May 2015

May 6
Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) Adrian Peterson and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL) Reid Carlisle will meet with the patrols, and the new troop leadership (Jack O’Neill, Kai Tomalin), at 6:30 p.m. to plan the Court of Honor and next year’s schedule. The boys will use the time during the regular meeting to wrap up open merit badges and work on rank advancement.

May 13
We will NOT meet at the Parrish Hall. Troop 219 will be hosting its annual end-of-the-year picnic/barbecue at Fort DeSoto County Park. We will meet at Pavillion 11 (the old train station) which is located in the Gulf Pier Parking Lot (remember – there are two piers at Fort DeSoto) next to the old fort at 7 p.m. Mr. Tomalin will provide hot dogs, buns, ketchup and mustard. Can somebody else help organize drinks, plates etc.? We will also hold board of reviews is anybody needs one.

May 16
The Order of the Arrow is planning a clean-up day at Sand Hill from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Bring work gloves, tools and come prepared for some fun and fellowship as we get Sand Hill ready for summer camp.  Adults and Scout age youth are welcome. We will be working on painting, platform building and general maintenance projects around camp that will help ensure that all the troops going to camp have a great experience. Sign up at http://www.wcfcbsa.org/event/1731435 or contact the camping committee staff advisor, Mark Sharman at (727) 342-0605.

May 20
This will be the final Court of Honor of the 2014-15 school year. Adrian, Reid, Jack and Kai will put together the program. If you would like to participate, please see one of these senior scouts. The ceremony should take about 45 minutes. Afterwards, Brian O’Neill, Troop 219’s Charter Organization Representative, and Marty Wingate, Committee Chair, will hold a brief parents’ meeting to answer any questions about summer camp and to go over the 2015-16 schedule.

May 27
This is exam week, and most of the senior scouts will not be in attendance, so we will only hold a meeting if Curtis Cruise, our camping coordinator and summer camp leader, wants to meet with the younger scouts to discuss Camp LeNoChe. Stay tuned for details.

Merit Badge Update

  • Sports and/or Athletics – if you started either of these in September turn in your blue cards the May 13 meeting
  • Communications – Please make sure you complete your outstanding activities for the Communications Merit badge. If you need something reviewed and signed off on, please contact Katherine Snow Smith at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Cycling – Merit Badge Counselor has rides scheduled, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Personal Fitness – new scouts who started this April 1 should maintain their training logs during the summer and turn in completed blue cards next fall
  • Fly Fishing – one of three merit badges needed for the new Complete Angler Award (the other two are Fishing and Fish & Wildlife Management), e-mail Scoutmaster Tomalin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested in starting this merit badge in June.

Looking Ahead
June 5-7: Order of the Arrow Summer Conclave at Sand Hill
June 7-13: Summer Camp at LeNoche
July 10-12 and 17-19: National Youth Leadership Training will be held at Sand Hill Scout Reservation. If you are 13-years-old, finished with 8th grade and are a first-class scout, then you need to sign up for this outstanding leadership course taught by several of Troop 219’s senior scouts and Scoutmaster Emeritus Michael McBride. Cost is $185 which will be reimbursed by Troop 219 if you successfully complete the course. For information, contact Mr. McBride at 539-9145 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
Aug. 26: Patrol Leaders meet (6:30 p.m.,) followed by a parent’s meeting at 7 p.m.
Sept. 2: First regular meeting of the 2015-16 Scout Year.

Stay informed
Question? Find your answer at on our new and improved troop website, www.bsa219.com. If you don’t find your answer there, go to the West Central Florida Council website at www.wcfcbsa.org. If you cannot find what you are looking for there, go to the Boys Scouts of America National website at www.scouting.org. If that is no help, contact Mr. Tomalin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., who will probably refer you to one of the three previously-mentioned websites.

Yours in Scouting,

 – Terry Tomalin