JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER

REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR
SCOUT HANDBOOK TO ALL SCHEDULED
TROOP MEETINGS AND EVENTS!

IT IS VITAL THAT YOU REMEMBER YOUR HANDBOOK!

THANKS GUYS!!!!

JOIN US FOR A CLOSER WALK WITH CHRIST!

A Scout is Reverent!
The God and Church religious award program is for Protestant youth in grades six through eight. The curriculum is designed to help young people grow closer to Christ and become stronger members of their church families. Young people will study the Bible to learn from Jesus’ example and then work with a counselor or mentor to learn how about the worship, witness, and ministry of their home congregations. The God and Church program uses the theme of a journey: young people will embark on faith journeys to meet Jesus, worship God, and witness and minister for Christ. Participants will create videos or photo albums to share their faith journeys with others. Each child needs an adult mentor to bring along on their journey and each mentor has their own workbook. The Adult Mentor Workbook helps parents/guardians to reflect on their role as Christian mentors for their children and provides the opportunity for families to grow together in faith

Join us every Wednesday Evening at 6:30 pm
At Porter’s Chapel UMC /Downstairs
We will begin a new journey of a lifetime!


Thy Word Is A Lamp Unto My Feet And A Light Unto My Path!

Contact Mr. Nathan for more details or the or send inquiries to troop638vicksburg@yahoo.com

This is the medal you will earn at completion of the course!

Good luck and Godspeed!

First Aid Training

First Aid Training

This weekend Friday pm - Sunday after early church 9ish (not sure on the Sunday part)

The First Aid Merit Badge is a required badge for EAGLE!!!!

There are also first aid requirements for each level of advancement!

BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More information on this weekend can be accessed by contacting :
Mr Mike
Mr David
Mr Richard

Brief History Of Vicksburg

from the city of Vicksburg website

The Mississippi River has long played a part in the historical, economic and residential development of Vicksburg. Founded in 1811 and incorporated on January 29, 1825, Vicksburg rapidly grew as a center for commerce, agriculture and river traffic.
In the 1800's, river travel up and down the Mississippi was fraught with danger. Riverbends were littered with the remains of hundreds of riverboats. In 1838, Congress passed the first federal steamboat safety regulations. Although the Steamboat Act of 1838 made passenger safety requirements federal law, inspections and certifications were virtually impossible and the law was effectively unenforceable.
The hazardous conditions of river travel enabled the railroads to make significant inroads throughout the lower Mississippi River regions. In 1831, the Vicksburg and Clinton Railroad was organized for the purpose of shipping and receiving cotton and other products between the river port and inland Mississippi. Early rail operations in Vicksburg consisted of "mule power," but by 1840 the line was complete to Clinton and "on track."
In 1846, the line and track spanned the state and was renamed the Vicksburg & Meridian Railroad, the only east-west railroad between Memphis and New Orleans.
Vicksburg's best known contribution to American history is probably the part she played in the epic known as the Civil War.
In 1859, the Mississippi state convention adopted an official resolution calling for immediate secession from the Union if an abolitionist was elected president. Following Abraham Lincoln's election, the state seceded by a vote of 8415 on January 9, 1861. With this vote, Mississippi followed South Carolina into the Confederate States of America.
By February, seven states had seceded. On February 9, 1861, representatives of these states met in Montgomery, Alabama and the provisional Confederate Congress elected Jefferson Davis as President of the CSA. Two days later, in Vicksburg, President Davis gave his first address as the first President of the Confederate States of America. In this address, he stated that he struggled "earnestly" to maintain the Union and the constitutional equality of all states but "our safety and honor required us to dissolve our connection with the United States. I hope that our separation may be peaceful. But whether it be so or not, I am ready, as I have always been, to redeem my pledges to you and the South by shedding every drop of blood in your cause..."
Both the Confederacy and the Union expected a war, if fought, to be over after the first battle. After the first meeting near Manassas Junction, Virginia in July 1861, both factions were to realize the war would be long and hard.
Throughout the war, no matter the outcome of the battles, the South remained intact as long as the river remained open. As the North's attention narrowed to the 150 mile area between Port Hudson and Vicksburg, the South's economy was disrupted . The fall of New Orleans and the surrounding strongholds resulted in major evacuation procedures along the Lower Mississippi Valley region. Cotton was removed or prepared for destruction. Storekeepers loaded their goods and headed inland. Families left to visit relatives and acquaintances elsewhere in the state, and those left behind waited for the arrival of the Union fleet.
Vicksburg maintained rail access to the heart of the Confederacy at this time but most of the other towns along the river could not. They soon found their situation untenable.
Two weeks after capturing New Orleans, Farragut started up the Mississippi with repaired and resupplied warships. Although not an easy voyage, the northern troops pressed on. Baton Rouge fell first. On May 12, 1862, Natchez surrendered without a fight.
The first advance Union units arrived off the coast of Vicksburg on May 18, whereby Commander Samuel P Lee of the USS Oneida delivered an order for the surrender of the city. The city's reply, delivered five hours later, was "No!" According to Colonel James L. Autry, Military commander of Vicksburg, "Mississippians don't know and refuse to learn how to surrender to an enemy."
After a period of intermittent bombardment from the river, Farragut conceded that he could not run his fleet past the "Gibraltar of the Mississippi." As he was not equipped for river combat, his guns could not be elevated high enough to strike the city, and 1,400 troops would be hard pressed to scale the hills to overtake the garrison. Farragut withdrew his ships and returned to New Orleans.
Farragut arrived off Vicksburg again on June 25, with a force including 3,200 troops on transports and several mortar schooners designed to bombard the elevated shore batteries. The following two days of bombardment marked the city's first concentrated assault and provided her first casualties.
The bombardment was only the begining of continuing strife for the residents of Vicksburg. During the historic Seige of Vicksburg, the citizens of Vicksburg and her defenders began living in caves dug out of the hillsides, conducting their daily business as well as possible ... while under constant bombardment from all sides. The siege caves of Vicksburg have long remained one of the most unique aspects of the city.
On July 1, 1863, General Pemberton met with his commanders regarding the prospect of being relieved or fighting their way out of the besieged city of Vicksburg. Two days later Generals Grant and Pemberton met in the afternoon to discuss surrender. Grant's final terms stopped short of unconditional surrender, with a major point being that 30,000 Confederates in Vicksburg would be paroled rather than imprisoned.
Pemberton officially accepted the terms around midnight. The next morning, a victorious Union army marched into Vicksburg following the fourty-seven day siege.
In 1899, the Vicksburg National Military Park was created through an Act of Congress. This park, now a member of the National Park System, commemorates and preserves the infamous siege line and the historic heritage of Vicksburg. Considered by many to be one of America's most beautiful national memorials, it is the final resting place for 17,000 Union soldiers, 13,000 of whom are unknown.
The Civil War ended in Mississippi on May 4, 1865, with the surrender of the last Confederate forces by General Richard Taylor to General Edward R.S. Canby.
With the final surrender of the Confederate States of America, the North tried to stabilize local conditions. President Lincoln's wishes to reunite the nation with forgiveness, understanding and welcome for the Southern states, died with him. The South's reconstruction under the new President, Andrew Johnson, was harsh and stories of individual states and cities were similar .. bankruptcy, devastation, internal strife under reconstruction governments.
Vicksburg pressed forward during this trying period. The levee system, vital to river communities, was rebuilt with the return of the Army Corps of Engineers. Land was returned to planting and harvests were shipped to market towns. The rebirth of the steam boat industry, which made a remarkably rapid comeback, was a vital component of Vicksburg's "rebirth."
On April 26, 1876, the Mississippi River accomplished what the Union army could not accomplish 13 years prior -- the river cut across DeSoto peninsula, breaking DeSoto Point and destroying what was left of the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas railroad terminal and ferry. This break effectively cut off the east-west rail line. More importantly, it left the river port of Vicksburg with no river. The economic effect on the city was devastating.
The change in the river course helped change Vicksburg's course. In 1873, a Vicksburg office of the Army Corps of Engineers was established to coordinate federal and local river management and flood control efforts. The city still enjoys the pleasure of being "home" to the Corps.
In 1878, the city appealed to the government for assistance in restoring its port area. An extensive study of port restoration by the Corps of Engineers resulted in a massive undertaking that diverted the Yazoo River south through the former bed of the Mississippi River. The Yazoo River Diversion Project, along with other stabilization projects, took 25 years to complete. On January 7, 1903, the city of Vicksburg officially opened the diversion canal and started to reassert herself as a river city.
Throughout the years the growth and economic climate of Vicksburg and Warren County have been heavily influenced by "Ole Man River." With the recent legalization and development of the dockside gaming industry, a new chapter in the area's history is being written.
We face the future with a sound basic economy and unlimited possibilities. We can look to the future with faith, determination and confidence from a strategic location that will lead to a commercial prominence approaching the importance of our military history.
We hope you will join us in saying "Vicksburg-Warren County is a GREAT place to live!"

DON"T YOU EVER QUIT!!!!!!

author unknown (I love this poem... I was introduced to it while in HS by Ms Nan Shirley... thanks Ms Shirley)

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low, and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit! Life is queer with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure has turned about, When they might have won had they stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow! Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering one, Often the struggler has given up When they might have captured the victor's cup. And they learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close they were to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint to the clouds of doubt. And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far. So stick to the task when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem the worst, that you must not quit!

Updated Bird House Info

The scout project of assembling nesting boxes supporting the ProthonotaryWarbler conservation - Eagle project is tomorrow, 20 January,08:00 am- About Noon, at the USGS Storage Building at 3516A Manor Drive.
Directions:
3516A Manor Drive -- Manor drive is the street next to El Sombrero restaurant on the South Frontage Road. Take that road and go around the corner (only one way to go!) until you get to the Gym (Gold's Gym I think),then turn in on the gravel road that leads behind the Gym. Our storagebuilding is to the west of the Gym. There is a big gravel parking area infront and a small fenced in area attached to the storage building. About 6large sail-boats are parked nearby".We will be working indoors, but the storage building has minimal heating sodress warmly - light layers might be a good choice. The forecast is forcontinued cool weather.If we have a good turnout, we should be done by early afternoon. If it looks as if the project will run into mid-afternoon, we'll make a sandwich run about noon. Your scout may need a few dollars just in case.
Things to bring:
Blue Class "B" scout shirt...over something warmer
Gloves
Phillips head screwdriver
Cordless screwdriver
I think Mr. Gates is bringing a work bench and there should be a couple of tables there.

Profound Words From The Fray

Sometimes the hardest thing

and

the right thing are the same!!!!

This is so true .... most of the time the hardest things to do are the right things that need to be done... like standing up for yourself, a friend, a belief or an ideal... The ability to stand up for what you believe in no matter the consequences is one thing I really admire in a person! I wish I could be more like that! I pray that you all will grow up to be someone who always does what is right instead of what is popular!

Martin Luther King Jr ... Freedom Is Not Free!

I know you all know who Martin is but do you know what he did!?

He insured millions of Americans equal rights under the law and freedom of expression!
And I am talking all Americans not just African Americans but women, Hispanics, Native Americans, disabled Americans.... everyone .....

His work laid the ground work for all laws regarding equal rights and anti discrimination laws...

And in through fire bombings of his home and numerous threats on himself and his family he fought for freedom with nonviolence and with tolerance and with determination! He died so that his children could grow up in a land where all people could live together and share in the same opportunities that this country was founded on LIFE, LIBERTY, and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS! And that one day we would only be judged by the content of our character not by what color our skin is, or what gender we are, etc. Because in the end CHARACTER is the only true measure of a person not physical attributes.... We will not be remembered for what we are we will be remembered for WHO we are!

Martin Luther King Jr Quotes

Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: - 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (and women) are created equal.'

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Troop To Visit Next School Board Meeting

Our troop, as part of the Citizenship In The Community Merit Badge, will be going to the next Vicksburg Warren School District Board Meeting which will be Thursday January 25 at 5:30.
Please be on time or early so we won't be disruptive to the meeting. The board meetings take place at the District Offices on Mission 66 across from WCJHS!

REMEMBER CITIZENSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY IS REQUIRED TO GO ON THE MARDI GRAS TRIP!

Bird Box Construction

We need to put the Prothonotary bird boxes together. These are to be place in Tensas Parish Nature Preserve. We are making tentative plans to put these boxes together on Saturday January 20th .... We will be on Manor Drive behind El Sombrero (more detailed address when I get it)... Time is 8 am until the boys finish them! We are looking at constructing around 175 boxes.

Please if you have any questions contact

Mr Twedt, Mr King, or Mr Gates

Thanks for your help!

Origin And History Of Mardi Gras

The history of Mardi Gras began long before Europeans set foot in the New World. In mid February the ancient Romans celebrated the Lupercalia, a circus like festival not entirely unlike the Mardi Gras we are familiar with today. When Rome embraced Christianity, the early Church fathers decided it was better to incorporate certain aspects of pagan rituals into the new faith rather than attempt to abolish them altogether. Carnival became a period of abandon and merriment that preceded the penance of Lent, thus giving a Christian interpretation to the ancient custom.
Mardi Gras came to America in 1699 with the French explorer Iberville. Mardi Gras had been celebrated in Paris since the Middle Ages, where it was a major holiday. Iberville sailed into the Gulf of Mexico, from where he launched an expedition up the Mississippi River. On March 3 of 1699, Iberville had set up a camp on the west bank of the river about 60 miles south of where New Orleans is today. This was the day Mardi Gras was being celebrated in France. In honor of this important day, Iberville named the site Point du Mardi Gras.
The Late Eighteenth Century
During the late 1700's, pre-Lenten masked balls and festivals were common in New Orleans while it was under French rule. However when New Orleans came under Spanish rule the custom was banned. In 1803 New Orleans came under the U.S. flag. The prohibition against masked festivals continued until 1823 when the Creole populace convinced the governor to permit masked balls. In 1827 street masking was again legalized.
The Nineteenth Century
During the early 1800's public celebrations of Mardi Gras centered around maskers on foot, in carriages and on horseback. The first documented parade occurred in 1837. Unfortunately, Mardi Gras gained a negative reputation because of violent behavior attributed to maskers during the 1840's and 50's. The situation became so bad that the press began calling for an end to the celebration.
In 1857 six New Orleaneans saved Mardi Gras by forming the Comus organization. These six men were former members of the Cowbellians, an organization which had put on New Year's Eve parades in Mobile since 1831. The Comus organization added beauty to Mardi Gras and demonstrated that it could be a safe and festive event. Comus was the first organization to use the term krewe to describe itself. Comus also started the customs of having a secret Carnival society, having a parade with a unifying theme with floats, and of having a ball after the parade. Comus was also the first organization to name itself after a mythological character. The celebration of Mardi Gras was interrupted by the Civil War, but in 1866 Comus returned.
In 1870 the Twelfth Night Revelers made their appearance. In 1871 they began the custom of presenting a young woman with a golden bean hidden in a cake. This young woman was the first queen of Mardi Gras. This was also the origin of the king cake tradition.
In 1872 Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff of Russia visited New Orleans. This year the krewe of Rex made their debut and began the tradition of the "King of Carnival." Rex also introduced purple, gold and green as the official colors of Mardi Gras. Rex was the first krewe to hold an organized daytime parade and introduced "If Ever I Cease To Love" as the Mardi Gras anthem. One of the high points of Rex is the arrival of the Rex King on a riverboat. 1872 also saw the debut of the Knights of Momus on New Year's Eve.
Ten years later in 1882, the Krewe of Proteus made its debut with a parade themed after Egyptian mythology. In 1890 the first marching club, The Jefferson City Buzzards, was organized. In 1894, the Original Illinois Club was formed as the first black Mardi Gras organization. In 1896 Les Mysterieuses appeared as the first female organization.
Mardi Gras in the Twentieth Century
In 1809 Zulu appeared as a parody of Rex. The Zulu King held a banana stalk scepter and wore a lard can crown. He arrived on on oyster lugger instead of a steamboat. Zulu was destined to become one of the most popular and beloved of all krewes.
Mardi Gras was canceled during the dark years of 1918 and 1919 when the United States was involved in the bloody fighting of the First World War. The celebration struggled through the 1920's and early 30's, which saw Prohibition and The Great Depression.
The krewe of Alla brought carnival to the West Bank in 1934.
With the rise of mass produced automobiles, random truck riders had become part of the Mardi Gras scene. In 1835 they organized themselves into the Elkes Krewe of Orleanians. The Krewe of Hermes appeared in 1937 and the Knights of Babylon in 1939.
Mardi Gras prospered during the 1940's, although it was canceled during the war years. In 1949 Louis Armstrong was King of the Zulu parade and was pictured on the cover of time magazine.
In 1950 the Duke and Duchess of Windsor visited New Orleans during Mardi Gras. They honored the New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition by bowing to kings of Rex and Comus at the Comus ball. The Korean War put a damper on festivities in 1951, but several krewes joined forces to parade as the Krewe of Patria on Mardi Gras day. The Fifties also saw the replacement of mule drawn floats with ones drawn by tractors and the formation of several new krewes including Zeus. Zeus was the first krewe to parade in Metairie.
In 1961 Pete Fountain founded the Half-Fast Walking Club, an immediate hit with the crowds. Zulu came under pressure from portions of the black community who thought the krewe presented an undignified image. The king resigned and the parade was almost cancelled, but Zulu survived and was a main attraction by 1969. The Sixties ended with the debut of Bacchus. Bacchus aimed to bring national attention to Mardi Gras with gigantic floats and a Hollywood celebrity (Danny Kaye) riding as its king. Bacchus replaced the traditional ball with a supper to which tickets could be purchased by visitors and locals.
The Seventies saw the debut of 18 new krewes and the demise of 18 others. More than a dozen krewes followed the lead of Bacchus by placing celebrities in their parades. In 1974 Argus became the first Metairie parade on Fat Tuesday. This year also saw Endymion's rise to super krewe status. The Seventies brought a ban on parading in the French Quarter, ending a 117 year tradition. Mardi Gras made national headlines at the close of the decade with a police strike which cancelled 13 parades in Orleans Parish.
In the 80's Mardi Gras gained 27 new parades and lost 19. St. Bernard Parish suffered a net loss of parades while Jefferson and St. Tammany Parish experienced continued growth. By the end of the decade Jefferson Parish was experiencing an attendance rate of 600,000 people at its parades on Fat Tuesday.
The 1980's were were good times for Mardi Gras. In 1987 Rex brought back the custom of Lundi Gras, the arrival of the Rex King on the Mississippi River which had been celebrated from 1874 through 1917. The traditional tableau ball, however, lost popularity. Once considered essential, only 10 krewes continued the tradition of masked balls by the end of the decade. Doubloons also lost some of their popularity when several krewes stopped producing them.

The Origins Of King Cake

The King Cake is a brioche-style cake traditionally made throughout the State of Louisiana during the weeks prior to Mardi Gras. Usually oval in shape, the King Cake is a bakery delicacy made from a rich Danish dough (which is a sweetened yeast bread...a cross between a coffee cake and a French pastry) and covered with a poured sugar topping decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras-colored sugars of purple (symbolizing Justice), green (symbolizing Faith) and gold (symbolizing Power). This colorful topping is representative of a jeweled crown in honor of the Three Wise Men who visited the Christ Child on Epiphany (a word derived from the Greek meaning "to show"). Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night (i.e., January 6) is when the Carnival Season officially begins.
The King Cake tradition is believed to have begun with French settlers around 1870, who were themselves continuing a custom which dated back to Twelfth Century France, when a similar cake was used to celebrate the coming of the Magi twelve days after Christmas bearing gifts for the Christ Child. This celebration was also once known as King's Day. As a symbol of this Holy Day, a tiny plastic baby (symbolic of the baby Jesus) is placed inside each King Cake but in times gone past, the hidden items were usually coins, beans, pecans or peas.
Today, the cakes are baked in many shapes but originally, they were round to portray the circular route take by the Magi in order to confuse King Herod, whose army was attempting to follow the Wise Men so that the Christ Child could be killed. The origin of the modern King Cake can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when popular devotion during Christmas turned to the Three Wise Men. In 1871, the tradition of choosing the Queen of Mardi Gras was determined by who drew the prize within the cake. Today, such a find is still deemed to be a sign of good luck and it customary for the person who discovers the hidden plastic baby to host the next King Cake Party.

************************************************************************************


King Cake
Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
Show:
The Essence of Emeril
Episode:
Yeast Breads

1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees) 2 packages dry yeast 2 teaspoons sugar 4 to 5 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1/2 cup warm milk (105 to 115 degrees) 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled 5 egg yolks 1/2 cup finely chopped candied citron 1 pecan half, uncooked dried bean or King Cake Baby Glaze: 2 cups sifted powdered sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons water Purple, green and gold sugar crystals
Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Combine the warm water, yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside to a warm place for about 10 minutes. Combine the 4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, nutmeg, lemon rind and add warm milk, melted butter, egg yolks and yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place the dough in a well-greased bowl. Turn once so greased surface is on top.
Cover the dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch the dough down and place on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with the citron and knead until the citron is evenly distributed. Shape the dough into a cylinder, about 30 inches long. Place the cylinder on a buttered baking sheet. Shape into a ring, pinching ends together to seal. Place a well-greased 2-pound coffee can or shortening can in the center of the ring to maintain shape during baking. Press the King Cake Baby, pecan half or dried bean into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough. Cover the ring with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the coffee can immediately. Allow the cake to cool. For the glaze: Combine the ingredients and beat until smooth. To assemble, drizzle cake with the glaze. Sprinkle with sugar crystals, alternating colors. Cut into the cake and hope you do not get the baby.

It Is Almost That Time A Year Again!!!!!!

We have a man and this is his plan so far.... if you have comments PLEASE comment, or email the troop at the troop email address or email Mr Richard!!!! Your comments count!!!!!!! But we need feed back ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Troop 638 Mardi Gras Trip
February 9-11 2007

Friday Night Feb 9:
4:00pm Leave Porter's Chapel.
7:00pm See Eve Parade in Mandeville. (Note: If we are running late we can go to the end of the Eve parade route and catch it there around 9-9:30pm)
After Eve Go to cabins @ Tickfaw S.P.(Someone will have to go there earlier to check us in before the parade) Tickfaw is ~54 minutes from Mandeville. We have three cabins reserved, cabins 3, 4 & 5.
Saturday Feb 10
9:00am Wake-up, breakfast.
10:30am Leave Tickfaw SP
12:00am Arrive on St. Charles (near Louisiana) 65 miles, ~ 1.5 hours drive.
1:00pm Ponchartrain starts
2:00pm Shangri-la Starts
Between parades - Cookout on St. Charles Ave.
6:00pm Sparta Starts
6:30pm Pegasus Starts
After Pegasus Go to Bonnabel
~9:00pm Caesar parade gets to Bonnabel
~10:00pm Leave for Tickfaw S.P.
~11:30pm Arrive at Tickfaw.

Sunday Feb 11:
8:00am Wake-up, breakfast and pack.
9:30am Leave Tickfaw S.P.
12:00 Carrollton Parade Starts
1:15 King Arthur parade Starts
Immediately after parades leave for Vicksburg
~6-7pm Return to Porters Chapel.

We need to bring a portable grill, ice chest and charcoal to cookout on St. Charles Ave. A few chairs would be nice to have too.


Tickfaw State Park
27225 Patterson Road, Springfield, LA 70462-8906
225-294-5020 or 888-981-2020 toll free

We have three cabins reserved, cabins 3, 4 & 5.
Each cabin sleeps up to 8 people with 1 double beds, 2 bunk beds and 1 sofa sleeper

Rules Of Engagement?????

Troop 836 Mardi Gras Trip Rules

Be on time for departure. We will leave at the time specified, whether you are there or not. If we leave too late we will miss the parade Friday night.
Wear the designated uniform for the day.
Use buddy system whenever away from the group. Anyone under 18 not following the buddy system will be restricted to a specific area (you'll be buddied with the adults).
Stay in designated area. At the parade we will designate a one or two block area for you and your buddy to roam. DO NOT leave that area without permission from one of the adults.
There are items for sale by vendors or thrown from floats that are not appropriate for you to wear or use (women's underwear, fake cigarettes etc.). If you are not sure then ask one of the adults.
You can only drink bottled drinks while riding in vehicles, no cans or cups.
No eating in the vehicles.
Your personal property is your responsibility. Keep a close eye on your money and wallet while at parades.

What to bring:

Class A uniform (for travel). Troop class A shirts; purple, green and gold
Coat, jacket etc (it may be cold) Raincoat or poncho.
Day pack for throws. Money or dinner for Friday night.
Money for snacks/souvenirs. Money for lunch and dinner Sunday.
Lawn chair

We will discuss this more at the next Troop Meeting.

Saturday we will spend the time between parades (~3hrs) cooking out on St. Charles avenue. I think this would be a lot better than loading up in the cars and driving somewhere, especially since the parking is so crazy down there. This will give the drivers a chance to rest rather than driving even more. I recommend we have hot dogs, Polish sausage and hamburgers. We have rolling ice chests and portable grills and lawn chairs available to the troop.

Saturday night we can make it to the Krewe of Caesar parade, since the parade takes so long to get to Bonnabel. This puts us back in Tickfaw kind of late, but we can sleep late the next morning.

We will have two breakfasts at the park, Saturday and Sunday. I don’t know yet what it has (refrigerator, stove, pot, pans etc.) but I think we should keep these meals as simple as possible. Perhaps heat up some sausage biscuits, or donuts and coffee. The less preparation and clean-up the better. Stopping somewhere for breakfast just adds expense and takes longer (so we’ll have to get up earlier).

We need to decide if we want to go to parades Sunday or not. Let me know your opinion on this. We can go to the parades and still be home by 8:00pm. Is that too late for the boys to get home?

I also include a set fo rules for the boys. If you think of any other rules, or have any corrections, let me know.

Links:

Tickfaw State Park: http://www.livingstonparish.com/tickfaw_state_park.htm
http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/itickfaw.aspx

Parade maps/schedules: http://www.mardigrasparadeschedule.com/mardigrasparadeschedule2007/

New Troop Email Address

Yes we have our own email address as of today

troop638vicksburg@yahoo.com

I hope this will help the troop in recruiting of new scouts and getting questions asked and answered in a timely fashion!

I hope you will feel free to visit this site as many times as you like and make comments remember it is YOUR site! Comments are welcomed(as long as they are from Scouts, Leaders and their families... NO SPAM COMMENTS PLEASE) and you can get information out by posting it in comment form!

I will be checking the email at least once a week and responding to them or if I can not answer the question or solve the problem I will forward the email to someone who can!

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season and I pray that you all have a new year filled with love and laughter!

Tracye