February Camping Trip

Congratulations are due to Mike Carman for his Court of Honor. It was appropriate recognition for the work, participation and leadership he has demonstrated to make Eagle. For the rest of his life, Michael will be an Eagle Scout! Thanks as well to Maureen Carman for all the effort she put in to the pot luck supper and the wonderful Court of Honor.

A reminder that Dante Ingato has an Eagle project work session this Saturday. Dante: please send out the reminder with all the particulars to the Troop again so everyone knows where and when to get together. I will be there as will Brian.

Our winter cabin camping trip is coming up. We will leave from the church Friday, February 10 at 5:00 pm. Bring a dinner to eat either on the way or after we arrive at KMSR. We can decide on the meals next Monday, but Dan Dabbs has acquired some venison for a venison stew on Saturday night. We will do a Forrestal clean up on the way back and should be back at the church between 1:00 and 2:00 on Sunday, February 12.

Congratulations to Dan, Steven and Matt for rank advancement. Congratulations also go to Rinku whose Eagle papers came back from Council this week.

Remember that next Monday, February 6 is an open house for a number of Weblos Dens. With our existing Scouts getting more senior (and going off to college at a great rate), we need new Scouts. It's also important for our senior Scouts leadership skills to have younger Scouts. After Bridging in March, we might consider a Sarnoff campout to introduce the new Scouts to our private campground and to get them started on camping skills (and finding left handed smoke shifters).

If you are planning on attending the cabin camping in a couple of weeks, send me an email so I can get a count. I know that Dan Dabbs, David Wertz and I plan on going.

That's it for now.

Kent Allenby

Cabelas Trip A Hit - Outdoors is Indoors

Scouts, Scouters and Families,

At last night's meeting the consensus from those who went to Cabela's was clear: it's a very impressive and massive outfit. The walk-through aquarium grotto, the mountain in the center of the store, the variety of gear (Dr. Dabbs lamented the large selection of women's clothing, I overspent in the fly fishing area, the Scouts were attracted to the wide knife and gun collections). Only Pat Mickey took advantage of the wild game menu which included ostrich burgers and venison and bison bratwurst. Too bad it's 100 miles away.

Kent S. Allenby
Scoutmaster, BSA Troop 88
Allenby.Kent@kyowa-kpi.com

Upcomming Events on the Calendar

Scouts, Scouters and Parents,

Monday's meeting was eventful with election of a new Senior Patrol. Congratulations on our new SPL, Brian Allenby and our new ASPLs Dan Schloss and Nolan Mickey. Our Eagle Scout, Mike Carman, and Ross Merkin (soon to be Eagle) will advise the new Senior Patrol.

Upcoming Events:

Sunday, January 15, 2:00 pm: Forrestal Clean-Up.
Monday, January 16: No meeting due to holiday (MLK day)
Saturday, January 21, 10:00 am Cabela's trip. Meet at the church at 10:00. We plan to return by 6:00 pm. Bring money for lunch and to buy any outdoor items you can't live without. A permission slip is attached.
Monday, January 30: 7:30 pm Court of Honor and Pot Luck Supper at the church
Friday, February 10: 5:00 pm Winter cabin camping at KMSR

Forrestal Clean-Up: This is the Troop's major source of funds and a portion of the money earned is credited to the Scout's account for use in paying for trips and/or summer camp. If we get a good turn out it only takes an hour and beats selling Christmas trees on cold December nights or going door to door selling popcorn. We'll meet at the parking turn out halfway up the road.

Cabela's Trip: For those who don't know, Cabela's is a massive store (250,000 square feet) with excellent prices on everything from basic camping goods to high end fly fishing equipment as well as interesting aquariums and displays. Anything you might need for the outdoors is in stock. It takes 1 1/2 hour to get there (Hamburg, PA off of Interstate 78) but it's worth seeing. We will meet at the church at 10:00 and plan on returning by 6:00. Bring money for lunch (the food court at Cabela's has standard fare as well as exotic game meals) and to buy outdoor gear you just can't do without. Scouts and their families are welcome and it's a real experience.

Court of Honor: More information will follow, but we get to celebrate our newest Eagle Scout, Mike Carman, as well as a number of other advancements. This is a wonderful time for the families of our Scouts to get together to celebrate their accomplishments and to get to know each other better. Troop 88 is a small Troop and we'd like as much family involvement as possible. Come out and support the Scouts, the Scoutmasters and the Troop Committee.

Winter Cabin Camping: We plan to leave the church around 5:00 pm on Friday, February 10 to head up to KMSR with a return on Sunday mid-afternoon. This was a lot of fun last year and the cabin has an overhead light and a wood stove so it's comfortable (as long as someone remembers to wake up in the middle of the night to put a few logs in the stove).

That's all for now.

Kent Allenby

Year End Update

We had our last Monday meeting a few days ago and it certainly has been a busy year for Troop 88. Some things to think about for 2006:

1. Our next Monday meeting will be on January 9.
2. We need to schedule a winter Court of Honor. We've had a lot of advancements we want to recognize, not the least of which is our new Eagle Scout Michael Carman. Somehow I expect Mike will look more mature and larger than life on January 9 as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. Please let me know if you cannot attend the following dates for the Court of Honor:
January 16
January 23
January 30
3. On January 9, the Troop needs to select a new SPL/ASPL to fill Mike's vacancy. How it will be done will be up to the Scouts. Don't miss the meeting to decide who will be up front for the next year. The only requirement is that the Scout be at least First Class rank.
4. On December 19, the Scouts decided the January event will be a day trip to Cabella's in Pennsylvania. For those who don't know the place, Cabella's is a huge outdoor store, perhaps the biggest in the country. Be sure to save your money because they have lots of nice outdoor toys to spend it on. As always, parents and friends (non-Scouts must have an adult with them) are welcome. With winter sports schedules, a Sunday trip seems to be preferred. We will also do a brief Forrestal clean-up before or after we go. Please let me know your preference for:
January 8
January 15
January 23
January 30.
5. Our February event will be cabin camping in the Water Gap. Dr. Wertz is making the arrangements and will communicate more at our next meeting.
6. We are beginning the Personal Fitness merit badge. On January 9 baseline measurements (both with a tape measure and things like sit ups/push ups/reach can be done and entered on the worksheets that were passed out several weeks ago (so bring your worksheets to the meeting). Part of the requirements for the merit badge are a physical examination with results on a BSA form (I will accept camp physicals from this past summer) and a dental examination with a note from the dentist. The badge takes 12 weeks so we want to get moving. This winter we can also work on Personal Management and Family Life which are 3-4 month badges (and Eagle required). Our Eagle Scout (Mike) and Eagle candidates (Ross and Rinku) can take the lead on all 3 badges.
6. The spring Central New Jersey Council camporee is April 28-30 at the Middlesex County Fairgrounds in East Brunswick: "Be Prepared: Scouting Salutes our Emergency Services". Do we want to go?
7. We have a reservation at KMSR in July 2006 for our week at summer camp. The Council is making lots of upgrades to KMSR including food service so it should be fun (and a chance to earn additional merit badges).

If I have forgotten anything, please let me know.

Enjoy the holidays and I'll see you all next year.

Kent S. Allenby
Scoutmaster, BSA Troop 88
Allenby.Kent@kyowa-kpi.com

NYC Pictures posted on http://troop88.blogspot.com

Troopers:

I've learned a few tricks from Mr. Mickey. Next up: a few pictures from our Cub Scout visitation.

Dan Dabbs, ASM
BSA Troop 88, Princeton

Photos from the 2005 NYC Hike

New York City, 11 December 2005

The NYC Hike was again a blast for the Troop. Here we stand in Central Park, ready to blaze new trails to reach our goal.

OK, we've seen the tree...can we go now?

One subway ride later and...

CANAL STREET! But no-one warned us we had to walk!

Lunch at a Troop tradition...and Little Italy for dessert?

Where did the Scouts go?

PATH Station, World Trade Center

Going home (it has been a long day).

Troop 88 Princeton - Recruiting Volunteers Needed

I apologize for in advance for the late notice here, but I need two scout volunteers to make a brief presentation to the cub scouts of Pack 185 in Montgomery at their next pack meeting scheduled for this Friday, December 9 at 7:00pm.

They have set aside three minutes for our scouts to make a brief presentation to their scouts about the merits of Troop 88 in Princeton. Pack 185 meets at Montgomery Middle School at 7:00pm. I will pick up our volunteers at about 6:30pm and drive them to and from the meeting.

I know I can count on at least two scouts for this very important recruiting effort. There will be more in the coming months, so everyone will be expected to participate in at least one recruiting presentation. All you need to do is wear your uniform, I can help you prepare your "pitch" on the way to the meeting.

Please respond to this email by Wednesday evening letting me know if you can or can not make this important event.

Regards,

Pat Mickey
Troop Committee Chairman
BSA Troop 88 Princeton

(609) 275-3876 home

(212) 850-5815 work

(856) 577-8669

prm1@comcast.net

NYC Hike, Merit Badges

At last night's meeting, it looks like the date for the NYC hike that works for the most Scouts is Sunday, December 11. I will be away that weekend but, if enough adult Scouters are willing to go, it should work. At this time the adults who have tentatively indicated they will go are:

Dan Dabbs
Joni Dabbs
David Wertz (knees permitting)
Pat Mickey
Steve Schloss

We should have at least 3 adults, so if people can confirm by return email, we can make final plans at the meeting on Monday, December 5.

Also, I plan on visiting the CNJC office tomorrow to sign up to be a merit badge counselor for 3 Eagle required badges that are not usually offered at summer camp or the Rutgers Scout weekend due to the length of time required; Family Life (requires a minimum of 90 days), Personal Management (requires 13 weeks), and Personal Fitness (requires 12 weeks). At next Monday's meeting the Scouts can decide which one we will start.

Regards,

Kent Allenby

home: 609-921-7472
cell: 609-240-9389
work: 609-580-7327
Allenby.Kent@kyowa-kpi.com

Mike Carman Completes Eagle Board of Review

On November 16, 2005, Mike Carmen, Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 88, had his Eagle Scout board of review. Mike completed his Eagle project last month and came through the review with a very strong showing. All in attendance were impressed with his leadership skills, accomplishments and his commitment to stay and help build the Troop throughout next year.

Michael is the son of George and Maureen Carman. A junior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, Michael is active on the swim team and in the Red Cross Club, and excels academically. He is interested in serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. Michael's Eagle project was updating the library at Princeton House Behavioral Health Center, a division of Princeton HealthCare System which provides inpatient and outpatient services to patients living with mental health and substance abuse issues. In completing the project, Michael coordinated the donation and reception of 1,717 books through community book drives. Another aspect of the project was the purchase of a mobile book cart to serve patients unable to visit the library. In addition, close to 1,000 magazines were donated for use by patients. Donations for the project came from the West Windsor Lions Club, McCaffrey's Supermarket, Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church, and Michael's friends and family members.

Please join us in congratulating Mike on a job well done.

Dante Ingato Crowned King for WWP South Homecoming

Scout Dante Ingato, shown here defending the goal for his West Windsor Plainsboro HS - South Lacrosse team, had the honor of being chosen by his fellow classmates as King for the West Windsor Plainsboro High School South homecomming this year. Dante, who is working toward the rank of Eagle scout is a prime example of the multi-talented scouts that make Troop 88 so unique.

Way to go Dante.

Matt Kalinowski Returns to Troop 88

It may be a little early to tell for certain, but rumor has it that former Troop 88 scout Matt Kalinowski is returning to Troop 88. Matt showed up to a warm welcome at our last weekly troop meeting at the urging of scout David Delcol after a three year hiatus. Well done David!

We will all work hard to make Matt welcome and give him good reason to stay. He will make an excellent addition to our troop. Welcome back Matt.

Area Webelo Scouts Join Troop 88 at the Princeton vs Yale Football Game

An open invitation to Webelo scouts in several neighboring scout packs went out inviting scouts and their families to be our guests at the 128th meeting between the Yale and Princeton football teams on Saturday November 12 at 1:00pm in Princeton with the scouts of Troop 88.

The scouts and their families were also invited to meet with members of Troop 88 before the game at 10:30am in the woods behind the Sarnoff Institute on Route 1 where Troop 88 maintains an overnight camp site. This gave the Webelo scouts a chance to meet with the scouts of Troop 88 and take part in some scouting activities. I am happy to report that we got a good response from Webelow dens from Pack 43 in Princeton and Pack 40 in West Windsor and had seven scout and their families join us to a day of fun. Most of the scouts joined us at the Troop 88 campsite before heading over to the Princeton vs Yale football game at Princeton Stadium at 12:00.

At the game Princeton took a convincing 14 point lead over Yale by the end of the first half and left all of us believing that a win was assured. But seven turnovers and several untimely penalties doomed the Princeton football team, which watched a 14-0 lead evaporate and its championships dreams get left on life support in a stunning turn of events in the game's final minutes. A late 1-yard touchdown run by Jeff Mroz and Yale's fifth interception of the game sealed Yale's 21-14 victory over the Tigers in the final game at Princeton Stadium this season.

After the game Troop 88 and a group of Webelo scouts and their parents travelled back to the campsite for some refreshments and scouting activities. Later that evening our scouts cooked up some cornbread and homemade chilli and roasted marshmallows over the campfire before turning in.

The following morning the scouts met their obligation to our generous benefactor, Forrestal Center, by policing the grounds of the office park before heading home. All in all, it was an outstanding weekend of fun for our scouts and our Webelo guests.

Annual Report to Our Sponsor Organization - Princeton United Methodist Church

Troop 88 continues to provide boys from Princeton, West Windsor, and Plainsboro the opportunity to participate in the Scouting Adventure. Unfortunately, during the past year the Troop again declined in enrollment, having now only 11 registered Scouts while maintaining strong adult interaction through 5 committed Scoutmasters and a busy Troop Committee. Recruitment remains the biggest issue facing Troop 88, and the Troop Committee has been working to get the word out on the Troop and its activities.

Despite our small size, the Troop remains active. For the second year in a row the Troop attended Summer Camp, spending a week this past July at the Kittatinny Mountain Scout Reservation (KMSR) near the Delaware Water Gap. Several Merit Badges, many required for Eagle Scout, were achieved by the individual Scouts, and we hope to take a fresh crop of new Scouts to KMSR next summer. This fall, the Troop also supported an all-day Cub Scout event, Scouts to the Rescue, at the Mercer fire training center. As always, the Troop plans to continue monthly events for the Scouts, usually overnight campouts.

Eagle Advancement is very strong in Troop 88. During the past year, Shane Schoepfer completed his requirements for Eagle and celebrated his achievement in a joint Eagle Ceremony (June 2005) with his fellow Eagle, Maurio Ingato. Nirmalya (Rinku) Bandyopadhyay and Michael Carmen, Senior Patrol Leader, both finished their Eagle projects within the past few months. Their respective Boards of Review will be held in November. Ross Merkin, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, had an extremely good turnout for his Eagle project in October. Coming up, Dante Ingato and Brian Allenby are formulating their own plans for Eagle projects to benefit the community and expect to be working seriously on their respective projects by Spring 2006.

There were several changes in the adult leadership of the Troop in September, with Kent Allenby becoming the new Scoutmaster and Dan Dabbs stepping down to Assistant Scoutmaster. Dan continues his association with the Troop, having served as Scoutmaster for four years and, before that, Assistant Scoutmaster for two. Kent has been Assistant Scoutmaster since 1999 and is now stepping up to the main leadership role. Kent’s first order of business is to build up the Troop’s membership, a task that is facilitated by the Committee’s very active program for attracting new Scouts. In the Committee, Ellen Souter and Jim Walker, after several years of shepherding the Scoutmasters, have stepped down as Committee Chairs and the Troop Treasurer, Pat Mickey, has agreed to take over.

Invitations have been sent to the area Cub Scout Packs to join Troop 88 in activities that will introduce them to the Troop. Plans are to have a Parents’ Night for members of the PUMC and the neighboring community.

It is important to note that previous Scouting experience is not required to join Troop 88. Any boy between the ages of 11 and 17 is eligible to become a Boy Scout. We welcome visitors to our Monday night meetings, parents and boys.

Sarnoff Campout

Just a reminder that this Monday we will be finalizing plans for our Sarnoff campout on Saturday and Sunday, November 12 and 13 which will include the Princeton football game Saturday afternoon and, hopefully, successful recruitment of new Scouts.

See you Monday evening.

Kent Allenby

Ocean Fishing Trip off Point Pleasant, NJ

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On Sunday, October 23 Troop 88 embarked on an afternoon fishing excursion in the Atlantic ocean off Point Pleasant, NJ aboard the Norma K. The weather could not have been better for the trip with sunny skies and a relatively calm sea.

Congratulations go out to Scoutmaster Kent Allenby and Scout Ross Merkin who caught a combined total of seven fish between them. Members of Troop 88 also managed to catch three sharks, one of which was proudly displayed (in a frozen state) at the troop meeting on Monday. It was enormous!

I think all would agree that the $35 cost for an unforgettable afternoon of ocean fishing was well worth the expense. A great time was had by all.

Meeting Tonight

All,

We usually have meetings unless school is not in session. The Senior Patrol has elected to have a meeting tonight so I will be there. We can plan for our upcoming Sarnoff campout.

Happy Halloween.

Kent Allenby

Ross Merkin's Eagle Project

On Saturday, October 15th Ross Mirkin marshalled the efforts of a small army of volunteers to complete most of the work on his Eagle Scout project. Ross chose a project designed to beautify the entry way and parking lot of the Zaitz Soccer Fields in West Windsor where Ross lives. The project involved planting over a dozen large trees and over two dozen day lillies.

Ross had the very good fortune to get the only sunny, non rainy day in what was the rainiest October on record in New Jersey. Not only was the weather good, but the ground was soft, easing the job of digging the holes for the trees.

88 Updates

A reminder that Ross Mirkin's Eagle project is this Saturday, October 15 at Zaitz Field in West Windsor starting at 8:45 am. We will be planting trees and flowers and the ground should certainly be soft enough by now. Wear appropriate clothes and boots (your feet will get sore kicking a shovel all day in tennis shoes).

Fishing Trip: At the last meeting the time was set for Sunday afternoon, October 23 for the 2:00-6:30 trip on the Norma K out of Point Pleasant. The cost is $30 per person (includes bait), rod rental is $5, and if you want your fish cleaned, the cost is $1 per fish. Bring some extra money for food and to tip the deck hands. As Point Pleasant is about 60 miles away we should meet at the church at noon (bring a lunch if you want one). I will drive and can carry 4 Scouts. We should return around 8:00 pm. Parents and siblings are welcome. If you want to bring a non-Scout friend, they will have to be accompanied by a parent. In order to see if we have enough Scouts to make the trip worthwhile, either email me or be at next Monday's meeting and be able to definitely commit to coming.

Enjoy the weather and I will see everyone either Saturday for Ross' project or Monday evening.

Kent Allenby
Allenby.Kent@kyowa-kpi.com

Fishing Information

I have heard from the Point Pleasant marina. They have two 1/2 day trips; 8:30-12:30 and 2:00-6:30. The cost is $30 per person which includes bait. Rod rentals are $5.00. They have a snack bar on the boat to buy food. They will also clean your fish for $1.00 per fish.

Kent Allenby

Forestall Clean-Up Tomorrow (Saturday) at 2:00 pm

Just a reminder to everyone that we have a Forestall clean-up tomorrow, October 1, at 2:00 pm at the usual place. If we get a decent number of Scouts, it should take an hour or less.

See you then.

Kent Allenby