Philmont Winter Adventure - Dec. 27-31, Philmont Scout Ranch, NM
(Open to all scouts age 14 or 13 and in 8th Grade)

Cold-weather camping is the ultimate test of your ability to camp and travel in the backcountry and learn to live in harmony with the environment. Training in winter camping will prepare you to safely enjoy many winter adventures and to teach others to enjoy these unique experiences.

Participants in Winter Adventure learn to camp comfortably in cold weather, and enjoy Philmont's beauty in a way few others have. Crews snowshoe to their camp, sleep in tents or snow shelters, and participate in a variety of activities. Offerings include cross country skiing, snow shelter building, and earning either Search and Rescue or Snow Sports merit badge.

Winter Camp at Trevor Rees-Jones Scout Camp in Athens, TX is a special jamboree-style camp, and is the largest annual event put on by Circle Ten Council. Units camp and cook meals together, so it feels more like a weekend campout and is a great opportunity for bonding within the troop. 444B/G have had a strong presence at Winter Camp for several years, and scouts and adults who have attended agree that it's among the most fun troop events each year, especially for younger scouts who are working on TFC rank advancements.

Each morning, scouts work on merit badges or TFC, take part in special living history programs in the Mountain Man, Indian Village and Lumberjack areas, or learn new program skills. Afternoons offer a wide range of activities including competitive games, shooting sports, climbing, horseback riding, wood turning and more. Evenings include special events like a Cowboy Action Shoot competition and Star Watch parties - or just relaxing with your troop around the campfire.

Our first campout of the year will be on September 16-18, at Cool Water Ranch in Iredell, TX.

We will meet at the Scout Hut on Friday at 6 p.m. to load the trailer and get everyone ready to roll. We will return on Sunday, arriving back around 1 p.m.

This campout will include fishing and cooking competitions. It should be a great opportunity for the scouts to have a great time.

Food costs will be determined by patrol. 

Welcome back to 444B/G for a new year of scouting!  Both troops have their first meetings this Monday, August 22, at AUMC.  444B Trail to First Class meets at 7pm in the Scout Hut, followed by full troop meeting at 7:30 in the Fellowship Hall.  444G meets at 7:30 in the Youth Room.

PARENTS:  Please see the note below about popcorn sales.  Also, we need your help with campouts; even if you can only make one this year, that's fine - we need leads and grubmasters.

444G Interest Form:  https://forms.gle/cWdPEULZYDewX4bW9

444B Signup Form: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084ba9ac28a5ff2-444b2 

From Popcorn Chair John Byrd:

Welcome to the Fall 2022 popcorn fundraiser!  I will be at Troop 444B/G meetings Monday night to distribute sales forms and talk to scouts, and I will be available afterwards to parents to answer any questions you may have.

I have given the district a lofty goal for our combined troops this year: $20,000 in popcorn sales. This is more than we have ever committed to, and will take everyone working as a team to reach that number, but our troops are now larger than they've been in years so this averages out to just $275 per scout.  

Please do the following things this week:

- Set up your online Trails End account.  Go to www.trails-end.com to add your scout and parent info. As of Friday 8/19, only 15 scouts have done that.

- Text APPGUIDE to 62771 to get a link to download the mobile sales app on your phone.

All sales must be in by October 27, so we have about ten weeks for each scout to reach their goal or higher goals they may set for themselves. The more they sell, the more our troop earns, as the troop receives 30 percent of each sale.  Scouts will receive Amazon gift cards and $100 to be paid towards upcoming campouts if they can reach $375 in sales.

Last year, the average sale online was $61 - that's just 5 sales per scout to reach individual goals.  Workplaces, neighbors, churches, friends and family can all donate to our fundraiser and get some delicious popcorn in return.