The lodge has been faced with new and challenging opportunities and needs your help in making the program a success.  We recently attended the Conclave in San Marcos and received an Honor Lodge award for last years activities and also placed second in the publications division for our Where to go Camping guide.  If you have not received your copy please contact the Service Center.  We have plans for winning the dance team and ceremony divisions for next year so if you are interested please contact your OA representative or the Service Center.  If you have not received a news letter this year check to make sure that your dues are current and that you are on the mailing list.  The fall fellowship and the fall ordeal will be a time for reflecting on the last few years of fun and fellowship and will provide the ideas and energy for a successful program next year.

We would like to thank the Troops that took advantage of Camp Fawcett this summer for camp.  Camp Fawcett was opened for summer camp after 5 years due to the  large number of Scoutmasters who wanted the change from Camp Sol Mayer. Most of the reports from the attending units have been very favorable and in support of the decision to open Camp Fawcett for 2001.

Unfortunately, many of our Troops camped outside the Council or did not attend a summer camp program. Some Leaders that were pushing for Fawcett to open were among the units that did not support the camp after all the effort was made on their behalf. The attendance this year at Camp Fawcett by our Council Troops was only marginally improved and did not seem to justify the extra time, manpower, and money needed to operate a second camp.

The decision for the summer 2002 is at hand and will depend on you. Call or write and let Carl Cummins or David Chapman know your view on Summer Camp. Give us your comments and recommendations for the improvement of our 2002 summer program. Please give your support to our Council's program regardless of location. After all it is the program, not location, that should be the selling point of a Summer Camp. The resolution to return summer camp to Sol Mayer or Fawcett or to have no Council Summer Camp at all, will be made in the next few weeks. The decision will be based on cold operational and finance data balanced by the needs and desires of our Troops. The Council Staff listened to you, the Scoutmasters, in 2000 and opened Camp Fawcett for 2001 with mixed results. The Council can only support the Troops if the Troops support the Council. We need not only strong vocal support, but registration support from as many units as possible for the 2002 season. Now is not too early.

Ron Gabriel, Amangi Trail Camping Chairman

All leaders and parents who want to go to the training are encouraged.  Studies show that Pack and Troops with trained leaders retain more of there boys than those without.  Even if you are trained but think you need to brush up then join us at one of our trainings.  There are many training opportunities coming up this fall.  Starting on September 8, 2001 with our Cub Leader training.  The next weekend we will be having DOC.com (Sept. 14-16).  This will be one of the largest training sessions held for the year.  It will be at Camp Sol Mayer and training areas will cover District Committee, Cub Master, Scout Master, and District Commissioners.   This will be a fun 3-day event; there will be other things to do besides training.  We will have the climbing tower open and a few other things to do.  We will then have Scout Leader Training on October 6, 2001.  Fallowed by Cub Leader Training on October 18, 2001.