Scouting Troop 50

 Welcome to Boy Scout troop 50, the Mighty Bulldogs.
We are a Heart of America Council, Three Trails District, Boy Scout Troop in Kansas City, Missouri.
We are a Scout-Led troop that has an Active Outdoor Program.

Interested in joining or want more information? We would love to connect!
Check out the FAQs page, come to any meeting, talk to any leader and/or send us an email at ScoutingTroop1050@gmail.com 

We meet weekly on Monday evenings at 7pm-8:30pm at Keystone United Methodist Church

MEETING MINUTES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

6/8/26 Meeting Minutes

• Another very productive meeting! Adults got together to discuss upcoming Bartle topics while the boys gathered to discuss needed sign offs. Everyone is looking forward to July! Reminder: Please have your scouts review the Merit Badge list for Bartle. We are going to try to sign up for those soon.

• Bartle preparation - 2026 Bartle program guide can be found here. Merit badges start on page 9. All individuals (Scouts or Adults) are required to have a physical completed to attend camp. This is a hard rule that we cannot skip. Paperwork for this very important task was given to the scouts and can also be found here. Ensure that a registered doctor fills this out. Unfortunately, your chiropractor does not count. We need to submit these prior to camp, so please have those to us by June 15th. Since some doctor's offices can be a challenge to get into, we recommend doing this ASAP. Protip: Check out the minute clinic at CVS - They are quite cheap and available on short notice.
  Scoutmaster Gabe sent out a very informative email on tips/tricks to have these forms completed. If you do not have an appointment to have a physical, do so ASAP. Don't forget the insurance card photocopy!

• Class B shirts should be arriving in the next couple weeks. Starting next week, please wear Class B uniforms (Troop provided T-Shirt) to scout meetings (it is getting hot!). If your scout does not have a Class B uniform yet, they can continue to wear the Class A's.

• June Outing - The next campout will be at Knob Noster State Park. This is planning to be a Fishing/Service TWO NIGHT campout. We will meet at Keystone June 19th at 4pm. We are pushing this up an hour because most everyone should be available due to the Juneteenth holiday. Fishing will be available (ages 16+ requires a license) and we are requesting some type of conservation-based volunteering activity. We will be shooting for about 2 hours worth of time. These 2 night campouts are THE BEST time to get sign offs and/or advance. Nature is everywhere and demonstrations are plentiful. We will be looking into ~4 troop poles so that anyone without a pole can learn/fish. All fishing will be catch & release. SIGN UP HERE to let us know if you will be joining! Let us know ASAP if you can attend.

• Scouting Fun Fact of the Week > Did you know that the Fishing Merit Badge is one of the original 57 merit badges introduced by the Boy Scouts of America all the way back in 1911? Back then, it wasn't just about "catch and release"—scouts actually had to demonstrate how to properly clean and cook their catch over a campfire to earn it. We'll be sticking to catch-and-release at Knob Noster, but the tradition lives on!

6/2/26 Meeting Minutes

• So busy! The boys wasted ZERO TIME getting numerous sign offs. In this critical time before camp... they mean business!

• Congrats to Billy M for picking up Scout rank! Also congrats to Colton S from Second Class rank! Great ranks to pick up before Bartle!

• Bartle preparation - 2026 Bartle program guide can be found here. Merit badges start on page 9. All individuals (Scouts or Adults) are required to have a physical completed to attend camp. This is a hard rule that we cannot skip. Paperwork for this very important task was given to the scouts and can also be found here. Ensure that a registered doctor fills this out. Unfortunately, your chiropractor does not count. We need to submit these prior to camp, so please have those to us by June 15th. Since some doctor's offices can be a challenge to get into, we recommend doing this ASAP. Protip: Check out the minute clinic at CVS - They are quite cheap and available on short notice.

• June Outing - The next campout will be at Knob Noster State Park. This is planning to be a Fishing/Service TWO NIGHT campout. We will meet at Keystone June 19th at 4pm. We are pushing this up an hour because most everyone should be available due to the Juneteenth holiday. Fishing will be available (ages 16+ requires a license) and we are requesting some type of conservation-based volunteering activity. We will be shooting for about 2 hours worth of time. These 2 night campouts are THE BEST time to get sign offs and/or advance. Nature is everywhere and demonstrations are plentiful. We will be looking into ~4 troop poles so that anyone without a pole can learn/fish. All fishing will be catch & release. SIGN UP HERE to let us know if you will be joining! As of right now, we do not have enough Leaders signed up (currently short 2 Leaders). Let us know ASAP if you can attend.

5/25/26 Meeting Minutes

• A small, but productive meeting! A small reminder that unless otherwise communicated, we WILL be having a scout meeting. The handful of boys that attended got 3-5 sign offs EACH!

• The Memorial Day event went very well. It was a bit hot, but the boys had a great time placing the wreaths at the Liberty Memorial (and Winstead's right after!). The boys watched a good amount of Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero between helping. It's a great movie!

• Congrats to Britton J for picking up Scout rank!

• Bartle preparation - 2026 Bartle program guide can be found here. Merit badges start on page 9. Any individual (Scouts or Adults) are required to have a physical completed to attend camp. This is a hard rule that we cannot skip. Paperwork for this very important task was given to the scouts and can also be found here. Ensure that a registered doctor fills this out. Unfortunately, your chiropractor does not count. We need to submit these prior to camp, so the deadline is June 15th. Since some doctor's offices can be a challenge to get into, we recommend doing this ASAP. Protip: Check out the minute clinic at CVS.

• The next campout will be at Knob Noster State Park. This is planning to be a Fishing/Service TWO NIGHT campout. Fishing will be available (ages 16+ requires a license) and we are requesting some type of conservation-based volunteering activity. We will be shooting for about 2 hours worth of time. These 2 night campouts are THE BEST time to get sign offs and/or advance. Nature is everywhere and demonstrations are plentiful. We will be looking into troop poles so that anyone without a pole can learn. All fishing will be catch & release. SIGN UP HERE to let us know if you will be joining! 2 Night campouts are the most challenging to get leader support. Staying for just 1 night could be huge!

5/18/26 Meeting Minutes

• The meeting this evening was full of ACTION! A few of our scouts are teetering VERY close to aging out and they are busting their tails to get the remaining merit badges for Eagle. Great strides were made! The rest of the crowd discussed the good/bad/ugly of the previous outing (that 5-6 mile hike was the best 8 miles ever!). All and all, it seemed like most of the boys had fun and lessons were learned to help them become better campers.

• Liberty Memorial Event - Please RSVP ASAP. We have submitted a placeholder form and indicated 10 scouts. Cutoff is Tuesday, May 19th (For real, this time). On Memorial Day, May 25th, the scouts decided they WILL be placing 441 wreaths at the 2026 Memorial Day ceremony. The wreaths symbolize the 441 Kansas City residents who died serving our country in WW1. The ceremony is at 10:00 am at Liberty Memorial, but scouts should plan to arrive to check in PRIOR TO 9:15am. Due to the World Cup preparations, there is limited parking. Participants are strongly encouraged to take the KC Streetcar to the event. Each participating Scout will receive water, a light snack, and an exclusive commemorative patch. More info can be found on this FAQ.
  Feel free to meet us at Liberty Memorial, but we will accompany any scouts (and parents) who wish to join us at the KC Streetcar from the Plaza Stop (near Winstead's) at approximately 8:25/8:30. This gives us enough time to check in before 9:15 (cars depart every 10-15 minutes, so we plan to catch one leaving around 8:30). We will get off at the Union Station stop and walk the remainder.
  After the ceremony concludes at noon, we will take the streetcar back to the Plaza, hopefully by 12:30, where you can pick up your scout. A group will be grabbing lunch at Winstead's, so any scout (and parent) who wants to stay and join us before heading home is more than welcome. Please send your scout with some $$$ if they wish to join.
  Scouts and uniformed parent volunteers should be in Class A uniform and have appropriate sun protection (hats/sunscreen). Please do not wear gym shorts. Participating scouts will be given water and a light snack prior to the ceremony. Note, per the FAQ, "Troop leaders or designated chaperones will supervise scouts before and after the Ceremony at a ratio of no more than 1 adult per 4 scouts, as gathering space is limited. All other accompanying adults and families will be seated with the general public to enjoy the Ceremony. Instructions for reconnecting with scouts afterward will be included in the May 15 email."
  Detailed info to be sent out by the organizers on May 15. More info and FAQ here: https://www.theworldwar.org/2026-memorial-day-wreath-laying
  SO WE MAY GET AN ACCURATE HEADCOUNT AND YOUR CONTACT INFO, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, and indicate in the comment on the RSVP any other details like "parent coming with scout," "we'll meet you at the Memorial" or the like: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F4CAEAA2BA6FA7-63951123-troop 

• Bartle preparation - The boys reviewed the list of possible Merit Badges for this year. 2026 Bartle program guide can be found here. Merit badges start on page 9.
  More importantly... Any individual (Scouts or Adults) are required to have a physical completed to attend camp. This is a hard rule that we cannot skip. Paperwork for this very important task was given to the scouts and can also be found here. Ensure that a registered doctor fills this out. Unfortunately, your chiropractor does not count. We need to submit these prior to camp, so the deadline is June 15th. Since some doctor's offices can be a challenge to get into, we recommend doing this ASAP. Protip: Check out the minute clinic at CVS.

• Service hours/Volunteering opportunity - Billy K requested some help setting up for bingo. This is good for about an hour of time. This will occur on Saturday, May 2 at HJ's community center from 4-5pm. Contact Billy K for more information.

• The next campout will be at Knob Noster State Park. This is planning to be a Fishing/Service TWO NIGHT campout. Fishing will be available (16+ requires a license) and we are requesting some type of conservation-based volunteering activity. We will be shooting for about 2 hours worth of time. These 2 night campouts are THE BEST time to get sign offs and/or advance. Nature is everywhere and demonstrations are plentiful. We will be looking into troop poles so that anyone without a pole can learn. All fishing will be catch & release. SIGN UP HERE to let us know if you will be joining! 2 Night campouts are the most challenging to get leader support. Staying for just 1 night could be huge!

5/11/26 Meeting Minutes

• This evening the only topic that the scouts wanted to discuss was BACKPACKING ! Who's going? Who's cooking? Who's riding with whom? There was a small station set up to build their own economical food bag that is lightweight and rugged (Well.. as rugged as you can get with duct tape!). Oh.. and dodgeball 😂

• There was some discussion regarding Bartle camping. The boys were given a list of possible Merit Badges for this year. It would be best if they figured out what they wanted to do and return the document ASAP. 2026 Bartle program guide can be found here. Merit badges start on page 9.
  More importantly... Any individual (Scouts or Adults) are required to have a physical completed to attend camp. This is a hard rule that we cannot skip. Paperwork for this very important task was given to the scouts and can also be found here. Ensure that a registered doctor fills this out. Unfortunately, your chiropractor does not count. We need to submit these prior to camp, so the deadline is June 15th. Since some doctor's offices can be a challenge to get into, we recommend doing this ASAP. We will be sending continuous reminders.

• We had a bit of an advancement drought... But congrats on Michael B for getting Tenderfoot rank!!

• Liberty Memorial Event - Please RSVP ASAP. We have submitted a placeholder form and indicated 10 scouts. Cutoff is Thursday, May 14th (They will be sending us information on the 15th). On Memorial Day, May 25th, the scouts decided they WILL be placing 441 wreaths at the 2026 Memorial Day ceremony. The wreaths symbolize the 441 Kansas City residents who died serving our country in WW1. The ceremony is at 10:00 am at Liberty Memorial, but scouts should plan to arrive by 9:15am. Due to the World Cup preparations, there is limited parking. Participants are strongly encouraged to take the KC Streetcar to the event. Each participating Scout will receive water, a light snack, and an exclusive commemorative patch. More info can be found on this FAQ.
  Feel free to meet us at Liberty Memorial, but we will accompany any scouts (and parents) who wish to join us at the KC Streetcar from the Plaza Stop (near Winstead's) at approximately 8:40. This gives us enough time to check in before 9:15 (cars depart every 10-15 minutes, so we plan to catch one leaving around 8:45). We will get off at the WWI Museum and Memorial stop.
  After the ceremony concludes at noon, we will take the streetcar back to the Plaza, hopefully by 12:30, where you can pick up your scout. A group will be grabbing lunch at Winstead's, so any scout (and parent) who wants to stay and join us before heading home is more than welcome. Please send your scout with some $$$ if they wish to join.
  Scouts and uniformed parent volunteers should be in Class A uniform and have appropriate sun protection (hats/sunscreen). Participating scouts will be given water and a light snack prior to the ceremony. Note, per the FAQ, "Troop leaders or designated chaperones will supervise scouts before and after the Ceremony at a ratio of no more than 1 adult per 4 scouts, as gathering space is limited. All other accompanying adults and families will be seated with the general public to enjoy the Ceremony. Instructions for reconnecting with scouts afterward will be included in the May 15 email."
  Detailed info to be sent out by the organizers on May 15. More info and FAQ here: https://www.theworldwar.org/2026-memorial-day-wreath-laying
  SO WE MAY GET AN ACCURATE HEADCOUNT AND YOUR CONTACT INFO, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, and indicate in the comment on the RSVP any other details like "parent coming with scout," "we'll meet you at the Memorial" or the like: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F4CAEAA2BA6FA7-63951123-troop 

• Some backpacking information - May 16th will be a ONE NIGHT campout. We will be going to the Poosey Conservation Area. We will be hiking 5-6 miles from a location into our campsite. We will be meeting at Keystone Church at 9am on Saturday May 16th. This is about a 2 hour drive and we would love to get out on the trail before the hottest part of the day. We plan to go to the campsite (to secure a campsite and drop off any gear), drive to the trail head, and hike back to the campsite. Adults will carpool to collect vehicles later. Scouts should probably start packing/gathering ASAP. A helpful checklist is located here in the Backpacking Campout section. Remember that they will be carrying this load for ~5-6 miles. Be considerate of weight and pack plenty of water (minimum 2qt). Aldi sells some cheap electrolyte packets that taste pretty good, also.
  Current weather is looking a little... damp. Isolated T-Storms (only .25") with ~5mph winds from about 7pm-5am, high of ~87F. Consider bringing a poncho or liner for your backpack. Overall, it looks like fun!

• Finally - There was a troop backpack left after the meeting on Monday. If your scout is missing their troop supplied backpack, contact Brian (816-726-5394) to arrange pickup. DO THIS ASAP. Again, do not wait until Saturday morning.

Did we miss something important? Want to add something to future meetings? Contact us! 

See past meeting minutes HERE

UPCOMING EVENTS (2026)

June SIGN UP HERE

• • Campsite: Knob Noster State Park

  • Activity: Fishing/Service Campout

  • Depart: 5pm Friday, June 19th from Keystone

  • Return:  ~11am Sunday, June 21st

  • Estimated Cost: $25

July

• • H Roe Bartle Scout Reservation

  • Session #4

  • Sawmill (Walnut campsite)

    • Depart: Monday, July 6th from Keystone

    • Return: Wednesday, July 15th

August

• • Campsite: Undetermined

  • Activity: Canoeing Campout

  • Depart: ?Time? Friday, Aug 21st from Keystone

  • Return:  ?Time? Sunday, Aug 23st

  • Estimated Cost: 

September

• • Campsite: Undetermined

  • Activity: Caving Campout

  • Depart: ?Time? Friday, Sept 18th from Keystone

  • Return:  ?Time? Sunday, Sept 20th

  • Estimated Cost: 

PAST EVENTS (2026)

January

• Activity: Ice Skating (General)

• Location: KC Ice Center

• Time: January 17th @ 1:15pm - 2:45pm

• Estimated Cost: $10 +$5 for skate rental (Inquiring about a group discount)

February

• • Campsite: Lake Jacomo (one night)

  • Activity: Regular Campout

  • Depart: 9am of Saturday, Feb 21st from Keystone

  • Return: 1-3pm of Sunday, Feb 22nd

  • Estimated Cost: $5

  • Notes: Campsite #8 - No water available during offseason

March

• • Campsite: Watkins Mill State Park (TWO nights)

  • Activity: Regular Campout

  • Depart: meet @5pm Friday, Mar 13th from Keystone

  • Return: ~11am Sunday, Mar 15th

  • Estimated Cost: $30

  • Notes: Campsite #1 "First on the left"

    • Includes a Tour of the Mill ONLY (3pm, arrive in the visitors center at 2:15pm)

April

• • Campsite: Bruce's place - 7015 NE 600 Rd, Osceola, Mo 64776 (ONE night)

    • See email with a map where Google Maps leaves off

  • Activity: Survival Campout

  • Depart: 10am Saturday, April 18th from Keystone

  • Return: ~11am Sunday, April 19th

  • Estimated Cost: $10

  • Notes: This is less a 'Survival' and more 'Pioneering' where the boys forego tents and build a shelter to sleep in. Lots of great knot tying application!

May

• • Campsite: Poosey Conservation Area (ONE night)

  • Location: Chillicothe, Mo

  • Activity: Backpacking

  • Depart: 9:00am Saturday, May 16th from Keystone

  • Return:  ~11:00am Sunday, May 17th

  • Estimated Cost: ~$15 (Food only)