Good evening,
The T648 fleet successfully returned this afternoon from yet another triumphant trip to a local desert lake, as Roosevelt was conquered despite hot gale force winds which occasionally took our intrepid paddlers a wee bit off course. A positive outcome was that we did get to know a local herd of cows and calves considerably better, and even learned that a mother can be rather protective of its young. We also had an opportunity for much more exercise than is typically expended on a lake outing, through manfully oaring back into the breeze after being forcefully pushed down-lake. Whenever it became a bit too tiring, or a tad warmish, a quick jump into the water was incredibly refreshing, and ultimately the majority of the day was spent swimming and towing canoes around the cove.  Later in the evening, scout advancement and fine cuisine finished the day in excellent fashion in our camp on a bluff overlooking the blue-green water of Roosevelt.
In addition to the 13 troop members at the lake, we have others in summer camp counseling roles at BSA camps, taking National Youth Leadership Training, or on high adventure treks. Later this summer, we will have scouts attending National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience, attending an incredible three week long trip to the National Jamboree including tours of our nation’s capital and New York, and our troop summer camp trip to Camp Alexander, not far from Pike’s Peak in Colorado. Thank you for taking advantage of these tremendous opportunities available to you through Boy Scouts of America and your membership in T648.
Closer to home, we will have our weekly troop meeting on this coming Tuesday night. We will need a goodly number of adult leaders to attend, as it is the final one before our summer court of honor on the 18th, and there are a number of boards of review shaping up. Please note that our June adult leader meeting has been moved out by a week, and will be at 7PM at Scottsdale Worship Center on the 17th.  The older boys (14+ and first class+) are still finalizing a possible high adventure backpacking trip into the Wet Beaver Wilderness Area to swim in the amazing diving holes the weekend of June 21st. Please contact young Mr. Martin if you are interested.
As your family travels this summer, we hope that you relax, unwind, and have experience quality time with friends and relatives, and explore both familiar and exotic locales. When you are here in the valley, please continue to join us on Tuesday nights, as we prepare for summer camp and develop such essentials as new patrol flags, yells, songs and other planning for the camp and into the next year. Also, it is not too early to begin thinking about the outings you will want to propose that we attend in upcoming months – it is time to begin planning for the 2013-2014 year, and the Patrol Leaders Council retreat in August which will solidify our troop calendar.
See you Tuesday night at the troop meeting!
Mr. Cole