November 2025
November 2025
Here are the events for November 2025
Monday, 3 – Regular troop meeting - we will continue work on advancement and preparations for the Sam A. Baker camp-out / hike.
Friday, 7 to Sunday, 9 – Camping and backpacking at Sam A. Baker State Park
Camping - the troop will be camping and backpacking at Sam A. Baker State Park. Scouts electing to stay in the base camp will have an opportunity for a short hike during the day on Saturday to cover advancement requirements.
Gear - Please note it will most likely be variable weather during the day and chilly to cold overnight so please make sure you are prepared! Plan for variable weather, especially nice to slightly chilly during the day and cool / cold at night (it can get down to the low 40s overnight as we are far from major city centers) as it is early November.
Make sure to bring:
Variable weather clothing - It's March in Missouri so the weather can change wildly during the course of the day. We recommend dressing in layers that can be added or removed as needed to best regulate heat. You do not want to be sweating in cold weather as that can lead to very serious health problems
Rain gear - while it will be nice during the day and/or chilly, it is always a good idea to have rain gear handy if the weather warms up
Good hiking boots WITH EXTRA PAIRS OF SOCKS - we cannot emphasize this enough
Water bottles - yes, it is very possible to get dehydrated in early spring! Make sure to have a good water bottle / Nalgene / canteen / water containment device on hand that is filled and available.
Cool / cold weather sleeping bag and sleep pad - for all Scouts and adults we recommend a good mild to cool weather sleeping bag as well as a good sleep pad for comfort. We are in tents which can get chilly inside overnight. Adult leaders may have extra sleeping bags and pads so please ask if you need to borrow something for this event
Food - We will be PATROL COOKING for this event so all patrols will need to plan their menus accordingly. Any Scouts working on Cooking merit badge are welcome to help plan the menus, cook and clean up as this can count toward many of the requirements.
Events - part of the troop will be hiking the various trails available in the park to cover various rank advancement and merit badge requirements.
Scouts and adults who will be HIKING
Matt and Nick Haverstick will be leading the OVERNIGHT hike around various trails at the park. Plan on at least 5 miles of hiking during the day on Saturday so make sure you are prepared!
Gear - please make sure to plan for variable weather, especially chilly to slightly warm during the day and chilly to cold overnight as it is early November.
cool / cold weather clothing
Rain gear
First aid kit
Food for the trail
Good hiking boots WITH MULTIPLE PAIRS OF SOCKS - we recommend extra socks that hikers can change in to when you get back to camp to take care of your feet.
WATER BOTTLES - We highly recommend multiple water bottles to keep hydrated!
Hammock or lightweight tent / shelter for the remote campsite or troop tent for non-hikers - Matt and Nick will attempt to get two of the shelters at the remote site but we cannot guarantee anything so make sure to bring backup sleeping quarters.
Cool / cold weather sleeping bag and pad
Please review your Scout handbook for more details on required / nice to have hike gear.
Food for the hike - feel free to bring whatever snacks and drinks you would like to have while on the trail. Hikers will only be doing an OVERNIGHT hike and will eat Saturday lunch and dinner as well as Sunday breakfast on the trail.
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO PACK OUT ALL TRASH FROM THE TRAILS!
We will meet at the John Calvin Church parking lot at 6:00 PM to get everyone checked in then proceed to Sam A. Baker State Park from there. Please make sure everyone is on time so we can get to camp at a reasonable hour and get everything setup quickly!
Adults that will be driving for this event
Click HERE for driving directions to the campground we have reserved for the weekend. Plan on ~2.25 hours to get to the campsite from the church. See attached PDF (PDF document; ~3.1 MB) for a map of the campgrounds and hiking trails. Click HERE for more information on the campground and map coordinates to the site.
Monday, 10 – Troop Committee meeting - we will be discussing regular troop business and upcoming events. We will meet at John Calvin Church at 7:00 PM in the regular meeting area. All parents are welcome to join us!
Saturday, 15 - Scouting for Food BAG DISTRIBUTION - we will meet at the Autumn Lakes subdivision pool house [maps.google.com] at 9:00 AM to distribute the Scouting for Food bags. We will cover the same areas as last year so plan on ~1 hour for this event.
Monday, 17 – Regular troop meeting - we will continue work on advancement.
Saturday, 22 - Scouting for Food BAG PICKUP - we will meet at the Autumn Lakes subdivision pool house [maps.google.com] at 10:00 AM to pick up the Scouting for Food bags. We will cover the same areas as last year so plan on ~1.5 hours for this event.
Monday, 24 - NO MEETING - Thanksgiving week
More information on upcoming events:
Advancement - The Greater St. Louis Area Council has given approval for parents to sign off on advancement while the lock-down is in effect. Please make sure to record all advancement in ScoutBook [scouting.org] (preferred) or somewhere where we can update ScoutBook later.
Merit Badges - Please continue your work on merit badges. The latest versions of the requirements and workbooks can be found on the US Scouts Service Project Advancement page [usscouts.org] web portal and ScoutBook. Reminder! ALWAYS have a parent or guardian cc'd on any email communications and/or video calls with counselors.
Eagle Candidates - please forward any draft copies of your project plans to Patrick and Todd when ready for review. Reminder! time will pass a lot faster than you realize!
Please feel free to reach out to Patrick Light, Mike Wheeler and / or Ron Askew with any questions on advancement!
Yours in Scouting,
Patrick Light
Assistant Scoutmaster - Executive Secretary