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

8/31/26 Meeting Minutes

• Lots of activity this weekend (And some dodgeball!). Older scouts are focusing on merit badge acquisition while the younger members are looking at early sign offs.

• Reminder for some items sent last week (It was a long email!)

  • Campouts for 2027 Scout Year - For the most part, occurring on the 3rd weekend of every month.
    10/16 (Lake Jacomo), 11/13 (Feast), 12/11 (Service), 01/15 (Laser Tag), 02/19, 03/19, 04/16, 05/21 (June TBD)

  • Bartle Session for 2027 will be targeted for June 23-July 2

• Congrats to Titus C and Sam P for picking up 2nd Class rank!

• September Outing - The final planned outing for 2026 will be a Caving campout on Saturday, August 19th. This is the same cave we have been to in 2022 and 2024 (Cleveland Cave). We will have a guide and a few other experienced cavers along this trip to assist. Our guide is planning to attend the September 14th meeting to provide more information on this experience. This will be a ONE NIGHT campout. We will leave Saturday (time TBD) and go caving Sunday morning. We are planning to be finished with caving at about noon on Sunday. Depending on if the troop wants to have lunch nearby, plan on ~3pm for return to Keystone. SIGN UP HERE. Here is a gear list:

  • Polyester or synthetic fiber clothes are best because they absorb the least water, you'd make it through this cave in jeans but denim is not recommended for caves. A sweatshirt or light jacket is recommended, no one should have their arms exposed.

  • Boots with good tread are a must.

  • Cheap gardening gloves, cloth with coating on the grip are fine. The kind you get in a box at Walmart or a hardware store.

  • Knee pads are a must, elbow pads recommended. Absolutely no velcro, they need to be volleyball slip on style pads or have buckle fasteners.

  • I use a 15L dry bag from idrybag, it was $15 on amazon but they don't make that exact model anymore. For any dry bag, it is important that it is 500D PVC thickness at least or it will probably rip. Marchway is another brand on amazon I've seen that looks good, I prefer a pack with 2 shoulder straps instead of one. An old small backpack would work for this cave but zippers stop working when they get muddy and aren't typically recommended. A full size school backpack is too big. A drawstring bag will rip and tear quickly.

  • For this cave I recommend bringing 2 water bottles and some protein snacks, not candy.

  • 2 lights in addition to the 1 light that comes with the loaner helmet. One handheld flashlight is fine but a second headlamp that is waterproof and has changeable batteries is recommended.

  • It is always recommended to bring enough batteries to last 3x the trip length, we'll probably be in this cave for around 2.5 hours so it is recommended to have 7.5 hours of battery life.

  • 4 AA Batteries for the headlamps.

• October Outing: The outing in October will be at Lake Jacomo. If you are able to organize this "easy lift" campout, we would love to hear from you! We have many experienced leaders that would be more than happy to help answer questions about how to get started with planning.

• Wreath Sales Fundraiser - Wreath sales order forms will be handed out starting next Monday 9/7. Final orders are due 10/26. More details related to ordering and payment will be shared next week. For each wreath a scout sells, $5 will go towards their Bartle costs.

• Note: We WILL be having a meeting next Monday, Labor Day.

8/24/26 Meeting Minutes

• Whew! We covered a lot! The committee meeting was a great success and we covered numerous topics (Technically, all of them!). For any person who missed out on the meeting, here are some notes:

  • Court of Honor - September 28th, this will occur during a normally scheduled meeting

  • Campouts for Scout Year - For the most part, occurring on the 3rd weekend of every month.
    10/16, 11/13, 12/11, 01/15, 02/19, 03/19, 04/17, 05/21 (June TBD)

  • Bartle Session for 2027 will be targeted for June 23-July 2 (3rd Session). As always, this is not a guarantee until we go through the draw process.
    Note: Camp Dates are here. If your Scout is unable to attend with us, they can always join another troop.

  • Chili Bingo Fundraiser set for 2/27/27 (Thank you to Tim Sweeny for volunteering to organize!)

  • Wreath sales information will be sent out when known (Thank you to Donn Breshears for volunteering to organize!)

  • Treasurer's Report - The Troop's account experienced a surplus of over $1k Year-over-Year. Chili Bingo 2027 may be directed towards supporting High Adventure, specifically.

  • Presentations for 2027/2028 High Adventure options (See attached)

    • Guided White water rafting (Dinosaur National Park 6-day or Arkansas River 5-day)

    • Hiking Appalachian Trail (6-Day Leader-guided)

    • Louisiana Swamp Base Canoeing (Atchafalaya Swamp 6/7-day)

  • High adventures will be presented to the scouts at the Sept 28th meeting. If you would like to champion a different High Adventure (like Philmont or Northern Tier), parents are welcome to do so!

  • Transition to new Scoutmasters and Committee Chair (Looking for volunteers - Current SM is going on 7 years!)

  • Addition of new members to Chartering Organization (Required to have at least 1 per campout. Reach out if interested, minimal involvement required)

  • Troop Cell Phone Policy (Meetings, Campouts, Bartle) - Troop is electing a NO Cell Phone policy

  • MOS Attendance Expectations

  • Integration with pack AOL

  • Increasing Leader engagement:

    • Allocation of campout POC/Leader attendance

    • Facebook page maintenance (Reach out if interested)

    • Website maintenance/information (Reach out if interested)

    • Ideas on how to engage more parents

• August Outing - The quick repayment of all costs was very appreciated. Only 1-2 stragglers that will be communicated with directly.

• September Outing - The final planned outing for 2026 will be a Caving campout on Saturday, August 19th. This is the same cave we have been to in 2022 and 2024 (Cleveland Cave). We will have a guide and a few other experienced cavers along this trip to assist. Our guide is planning to attend the September 14th meeting to provide more information on this experience. This will be a ONE NIGHT campout. We will leave Saturday (time TBD) and go caving Sunday morning. We are planning to be finished with caving at about noon on Sunday. Depending on if the troop wants to have lunch nearby, plan on ~3pm for return to Keystone. SIGN UP HERE. Here is a gear list:

  • Polyester or synthetic fiber clothes are best because they absorb the least water, you'd make it through this cave in jeans but denim is not recommended for caves. A sweatshirt or light jacket is recommended, no one should have their arms exposed.

  • Boots with good tread are a must.

  • Cheap gardening gloves, cloth with coating on the grip are fine. The kind you get in a box at Walmart or a hardware store.

  • Knee pads are a must, elbow pads recommended. Absolutely no velcro, they need to be volleyball slip on style pads or have buckle fasteners.

  • I use a 15L dry bag from idrybag, it was $15 on amazon but they don't make that exact model anymore. For any dry bag, it is important that it is 500D PVC thickness at least or it will probably rip. Marchway is another brand on amazon I've seen that looks good, I prefer a pack with 2 shoulder straps instead of one. An old small backpack would work for this cave but zippers stop working when they get muddy and aren't typically recommended. A full size school backpack is too big. A drawstring bag will rip and tear quickly.

  • For this cave I recommend bringing 2 water bottles and some protein snacks, not candy.

  • 2 lights in addition to the 1 light that comes with the loaner helmet. One handheld flashlight is fine but a second headlamp that is waterproof and has changeable batteries is recommended.

  • It is always recommended to bring enough batteries to last 3x the trip length, we'll probably be in this cave for around 2.5 hours so it is recommended to have 7.5 hours of battery life.

  • 4 AA Batteries for the headlamps.

• End of Summer Celebration - It has been a wonderful year! Keystone has invited the troop to an End of Summer celebration at the church on August 30th (this Sunday) from 12 noon until 2pm. They will have hot dogs, sides, and Betty Rae's! Join the fun! Show your support by arriving in Class B uniforms.

• Scout Sunday - This coming year, we will plan to participate in Scout Sunday. This occurs on Sunday, Feb 7th. This will be a time where scouts will attend the service and assist in various activities. It is a great way to show off the troop and spread the word of scouting. This is an excellent way to continue our partnership with the church who lets us use their facilities.

8/17/26 Meeting Minutes

• The boys had a great pool party! We had 5 Arrows of Light in attendance. Happy to have some younger boys show up.

• August Outing - Costs from this outing can be found in the attached image. Please make Venmo payments to @LaskerBrian (5394).

• September Outing - The final planned outing for 2026 will be a Caving campout on the weekend of the 19th. This is the same cave we have been to in 2022 and 2024 (Cleveland Cave). We will have a guide and a few other experienced cavers along this trip to assist. It should be a blast! We are in the process of gathering details and will communicate as we get them.

• Upcoming Committee Meeting - There will be a scheduled Committee Meeting on August 24th during the regularly scheduled Scout time. A common question that may be asked - Am I a committee member? The answer is YES! This meeting is meant for any/all parents of scouts or leadership who have vested interest in the troop (basically anyone reading this email). We just have a fancy name for the meeting. This is a pretty important meeting, so attendance is highly encouraged. Here is a rough list of topics (There are a lot, probably won't get through them all):

  • Set troop dates for:

    • Court of Honor

    • Campouts for Scout Year

    • Target Bartle session 2027

    • Chili Bingo 2027

  • Firm up plans for wreath sales

  • Treasurer's Report

  • Presentations for 2027/2028 High Adventure options

  • Transition to new Scoutmasters and Committee Chair

  • Addition of new member to Chartering Organization

  • Troop Cell Phone Policy (Meetings, Campouts, Bartle)

  • MOS Attendance Expectations

  • Integration with pack AOL

  • Increasing Leader engagement:

    • Allocation of campout POC/Leader attendance

    • Facebook page maintenance

    • Website maintenance/information

    • Ideas on how to engage more parents

8/10/26 Meeting Minutes

• Busy meetings are great... But how about that Hide and Seek? You know your spot is good when it extends across multiple games (Billy was hiding in the bushes, btw!). The boys quickly got to work this evening working on logistics for the upcoming canoeing campout followed by some outdoor hide and seek fun.

• August Outing - The next campout will be canoeing at Niangua River. This is planned to be a ONE NIGHT campout. We will meet at Keystone August 15th at 8am !Important! It was communicated we were meeting at 9am at Keystone this evening. That was a mistake and should be 8am !! The problem with organizing and communicating etc. It is about a 2hr 45 min drive from Keystone, so we will want to hit the road ASAP to maximize the canoeing time (aiming to depart at 8:30am). Approximate cost is ~$30 per scout. Note: Waivers are NOT necessary for this outing.
  Scouts (13)

  • • Patrick S

    • Josh B

    • Luke L

    • Titus C

    • Britton J

    • Michael B

    • Billy M

    • Billy K

    • William B

    • Eli D

    • Mario R

    • Forrest D

    • Martin N

Leaders (4) - Brian L, Stephanie K, Chris D, Sheldon V

• Special Meeting - For the Troop Meeting occurring on Aug 17th, we will be having a pool party! This event will occur at former Troop 50 alum's home, Mike Lochmann. Huge thanks to him for allowing the troop to party in his pool and thanks to Bruce for setting this up. Address is 1020 W 55th St, Kansas City, MO 64113. This meeting will occur at the normal time (7-8:30ish). Advancement aside... there will be swimming!

• September Outing - The final planned outing for 2026 will be a Caving campout on the weekend of the 19th. This is the same cave we have been to in 2022 and 2024 (Cleveland Cave). We will have a guide and a few other experienced cavers along this trip to assist. It should be a blast! We are in the process of gathering details now and will communicate as we get them.

• Upcoming Committee Meeting - There will be a scheduled Committee Meeting on August 24th. This is a pretty important one, so attendance is highly encouraged. Here is a rough list of topics (There are a lot, probably won't get through them all):

  • • Set troop dates for: 

      • • Court of Honor

        • Campouts for Scout Year

        • Target Bartle session 2027

        • Chili Bingo 2027

    • Firm up plans for wreath sales

    • Treasurer's Report

    • Presentations for 2027/2028 High Adventure options

    • Transition to new Scoutmasters and Committee Chair

    • Addition of new member to Chartering Organization

    • Troop Cell Phone Policy (Meetings, Campouts, Bartle)

    • MOS Attendance Expectations

    • Integration with pack AOL

    • Increasing Leader engagement:

      • Allocation of campout POC/Leader attendance

      • Facebook page maintenance

      • Website maintenance/information

      • Ideas on how to engage more parents

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

See past meeting minutes HERE

UPCOMING EVENTS (2026)

September

• • Campsite: Cleveland Cave (just outside Osceola)

  • Activity: Caving Campout

  • Depart: Saturday, Sept 19th from Keystone

  • Return: ?Time? Sunday, Sept 20th

  • Estimated Cost: $15

October 10/16

• • Campsite: Lake Jacomo

  • Activity: ??

  • Depart: ??

  • Return: ??

  • Estimated Cost: 

November 11/13

• • Campsite: Undetermined

  • Activity: Feast in the Forest

  • Depart: ??

  • Return: ??

  • Estimated Cost: 

December 12/11

• • Campsite: ??

  • Activity: Service Campout

  • Depart: ??

  • Return: ??

  • Estimated Cost: 

January 01/15/27

• • Campsite: Undetermined

  • Activity: Lazer Tag

  • Depart: ??

  • Return: ??

  • Estimated Cost: 

February 02/19/27

• • Campsite: Undetermined

  • Activity: ??

  • Depart: ??

  • Return: ??

  • Estimated Cost: 

March 03/19/27

• Campsite: Undetermined

• Activity: ??

• Depart: ??

• Return: ??

• Estimated Cost: 

April 04/16/27

• • Campsite: Undetermined

  • Activity: ??

  • Depart: ??

  • Return: ??

  • Estimated Cost: 

May 05/21/27

• • Campsite: Undetermined

  • Activity: ??

  • Depart: ??

  • Return: ??

  • 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)

June

• • 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: 10am Monday, July 6th from Keystone

    • Return: ~11:30am Wednesday, July 15th

August

• • Campsite: Hidden Valley Outfitters (Niangua River)

  • Activity: Canoeing Campout

  • Depart: 8am Saturday, Aug 15th from Keystone

  • Return: ~11:30am Sunday, Aug 16th

  • Estimated Cost: $30 each