in full immediately.

or

Visit our secure giving portal at: 2025 Sam Houston Area Council Friends of Scouting Campaign -Building Your Future - Troop 140

Also, if your company matches gifts to Friends of Scouting, you may have just doubled your gift to support Scouting!

Mr. Jackson will be at our May court of honor if you have any questions about giving.

Camp Strake April 25-27

Spots are filling up quickly, so if you have not already signed up please do so as soon as you can. This will especially be great for new scouts. It is run by SHAC and the meals, activities and merit badge opportunities are all included. Please refer to Camp Manager for details on the trip and to sign up.

Campout Registration Quick Link

All campouts managed through camp manager: https://a914203.fmphost.com/fmi/webd/CampLogic?homeurl=https://siennatroop140.org

If you have questions about a specific campout, please reach out to the adult in charge of that activity.

Advancement

The next Board of Review will take place April 28. This will be the last opportunity before the May 12 Court of Honor and also before the troop goes on hiatus for the summer; please plan accordingly. Scouts may continue to work toward rank requirements, merit badges and camp over the summer, but the next opportunity for ranking up will likely be August/September, pending calendar approval.

Please send copies of your signed-off scoutbook pages to Darlene George, darlenemgeorge@yahoo.com no later than Friday, April 25th.

April Committee Meeting

Did you know committee meetings aren't just for committee members? You, too, can be in "the room where it happens!" Join us April 7 at Harvest Methodist Church; meeting begins promptly at 6:30p.

Flags Across Sienna

Having a flag route is a great way for scouts to earn money to use toward camping and high adventures. If you want to participate or have any questions, please email Mr. Uttrodt, steveuttrodt@aol.com.

Class B - Order by April 21

We will be placing an order for troop attire on April 21st. Please contact Darlene George (darlenemgeorge@yahoo.com) with your request items inclusive of size. Pricing is listed below.

class B shrits (size small - xlarge) - $15
Class B shirts (2xl) - $17
Long sleeve class B (size small - xlarge) - $16
Red zip up hoodie (small - xlarge) - $30
Red zip up hoodie (2XL) - $32

Troop 140 Website and Calendar

We are in need of a webmaster to maintain Troop 140's website! This is the perfect opportunity if you enjoy behind-the-scenes volunteering without having to camp. Please reach out to any committee member if you are interested.

The troop calendar is available thru multiple channels: Troop 140's website, Scoutbook, and the UPDATED attached '24/25 PDF Calendar.

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Troop 140 Calendar 2024-2025 3.29.pdf

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News to Share?

Did your scout's patrol go on an awesome adventure? Got wind of an amazing volunteer opportunity? Send a brief write up and photos to Vicky at rairscat@gmail.com to be included in the next newsletter.