TO: Scoutmasters and Committee Chairman
COPE and Climbing Merit Badge.

To better serve the Scouts and Scouters in the Minsi Trails Council, Project COPE and Climbing Merit Badge
are being offered this summer in a unique and original way.

Both programs will be offered this summer on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday.) The COPE and Climbing staff
have put together a great weekend that will allow Scouts to participate in COPE or Climbing without taking away from their Summer Camp experience.

Over the past few years, attendance at COPE and climbing have declined at camp, making the continued operation
of this program area come into question. One of the reasons that Scouts have told us that they do not sign up
for COPE at Summer Camp is that it takes away from the time that they need to work on Merit Badges.

The Camping Committee and COPE committee have reviewed the issues around COPE and climbing and have
offered the following program to serve more Scouts and Scouters.

The advantages:

1. More Scouts can participate in COPE. (Any Scout in the Council can sign up
   or any out of council Troop going to camp this summer may sign up.)
2. It is on a weekend before or after summer camp, which makes it easy on troops.
3. By offering it on the Weekend, the Scouts can take COPE without it interfering
   in their other duties in the troop or merit badge work at camp.
4. Troops or individuals can sign up.
5. COPE is directed by a year round team of volunteers who are professionally trained
   and have experience directing COPE courses year round.

The requirements for COPE and Climbing are:

• Minimum age: 13
• Minimum group size per COPE event: 12 participants prepaid, signed parental Release and
  medical forms filled out. (Individuals may sign up as well, but a Course will need a minimum of
  12 participants to operate.)
• Minimum group size per Climbing event: 12 participants prepaid, signed parental Release and
  medical forms filled out. (Individuals may sign up as well, but a Course will need a minimum of
  12 participants to operate.)

Cost per participant: $ 35.00

COPE will run all day Saturday with challenge and high course. 8:00 AM till Sundown. COPE will continue events on Sunday.

Climbing merit badge would be all day Sunday. 8:00 AM till sundown.

Each participant in COPE will receive a patch, certificate of completion and A COPE shirt.

The climbing students will receive their completed blue card.

Hawkeye Cabin is the Summer Headquarters for COPE and Climbing.
The campsites adjacent to the cabin are the camping area for the COPE and Climbing participants.

For further information on COPE, Contact Richard Christ.