Greetings to All.

This Newsletter contains a fair amount of critical information, along with several action items which will require your close attention. Please read it carefully. It is being sent only to the members of the Projectoree e-net whose Units who have signed up to attend this year's Projectoree, plus several members of the District Committee.

Note that ONLY SELECT MEMBERS OF YOUR TROOP ARE ON THE PROJECTOREE E-NET! The mailing header on this Newsletter was sent in the clear so that you may review who in your Unit is receiving it. Many Units did not respond to my request (in Chainemail) for additional contact personnel; therefore, I have filled in with whoever seemed appropriate. If your Troop has people who should be added to this year's *Projectoree* e-net, please send me their names and email addresses asap. In addition, if anyone on the current email list is unhappy for being there, please recruit a replacement for yourself and let me know who to remove and who to add.

As previously noted, I am particularly interested in getting at least one of your heavily involved Senior Scouts (one who will definitely be attending the Projectoree in a leadership capacity) on the Projectoree e-net. As I mentioned at a recent Roundtable, I would like to more heavily involve everyones' Senior Scouts in the planning and execution of this year's Projectoree. That, of course, starts with YOU; I can only recruit my own Scouts; only YOU can recruit the Scouts in your Units. You can start by forwarding to them this email. At present, I have very few Senior Scouts on the e-net.

As I did the past three years, I will try to keep Projectoree Newsletters to a minimum, and will also try to ensure that no frivolous information is included. However, also as I did the past three years, I will continue to be completely intolerant of failures to attend the upcoming organizational meetings (on time), or of failures to respond (on time) to inquiries and deadlines. In plain language, this means I will be terminating those Troops who fail to heed their obligations. As you mostly all know, four Units were so terminated three years ago, at least one with lingering hard feelings (on their part, not mine).

If this seems too hard core, recall that I am a Camporee "Committee" of exactly one, run the event essentially out of my pocket, and will put in at least 200 man-hours into planning, preparation, and execution. This in addition to everything else I'm doing, which I won't bore anyone with here (I suspect you all already know). I haven't got the time (or patience) to "catch people up" or hold make-up meetings. Simply put, I will take your Troop's Projectoree experience as seriously as you do.

Anyway, for these reasons, I strongly urge each participating Troop to form a Projectoree subcommittee, with at least 3 - 4 members, to ensure that nothing is missed due to a critical person being out of town, sick, or buried at work. Don't assume "someone else is taking care of things" - they are likely thinking the same exact thing! Right now, as noted above, only 2 or 3 members of many of the participating Troops are receiving Projectoree mailings - so things will fall through the cracks more easily this year. Stay on top of things. BTW, your subcommittee should include at least the aforementioned Scout who will definitely be attending the Projectoree in a leadership capacity - this Scout should also be one of your Troop's representatives at the organizational meetings. Don't use your SPL or any other Senior Scout if they're unreliable or are definitely not coming to the Projectoree.

1) When and Where

There is only one Projectoree this year, to be held the weekend of April 30th - May 2nd. It will held as usual at Camp Wilson, at the Pohick Bay Regional Park near Lorton, VA - the same site we used for the first nine years (ten Projectorees). The entire site has already been reserved and paid for in full.

2) Costs

The price for Staff Food is going up by $2.00 this year, in response to cost overruns the past two years (food is getting pricier). The Basic Registration fee remains at $6.00 per. Basic Registration and a T-Shirt remain at $14.00 per, and Basic Registration, a T-Shirt, and Staff Food will be $24.00 per.

["For the record", most NCAC Camporees (including the Chain Bridge District Camporees) are running from $15 - $20 just for basic registration (that is, for which we're just charging $6.00).]

3) Unit Signups

Unit signups are as follows:

...for a total of 27 - 30 Patrols. There have been no changes to date. If any Troop wishes to increase their reservation, we can expand up to 30 definite Patrols max, and I will accept up to three Patrols on the Waiting List, since that seems to be about how many we lose every year in the last week prior to the Projectoree. Remember your (imminently) incoming Webelos when considering your Troop size at the Projectoree.

4) Meetings

As detailed in the last Newsletter, there will be 2 organizational meetings this year, on Sunday, February 22nd, and Sunday, April 4th. Both will be held at the St. Agnes Parish Center, 1914 N. Randolph St., Arlington (07). These are working meetings, not chat sessions. If anyone needs directions, email me well in advance. Don't send someone in your place who has no idea how to get there (yes, this has happened in past years, and yes, they got lost). The meeting will start at 7:30pm sharp, and will end by no later than 9:00pm (and more likely by 8:30pm). All participating Troops are expected to have at least one and preferably two or three knowledgeable persons, including the aforementioned involved Senior Scout, present...

BY NO LATER THAN 7:15PM

to sign in, discuss mutual issues of concern with their fellow Troop representatives, and do the usual socializing.  During the meeting, all participants will actively participate in the selection of this year's games and administrative tasks. Obviously, each Units' representatives must be both authorized and prepared to sign up for the various Projectoree administrative tasks and/or games (delineated below).

I will start the meeting EXACTLY on time. NOTE VERY CAREFULLY: If your Troop's representatives are not present and seated at 7:30, ready to go, your Troop will be terminated on-the-spot from this year's Projectoree. 7:31 will be too late. Show up at 7:15. Again, if you (or your representative) don't know exactly where St. Agnes is, don't assume it's easy to find, because it's not: email me where the person is coming from and I will happily provide more detailed directions from that locale.

5) Games

As we have done each of the past two years, in order to save time during the game selections, certain perennially popular games will be "automatically" voted into this year's Projectoree: Caber Toss, Egg Toss, Firebuilding Race, Nuclear Reactor, Obstacle Course, and Radioactive Basketballs. Six additional "short" events are therefore needed, and will be voted on at the meeting. The (unscored) Scoutmaster Chariot Race will also be run again (of course!) The list of potential games are:

Acid Bath
Ball Toss (possibly replacing balls with frisbees?)
Bangalore Torpedo
Cave Rescue
Hot Lava Rescue Relay
Knot Tying Race
Log Raising Relay
Plug the Dike
Roll the Tire
Running Kim's Game
Spider Web Escape
Synchronized Walk
Walk the Plank

Except for Plug the Dike and Roll the Tire (both of which are new), these events have all gotten high marks from the Scouts at previous Projectorees. For those who have forgotten, detailed descriptions of these games are available on the 1998 through 2003 Projectoree webpages (see "Detailed Games Instructions and Scoring Sheets" under each year).

Plug the Dike is a game I saw at Kandersteg International Scout Center in Switzerland this past summer - basically a large tube about 4 feet high and 4 inches diameter has 40 holes drilled into it. The Patrol (5 Scouts) has to fill the tube with water to overflowing using a large cup, with one Scout getting water from a cistern about 25 feet away. The other four Scouts plug the holes with their fingers. The tricky part, is the Scouts cycle on each glass of water, each Scout in turn, so the Patrol has to work together carefully to minimize losses while switching Scouts. Easy at the beginning, not so easy at the end. The second group of five repeats the exercise, and the best time of the two subgroups counts for score.

Roll the Tire is similar to something I found on the Web. In this game, 5 Scouts use long sticks (similar to the Radioactive Basketball sticks) to upright and roll a car tire or a truck inner tube through a cone course. Like with Radioactive Basketballs, the propping sticks must be held only on the first two feet, leaving the remaining six feet hands free. Only the opposite end of the stick can touch the tire, and the sticks cannot be passed into or through the hole of the tire or inner tube. The second group of five rolls the tire back over the course to the original starting line. The overall time counts for score.

Note that other games may be suggested, as long as they have similar "Patrol Building" themes and can be accomplished start to finish in about 15 minutes. If you have ideas, please forward them to me AHEAD OF TIME so we can discuss.

6) Signups at the First Organizational Meeting

One of the things I would like to continue to do this year is encourage pre-signups for certain games and administrative taskings. (Normally, all signups are done at the meeting.) Please review the pre-selected games and taskings, and sign up asap. The more of this that is completed before the 10th, the faster and more efficiently that meeting will proceed. In case of conflicting requests, the Troop that ran the game the last time it was offered gets precedence; otherwise, it's first come/first serve.

Note that *ALL* of the selected games and administative taskings must be signed up for at the first Organizational Meeting. As noted above, your Troop representatives must come to the meeting authorized and prepared to sign up for these taskings. Each Troop with one Patrol must take at least one tasking from each of the following three categories: Games, Administrative Duties, and Sunday Morning Cleanup Duties. Larger Troops should take additional duties.

NEW! - Some people have commented that the Projectoree is starting to suffer from the "Same Old/Same Old" Syndrome. To that I have a quick answer - sign up for something DIFFERENT than what you normally handle! I have no problem giving up the Obstacle Course to another Troop if they want it, and I'm sure others feel the same about their perrenial games.

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Games:

Caber Toss
Egg Toss
Firebuilding Race
Nuclear Reactor
Obstacle Course
Radioactive Basketballs
Scoutmaster Chariot Race (unscored "fun" event)
Selected Game # 1
Selected Game # 2
Selected Game # 3
Selected Game # 4
Selected Game # 5
Selected Game # 6

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Administrative Duties:

Catholic Mass Coordinator
First Aid/Communications/Timekeepers/Lost and Found/"Rovers"
Flag Ceremonies/Campfire Program Coordinators
Protestant Services Coordinator
Publicity
Registrar/Treasurer
Scoring and Awards Coordinator
Service Project Coordinator
Site Coordinator
Staff Food Coordinator

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Sunday Morning Cleanup Duties:

Staff Area
Campfire Circle and Trails
Roads and surroundings around the Staff Area and Comfort Station
Sign Removal and Recovery
Firebuilding/Obstacle Course/Dining Hall Areas
Main Competition Field, and road to Gunston Road
Comfort Station - Late Job
Primary Camping Area - Late Job
Secondary Camping Area - Late Job

7) Miscellany - ALL IMPORTANT!!!

* Please have rough attendance figures, so that I can order an adequate numbers of patches and T-Shirt blanks, etc. Don't forget to include your incoming Webelos in your totals.

* Because Insurance Coverage is now included with BSA Registrations, ALL attending Troops MUST ReCharter before the Projectoree, and all incoming Webelos MUST be registered as Scouts before attending.

* Your Troop should also get going on your Tour Permit. Note that your Tour Permit will be due to me at the April 4th Organizational Meeting, meaning you should submit it by March 28th (in person) at the latest. Remember to list "Camp Wilson/Pohick Bay Regional Park" as the destination, NOT the "Chain Bridge Projectoree." This is because the Projectoree is not a recognized event by the Council. On numbers on the Tour Permit, just use the estimate expressions "up to XX Scouts," and "up to XX Adults," based on the numbers you provided at the First Organizational Meeting; this is perfectly acceptable. On drivers and vehicles, just staple the list of ALL your Troop drivers and vehicles to the Tour Permit; this is also perfectly acceptable and Council will not have a problem with it. Don't procrastinate because "we won't know who's driving until just before the event" - that is an unacceptable excuse.

* If anyone has a proposed patch and/or T-Shirt design, please bring it by the first Organizational Meeting. Better yet, send it to me ahead of time.

* Late Afternoon Advancement and Games (if any) will be discussed at the first Organizational Meeting; please come with your ideas.

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See you this Sunday night, February 22nd, by no later than 7:30pm. Two and a half Months to Go!

YiS - Dr. Bob (drbob-at-troop111.org), SM-111

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17 February 2004