August 2012 www.scouttroop599.org Volume XXXIII, Issue 1

WELCOME BACK, TROOP 599!!! Philmont, Quetico, Florida Keys, Trevor Rees-Jones!!!

What a great summer!

It is time to start the 2012-13 Troop 599 Scouting Year – a

year filled with even more adventures and activities for the Scouts in Troop 599!

This is a reminder that our 2012-13 Welcome Back and Program Kick-off will be

held on Tuesday, August 28, 2012, at 7:00 PM in Wesley Hall at Memorial Drive

United Methodist Church. Join our SPL Justin Todes and our Scoutmaster Mr. White

as they welcome Scouts and their parents back to the Troop and outline their plans for

a year of outings, service and fun.

Justin and the leadership team have put a

lot of time and effort into this year’s

calendar and you will want to hear their

plans for an outstanding year of excitement.

Come, re-live or hear about our summer

camp and high adventure programs this

summer, learn about the exciting programs

and outings planned for the new year and end the night with every scout’s desire –

refreshments – served at the conclusion of the meeting!

Welcome Back and Welcome Back and Welcome Back and Welcome Back and

Program KickProgram KickProgram KickProgram Kick----OffOffOffOff Tuesday, August 28, 2012Tuesday, August 28, 2012Tuesday, August 28, 2012Tuesday, August 28, 2012

7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM

MDUMC’s Wesley HallMDUMC’s Wesley HallMDUMC’s Wesley HallMDUMC’s Wesley Hall

Parents are encouraged to attend

Contents

- Welcome back

- Life to Eagle and Beyond FCE meetings

- Summer camp

- High adventure summer trips

- SPL Corner

Have info for the Thunderbirds newsletter?

Email it by the 23rd of the month to

the_thunderbirds@hotmail.com

Whether you are a 599 Life Scout looking for practical resources or a parent who is supporting an Eagle Scout candidate, we will discuss the path before you and the tools that will empower you to help you do your best in your quest for Eagle.

Eagle ScoutEagle ScoutEagle ScoutEagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy

Scouting program. Those who attain this rank are called

an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million

young men. The title of Eagle Scout is held for life, thus

giving rise to the phrase "Once an Eagle, always an Eagle".

This is a This is a This is a This is a very important very important very important very important meeting for all Life Scouts meeting for all Life Scouts meeting for all Life Scouts meeting for all Life Scouts and their parentsand their parentsand their parentsand their parents. . . .

Please joinPlease joinPlease joinPlease join Scoutmaster White and Mr. Brookhart, Scoutmaster White and Mr. Brookhart, Scoutmaster White and Mr. Brookhart, Scoutmaster White and Mr. Brookhart, and and and and Eagle Advisors: Mr. Davis, Mr. Beebe, Mr. Aitken Eagle Advisors: Mr. Davis, Mr. Beebe, Mr. Aitken Eagle Advisors: Mr. Davis, Mr. Beebe, Mr. Aitken Eagle Advisors: Mr. Davis, Mr. Beebe, Mr. Aitken

and Mr. Lindermannand Mr. Lindermannand Mr. Lindermannand Mr. Lindermann for this important meeting.for this important meeting.for this important meeting.for this important meeting. Wednesday SeptWednesday SeptWednesday SeptWednesday September 19ember 19ember 19ember 19thththth at 7:30 in the Scout House.at 7:30 in the Scout House.at 7:30 in the Scout House.at 7:30 in the Scout House.

Wednesday, September 5th

@ 7:30 PM in the Scout House

Parents are encouraged to attend

Beyond FCE In Troop 599

So, you have your First Class rank or, at least, you have escaped

FCE and are assigned to a regular scout patrol.

Now what?

- How do you get a Leadership Position to fulfill your Position of Responsibility for advancement?

- What merit badges do you need to advance and how do you get them?

- What is your role in your patrol?

- What do Boards of Review look for in a Star or Life Scout?

All First Class Scouts and Scouts who are no longer in FCE and their

parents are invited to this very important meeting with

Scoutmaster White as he discusses what comes next in your

Scouting career at Troop 599.

SEA BASE 2012 By Chris Collins

The trip was amazing and I wish I could do it again and suggest that

all boys should try and go to Sea Base!

Overall, Sea Base was a great adventure and we had a lot of fun

there. The trip there seemed like it took forever because

everybody knows how it is takes a long time to get to the fun, but

a short time to get back. We are actually lucky because on this

trip we got to fly to Florida. We had to drive to from the airport

to base camp which is in the Florida Keys. The drive was pretty

neat as it is a small two lane road with just water and trees

surrounding you. There was a miscommunication on the day we

were supposed to leave so we actually left Sea Base and spent an

additional day in the Everglades area before we left Florida. The

food was amazing compared to any of the other summer camps

and we slept in air conditioned cabins.

The water was so clear, and the only time it was hot was if the

boat was sitting in the sun while the boat driver was talking, and

the Captains didn’t do that unless we were discussing what and

where to fish. To be honest, I don’t know which was the

smallest fish caught. Maybe the puffer fishes or the small

barracuda we caught off the docks of basecamp. Definitely, the

biggest fish we pulled up was a six foot Caribbean reef shark and

we hauled it up two hundred feet deep. The 8 of us had a great

time and one day we caught over two hundred fish but we only

kept like twenty of them. As I said earlier the weather was

perfect all the time, although one day we had the excitement of

having to run from bad weather while on the snorkel boat.

We did a lot of fun extra activities after each day of fishing. We

did jig tying, night snorkeling (that was really fun for me), and

afternoon fishing off the piers at base camp. One day we went to

Key West and explored the town and watched the interesting

street performers. We went snorkeling one day but it was the

one day of murky water due to the rain.

(left to right) Matt McPhillips, Hank, Mr. McPhillips, Davis

Lamberton, Ted Knapp, Mr. Knapp, Brian Linderman, Mr.

Linderman, Chris Collins

Speckled trout and Mangrove Snapper

There was a lot more summertime fun going on….

Canada Canoe Trip, Philmont, and more

By all reports, these events were great fun! Look for the stories in the next issue. In the

meantime, check the great photos on the Troop 599 website.

Summer Scout Camp Trevor Rees-Jones Boy Scout Camp, Athens Texas By Robert Peterson (FCE) When I went to summer scout camp this year I didn’t really

know what to expect, since it was my first year. But it

turned out to be really fun. To get there we had to take a

coach bus for 4 hours but it was really fun. On the way

there we stopped to get some lunch. We got to pick from

an entire street of food places. Most of the kids just went to

McDonalds though. When we got there, it was really hot.

They showed us where to go and we took a swim test. The

week was full of fun things to do during our merit badge

classes. Some people even put up some Thunderbirds over

the path at night. They had really good food in the chow

hall and on the last day some families even came to visit.

There was a water slide at the lake and a rope swing and a

Blob too. It felt really good to jump into the lake during the

hot day. We earned lots of merit badges and had lots and

lots of fun. I can’t wait to go back next year!

Many

thanks to

Mr. Burns,

Mr. Brugo

and all the

other adults that made summer

camp possible this year!

Connect with Troop 599 online

https://www.facebook.com/bsa599

Check the Troop

website

http://scouttroop599.org

Sign up on the troop

website for weekly e-

blast emails.

Adult Training

for the Early Fall

This fall many of you will need to re-up your YPT

certification to remain registered as a Troop leader.

If your last YPT training was anytime in 2010 or

before then you will need to take the on-line

training at www.myscouting.org. You should have

already created an account, so log in, click on the

eLearning link, and click on the Boy Scout tab. If you

have any issues logging in the BSA's National Web

Help Desk at 1-972-580-2267 can assist. We will be

sending e-mails to those that need to re-certify but

please contact Walt Bozeman if you have any

questions on your status.

Hopefully you have already included your BSA

member number in your account to link your

training to the SHAC records. Your member number

can be found on your membership card. If you

cannot find your card, you can contact Walter

Brookhart (wbrookhart@alumni.virginia.edu) for

this number.

Once you complete the training session, please print

your certificate of completion, save the certificate

electronically and forward the electronic certificate

to Mark Johnson (johnson2pm1@att.net) so that it

can be recorded in TroopMaster.

If you are not an adult leader and

wish to become one then please

contact Walt Bozeman at 281-597-

9250 or walt.bozeman@bp.com

for information.

Preliminary Merit Badge Schedule Eagle Required Badges (Tentative and subject to change) Room C119/120 -- 6:30pm-7:30pm

Merit Badge Counselors 2012-2013

First Aid Mr. Handly Sep4,11,Oct9,23

Personal Managemt Mr. Gibson Oct 30, Nov 6

Envronmental Science Mr. Escamillas Nov 13,20, Dec 4

Family Life Mr. Goodwin 11-Dec

Personal Fitness Dr. McInroe, Dr. Eubanks Jan 8,15,22

Cit in the World Vaughn Phillips Feb 5,12,19

Communications Mr. Tittle Mar 5,19,26

Cit in the Community Mr. McDonald / Mr. John Gray April2,9,16

Cit in the Nation Mr. Welborn Ap23, 30,May7

Camping Mr. Davis - Mr. Beebe May 14,21, 28

Other badge classes will also be available. Schedule

will be provided as it is finalized.

SPL CornerSPL CornerSPL CornerSPL Corner A message from Senior Patrol

Leader, Justin Todes

A Great Year is Ahead!

I am very excited about the 2012-2013

Scouting year! As Senior Patrol Leader, it is my vision that the

upcoming year is memorable, enjoyable, purposeful, and filled with

fun. At this year’s Planning Outing, your input from May will be

used to help decide the upcoming year’s outings and programs. I

can assure you that we will come up with some cool campouts,

marvelous meetings, and stupendous summer camps and high

adventures. I am really looking forward to welcoming each of you as

we kick off the new Scouting year on August 28.

Let’s have a great year!

Save the Date!!

Tentative troop schedule for August and September

Final calendar and details to be available soon

Tuesday, August 28 7:00 p.m. Troop Meeting (No FCE) Welcome Back and Program Kickoff

Wesley Hall

Tuesday, September 4, 7:30 p.m.

(FCE at 6:30)

Troop Meeting (FCE) First FCE meeting, Greenery Kickoff

Wednesday, September 5, 7:30 p.m. Beyond FCE meeting All First Class Scouts and Scouts who

are no longer FCE, plus parents

Tuesday September 11, 7:30 p.m. Troop Meeting (FCE) Tent Distribution

Tuesday September 18, 7:30 p.m. Troop Meeting (FCE)

Wednesday September 19, 7:30 p.m. Life to Eagle meeting All Life Scouts and parents

Friday September 21 –

Sunday September 23

Troop Outing Location to be announced as plans are

finalized

Tuesday September 25 Troop Meeting – Court of Honor Wesley Hall

Saturday September 29 Pumpkin Patch

Thunderbirds Newsletter

11714 Cobblestone Dr

Houston, TX 77024

The Thunderbirds Newsletter is a monthly update of BSA Troop 599 past and upcoming events written (mostly) by scouts.