Good evening everyone and Happy Presidents Day!!

As we enter this holiday in which we celebrate past and present leaders of this great nation we live in, here are 10 interesting facts to think about:

1. Theodore Roosevelt was an early advocate of Scouting and served on a troop committee and as a council commissioner.
2. Seven U.S. presidents, starting with Harry Truman, have attended National Scouting jamborees.
3. The first president to be a Scout as a youth was John F. Kennedy, who reached the rank of Star. Three other U.S. presidents that were Cub Scouts in their youth were George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.
4. Gerald Ford is the only U.S. president to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.
5. Jimmy Carter was a Scoutmaster and Explorer advisor during the time his three sons were Scouts. His wife, Rosalynn, was also active as a Den Mother and Cubmaster.
6. Franklin Roosevelt was president of the Greater New York Councils and was instrumental in the purchase of a New York area Scout camp.
7. Dwight Eisenhower served as a member, then president of the BSA National Executive Board before he was elected the nation’s president.
8. Lyndon Johnson, as a member of an Exploring committee in Washington, DC, helped organize an Explorer post in the city, chartered by page boys of the House of Representatives.
9. Ronald Reagan was active in Scouting as a council advisory board member and by chairing a special project and a membership drive. He was awarded Scouting’s Silver Beaver Award for Distinguished Service.
10. When Gerald Ford died in 2006, 400 Eagle Scouts took part in his funeral, some as an honor guard, others as ushers.

As you ponder on this, please know that we will NOT be having a Troop meeting tomorrow. However, what this means is that when we come back, it is full speed ahead with our 2 upcoming events which are Crossover and Roadside cleanup.

Looking ahead:

1. Our next camping event is Crossover which will be held at the back of the Scout Hut from March 3rd to March 5th. The cost is $15 per Scout which will cover the meals. At this point only 12 Scouts have signed up and only 2 out of those 12 have paid.
2. Our first roadside cleanup of the year will be on March 11th.
3. Summer camp registration is still open AND I am still collecting payments. At this point everyone should be aware of the final amount they’re responsible for. You’re welcome to make a 2nd payment of $100 next week or pay the remaining full balance by March 20th.
4. As stated in past emails, I shared with you all 3 merit badge opportunities. Be strategic about your choices and feel free to reach out to me if you need suggestions. I will like to know who has register for Clemson.
5. As you’re preparing for summer camp. Keep in mind to update your FULL medical form AND provide me with your dietary and allergies form which were included in my previous email 2 weeks ago.
6. Everyone please pay close attention to the annual calendar as there are 2 events for later in the year that are new. One is a baseball game/camping event in Kannapolis and the other is a camping event at Patriots Point in Charleston. Please start having discussions about whether you’re attending or not because I will soon be asking for payment and these are non-refundable events. Details will be release soon. DO NOT SEND PAYMENT YET.

Again, there’s NO MEETING tomorrow. Feel free to reach out to Mr. Otto at [email protected] or (917) 856-1720.

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Good morning everyone,

Today is Super Bowl LVII which shows how true teamwork can lead to great things. Now what makes a good team? Communication, reliability and commitment, diversity, leadership, and organization (just to name a few). If that sounds familiar to you, it should because on February 8th, 1910 the Boy Scouts was founded and today (113 year later) it stands strong with over 110 million members worldwide learning these exact same values. Happy anniversary to one of the longest standing youth organization standing strong today.

Speaking of things to celebrate, at last week’s committee meeting, we recognized 2 Scouts for going up on the ranks. With that being said, I want to take the opportunity to congratulate Stephen Ganshert for reaching the rank of First Class and Gus Schlesier for reaching the rank of Tenderfoot.

Moving to our usual business, tomorrow we will be going over rank advancements and we will have a Patrol Leaders’ Council (PLC) meeting. All Patrol leaders need to come ready with ideas, these meetings should last no more than 15 minutes if every Scout understands their role. As for the rest of the Scouts, the younger ones need to come ready with their books to review where they stand in their ranks. The other Scouts need to come ready to help the younger Scouts AND discuss where they are in their journey. Any Scout that forgets their book, will need to call their parents to bring it over. A Scout should NEVER leave their book behind.

As we look forward to other events:

1. Tomorrow all unsold camping cards and monies collected for Scouting Adventure cards are due. Please note that the Troop will pay a fee for not returning the unsold cards.
2. Summer camp registration is still open AND I am still collecting monies for super camp. Later today I will send an email out to all those that register, with the final amount which will include merit badge fees.
3. March is quickly coming and that means that we need participants for upcoming events for which we have sign up sheets up at the Scout Hut:
– Our next camping event is Crossover which will be held at the back of the Scout Hut from March 3rd to March 5th. The cost is $15 per Scout which will cover the meals.
– Our first roadside cleanup of the year will be on March 11th.
4. I recently notified Scouts that were eligible for NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training) about registering for the 2 weekend event. If you didn’t get an email, then you’re not eligible this year. Those that did, please act quickly in registering because it does will up fast.
5. Remember that I shared with you all 3 merit badge opportunities. Be strategic about your choices and feel free to reach out to me if you need suggestions.
6. As you’re preparing for summer camp. Keep in mind to update your FULL medical form AND provide me with your dietary and allergies form which were included in last week’s email.
7. Monday February 20th is President’s day. There will be no troop meeting.

Again, please come tomorrow with your Scout Book as well as the Scouting Adventure money and unsold cards. Feel free to reach out to Mr. Otto at [email protected] or (917) 856-1720. I will see you all tomorrow.

Good morning everyone,

You would think that we would be slowing down with the end of the year just around the corner, but we had yet another busy weekend:
– Roadside Cleanup: I want to thank everyone who came out to help maintain our roads clean. We collected 32 bags of trash, 3 bags of cans, and a couple of miscellaneous and automotive parts.
– Join effort between the pack and the troop in delivering popcorn to Indian Land High School to recognize Teachers “Heroes” of Lancaster County School District was also held this past Saturday.
– As part of our previous weeks efforts to run the 50/50 raffle fundraiser, we were at the annual Charlotte Rifle & Pistol Club holiday party last night where we drew the winning ticket. The winner earned himself $750. As a result of your efforts the troop also earned $750 and the club donated an additional $500 for a total of $1250 which is a HUGE win. Thank you all for the hard work, these are critical funds needed for troop plans we have in place for 2023.

I also want to thank everyone for acting so quickly to bring our recharter efforts to a close. I am super grateful to you all.

Looking ahead:

1. Tomorrow we will be working on flag rehearsals. I also encourage anyone who is up for review to come ready with their Scoutmaster sheet.
2. Our last committee meeting of the year will be this upcoming Tuesday at 7pm. Anyone who is up for rank advancement should be present in full updated uniform, updated sash, and their book handy.
3. Next Saturday is our joint effort with Pack 275 to participate at the Indian Land Christmas Parade. Sign up sheet is VERY LOW and we’re hoping to make a strong presence as a means to thank everyone in our community for their support.
4. Troop 275’s annual Christmas party will be on Monday, December 19th. As in past years, Leaders and Scouts will be doing a white elephant gift exchange for which we have only 2 guidelines for those who wish to participate:
a) Gift should be no more than $20.
b) We encourage everyone to put some thought into the gift, but for those who insist on giving out candy, we ask that no more than 50% of the gift is compose of candy and the other 50% is something else. Creativity goes a long way.
5. The 2023 Polar Bear dates have been set for 1/13 thru 1/15 in Gaffney, SC. The cost is $22 per Scout. The theme will be a sled competition and we will be making this a backpacking trip. Sign up sheet is up on our board as well, deadline is 12/19. Note that registration for this will close during the holidays. NO EXCEPTIONS.
6. First fundraiser of 2023 is already on the works as we’re looking forward to selling camping cards. Details to come.

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] or (917) 856-1720 if you have any questions or concerns.

Good morning everyone,

I think this weekend we may have had a first for the troop as we were participating in 3 events: Clemson University’s Fall Merit Badge Day, Leader’s BSA required training over at GOLS, and weekend camp out at the annual Railroad merit badge event in the N.C. Museum of Transportation. Thank you all for the hard work.

Now with everything that we have done lately, I think it’s only fair that we evaluate where we are at in terms of our individual Scout journeys. That is why tomorrow we will be going over each Scoutbook and address everyone’s progress while also taking notes to bring our electronic records up-to-date. Now for this to happen, ALL Scouts must do 1 thing…BRING YOUR SCOUTBOOK WITH YOU. That simple.

Lets look ahead because we still have more events coming up:
1. This upcoming Thursday, I will be taking a few Scouts to Duke Energy’s EnergyExplorium for the Nuclear Science merit badge. Please have your THREE (3) models ready. A separate email will go out later in the week on transportation.
2. Popcorn take order sheets and payments are due on Monday 10/24.
3. October 29th is our annual Haunted Trail event. We ask all Scouts AND Leaders to come help set up in the morning and then return at night to give the Troop & Pack families a howling experience. Sign-up sheet is up at the Scout Hut with 2 columns: one for set up and another for the night event.
4. There will be no troop meeting on Monday 10/31. So if you are working on ranking up, you need to have a Scoutmaster conference by no later than 10/24.
5. The Brunswick Stew fundraiser is from November 4th to the 5th; sign-up sheet to participate is up at the Scout Hut. So far we have sign ups for 70% of all the meats we need and are in critical need of several more meat donations, please refer to the link below to mark off your donation(s):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13pnrDfIre0mfHWE9JsYrk9gpS2OuD_Q4pCle6xZRBYs/edit#gid=614639066
6. The Warbirds Over Monroe Air Show tickets are still on sale. Interested families that want to join us for the November 12th event, please purchase your tickets here: https://www.eventsprout.com/event/warbirds-over-monroe-air-show-2022
7. Nolan Reid’s Eagle project at Indian Land Elementary School is schedule for Sunday November 13th. Sign-up sheet is also up at the Scout Hut.
8. Webelos weekend is November 19th, participating Scouts should be practicing their knots and lashes in preparation for this event.
9. As stated earlier this week, we have a new fundraising opportunity with the Charlotte Rifle & Pistol Club which requires us to put in some time over the next 7 weekends to help bring an additional source of income for the Troop which will help with our annual expenses. Currently, I have only 15% Scout participation. Folks, I can’t emphasize enough just how important this is for us as an organization that is 100% ran by volunteers. Our first weekend for this event is coming up and we are 4 Scouts short as we need 2 for each timeslot to make this work. Please find some time to sign up and help us out.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FXGB-7gadzsAOVpc202_gyYNJ1ustobF73rKNEWcbQ0/edit?usp=sharing

As always, you can reach out to me at [email protected] or (917) 856-1720 if you have any questions or concerns. I will see you all tomorrow.

Good morning everyone,

It is now the calm after the storm and I hope everyone is safe and sound. My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone you know in Florida.

Now that the storm is over, we are looking at a gorgeous weekend which is perfect to go door to door and sell that popcorn or continue to share that Trail End’s link with your friends and family. Please note that all door to door sales and cash are due by 10/24.

Tomorrow we are doing flag sorting and cutting as we have an overwhelming number of bags to go thru. Also, as you read the list below of upcoming events, please note that the last 3 months of the year are all about fundraising and giving back to our community; which means that PARTICIPATION IS HEAVILY NEEDED for these events to occurred. Finally, as a reminder, if you’re paying for anything (t-shirts, events, popcorn, etc..), please note that all checks are made to Troop 275; we also accept cash, but it has to be exact change.

Looking ahead:
1. Roadside Cleanup is next Saturday. Sign up sheet is up and I currently have less Scouts than the last time. Please sign up, this will only take a few hours of your Saturday morning.
2. October 15th is Clemson’s Fall Merit Badge university. All participants need to sign the Clemson Liability Form which is attached to this email. PARENTS, note that Clemson will NOT accept your Scout without this form. The form is due on 10/10.
3. The North Carolina Museum of Transportation’s Railroad merit badge event is from October 14th thru the 16th. Registration is now closed. Pre-event email will go out next week. Monitor the weather so that you can plan your clothing accordingly.
4. Recently announced was an opportunity to take an in-person class for the Nuclear Science merit badge at Duke Energy’s EnergyExplorium at McGuire Nuclear Station. I have 3 Scouts that quickly jumped at this FREE opportunity. I will be providing transportation along with another parent. Please note that the event is on 10/20 AND you MUST do the prerequisite work before attending. See attachment.
5. October 29th is our annual Haunted Trail event. We ask all Scouts AND Leaders to come help set up in the morning and then return at night to give the Troop & Pack families a howling experience. Sign up sheet is up with 2 columns: one for set up and another for the night event.
6. The Brunswick Stew fundraiser is from November 4th to the 5th; sign up sheet is up as well. David recently send the spreadsheet where you can mark which items you wish to donate. Here’s the link in case you missed it: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13pnrDfIre0mfHWE9JsYrk9gpS2OuD_Q4pCle6xZRBYs/edit#gid=614639066
7. The Warbirds Over Monroe Air Show tickets are still on sale. Interested families that want to join us for the November 12th event, please purchase your tickets here: https://www.eventsprout.com/event/warbirds-over-monroe-air-show-2022
8. I’ve recently asked a selective group of Scouts who have mastered the art of knots and lashes to join me on Webelos weekend, as Troop 275 was asked to conduct a quick lesson to the next generation of Scouts that will be crossing over in 2023. The event is on November 19th. I want to thank the 3 Scouts that stepped up to help.

In summary:
– We have 3 merit badge events (Railroad, Clemson, and Duke Energy).
– We are participating in 2 fundraisers (popcorn and stew).
– We are giving back to our community by retiring flags, cleaning our roads, putting up a Halloween event for our Troop and Pack families, honoring our Veterans at the air show, and helping out the youth at the Webelos event.
– Note that there are 3 sign up sheets: Roadside, Halloween Trail, and Brunswick Stew. Parents and Scouts, please talk about these events with one another and sign up in person TOMORROW.

As always, you can reach out to Mr. Otto at [email protected] or (917) 856-1720 if you have any questions or concerns.

Good evening everyone,

I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler temperatures. The timing of this weather is perfect for the long awaited new batch of t-shirts which just recently arrived. We now have the following in stock:

– Short Sleeve Cotton T-Shirt: Sizes Youth Small thru Adult XL for $9 and 2X thru 4X for $10.
– Long Sleeve Cotton T-Shirt: Sizes Youth Small thru Adult XL for $13 and 2X thru 4X for $14.
– Short Sleeve Microfiber T-Shirt: Sizes Youth Small thru Adult XL for $12 and 2X thru 3X for $13.

Tomorrow we will be learning how to do backpack cooking in preparation for our upcoming October trip. If you have a backpack meal you want to try out, as well as any camping pots, and portable camping stoves, you’re welcome to bring it. Don’t worry if you don’t have one, we will likely be sharing. Just to give you all an idea, the equipment will look something like this:

Looking ahead:

1. Roadside Cleanup has now been rescheduled for 10/08. New sign up sheet will be up at the Scout Hut tomorrow.
2. October 15 is Clemson’s Fall Merit Badge university. The cost is $20. Last day to register and bring payment is TOMORROW.
3. The North Carolina Museum of Transportation’s Railroad merit badge event is from October 14th thru the 16th. The cost is $35 per person. Last day to register and bring payment is also TOMORROW.
4. October 29 is our annual Haunted Trail event. We ask all Scouts to come help set up in the morning and then return at night to give the Troop & Pack families a howling experience.
5. The Brunswick Stew fundraiser is from November 4th to the 5th. Details to come.
6. The Warbirds Over Monroe Air Show tickets are on sale. Interested families that want to join us for the November 12th event, please purchase your tickets here: https://www.eventsprout.com/event/warbirds-over-monroe-air-show-2022

As always, you can reach out to Mr. Otto at [email protected] or (917) 856-1720 if you have any questions or concerns.

Last weekend we had an amazing campout at Myrtle Beach. We went there to pick up trash from a state park and got greeted with a ton of rain for the first half of the campout. After the trash pickup and after the rain stopped we had free time to go have a ton of fun. We got to go to the beach and there was a waterpark in the campsite.

Through the rain and wind, we still were able to push through and have a great campout and great service hours opportunity.

Good evening everyone,

This weekend was another eventful one as we welcome 3 new members into the Order of the Arrow after completing their Ordeal. I want to extend my congratulations to Jackson H., Miles, and Rich.

For tomorrow, we will be doing part 1 of the Patrol Flag design challenge. If you were instructed to bring any materials, please remember to do so.

Looking ahead:
1. This was an oversight on my behalf, but due to the early start of the school year for rising 5th, 7th, and 9th graders, I will be cancelling this upcoming Friday’s trip to the Lancaster Police Department and the Fort Mill Fire Department. Read further below for rescheduling details.
2. On Saturday August 20th our Troop leaders will be collaborating with the Charlotte Pistol and Rifle Club to host a Rifle Fun Shoot day. All Scouts interested in participating can register here: https://scoutingevent.com/549-rifleshoot
3. The next Troop Campout at the Scout Hut is schedule for Aug 26th to Aug 28th. It will be on this weekend that we will be tackling 2 key things: a) We will visit the Lancaster Police Department AND b) Scouts that came out of summer camp with an incomplete on their cooking merit badge can continue to work on it.
4. The Warbirds Over Monroe Air Show tickets are on sale. Interested families that want to join us for the the November 12th event, please purchase your tickets here: https://www.eventsprout.com/event/warbirds-over-monroe-air-show-2022
5. Our annual Beach Sweep trip at Lakewood Campground in Myrtle Beach is schedule for Sep. 9th thru the 11th. Online registration already open. The cost is $30 for each person attending, family is welcome to attend. If you’re bringing a camper that will be an extra $100. Registration will close on Aug. 30th.
6. The North Carolina Museum of Transportation sign up sheet for the Railroad merit badge event from October 14th thru the 16th is also open. The cost is $35 per person.
7. Our next Roadside Cleanup will need to be moved to 9/17 due to Labor Day and Beach Sweep.

You’ll notice that I did not state anything about the Fort Mill Fire Department, this is because I am still working out a new date which I will later inform you all about.

Please note that for items 3, 5, and 6 above, I already have a sign up sheet at the Scout Hut which is very low on participation. For items 2 and 4, I have provided you with the links for you to register yourself. Also note, that you do not have to give me a separate check for all events, 1 check with a detailed description will also work.

As always, reach out to me at [email protected] or (917) 856-1720 with all your questions and concerns. I will see you all tomorrow.

Good evening everyone!!!

This weekend was another multi-event weekend as we had one group of scouts take the Stamp Collecting merit badge at Charlotte’s Philatelic Society Annual Stamp Show while another group took the Tennessee caving challenge at The Lost Sea Adventure. Check out pictures from our Tennessee trip in our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ILTroop275

For tomorrow, please have your knifes sharpen and bring a bar of soap as we will be working on knife safety and soap carving.

Looking ahead:
1. All Arrowmen and inductees into the Order of the Arrow, please note that the Summer Ordeal is next weekend from August 5th thru the 7th at GOLS. If you haven’t register, please go to the attached link now (tonight is the last night to register): https://palmettocouncil.org/oa-registrati
2. For those that want to participate in the Friday August 12 field trip to the Lancaster Police Department and the Fort Mill Fire Department, please let me know THIS WEEK if you’re impacted by either the 7th grade orientation at Indian Land Intermediate School or by the 9th grade meeting at Indian Land High School, both of which are held on the same day. If it turns out that the majority of you are unable to attend, then I will work on rescheduling this event to another date. Again, only if it impacts that majority of the attendees.
3. On Saturday August 20th our Troop leaders will be collaborating with the Charlotte Pistol and Rifle Club to host a Rifle Fun Shoot day. All Scouts interested in participating can register here: https://scoutingevent.com/549-rifleshoot
4. The next Troop Campout at the Scout Hut is schedule for Aug 26th to Aug 28th. More details to come.
5. The Warbirds Over Monroe Air Show tickets are on sale. Interested families that want to join us for the the November 12th event, please purchase your tickets here: https://www.eventsprout.com/event/warbirds-over-monroe-air-show-2022
6. Our annual Beach Sweep trip at Lakewood Campground in Myrtle Beach is schedule for Sep. 9th thru the 11th. Online registration is opening this week. Details to come.
7. The North Carolina Museum of Transportation is happy to announce that they brought back the Railroad merit badge program this year as a camping event from October 14th thru the 16th. The cost is $35 per person. Sign up sheet is already up.

As always, reach out to me at [email protected] or (917) 856-1720 with all your questions and concerns. See you all tomorrow.