TROOP LEADERSHIP

February 29, 2000 – August 29, 2000

Merit Badge Counselors

The list of Troop 373 registered Merit Badge Counselors is attached to the newsletter.  Currently, we have no adults registered to teach the following badges.  If you are interested in helping with any of the Merit Badges, please contact Ms. Porter for a registration form. 

FUTURE HIGH ADVENTURE

ADULT OPPORTUNITIES

Scouting for Coats

By Scott L

This year’s annual “Scouting for Coats” drive was a huge success.  We collected over 150 coats!  This is a lot considering we have done the same drive for three years in a row.  On a Saturday in December, several Scouts came to help gather the coats.  People came to Homestead Elementary and dropped off their donations. Several cups of hot chocolate later, we had collected 150 coats, and our time had run out.  Mr. Baker then graciously took the coats to be cleaned, as he has in past years. Thank you Mr. Baker and Heritage Cleaners for your continuous support! The following Sunday three Scouts, Mark Niebur, Andrew Baker and myself, went to the Denver Rescue Mission to deliver the coats.  We were thanked repeatedly for our success in keeping so many people warm.      Even though 150 coats is a lot, I believe next year we can do better.  Since we have done this drive for 3 years in a row, we have probably cleaned out most people’s closets in Homestead.  Next year, we need to expand into Greenwood Village and Highlands Ranch, especially with so many Scouts living there.  When we do that, our coat drive could double in size and be a much greater success.

Copper Mountain Ski Trip

By Ryan K

    On Saturday, January 29th the Scouts and Scouters of Troop 373 had the opportunity to go back to Copper for our 3rd annual Ski Patrol Hut Trip.  Everyone filled the day with great skiing and snowshoeing on the mountain, and we all met at the Patrol Hut atop the mountain after the lifts closed.  After the Patrol had left, everyone went about getting prepared for the night:  finding a place to sleep, preparing dinner, and passing the time.  After a “good” night’s sleep, it was time to get the cabin back to its original shape-even better than we found it, a specialty of our Troop and the reason we can go on this trip.  Once we left the hut, we went outside and enjoyed a chapel service in the sunlight looking around into the valleys below.  Truly amazing.  Then everyone skied down for first tracks, wrapping up a great stay a Copper Mountain.  This was truly a great trip, and we are all grateful for Mr. Fellows' organization and the Ski Patrol’s extension of their home.  Thanks for a great trip.

The deadline for information to be included in the next Smoke Signals will be Friday, May 19, 2000.  Please contact Ms. Loftis at 303-300-0854 or email to bjcloft@gateway.net to include information useful to the Scouts and Parents of Troop 373.

Thank you.

Okpik

By Andrew B

The Okpik campout was truly an exhilarating experience. It is the ideal extreme winter outing. Okpik is located at Camp Tahosa where I'm sure many of you have been. The first morning, you load all of your gear onto a pulk, which is similar to a sled with a waist strap on the end, and set out on either snow shoes or cross country skis. It was my first time snow shoeing, and it was a blast. However, once the large pulk was strapped to my back, it sort of put a damper on things. Even though the pulk was fairly heavy, the feeling of accomplishment I got when I reached the campsite was tremendous.  Yet there was still work to be done. This work involved shoveling a mound of snow that's 6 feet high, and 12 feet in diameter, and of course we played in the snow whenever possible. For those of you who love making snow caves in your back yard, this is a great chance to excel. After this was completed, my partner Byron Swalm and I took turns hollowing out the inside so we could sleep in it. Believe me, it's surprisingly warm for a dome of pure snow! In our free time, we could wander around and play in the abandoned quinzees, the name for the domes of snow. That was a great time to relax and enjoy ourselves. After spending the night in the quinzee, we packed up and trekked back to the main camp. The good news is, we didn't have to take down any tents. The final meal was cooked by a lady back at the lodge, a lunch that you don't want to miss! It was the best chicken-fried steak I've ever tasted.  My patrol then decided to play on the frozen lake for a few minutes and went home with a great memory and experience.