Troop, we will be meeting at 7:00 pm at the northeast corner of Acacia Park downtown (corner of Platte and Nevada). Please be on time, we will begin our walk at 7:15 pm. We will walk around downtown looking at the architecture of various buildings for the architecture merit badge. We will cover questions #1 and #2 of the workbook. Although not necessary, please print out the workbook to make it easier for your scout to work. Your scout will be assigned question #4 for homework and then we will finish up the merit badge on 16 Jun where we will cover questions #3 and #5 with a real architect! Wear class B uniform and bring a water bottle. Adults will be needed to help corral the scouts as we walk around.

Upcoming schedule:

2 Jun: Summer camp prep

10 Jun: Upadowna Service Project at Quail Lake Park (915 E Cheyenne Mountain Blvd) from 5:30-6:30 pm. Meet at the park.

16 Jun: Architect Merit Badge part II

21-27 Jun: Camp A Summer Camp

23 Jun: No meeting

30 Jun: Game Night – Water Balloon fight

Mr. Turner

A few notes for some upcoming events:

If you are still interested in the Great Sand Dunes campout, make sure to register on the sign up genius posted by Mr. Griffiths by the end of Thursday night (tonight). If you are planning on going: bring a camp chair so you can relax in the Medano river; bring a towel in case you go swimming and bring any snacks you want (remember not to eat inside your tent). I recommend renting a sand sled early on Saturday morning and then returning it Sunday morning (around $20 for one day and well worth it).

A reminder that the computer system at the church is off limits to scouts unless an adult is with them. The computer is only to be used for Court of Honor presentations and the occasional scout presentation. All setting must be returned to their original settings and games are never to be played on the computer. We need to be respectful of the church’s rules or we risk losing the privilege of using the computer for presentations.

**Northern Tier** Everyone that expressed interest in attending next June/July 2027 – please fill out the agreement emailed out by Betsy Douglass and return to her by Friday, 15 May along with your initial payment. The first payment to Northern Tier is due in June so please submit your payments.

Game Night for 19 May will be dodgeball! Make sure to show up and we’ll have a blast! Remember, if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will meet at the church at 7:00 pm and will start with Order of the Arrow elections. Order representatives will brief the troop on the Order of the Arrow details and election processes before we vote. Scouts will vote for members they feel are worthy of the Order’s values. Eligible members are Liam, Madden, Charles, Kurt, Ashton, and Rudra. Make sure you wear your Class A uniform and Order sash if you have one. After the election we will plan meals and prep for the Great Sand Dunes campout – make sure you sign up, if you want to go, so we have enough food and drivers. There should also be some time for rank requirements and/or merit badges.

Upcoming schedule:

15-17 May: Great Sand Dunes campout

19 May: Game Night (Dodgeball)

25 May: Memorial Day Flags

26 May: Architect Merit Badge (we will meet at a downtown location)

Week of 2 Jun: Upadowna service project

9 Jun: Architect Merit Badge (Part II)

16 Jun: Summer Camp prep

21-27 Jun: Summer Camp (Camp A)

23 Jun: No Meeting

30 Jun: Game Night (Water balloon fights)

Mr. Turner

Troop, I was recently looking through Scoutbook and the awards section – there are a lot of awards, some of which I believe some of you may have already qualified for. One of those is the Conservation Good Turn Award. The Upadowna litter removal the Troop completed on Sept 15, 2025 qualifies you for this award. Please text me if you attended that service project. If you didn’t attend, don’t worry we have another Upadowna service project scheduled for the week of 2 June.

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will meet at the barn at 7:00 pm and then walk over to the park for some dodgeball – a little snow could make for some slippery fun. Dress warm!

Upcoming schedule:

12 May: Meal/campout planning; rank advancement

15-17 May: Great Sand Dunes campout

19 May: Game night – skyzone

26 May: Architect MB part 1

2 Jun: Upadowna service project

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will be meeting in the church at 7:00 pm where Tate will lead us in a rehearsal for the Court of Honor. We will also be planning meals for the Fruita campout (24-26 April) and checking bikes for anyone that needs it. Uniform will be class A’s – make sure you wear your entire uniform and look sharp so we can check it prior to the Court of Honor.

ATTENTION: Anyone looking for service hours or just wanting to volunteer – Mr. Tonge found an awesome opportunity at RockRimmon Elementary School on Saturday May 2 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. You can Google COSILoveYou and search for Rockrimmon Elementary to register or go to this link: https://serve.coliloveyou.com/volunteer/view-projects/ID/815/register/true

**Can all Sea Base participants please attend this Tuesday meeting**

Upcoming schedule:

24-26 Apr – Fruita Campout

28 Apr – Court of Honor Hot Dog BBQ

5 May – Game Night (Dodgeball)

12 May – Meal Planning/prep for campout

15-17 May – Great Sand Dunes campout

19 May – Game Night (Skyzone)

26 May – Architect Merit Badge

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will be meeting at the church at 7:00 for scout leadership elections and rank advancement. We will review the positions once again and those interested will be given a chance to give a speech. After all positions have been reviewed and all scouts have spoken, we will pass out ballots and everyone will vote. After voting, the adults will tally up the votes while the scouts work on rank advancement. There will also be time for any last minute scoutmaster conferences and/or boards of review (pending committee availability). We will also review ranks and merit badges for the CoH.

**ATTENTION: For any scouts that will be 13 by next summer and are interested in BSA high adventure camps – Troop 287 will look to reserve crews for Northern Tier. Please talk with your scouts about attending; adults and parents are encouraged to attend as well (dependent on the number of scouts attending and the number of crews we can fill).

*I may be able to attend tomorrow’s meeting for about an hour*

Upcoming schedule:

18-19 Apr: Tate Mathaidess Eagle project at USAFA (see sign up for details)

21 Apr: CoH rehearsal, meal planning, bike inspections

24-26 Apr: Fruita mountain biking campout

28 Apr: Court of Honor

5 May: Game night (dodgeball)

12 May: Meal planning & prep; rank advancement

15-17 May: Great Sand Dunes campout

19 May: Game night – skyzone

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will meet at the barn to have a bon fire with hot dogs and smores and to review the scout leadership positions. As of right now (10:00 pm on 6 April) there are only 7 scouts signed up. If your scout is interested in a leadership position with the troop, they should attend. Please go to this site and sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FACAD2DA1FCCF8-63308348-7aprtroop#/. This will ensure there is enough food for the scouts. Bring your water bottles. Uniform will be Class B’s. For troop leadership position descriptions please go to this site: https://troopleader.scouting.org/general-troop-information/troop-structure/troop-positions/

**Special note: Parents – when scouts are tasked to buy food for an weekend outing, please supervise their spending to keep costs around $15-$20 per scout total. This helps them to be frugal shoppers, but also keeps weekend campout costs manageable for everyone.

Upcoming schedule:

14 April – Scout elections & rank advancement

21 April – Court of Honor rehearsal, meal planning & bike inspections

28 April – Court of Honor

5 May – Game Night: dodgeball

12 May – Meal planning/campout prep (rank advancement is time is available)

15-17 May – Great Sand Dunes campout

19 May – Game Night: Skyzone

26 May – Architect Merit Badge

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will meet at the church at 7:00 pm for a guest speaker – a U.S. Olympian! Uniform will be class A’s. Regular pick up at 8:30 pm.

Upcoming schedule:

7 Apr: Intro to elections and bon fire

14 Apr: Elections and rank advancement

18-19 Apr: Tate’s Eagle project

21 Apr: Court of Honor rehearsal, meal planning/bike inspections

24-26 Apr: Fruita mountain biking

24-26 Apr: Pathway to the Rockies Spring Jamboree (sign up on the council website)

28 Apr: Court of Honor

5 May: Game night – dodgeball

Mr. Turner

Troop, we have another Eagle project coming up! Come help Tate Matthaidesss with his Eagle Project! Tate is installing an erosion diversion wall and cleaning up the patio at the historic Douglas Family Dude Ranch (scout huts) on the U.S. Air Force Academy. The project will occur on the weekend of 18-19 April. Times will run from 9:00am – 5:00 pm both days. Scouts can join for as much time as they want. Tate will provide pizza and drinks for all volunteers. Passes to get on base will be handled by Tate and his family can also provide transportation from Wilson Community Church for anyone who needs it. Scouts are encouraged to bring eye protection and gloves if you have them, but will also be provided at the site. A signup genius link will be created and sent out in early April.

Save the date!

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will meet at the church at 7:00 pm to conduct some scout leadership planning, boards of review, scoutmaster conferences, and merit badge work. There will also be time for games and play for everyone else. Uniform will be class A’s for anyone doing a board of review or scoutmaster conference. Everyone else can wear class B’s.

Upcoming schedule:

22-29 Mar: Sea Base

24 Mar: No meeting (Spring Break)

31 Mar: Guest Speaker

Mr. Turner

Sea Base crews: swimming will be available again tomorrow from 3:30-4:30 pm at the USAFA pool. This will be our last chance to get some swimming/snorkeling in. Afterwards we will meet at the church at 5:00 pm. Attendance is mandatory as we will finalize all travel arrangement to/from the airport, review our itinerary, and pack up the duffel bags. Please bring all your gear (packed as if we were leaving) as we may have room in the duffels for some extra stuff. Remember any liquids, gels, aerosols under 3.4 oz should be packed in a clear quart-sized ziplock in case they leak. Anything over 3.4 oz liquid, gels, aerosols must go in the duffels. I may have misspoke last time about gear bags (thanks Nate & Janelle) – each person is required to bring their own: 12 in x 12 in x 20 in soft-sided bag. These soft-sided bags will be taken aboard the boat. I recommend packing everything in this soft-sided bag and bringing it on the plane as your carry-on. You can also bring a personal item like a backpack to place under the seat in front of you. I would also recommend packing your snorkel/mask in your carry on or backpack so it doesn’t get broken in a duffel. There have been some questions about snacks – if it can fit in your bag go for it. For your planning – we will need to stop at a Wal-Mart/grocery in Florida to pick up some vinegar for the med kits. Sea Base also recommends everyone bring $150-$200 cash for misc stuff. If you know you have missing paperwork, please bring it tomorrow.

**Maureen, can you please bring all paperwork

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will meet at the church at 6:30 pm and then walk over to the nearby park to play some ultimate football/ultimate frisbee until it gets too dark. We might also have some time to complete some rank requirements back at the church. Pick up will be at 8:00 pm. Uniform is class B’s.

Upcoming schedule:

15 Mar: Sea Base final meeting (3:30 at USAFA pool, 5:00 at Church – bring sleeping gear (pads and bags) to pack in duffle bags)

17 Mar: Troop leadership planning; scout games

22-29 Mar: Sea Base

24 Mar: No meeting

31 Mar: Guest speaker

7 Apr: Last chance for ScoutMaster conferences

14 Apr: Last chance for Board of Review

21 Apr: Bike inspections/Meal/transportation planning

24-26 Apr: Fruita Mountain Biking

28 Apr: Court of Honor

Mr. Turner

We were not able to get 10 scouts for Scout Sunday so we will reschedule.

Sea Base crews: we have a USAFA pool lane reserved on Sunday from 3:30-4:30 pm for snorkeling and swimming practice. While not required, please utilize this time to get some practice in and bond with your crew. Florida is not the time to figure out your mask gives you a headache after wearing it for 30 minutes. After the pool we will meet at the church at 5:00 pm for a gear layout and to review travel details.

Mr. Turner

Scouts – we currently have 7 scouts signed up for Scout Sunday in support of Wilson Community Church. We need a minimum of 10 scouts so please sign up by tonight if you can make it. If we don’t get 10 scouts, we will reschedule for another Sunday.

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will meet at Springs Climbing Center (4642 Northpark Dr) at 6:30 pm for some rock climbing instruction from Mr. Anderson. Bring your own equipment if you have it. Wear comfortable climbing clothes. Please fill out a waiver beforehand using this link: http://springsclimbingcenter.com/newclimber

It looks like day passes are $18 and shoe rental is $5.

Upcoming schedule:

8 Mar: Scout Sunday (please sign up; we need at least 10 scouts for a good showing)

8 Mar: Sea Base meeting – swimming at USAFA followed by gear layout

10 Mar: Game night (Pickleball), location TBD

15 Mar: Sea Base meeting – swimming at USAFA followed by final gear layout and packing, travel details

17 Mar: Scout leadership/adult leaders (knot meeting); pickup games

22-29 Mar: Sea Base

24 Mar: No meeting

31 Mar: Guest speaker (US Olympian)

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will meet at the church at 7:00 pm and execute a fun scout skills relay race. Uniform is class A’s. Make sure you bring a headlamp and maybe review some basic scout skills! We will also prepare a meal plan for the outing this weekend – Camp A cabins! Camp A reports their ice pond has been cleared and is ready for some great ice hockey games. They are even predicting some snow on Sunday.

* Remember to sign up for the Camp A cabins outing so we know who is going and how much food to buy. Also, sign up for the ice climbing on Sunday (sign-up genius is out as well), there is no age limit and we have all the gear.

* The sign-up for Scout Sunday is out as well – please sign up and let’s show Wilson Community Church we are thankful for there support. We are planning on Mar 8 at the 10:00 service. Scouts will hand out programs before the service and then be recognized during the service. It will be very simple, but really show our support for the church.

* Sea Base Crew – our next meetings will be 8 and 15 March where we will hit the USAFA pool for some practice, then head back to the church for gear layout/packing/departure & return details/etc. Hopefully everyone has reviewed the two slideshows to help you better understand sailing and fishing in FL. Make sure to keep practicing your snorkeling, even if you are an old pro. Reminder for everyone to purchase their own reef safe sunscreen and lip balm – each crew’s first aid kit will have some, but only as a backup.

Upcoming Schedule:

3 Mar: Rock climbing class

8 Mar: Scout Sunday at Wilson Community Church

10 Mar: Game night – Pickleball

Week of 17 Mar: Service project

22-29 Mar: Sea Base High Adventure

24 Mar: No meeting – Spring Break

31 Mar: Guest Speaker – US Olympian

** Remember the next court of honor is 28 April, so plan out your scoutmaster conferences and boards of honor.

Mr. Turner

Troop, hopefully everyone had a great Valentine’s Day weekend! We will meet at the church at 7:00 pm and conduct patrol presentations. We should also have time for any Scoutmaster conferences and rank requirements. Uniform is Class A’s.

Upcoming schedule:

24 Feb: Winter gear games/meal prep

27 Feb – 1 Mar: Feb Campout at Camp A cabins

1 Mar: Ice climbing at St. Mary’s Falls

3 Mar: Rock climbing class

10 Mar: Game night – Pickleball

Mr. Turner

Troop, we will meet at the church at 7:00 to plan and rehearse your patrol presentations. Do your best to make the meeting so you can contribute to the plan and prepare to become a good public speaker. Uniform will be class A’s.

*For everyone that attended the Cyber Merit Badge, make sure you complete the homework by watching the following 3 videos:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iPKt6F64rc
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0SrxBC1xs
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yFZGF8FHSg

Then answer these 4 questions in the cyber quiz.

Quiz: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSebja7AQcEAfDjDGKqrkkosKi2V34nJvmEe1vsz5PdLxBjsCg/viewform

Finally, as an option – see if you can crack this code (it’s in the quiz as well)

CODE:  T D P V U T M F B E    U I F X B Z HINT: “To take a step forward, sometimes you need to take one step back”

Write your quiz answers down and bring them to myself or Mr. Oroszi.

*Anyone interested in a 3×3 basketball tournament? March 14 with the 2026 Courts and Community Rotary Basketball Classic. Click here to register: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/courts-and-communitybasketball-tournament

Upcoming Schedule:

17 Feb: Patrol Presentations

24 Feb: Winter gear relay/meal prep

27 Feb – 1 Mar: Campout (Camp A cabins)

1 Mar: Ice climbing at St. Mary’s Falls

3 Mar: Rock climbing class

10 Mar: Game night (Pickleball – location TBD)

Week of 17 March: Troop service project

22-29 Mar: Sea Base

24 Mar: No meeting (Spring Break)

31 Mar: Guest Speaker (US Olympian)

Mr. Turner

Troop, Scout Sunday celebrates the founding of Boy Scouts of America and honors the 12th point of the Scout Law – “A scout is reverent”. Units typically attend religious services in uniform, conduct flag ceremonies, and thank their chartered organizations. Troop 287 would like to partner with Wilson Community Church and execute Scout Sunday during one of their 10:00 am Sunday Services. They would like us to hand out programs prior to the service and then during service they would like to recognize Troop 287 scouts and scout leaders. Our troop has a great partnership with Wilson Community Church in which they support our use of the church and barn for all our meetings, Courts of Honor, and lock ins! Let’s show our gratitude by serving during an upcoming Sunday Service. We will be putting out a sign up genius and are looking at Feb 15 or Feb 22.

Mr. Turner