COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
FRIENDSWOOD LIBRARY
August 19, 2009


Welcome and Introduction:  Carla called the meeting to order at 7:05pm.  Introductions made around the table.  Those present:  Carla, Amy, Tim, Randy, Mark T., Eric, Margaret, Rudy, Karen, Sam, Chris, Kerri, Dorothea, Mark, and Arthur (Boy Scout liaison)
Previous Minutes:  No changes noted to the minutes.  Minutes approved by Committee
Treasury Report:  Report given by Carla in Denise's absence.  The total amount in the Troop checking account is $10,862.01; this includes the Scouts' account of $1997.11(as of June).
Troop spent $420 for T-shirts.  Randy wanted to know who was now in charge of T-shirts.
One Scout owes for Summer Camp.  Mark discussed this with the Scout.  He gave the Scout a form for reimbursement of payment from El Rancho Cima since the Scout became ill the second day of camp.  Mark explained the Scout was still responsible for payment to the Troop since the Troop had already paid for his participation at El Rancho Cima Summer Camp. 
Motion made and seconded for the approval of the treasury report.  Committee approved the report.
Eagle Project:  Eric presented his project of building an outdoor fire pit for the Mary Queen rectory.  This is a portion of a three-part project.  The site for the pit is wooded.  The Church will hire someone to clear the area.  Once the area is clear, the fire pit will be made out of the white stone left over from building the rectory.  The fire pit will be 5'4" in diameter with a one-foot high wall with capping stones.  Mark suggested putting in his notes how Eric would measure out the circle for the pit and adding a level to his equipment list.  Questions were asked concerning water drainage, metal ring insert for fire pit, and materiel surrounding the fire pit site.  Eric stated a trench would be dug six inches deep within the pit diameter.  This would be filled with gravel and the fire pit wall set on it.  He plans to use cement to hold the stones in place.  Eric estimated he would need nine additional people to help with the project.  He believed the project would take eight hours to complete and planned the project for September.  Committee approved the project.
Additional Eagle Projects:  Mark T. stated Mary Queen Church has formed an Eagle Project Committee.  They will make a list of potential Eagle projects for the Church.  At present, the list contains four projects:  1) the fire pit, 2) sitting wall to one side of the fire pit, 3) trellis on the other side of the fire pit, 4) partial clearing of 3 acre wooded lot next to Queens Road with nature trails added to the cleared areas.  Dorothea questioned this; she thought the idea of an Eagle project was for the Scout to come up with an idea on his own that would benefit the Community not just have a project given to him.
SPL Report:  SPL stated things going "good" in the Troop.  Summer Camp was fun.  A couple of the Scouts became dehydrated.  Mark and Tim described the incident of dehydration of one Scout to the Committee:  During high adventure, Scouts ran out of water hiking back to camp; water stations did not have water to replenish their supply.  Scouts returned individually to camp.  One Scout did not return.  Tim found him and brought him to first aid.  Mark notified camp leaders of the incident.
Meeting with Father Skip:  Carla  noted the meeting with Father Skip was successful.  The Troop will meet in the Main Hall again.  Father Skip is interested in the Troop doing projects for the Church:
1) Cub and Boy Scouts to pick up trash along Queens Road once a month.  Rudy mentioned the "adopt a street" project.  He thought maybe the Scouts could get a sign for Queens Road indicating their adoption of that street. 
2) curbs painted around the Church.  Tim stated he has a paint sprayer that could be used to paint the curbs.  The scouts could hold flexible panels along the sidewalk edge as Tim paints to prevent the sidewalks from being painted.
3) garage cleaned out once a year.  Mark stated this is usually done after the Mary Queen Festival.
The Troop also agreed to flag posting on designated holidays in front of rectory free of charge.
Calendar:  Mark stated Operation School Supply went well.  The Scouts did their usual 50,000 pencils.  The project lasted 2 ½- 3 hours.
August 29 or 30:  water sports?
August 31:  Troop meeting
September:  Mark noted the Troop would start the physical portion of the Personal Fitness, Personal Finance, and Family Life merit badges. This would be done the last 10-15 minutes of each meeting.  Rudy built a chin up bar for the Troop.
September 7:  flag posting
September 11-13:  fishing trip to Copano Bay; 10-11 Scouts going
September 14: Troop meeting; elections start and Queens Road trash pick-up
September 21:  Court of Honor
September 28:  Troop meeting; elections completed
October 3:  Scoutmaster training at Pearland United Methodist Church
October 5:  Troop meeting; pioneering merit badge
October 10:  curb painting
October 16-18:  horseback riding at Lake Livingston
October 19:  Troop meeting; pioneering merit badge
October 26:  Troop meeting; pioneering merit badge
October 30:  Halloween party at Mary Queen (service hours); Mark offered his band to play at this event
November 2:  Troop meeting
November 7:  flag retirement ceremony in the afternoon or late evening; the Johnsons volunteered their home. Rudy contact the Friendswood school TV station to cover the ceremony.  He will also contact the newspapers.  He thought it would be nice to connect the 100-year anniversary of Scouting to the ceremony.
November 9:  Troop meeting
Rudy mentioned that on the second Saturday of every month the Public Shooting Club on FM 528 offers junior shooting classes for free.  The class starts at 1pm.  The first 1 ½ hours is safety.  They take a break and then come back and spend 45 minutes on safety shooting.  The rest of the afternoon is shooting.  The Scout needs a release form signed by a parent and adult supervision at the shooting club. Committee set the date for parents to visit on November 14.
November 16:  Troop meeting; preparation for Fall Camp
November 20-24:  Fall Camp at Camp K; only one adult signed up to go; David will collect money
November 30:  Troop meeting
Rudy noted that after his son earned his skating merit badge other Scouts were interested.  He suggested the Troop set up a skating party to cover some of the requirements. Rudy signed up as the merit badge counselor.
Advancement:  Karen has received no information from Summer Camp.  David stated he would send it.
Karen purchased the new version of Troopmaster; she had to purchase .net also.  She is having difficulty entering partial merit badges.  She requested no one make any changes in Troopmaster.
Other:  Mark stated Father Skip O.K.'d the installment of another display cabinet.  Mark thinks he can find someone to build the cabinet.  Discussion ensued concerning just mounting the Eagle recognition plaques on the wall.  David suggested one big plaque for Eagle recognition and adding the engraved brass tabs to it.
Action items from last meeting: 
on-line calendar:  Carla stated she has not found anything better than what we are using.
monthly activities for the Church:  covered in meeting with Father Skip
file cabinet:  Carla stated it was clean
Troopmaster:  purchased
Volunteers:  Chris Yee volunteered as Popcorn Kernal.  Still need Committee Chair, Committee Secretary, Roundtable back-up, Training Coordinator, and OA representative.  Dorothea noted this is her last meeting.
Action items for next meeting:
Fall Camp:  need additional adult volunteers
Volunteers:  Committee Chair, Committee Secretary, Roundtable back-up, OA representative
Display cabinet/Eagle plaque
Skating party
Troopmaster update

Adjournment:  The next meeting is September 15.  The meeting adjourned at 8:45pm.