Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of scouts, the 2006 Scouting For Food Campaign was a great success! Thirty-five scouting units collected over 100,000 pounds of food.  More than 500 scouts and 300 leaders helped to collect food for the drive.  Some great strides were also made with community partnerships to allow more food to get to the people that need it most. In the works is a plan to collect food all year round so that the Bucks County Food Banks will be able to give food to needy families not only between Christmas and New Year’s but also during other times of the year when food banks often run low.  

A big thank you to Packs 1, 13, 19, 24, 61, 100, 102, 123, 132. 153, 168, 185, 212 and 316 that helped out with this year’s food drive. Troops 6, 19, 27, 41, 53, 79, 102, 113, 117, 123, 124, 127, 130, 132, 133, 168, and 380 likewise did an excellent job with the  drive.     

Klondike Derby

On January 12^th through the 14^th over 250 scouts and leaders had a blast at Ockanickon Scout Reservation. We made two very tall towers where we had the American Flag and our District Flag displayed on top of each tower. Each sled had to use their orientation skills to find each station. Rich Yatchyshyn and Jim Sullivan of Troop 102 always do an excellent job putting together both the Webelos and Scout Klondike. Another thank you to Crew 102, who again did an excellent job cooking everyone dinner on Saturday night. This event is always the highlight of the scouting year for Pennsbury and thanks again to all the leaders and parents who make it great.

Swim O Ree

Our 2007 Swim O Ree will be held again at the Truman Pool on Thursday Feb 22^nd at 6:30 PM. The cost of the event will be $4. The 200 scouts, leaders, and parents always have a blast doing many great aquatic events. Dan Trost of Troop 130 has running this event for many years and he does a fantastic job with it. Thanks again to the scouts who have already volunteered to serve as lifeguards; without them there would be no Swim O Ree at all.

First Aid O Ree

We are holding our 2007 First Aid O Ree at Truman High School on Wednesday February 28^th at 6:30 PM. The cost of the event will be $4. Over 200 scouts, leaders, and parents make this one of the most well attended events of the year. Norbert Sonnie of Pack and Troop 168 will be chairing this event for the second time, and does a top notch job. The members of Crew 102 always lend a hand with running the Webelos portion of the event. Thanks again for everyone that helps make this event great.

District Dinner

It’s New Year’s Eve in March this year! Come to our District Dinner and have a great time. It will be held at the Knights of Columbus on Saturday March 31^st from 7-11 PM. The cost for great time is $25. We will also have silent auction, we will also be giving our some great awards.  We are honoring some great Scouters with are the District Award of Merit, the Buck Award, and the Unit Honor Scouter Award. Jen Cumberland does a great job running the event and everyone always has a great time. If you never attended a District Dinner, you should mark your calendars; you won’t be disappointed.  Click Here for the Registration Form.

Spring Camporee

We have a very exciting location for this year’s Spring Camporee, it is going to be at the Bucks County Technical High School is Levittown. The Camporee is planned for April 27-29^th. We are planning on having presentations by the Tech School and local businesses. The cost for event is $5 per person. This is an opportunity for al scouts to see different careers that they would have the opportunity to see. There will also be a cooking contest and the OA Tap out will happen just like last year. If you have any question about the event, please contact Bruce Bintliff at 215-260-0586.

Derby Tests Scouting Skills

 Playwicki District Boy Scouts and Webelos Scouts tested their knowledge and abilities at the 2007 Klondike Derby held on February 3, 2007 in Tyler State Park, Newtown.

They were young men on a mission in the park, as the scouts held the annual Klondike Derby. During the Derby, about 200 Boy Scouts and 100 Webelos Scouts tested the skills they learned over the years at stations such as  “Dead Horse Gulch”, “Mountain Top”, “We’re Stumped” and “Watch Your Step”.

At “We’re Stumped,” for example, the scouts had to figure out how to slide their sled along a fallen tree without it falling off. Up to 200 points were given to the successful groups at each station. At the end of the day, after pulling their sled to as many stations as possible, the final point totals were tallied and the winners determined. Congratulations to the following winners: 

Boy Scouts:
1^st  Place – Troop 5
2^nd Place - Troop 78  
3^rd Place – Troop 29  

Webelos I :
1st Place – Pack 19 Renegades
2^nd Place – Pack 10 Webelos Winners  
3^rd Place – Pack 10 Homedogz  

Webelos II :

1^st Place – Pack 230 Eagles
2^nd Place - Pack 19 Flaming Arrows  
3^rd Place – Pack 19 Cobras 

Webelos Combined:
1^st Place – Pack 28 The Best
2^nd Place – Pack 46 Gamers 

Winners of the Sled Race :
1^st Place – Pack 230 Eagles
2^nd Place – Pack 19 Renegades

Win or lose, everyone certainly had a good time. Thank you to Dawn Macomber and Dave Clark for organizing this year’s event. Thanks to Craig and Pete Hill and the rest of Pack 4 for providing the hot dogs and hot chocolate. Finally, thanks to all those volunteers who braved the cold and manned the stations. See you next year!  

Pinewood Derby Madness

March Madness  takes on a whole  new meaning if you are a Cub Scout.  On March 25, 2007, over 300 Cub Scouts from the Playwicki District will compete in the annual District Pinewood Derby Race at the Oxford Valley Mall in front of the new Boscov’s Department Store.

Contestants consist of the winners of the pack competitions  conducted throughout the months of February and March. The top three winners in the Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos I and Webelos II divisions represent the pack at the district finals. Trophies will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners in each group based on the fastest computer calculated times. All participants will receive a special patch and certificate.

Klondike Derby

The Lenape Klondike Derby was a huge success!! This annual event was held on January 27 this year at Camp Ockanickon Scout Reservation in Pipersville Pa.  Congratulations to all who participated, with special congratulations to the top 3 finishers: In first place from Troop 200- The Giants patrol, in second place from Troop 34- The El Crapo patrol, and in third place from Troop 41- The Battle Toads.  Special thanks to Don Woodling and his staff for a really well run event!

Gold Rush

Lenape Swim-O-Ree

Pinewood Derby

Tohpendel District has had a busy month with an even busier month ahead.  On February 3^rd we held our Annual Klondike Derby with over 130 youth and 50 adults.  This year’s theme was geo-caching which was similar to a high tech treasure hunt.  Each sled was equipped with a gps unit that we loaded the coordinates up to and the youth had to go to find a cache and take an article from it.  But we also didn’t forget about the traditional method of map and compass.  Through out the park there were Trigger caches where the youth would have to pull out a compass and use the coordinates to arrive at a station there they would compete in a skill or teambuilding event.  Some of the stations included “Gizmondo” a three person slingshot that launched slightly frozen water balloons.  There was also “Hali-Bout Fishing” a game in which loaded mousetraps where placed in a circle and the scouts tried to catch the mousetraps using a makeshift fishing pole on which a metal washer was tied.  But to go fishing the scouts had to find the washers to tie to the pole (that were located in a previous cache).  Navigation has always been a part of scouting however we are just moving to a more high tech version.  GPS usage is now incorporated into several merit badges.  A large thank you should be given to Bob Grasmeder and Chris Finnegan and all the adults and members of Troop 67 that planned and organized this year’s event.

Also, check out or article in the Intelligencer  http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-02042007-1294035.html 

District Dinner

March 25, 2007  5:30-8:30
Perkasie Fire House ( 5^th and Arch Street Perkasie)
Cost $23 if paid before March 16^th
Click Here for the Registration Form.
Click Here to Nominate Scouters for District Awards.
Click Here to Nominate Someone for the District Award of Merit.

District Dinner is open to all adult leaders.  This year's theme is a Luau.  Please join us for an evening of Fun, Great Food, and Dancing.

Tohpendel District is also looking for some good volunteers we currently are looking to fill positions in Finance, Membership, Activities, Training, Commissioners.  If you would be interested in helping on the District Committee please contact Matt Zrada or Tom Leitz.

If you know of any one else that is not receiving District e-mail updates and would like to please contact Tom Leitz to have your name on the District e-mail distribution list.

Come join us this summer for a Jungle Safari!  The pool is a favorite spot for all our campers.  Our certified Aquatics Director and Lifeguards provide a fun place to relax, receive instructions in swimming and water safety, and complete Aquanaut for Webelos.  Certified archery and BB instructors run shooting sports.  Everyone has the opportunity to try archery.  Those staying three days or longer also learn BB shooting.  Weeklong Webelos get the opportunity to use wrist rockets (slingshots) as well.  Ecology provides a fun time with science and nature.  In Outdoor Skills, everyone plays theme-related and water games.  Those staying three days or more also learn Scout skills such as cooking, knot-tying, first aid, and/or compass skills.  The program is rounded-out with a project at crafts.  Campfires and water slide keep the fun going in the evenings.

Meals are served in our air-conditioned dining hall.  Campers stay on cots in large 7-person tents.  Leaders have the option of bringing their own smaller tents if desired.  Flush toilets and showers are available.  Portable toilets are also located in other convenient locations.

2007 Adult Registration Application

Come join the fun this summer!  Get your application in now to reserve your first choice of session.  If you have any questions, contact Viviane Hopper, Camp Registrar at vhopper@bsamail.org

Call Bill Mischke at 215.297.5290 x-30 to reserve your spot for the 2008 summer season.  If you were unable to join us during the summer there is still time.  Ockanickon rents camp sites and cabins all winter.  If you would like to reserve a space please contact the Bucks County Council at 215-348-7205 and ask for the weekend camping coordinator.  Please keep an eye on the Ockanickon website to find out about many up and coming programs.  www.ockanickon.org

Born in 1938 as Philturn Rocky mountain Scout camp, today's Philmont Scout Ranch is a bustling center for high adventure and training. Youth and adults take advantage of the ranch's camping, training, and work programs. Most activity takes place during the summer, but Philmont also offers its Fall Adventure and Kanik winter program.

Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America's oldest national high-adventure base. Its 34 staffed camps and 55 trail camps provide an unforgettable adventure in the high country along hundreds of miles of rugged, rocky trails. Philmont is large, comprising 144,493 acres or about 215 square miles of rugged mountain wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) range of the Rockies.  Philmont has high mountains which dominate rough terrain with an elevation ranging from 6,600 to 12,441 feet.

There is a magic spell at Philmont. Long ago the Native Americans felt it. Later, Kit Carson, Lucien Maxwell and other mountain men were captivated by Philmont Country. A century later, the late Mr. Waite Phillips found himself under its spell. Nearly half a century ago, his son, Elliott and his cousins found it almost a necessity to return to Philmont during their high school and college summer vacations.

The area surrounding the ranch is rich with history; from the Native Americans who made this arid land their home, a famous stop on the Santa Fe Trail, a prospecting community, and a working cattle ranch. The town of Cimarron boasts a number of historical buildings, including the St. James Hotel—site of at least 26 killings during Cimarron's wilder days.

More than 820,000 Scouts, Venturers, and leaders have experienced the adventure of Philmont since the first camping season in 1939. Throughout its existence, conscientious attention to low-impact camping techniques has helped maintain the ranch's wilderness flavor.  Hiking is only the beginning - crews can choose from rock climbing, black powder rifle shooting, western lore, horseback riding, gold panning, and much more.

It is with great pleasure that the Bucks County council continues to offer Philmont Expeditions to the Scouts and Scouters of Bucks County.  Presently, 60 participants are busily preparing themselves to meet the challenges of a Philmont Expedition.   The 2007 Bucks County Council Philmont Expedition will leave Bucks County on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 and arrive at Philmont on Thursday, August 9, 2007 after spending the night in LaJunta, CO.  We'll leave base camp the next day for an 11-day backpacking trek in the mountains that are unique to Philmont.  The expedition returns home on Tuesday, Aug-21-2007.  In the spring, crews will begin to train together on local day hikes to break-in boots and test backpacks.  Crews will then take at least 4 overnight (or longer) hikes to learn to work together as a team, optimize gear, and try out backpacking stoves and delicious freeze dried cuisine.  They'll also elect a scout as crew chief who will lead the crew in the backcountry at Philmont.

Although this summer’s expedition is closed to any new applicants, Bucks County Council will continue to sponsor expeditions with the next planned trip for 2009 (there is the possibility of an expedition in 2008!).  Philmont expeditions are open to any Scout or Venturer between the ages of 14 and 18 years, are in good health, and prepared for strenuous activity.  Please note the age (grade) requirement must be met!  The typical costs for a Philmont adventure are ~ $1300, which includes all transportation, accommodations, food, and travel expenses. 

If you’re interested in attending a future Philmont Expedtion as a Scout or Scouter, additional information can be obtained from your unit leader, who will receive registration information through a direct mailing from the council, or directly from the Scout Service Center in Doylestown.