The September trip for Troop 437 will be an outdoor rock climbing expedition at Pawtuckaway State Park on Saturday, followed by a night of camping at Wah-Tut-Ca Scout Reservation.

We will meet at 8:30 am at the parking lot at 199 Round Pond Road, Nottingham, NH (directions on the permission slip) just outside Pawtuckaway State Park.  It is approximately a 1-mile hike into the climbing site, and Scouts should bring a backpack with lunch, plenty of water (2qt minimum), and any additional clothing.  Vertical Dreams will provide climbing equipment and instruction at the climbing site.  Following approx. 5 hours of instruction and climbing, we will hike back to the parking lot and go to Wah-Tut-Ca for the overnight camping. 

Signups are due by the September 8th troop meeting.  All scouts and adults attending also need to complete a Vertical Dreams Liability Waiver.  Access these documents by clicking on the buttons below.

Please Note: Scouts and Adults need to complete swim tests prior to this trip.  If you have not completed a swim test in the last 12 months you will need to test at the upcoming swim test event (date TBD).  Tests completed at last year's summer camp satisfy this requirement.

The last trip of the year for Troop 437 is a 2 day canoe trip on the Saco River. Participants will arrive on Saturday morning, we will be fitted out for our trip on the river, then embark down river for a day of canoeing. After a day on the river, we will arrive at the Landing campground where we will spend the night. Then, on Sunday morning, we will continue down river for another day of canoeing. At the end of the day on Sunday, we will be shuttled back to the starting point.

Our plan is to transport our gear on Saturday morning to the campground. Therefore, it's not necessary to have your gear waterproofed for a canoe trip. You will however want to bring water bottles and other key items for the day on the river.

Scouts will pair up in canoes. Younger scouts and scouts without canoeing experience should pair up with older scouts or adults. All participants will be expected to wear life vests. If you would like to bring your own canoe please contact the scoutmaster to adjust the cost.

All Scouts and Adults must have completed the BSA swim test within the last 12 months in order to pair up with other scouts.  

All participants must complete a Saco Bound waiver. Parents must sign for scouts. Multiple family members can be covered on same waiver.

14 Troop 437 Scouts and one scout from Troop 159 conducted a Flag Folding ceremony as part of last Sunday's Memorial Day Service.See the photos by clicking on the picture to the left

Sign-ups are OVERDUE for summer camp.  If you intend to attend summer camp and have not yet signed up please contact Mr. Barnard right away.

Since Winter never really arrived everyone is probably already thinking about sumer and sumer means Wah-Tut-Ca!  

• Troop Week is Sunday, July 31 through Saturday, August 6. Camp fee for the week is $395 if paid in full before May 19th, otherwise the cost is $445.  Our payment schedule is as follows:
• 2016 Crossover Scouts - Please pay the $395 payment by Thursday, May 19th, no early deposit required.
• All other Scouts - $50 deposit per Scout is due to the Troop by Thursday, March 24th.  The remaining $345 is due by Thursday, May 19th. Please make checks payable to “Troop 437”.  This is not refundable but is transferable if another Scout is available to take your place.

Please return a copy of the sign-up form (click the button below) for our records by Thursday, March 24th.  Indicate the following:

• Your Scout will be attending camp during Troop Week. (Non-crossovers attach $50 deposit check)
• Your Scout will not be attending camp during Troop Week.
• You are interested in volunteering time at camp during Troop Week.

The updated 2016 BSA Medical forms are required for all Scouts AND for any adult spending the night or using the waterfront.  All forms must be completed within one year of the last day of camp.  Additional information can be found at the Spirit of Adventure (SOA) Camping website. Please fill in Parts A, B, and C. Your doctor needs to sign the BSA form as the camp will not accept the doctor’s own physical form. Please e-mail a PDF copy of the completed form or turn in a printed copy by Thursday, May 19th. If not submitted by this date, please make arrangements to get these forms to David Barnard. See contact information on the sign-up form.

Scouts can attend camps during other weeks, instead of or in addition to the Troop week.  These are known as provisional weeks. The Troop is not involved in coordinating enrollment for these weeks. Please see the SOA website for more information.

Just  a reminder that if you purchased food for a trip or have other expenses that you paid on behalf of the troop you can submit an expense reimbursement request.  The cost of food for trips is factored into the amount that all scouts pay to attend trips and it is planned that the grubmaster expenses will be reimbursed.   In order to finalize the accounting on trips we ask that all expenses be submitted in a timely fashion, preferably within 30 days of the completion of the trip.  If you have any questions please speak to the Treasurer at the next troop meeting.

Reimbursement forms can be found under the "files" section of the troop website.

Summer is coming and with it comes two great Scout leadership training opportunities.  The first is Brownsea and the second is NYLT - National Youth Leadership Training.  Both are week long residence camps focused on building scouts leadership skills for use within the troop and beyond.  For more information click on the program names below or talk to the Scoutmaster.  In recognition of the value this training brings back to our unit the Troop contributes $100 per scout towards the cost of training.

If you are interested in either of these opportunities please talk to the Scoutmaster as soon as possible - space is limited and are filled first come first serve.

BROWNSEA II LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM - Sunday July 3 through Saturday July 9th at TL Storer Scout Camp in Barnstead, NH
What is Brownsea? It is a unique and exciting, hands on approach designed to teach youth leadership skills through the actual practice and use of Scout skills.  Skills most closely concentrated on are camping, hiking, nature study, pioneering, and cooking. This course closely parallels the first Scout camp conducted by Lord Baden Powell in 1907. This program places special emphasis on Scout skills, teaching, and practice: the purposes of Scouting: and the role of the patrol method within the troop program.

NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP TRAINING - Two sessions to choose from: July 10th - 15th or July 31st - August 6th at TL Storer Scout Camp in Barnstead, NH
National Youth Leadership Training is an exciting, action-packed program designed for councils to provide youth members with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home troops and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others.  The NYLT course centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what he must KNOW, and what he must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO. The skills come alive during the week as the patrol goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership.