June was truly a month for adventure. Some went to Emerald Bay on Catalina Island for scuba, snorkeling, rugged 'E' and many other events. They even got a taste of the California mainland to sample such things such as Grahman's Chinese Theatre. Others experienced the mystique of Iron Wheel Mesa at El Rancho Cima. Talk about a room with a view! Spencer Meredith was part of a council contingency that went to Norway! I am still awaiting the stories from that adventure.

July will offer many other opportunities. On Tuesday July 9^th we will have a troop bowling night @ Fun Plex (located on Beechnut). Bowling will start promptly at 7:00, so plan on arriving a little before that. Participation cost is to wear your troop t-shirt proudly. As for troop meetings for the remainder of July, your leaders have elected to work on merit badges and rank advancements. It is a great opportunity to wrap up merit badges from summer camp. Donut Sunday will be on the 21^st. Also, we have booked Lazer Quest for 27^th - 28^th. The cost is $30 w/ 30 participants (meaning the cost may increase if we do not have 30 participants). It is possible to invite other scouts from other troops.

August has always proved to be a busy month. This year we will be doing something a little differently. We will have two calendar planning days. The 1^st planning will be on Tuesday the 6^th and the final planning on Saturday the 17^th. The purpose is to give a little more time to present your desires and needs. Troop elections will be conducted on the 13^th. Patrol elections are scheduled for the 20^th. Our court of honor is to be held on September 3^rd. At this time I have some applications for JLTC. Talk to me if your are possibly interested in attending. It is an incredibile opportunity.

Everybody loves the Fourth of July. In many communities it's a time for parades, fireworks, ball games and picnics.

Real fun! But we ought not to forget what the Fourth of July really is - the birthday of our country - because that's when the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, over 200 years ago. Here's a trick question for you. How many stars were in the US flag on the first Fourth of July? You're probably going to say 13, because there were 13 colonies in America then, but that's wrong.

In fact, there weren't any stars in the flag. The colonists were using the Grand Union Flag, which used the British union symbol and 13 red and white stripes. You can see a picture of it in your Official Boy Scout Handbook.

Stars representing the states first appeared in the US flag 11 years later. Since then, stars have been added each time states have joined the union.