Troop 840’s own triathlon High Adventure trip will be August 1^st – 5^th to the Mount Rogers area in south west Virginia. We will canoe/tube, backpack, ride bikes and have a great time … and eat at the Homeplace on the way home! Please see the e-mail that was sent out to the Troop on January 19^th for more details. Please let me know by January 31^st if you are interested or contact me if you have questions.

Thanks,

Nick Helmore

The council will be holding a Day of Training on Saturday, February 11th.  The deadline for registration is Friday, February 3^rd. You must preregister by going to the links below or going to the Heart of Virginia Council Calendar and clicking on the link listed on that day. Cost for the training is $20 and includes all materials and Lunch.  For more information on the three trainings being provided please go to the links below.
Cub Leader Training
Scout Leader Specific Training
Venture Leader Specific Training
At this point there are two outdoor skills training courses set for Boy Scout leaders:
February 25-26    Introduction to outdoor leader skills course
March 30-April 1  Introduction to outdoor leader skills course
Commissioner College will be conducted on February 11th as well.  If you have considered serving as a unit commissioner, or mentor, review the information at this link and register by February 3rd for this annual commissioner training:  click here.
To visit the Training page of the council website, click on this link:  http://hovc.org/training/.

The Heart of Virginia 2011 Council Recognition Night, a festive evening of fun, fellowship, inspiration, and recognition, is being planned for Thursday, March 22, 2012.  The Gala features a program of entertainment with a reception following the event. The Council’s highest volunteer recognition, the Silver Beaver Award, will be presented to deserving Scouters.  Adult volunteers will be recognized for their work done during the 2011 Scouting year.  Everyone in attendance will receive a copy of the 2011 Annual Report of the Heart of Virginia Council, BSA, celebrating our highlights and achievements from the past year.  New this year is an optional traditional Scouting dinner at 6:15 PM, followed by the Gala at 7:00 PM.  The cost is only $15-$20 per person.
Scouts who earned the Eagle rank during 2011 are invited as guests of the council.  Please consider supporting an Eagle Scout by being a sponsor for this event.  The cost is only $25 per Eagle Scout and sponsors will be listed in the program.
For more information and to reserve your spot please follow this link>>

The Patrick Henry Program is looking for instructors for the upcoming program.  Communications Merit Badge Counselors are needed for January 21 and 28 and February 4, 2012.  Public Speaking Merit Badge Counselors are needed for January 21 and 28, 2012.  You do not have to currently be registered as a Merit Badge Counselor to apply,  registration can be obtained prior to the beginning of the program.  If you would like to participate as an instructor, please contact Lauren Billings at lauren.billings -at- scouting.org or phone (804) 204-2619

The Virginia War Memorial will be hosting Scouts for American Heritage and all three Citizenship merit badges on March 3, 2012.
Registration for the merit badge program at the Virginia War Memorial is now live at:  https://www.doubleknot.com/registration/calendardetail.asp?ActivityKey=1064650

A big thanks to Misters Helmore and Sandridge for submitting all their troop photos for inclusion in the troop's archive.  Mr Helmore's photos give a great boost the the 90s and early 2000s in particular, and Mr Sandridge's fill out the past few years nicely.
If you have photos of troop activities, you may submit them to our Historian Andy Chess or Caleb Greene any Monday night.