Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne is hosting the North Texas U.S. Service Academies Forum on April 25 in Southlake at the Carroll Senior High School Performing Arts Center. Students from all school districts across North Texas are welcome. Check out the website in the graphic for more information. Students, parents, mentors, and guidance counselors are encouraged to attend to learn more about our nation's service academies, requirements for admission, and the selection process.

https://vanduyne.house.gov/military-academy-nominations  

Members of Congress may nominate candidates for appointment to four of the five U.S. service academies: U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, NY; the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, CO; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point, NY. The fifth service academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), New London, CT, does not require a congressional nomination for appointment. 

Representative Van Duyne may nominate up to ten individuals for each vacant academy slot allotted to our district.  

Troop 928 Campout Schedule for School Year 2025-2026

UT Arlington College of Engineering
Saturday 04-25-2026
8:00 AM CT to 4:00 PM CT

Join us for a one-of-a-kind STEM Merit Badge College hosted at The University of Texas at Arlington. This premium, hands-on experience is designed to go beyond a traditional merit badge class by giving Scouts the opportunity to learn in a real college environment, work alongside top engineering students, and explore future STEM pathways.

Participants will spend the day on the UTA campus engaging in immersive, hands-on learning led by members of IEEE-HKN, the international honor society recognizing top engineering students. Throughout the program, Scouts will gain exposure to college labs, real-world engineering concepts, and potential career paths in STEM fields.

Every program track includes a significant hands-on component, and Scouts will build and take home real technology and project materials related to their badge. These are not typical classroom activities. Participants will leave with meaningful projects such as robotics builds, computer setups, electronic devices, engineering kits, or scientific models that reinforce what they learned during the day

Merit Badge Offerings: Electronics, Electricity, Digital Technology, Engineering, Nuclear Science, Programming, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics

Register at this link. https://scoutingevent.com/662-STEM 

This year, we are going to be heading to Camp Strake in the Sam Houston National Forest, located outside of Coldspring, TX. There is a lot of tree canopy in the forest, given the dense Texas pine and hardwood forest it is located in. Most campsites, trails, and program areas are shaded.

Camp Stake is about 3 1/2 hours from Southlake, so we will be able to make it this year without stopping overnight on the way there.

We will be leaving Southlake on Sunday morning, June 14, 2026, and returning on Saturday afternoon, June 20, 2026, so put it on your calendar now if you are interested in attending.

This camp has been newly built from the ground up and has received excellent reviews from many Scoutmasters we have spoken to. It was literally finished in 2020 and has excellent new facilities.

Camp Stake offers 56 Merit Badges with 8 being Eagle! They have a state-of-the-art aquatics center with a four-lane, Olympic-size swimming pool with water polo, water basketball, and a water climbing tower. They have a 40-foot rock wall climbing tower with a double zip line that traverses the 28-acre lake. 11 miles of trails for walking, biking, and ATVs.

Scout Account balances have been updated Jan 2, 2026. See link under the left menu.

Events can't be partial paid with these amounts or a refund can be processed via Zelle.

If you have any questions reach out to Mr. O'Donnell.

Please be on the lookout for emails from "Scouting America" with membership renewal instructions. Please open these emails and follow the steps to renew your scout or your own membership with Scouting America. 

Once you have made your renewal payment to Scouting America please make a payment to Troop 928 of $150 for scouts and $25 for adults via PayPal or Zelle (links below). These payments are used to cover the cost of awards, gear, and other troop expenses for the scouts and adults.

PayPal account: T928treasurer@yahoo.com or Zelle account: t928treasurer@yahoo.com

If you are not sure if you got an email from Scouting America, please log into your my.scouting account to check your membership status. 

One last reminder...Please complete your Safeguarding Youth training. This is required for any adult wanting to attend an overnight event with any troop. It must be done every year now. 

Please reach out to Jeff Lee with any questions on renewals or membership.

Jeff Lee – New Member Coordinator Troop 928