Spring is in the air and with it comes the annual Troop 89 spring events. Elections will be held in March just before the troop welcomes new recruits crossing over from Cub Scout Packs 113 and 200. Their first camping adventure with Troop 89 will be the annual Greenhorn camping trip at the Camp Massasoit Scout Reservation in Plymouth. Then, of course, the entire troop can look forward to the popular Bike Trip, which will be held on Martha's Vineyard again this year.

The Troop Family Court of Honor and Dinner is scheduled for March 21^st. All scouts who have earned new badges, ranks, and awards since the last Court of Honor will be officially recognized. This is a family event, so we encourage all families to plan to join us.

All Scouts are asked to check for Merit Badge pamphlets that they may have borrowed from the troop library, and to return any that they may find. Also, anyone who is willing to donate any Merit Badge pamphlets that he owns is encouraged to do so as well.

BASIC ADULT LEADER TRAINING (KANTANKYE):
Faith Baptist Church, Stoughton, Massachusetts, 13 April 1999, 20 April 1999, 27 April 1999
Camp Squanto, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1 May 1999, 15-16 May 1999
Registration fee: $20.00, check written to Old Colony Council, BSA
Registration deadline: 6 April 1999
Course Director: Mr. Bruce Fencer (781) 344-XXXX
Course Information and Registration Form Contact: Mr. Tom Kerr, Scoutmaster, 359-XXXX

All adult leaders and interested parents are highly encouraged to attend the Basic Adult Leader Training Course, called Kantankye, scheduled for this spring. This is a five part district run course. Kantankye provides an excellent orientation to the Scouting program and is especially recommended for new parents. Please contact Mr. Tom Kerr for more information and to obtain registration forms.

Any successful troop relies on a healthy number of trained adult leaders; please consider joining the ranks of the trained Troop 89 adult leadership by attending the Kantankye course.

ELECTION NIGHT:
Scouthouse
3 March 1999
Coordinator: Mr. Tom Kerr, Scoutmaster, 359-XXXX

The first regular meeting of March will be Election Night. All scouts of the troop have the opportunity to elect their leaders. As with any democratic process, the success or failure of this election will depend on the number present to vote. Scouts should recognize that these will be their leaders for the remainder of this Scout year. All Scouts should make every effort to be present to choose them, and choose wisely!

TROOP 89 SPRING COURT OF HONOR AND FAMILY DINNER:
American Legion, Beckwith Post 110, Medfield
21 March 1999, 5:00 PM
Dinner fee: $2.00 per person, $10.00 maximum per family
RSVP/payment deadline: 17 March 1999
RSVP: Mrs. Diane Keverian, 359-XXXX, Mrs. Leslie Audy, 359-XXXX

The 1999 Spring Court of Honor and Family Dinner will be held in March rather than May this year. Please make plans to attend this family event. The Court of honor is the troop's forum for officially presenting awards to the Scouts who have earned them. Dinner will be served, and a slide show, documenting some of our excursions over the past year, will most likely be presented.

Please RSVP by contacting Mrs. Diane Keverian or Mrs. Leslie Audy by Wednesday, 17 March 1999. The $2.00 per person ($10.00 maximum per family) dinner fee will be collected during the Wednesday night, 17 March 1999, Scout meeting as well.

HALE RESERVATION TRIP:
Westwood, Massachusetts
27-28 March 1999
Anticipated trip fee: $15.00 cash only please
Payment deadline: 17 March 1999
Coordinator: Mr. Rick Wile, Troop Trip Coordinator, 359-XXXX.

Hale Reservation's close proximity makes this a nice, basic, low-key camping trip. The troop will meet at the reservation on Saturday morning. Scouts may choose to work on advancement or other outdoor activities. More detailed information will be distributed soon.

GREENHORN TRIP:
Camp Massasoit Scout Reservation, Plymouth, Massachusetts
16-18 April 1999, New Scouts: 17-18 April 1999
Anticipated trip fee: $15.00 cash only please
Payment deadline: 7 April 1999
Coordinator: Mr. Rick Wile, Troop Trip Coordinator, 359-XXXX.

Troop 89 held its 1997 Greenhorn Trip at the Camp Massasoit Scout Reservation in Plymouth; the troop will return here for the second time this year. Similar to previous years, the veteran scouts will arrive at the campsite on Friday night; the new scouts will meet us Saturday morning. While the major focus of this event is to train our new scout campers, it is also an ideal opportunity for our older members to work on their own outdoor advancement skills. New parents are also invited and highly encouraged to attend as well. More details later.

1999 BIKE TRIP:
Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
15-16 May 1999; bicycle and gear loading: 14 May 1999
Anticipated trip fee: $40.00, cash only please
Payment deadline: 5 May 1999
Coordinator: Mr. Rick Wile, Troop Trip Coordinator, 359-XXXX.

Troop 89 held its annual Bike Trip on the island of Martha's Vineyard last year, and we plan to return there again this year. This year's Bike Trip will be conducted in a similar fashion to those in the past. Scouts will load bikes and gear onto a U-Haul truck on Friday night. We will leave to catch the ferry at Wood’s Hole on Cape Cod very early Saturday morning and will return to Medfield Sunday night. Parents will need to meet us at the Scouthouse to pick up their son's gear and bicycles. Once again, more detailed information will be distributed later.

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE:
Medfield Town Hall
31 May 1999
Coordinator: Mr. Ted Miller, Charter Partner Representative, 359-XXXX.

Troop 89 is very fortunate to be sponsored by the American Legion, Beckwith Post 110, Medfield. One way we demonstrate our appreciation is by actively participating in the Medfield Memorial Day Parade. This is, of course, an uniformed event. All scouts, who are not out of town on vacation, are expected to represent their troop and its sponsor by marching in the parade. As always, we hope to see a strong representation of Troop 89 scouts.

ACTIVITY NIGHTS:
Locations and fees to be announced.
31 March 1999
19 May 1999
Coordinator: Mrs. Marcy Hall, Acting Activity Night Coordinator, 359-XXXX.

Gym Nights, Swim Nights, and Archery Nights are some of the traditional Activity Nights offered. All Activity Nights are non-uniform events and transportation is the scout's responsibility. Times are 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM unless otherwise notified. Scouts will be notified of the March and May Activity Nights later this spring.

1999 PATROL LEADERS' COUNCIL (PLC) WHITEWATER RAFTING TRIP:
Kennebec River, Maine
25-27 June 1999
Coordinator: Mr. Tom Kerr, Scoutmaster, 359-XXXX.

The tentative PLC Scout trip for 1999 is whitewater rafting down the Kennebec River in Maine. Anyone who is a member of the PLC and who is interested in attending this trip should contact Mr. Kerr right away.

1999 SUMMER CAMP:
Camp Squanto Scout Reservation, Plymouth, Massachusetts
11-17 July 1999
Trip fee: $195.00/per scout, checks written to Troop 89, BSA
Payment deadline: 5 May 1999
Coordinators: Mr. John Merck, Acting Summer Camp Scoutmaster, 359-XXXX,
                           Mr. John Stenquist, Treasurer, 359-XXXX.

All scouts, especially our new recruits, are encouraged to attend Summer Camp. As usual, we will be camping at the Dakota campsite at Camp Squanto. This year’s Summer Camp fee is $195.00 per scout for those who sign-up and pay by the Wednesday, 5 May 1999, deadline; the fee after this date is $210.00 per scout. Additional weeks are $110.00 per scout per week. Troop 89 adults usually stay free of charge or pay on a meal by meal basis. Checks should be written to Troop 89, BSA. Merit Badge sign-up will take place in early June. More information will be forthcoming in the coming months.

1999 AUGUST HIKE:
White Mountains National Forest, New Hampshire and Maine.

While no dates have been established for this trip yet, preliminary planning is underway. Whether or not an overnight hike is also conducted will depend on, as always, the number of interested scouts and experienced adults who wish to go. The next edition of the Troop 89 Newsletter will have more information.

Regular Meetings are uniformed events held at the Scouthouse between 6:45 PM and 8:30 PM on Wednesday nights. Meetings will start sharply at 7:00 PM. Some Scouts may need to arrive early and leave later if their patrol is assigned to prepare and close-up the meeting space. As a rule, if the Medfield School System is not holding school on any particular Wednesday, either due to holiday, vacation, or cancellation, a Scout meeting will not be held.

Troop Committee Meetings are monthly forums at which logistical and financial planning and management take place. They are ordinarily held at 7:00 PM and are now held at the American Legion. All adults interested in attending Committee Meetings or becoming Committee Members are highly encouraged to contact Mr. Steve Fernandes, Troop Committee Chairperson, at 359-XXXX.

Patrol Leader Council (PLC) Meetings (also referred to as Leadership Meetings) are monthly forums for the Scout leaders to conduct their planning efforts as well as discuss other troop matters. Except when otherwise directed, these meetings will be held at the Scouthouse Committee Room. Meetings are generally held between 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM. Membership of the Senior Patrol and all Patrol Leaders are expected to attend these meetings or, if they are unable to attend, designate a substitute to attend in their place. Every effort should be made to attend these meetings - this is an important part of the positions' responsibilities.

Although weekly message information is now listed on the troop web site, phone call and conversation in school are still the best methods of communication by which details and last minute changes will reach everyone. PHONE CALLS ARE THE SCOUTS' RESPONSIBILITY. All Scouts should receive a phone call or other message by 8:30 PM Tuesday night each week. If any Scout is not contacted by this time, he must contact his Patrol Leader or the Senior Patrol Leader for that week's message.

A Scout leader may take a temporary leave of absence from his leadership position and responsibility to support another seasonal obligation, provided he notifies the Scoutmaster in advance. Such advance notice should be in writing and should list the conflicting activity as well as the period of time that the Scout will not be available to participate with the troop. The 75% rule does not apply to such Scouts, and their leadership position will be available upon their return. The Scout will receive no credit for leadership while he is gone, however, and he holds the responsibility of arranging for a Scoutmaster approved replacement to act in his absence.

All Scouts must sign-up and pay, in full, by the deadline established for any particular trip. Scouts who do not sign-up and pay, in full, by the deadline indicated, risk losing the right to attend that particular event unless they are given permission by the Scoutmaster or Trip Coordinator due to unusual circumstances. If, by the deadline, an inadequate number of Scouts have signed-up and paid for any particular trip, the trip will be canceled, even if interest should increase after the deadline.

All sign-up and payment deadlines are listed under each trip heading in the newsletter and on the individual calendars as well. The trip fee information accompanying each deadline date is tentative. Due to the advanced planning nature of these events, the trip fees remain subject to change, as more specific information becomes available.

Committee Meetings: American Legion, 8 March 1999, 5 April 1999, 3 May 1999, 7:00 PM.

The troop's current adult leadership positions are as follows:

Troop 89 Committee:

Tom Kerr's one year term as interim Scoutmaster will end in August 1999. As such, the Scoutmaster Selection Committee is eagerly pursuing candidates for this important position. Individuals interested in acting as members of this committee should contact Chairperson Steve Fernandes at 359-XXXX, right away.

Despite the present size and strength of the Committee and band of Assistant Scoutmasters, new parents are strongly encouraged to become involved with Troop Committee matters and even consider becoming committee members or Assistant Scoutmasters. The people listed above will not be around forever and will eventually need to be replaced. It will be far easier for all involved to start making transitions now, while they are still around, than to wait until after they are gone. Think about it. If you would like to learn more about how you can help Troop 89, or if you have any questions about the adult leadership roles of the troop, please contact Steve Fernandes, Troop Committee Chairperson, at 359-XXXX. Thanks.

Troop 89 is a strong troop with a proud tradition, but with many challenges ahead. As always, your commitment today ensures a bright future for Troop 89 tomorrow. Have a terrific spring season!