Spice night is tomorrow, Tuesday, August 31st at 7:00 pm at the Orzechowski's, 6878 Mountain Dr., Troy.  Please come help us measure out the spices for our apple pies.  The more people we have, the faster it goes!!

Questions about this or pie baking/selling, contact:

dianehoward1984@yahoo.com

home: 248-823-6158 or

cell:  248-496-2860

 To schedule your shifts, please email me at:  dianehoward1984@yahoo.com or leave a detailed message at:

248-823-6158 (home) or

248-496-2860 (cell).

I am sorry I inadvertently left this information off of the previous announcement.

Thank you,

Diane Howard

Thank you to those of you who have scheduled your time to help out with the Arts and Apples festival.  There are still MANY openings that need to be filled. 

There are openings in all time slots, however, we especially need volunteers at the Friday 2:00 - 5:30 pm slot and at each slot on Saturday.

  The shifts are:

Thursday;, September 9 - Dough Night  4 - 8 pm

Friday, September 10 - Pie making @ Stoney Creek High  2 - 5:30 pm, 5:15 - 8:45 pm, 8:30 - 11:15 pm

Saturday, September 11 - Pie making @ OPC 7 - 10:30 am. 10:15 am - 1:45 pm, 1:30 - 5:00 pm, 4:45 - 8:15 pm, 8:00 - 11:00 pm

Sunday, September 12 - Selling @ Rochester Park - 8:30 - 11:30 am, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 2:30 - 5:30 pm

We start making pies in 2 weeks...let's get those time slots filled!

Thank you!

Diane Howard

 Hi All

This is still tentative and open for discussion. Anyone a veggie person (Robin ;-) let me know.

It is time to sign up for your pie making and selling shifts.  The Troop requires each family to work five (5) shifts of dough, pie-making or selling.  The five (5) shifts can be any combination of dough, pie-making or selling.  The shifts are:

Thursday, September 9-DOUGH NIGHT    4-8 pm

Friday, September 10-PIE MAKING at Stoney Creek High School   2-5:30 pm;  5:15-8:45 pm;  8:30-11:15 pm

Saturday, September 11-PIE MAKING at OPC   7-10:30 am;  10:15-1:45 pm; 1:30-5:00 pm; 4:45-8:15pm;  8:00-11:00pm;

Sunday, September 12-SELLING at Rochester Park  8:30-11:30 am;  11:30-2:30 pm; 2:30-5:30 pm

To schedule your shifts, email your requested shifts to Diane Howard:  dianehoward1984@yahoo.com

If you need to call, please leave a detailed message (home 248-823-6158 or cell 248-496-2860)

The Troop will attempt to honor your requested times, however, we need to be sure that each shift has adequate participation.  We are also in need of volunteers for spice night. This is being held on Tuesday, August 31st at 7 pm at the Orzechowski's home in Troy.  This does not count towards the 5 required shifts, but it is a very important part of the fundraiser (and it is fun!).  Scouts over the age 13 can participate.  Please let Diane Howard know if you are available to help with spice night.

Thank you   

Our September Campout will be at the Great Lakes Council Centennial Rendez-Vous, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. This Mini-Jamboree is one you won't want to miss! The deadline to save $5 is August 27. The late registration deadline is Sept. 13. It's possible we could have a late departing vehicle to accomodate athletic/music events. Note that this weekend is Stoney Creek HS's homecoming.

Here is the link for the permission slip:

http://cvctroop125.org/files/folders/campout_permission_and_information/entry1471.aspx

Here is the link for the information flyer mentioned on the permission slip:

http://cvctroop125.org/files/folders/campout_permission_and_information/entry1472.aspx

Contact Mr. Verlinde (dverlinde@comcast.net) with any questions.

 Hey -

Link to the Parent-Son Canoe Trip is below. Page two is the self-certification page that adults must sign if they have not taken and passed the BSA Swimmers Test.

http://cvctroop125.org/files/folders/campout_permission_and_information/entry1469.aspx

Come camping and canoeing with your son on the Muskegon River downstream from Houghton Lake. Leaving from Dr Rolain's parking lot (See Map) at 6:00pm - 3 hr 30 min drive time. Launch time on Saturday is 9:30 am, lunch on the river and back to camp for a Troop dinner. Our camp site will be on the river with a sandy beach. Cost is between $50 per camper including canoes, camp site and food.

Come canoe the beautiful Muskegon River with your son. We will be camping and canoeing on the Muskegon River downstream from Houghton Lake. The Muskegon is warm, shallow (1'-3') and sandy bottomed.

We will be leaving from Dr Rolain's parking lot at 6:00pm on Friday August 20 - 3 hr 30 min drive time with camp set-up approx 9:30 - 10:00PM

Our Saturday morning launch time is 9:30 - 10:00. We will have a 4-6 hour float time with lunch on the river and back to camp for a Troop dinner.

Our camp site is rustic and will be on the river with a sandy beach. Cost is $50 per camper including canoes, camp site and food.

NOTES & DISCLAIMERS - All Adults will need to be certified as BSA Swimmers either by completing the test (Dive in over your head, level-off, swim 100 yds with a strong stroke and finish with a 1 minute float) or by "Self-certifying" which is to say signing a statement that you can meet the BSA Swimmer requirements.

Everyone MUST wear a USCG Approved Personal Floation Device (PFD)

BSA Non-swimmers and beginers CANNOT Self-Certify and MUST ride as a third person in the middle of the canoe.

 The Troop 125 Annual Family Picnic /  2nd Annual Troop 125 Talent Show! 

Tuesday Augsut 10th, 6:00 PM - dusk

Bear Creek Nature Park, Rochester, MI

Directions: From Rochester Road, turn west on Snell Road. The park entrance is on Snell Rd on the right hand side before you hit Orion Road.  Our picnic shelter is near the parking lot and bathrooms.

If you plan to come please drop me an email, with number attending, at nsmerchawi@gmail.com so that I can estimate number of hamburgers / sausage to  buy!

We still need Boy Scout talent! write a note to nsmerchawi@gmail.com and jefforzechowski@gmail.com to let us know what you plan on doing.  We will be bringing  an electronic piano for those piano players!

Also still need an MC for the talent show.  You can meet Communications merit badge requirments by doing this, so please volunteer by sending email to the above adresses.

Hope to see you there!

Sara Merchawi and Jeff Orzechowski

( Alex's parents )

The High Adventure crew had a terrific time at Class VI this past week.  Activities included rafting the Upper New River in inflatible kayaks and then challenging the rapids in rafts down the Lower New River.  We stayed on land the 3rd day for a treetop view of the beautiful New River Gorge forest via zip lines attached to the treetops and then managed to squeeze in a wonderful hike along the Long Point Trail which led to a wonderful view of the New River Gorge arched bridge and the panoramic scenery below it from the rock outcropping called Long Point.   All the while we enjoyed each other's company at camp whether it was preparing meals, making s'mores over the fire pit or managing a game of adults vs. scouts volleyball.

For the participants it was a truly memorable experience.

Ron Razzano

Go to this website to watch the Centennial Show at the National Jamboree. It starts at 8 PM on Saturday, July 31. Kevin Sims, Joey Howard, and Nick Scarlatelli are there!

http://www.ustream.tv/shininglight

I know the sweet corn hasn't hardly come in yet . . . but it's time to be thinking just a little bit about Arts N' Apples!

Please mark your family calendars for the weekend of September 10/11/12.   These are the PCCA's festival dates and we will once again be baking and selling pies.   As always we will be expecting each troop member and their family to sign up for shifts:   a combination of making/baking and selling pies, and the boys will be asked to help with handicapped/special parking at the park.

We will begin communicating details on shift times and family commitments expected fairly shortly, but you can plan on the following

• Spice Night (to be arranged)
• Dough Night (likely Thursday night the 9th)
• Friday afternoon/evening baking
• Saturday baking (dawn till dusk!)
• Sunday - selling at the tent

Diane Iglesias and Diane Howard have once again agreed to do the leading/planning on this . . . . we are really happy about that because they bring experience and enthusiasm!  Please drown them in THANKS!   It is a big job and they will need your help!   Beyond just working shifts, we'll need some kitchen captains too!

Our process is a little bit more back to normal this year.    We will only be selling on Sunday, and only selling pies that we bake.   So there is a little bit less total labor going into this than last year!  PCCA begged us to sell all 3 days last year but there is a Saturday seller this year.   We will once again be using the OPC kitchen for most of the baking, which was pretty convenient for most of you last year.

We will once again ask scouts to "pre-sell" pies in your family/neighborhood.    We make a higher margin on these (no comission due to PCCA!) and can offer credit to indiviual scout accounts.   I think you will find hey are pretty easy to sell. . . . and it expands our customer base from just the Arts/Apples crowd.    More instruction on that to follow.      

So please - start considering who all is going to help in your extended family!    And who you might pre-sell pies to . . . . and what shifts you might want.    We will have early sign-ups at the Troop 125 Picnic planned for Tuesday August 10th (see earlier blog on that event!).

We really need EVERYBODY on board for doing pies.    I probably sound like a broken record, but . . . T125 is exceedingly lucky to have this ongoing annual fundraiser.   Many/most troops have considerably more difficulty in fund-raising and tend to be doing it all year long . . . . we are basically able to do most of it in a long weekend!

Hope everybody's summer is going great!

Terry Connolly, Committee Chair T125

The Venture Crew had a great time sailing in the Bahamas.  The wind was great for sailing, the snorkling was great, and Captain Thomas & Admiral Linda were fantastic!  We narrowly missed "Bonnie".  It was only a small problem with the travel home with flight delays, but otherwise a perfect trip.  We still don't quite have a land legs yet, things are still moving!!

 Checkout the crew's smiling faces at: http://www.sailingadventures.org/recent.asp?id=212

 The Troop 125 Annual Family Picnic /  2nd Annual Troop 125 Talent Show! 

are ON for Tuesday Augsut 10th, 6:00 PM - dusk at

Bear Creek Nature Park, Orion and Snell Roads, Rochester

Troop will be providing punch, paperware/plastic, sausages, hot dogs, and hamburgers.  Please bring a side dish / salad / dessert and any additional non-alcoholic drinks you wish to have.  Siblings are welcome .   You can also bring lawn games.  Come and enjoy the summer with other scout families.  If you plan to come please drop a note, with number attending, to nsmerchawi@gmail.com

Boy Scouts : please share your talent!  Do you play an instrument?  Can you sing?  Tell jokes, do magic tricks, act... etc???? All talent is welcome and appreciated.  Or maybe you would like to help organize the show?  Do you want to be the MC ( introduce the acts ), or help set up stage, etc.. In any case, write a note to nsmerchawi@gmail.com and jefforzechowski@gmail.com.

This is effectively dinner out + entertainment for the whole family!

Hope to see you there!

Sara Merchawi and Jeff Orzechowski

( Alex's parents )