MEETING TIMES 
Meetings = 7:00 - 8:30 
(1st, 2nd, 3rd Tuesday) 
PLC = 6:00 to 7:00 (4th Tuesday) 
Merit Badges by appointment.

Troop Tel: (707) 975-7152 
eMail:
Facebook:
Troop-27
Venture Crew 27
Photos: Click 'Photos' link here
Videos: Click 'Videos' link here


EVENT CALENDAR
JULY (Summer Camp)
  3 - Analy Cotton Candy Booth
  3 - Analy parade of flags
  4 - Fourth of July Flags 
(8:00 am on Main St., pickup 4:30 pm)
  4 - Analy field clean-up  
  5 - Special PLC (6:30-8:30 pm)
12 - NO MEETING
10 to 16 - Cutter Reservation (7 days)
19 - Mtg: Beach/Marine skills
26 - PLC (Aug plans)
29 - Fitness: Ridgeway swim night

AUGUST (Beach/Marine Camp)
  2 - Sebastopol Police Open House   
  9 - Mtg: Beach/Marine Camp Prep
13 - Beach/Marine Camp Day 1
14 - Beach/Marine Camp Day 2
16 - Mtg: Whitewater skills
19 - Fitness: Ridgeway swim night
20 - Summer COH
21 - REC Whitewater Rafting (Venture)
23 - PLC (Sept plans)
30 - Mtg: Whitewater skills

SEPTEMBER (Whitewater Camp)
  3 - ASM Quarterly Mtg 4Q11  
  5 - Labor Day flags 
  6 - Mtg: Whitewater skills
11 - NineEleven 10th Anniversary flags
13 - Mtg: Whitewater skills & prep
18 - Fun/Fitness Event
20 - Mtg: Spook camp skills?
23 - Whitewater Camp Day 1
24 - Whitewater Camp Day 2
25 - Whitewater Camp Day 3
27 - PLC (Oct plans)

OCTOBER (Spook Camp) 
 4 - Mtg: Whitewater RBT 
11 - Mtg: Dutch Oven cook-off
15 - Spook Camp Day 1
16 - Spook Camp Day 2
19 - Mtg: Spook Camp prep
25 - PLC (Nov plans)
30 - Fitness: hike, bike, swim, other..

NOVEMBER (Wilderness Camp)  
 1 - Mtg: First Aid
 8 - Mtg: Backpacking
12 - Wilderness Camp Day 1
13 - Wilderness Camp Day 2
15 - Mtg: RBT Wilderness
22 - PLC (Dec plans)
29 - Mtg: Games, Games, Games

DECEMBER (Snow Camp)
 3 - ASM Quarterly Mtg 1Q12
 6 - Mtg: Snow Camp skills
10 - Luminaria (Troop & Pack)
11 - Winter COH
13 - Mtg: Snow Camp skills
20 - Mtg: Snow Camp prep
27 to 30 - Snow Camp
* TBD time for PLC (Jan plans)

We will be camping in our neighborhood snow drift...

TUESDAY 12/27 TO FRIDAY 12/30
Depart Sebastopol Saturday ~ 00:00 am
Return Sebastopol Sunday ~ 00:00 pm

EVENT LEADERS
Kevin
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This is a great event for Cubs and Scouts. Each year we set a small paper lantern (commonly a candle set in some sand inside a paper bag) on each grave market. In the afternoon they are a beautiful sight to observe.

SATURDAY 12/10
Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Sebastopol, Saturday ~ 08:00 am ~ 10:00 am

EVENT LEADERS
Stephen
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We camped in the middle of an 800 acre ranch near Sebastopol. We hiked in all our gear and found our campsite on an elevated meadow with wonderful views. We shared the ranch with mountain lions, badgers, cattle, sheep, lama, coyote and other wildlife. We set up our camp and shelter using natural materials. In the evening we cooked our food over open coals and enjoyed smores around the campfire.

SATURDAY 11/12 TO SUNDAY 11/13
Depart Sebastopol Saturday ~ 08:00 am
Return Sebastopol Sunday ~ 12:00 pm

EVENT LEADERS
Stephen
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We camped with the ghosts 'n goblins somewhere special.. the woods near Sebastopol. We has Scouts from Troop 27 and Cubs from Pack 128 carving Jack-O-Lanterns before exploring the woods on a pre-set "scary" trail organized by the Scouts. Much later in the evening the boys slept under the stars.

SATURDAY 10/15 TO SUNDAY 10/16
Depart Sebastopol/Santa Rosa Saturday ~ 12:45 pm
Return Sebastopol/Santa Rosa Sunday ~ 12:00 pm

EVENT LEADERS
PLC and Scouts!
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Our 15 mile rafting adventure began in beautiful weather and with expectations of an exciting day on the river. Little did we know what was in store for us today!!!

The pace is fairly gentle to start, with some Class 2 rapids to warm up on and the guides give paddling instruction. Stephen planned to go down in a 'toy' inflatable kayak and on the very first rapid ran straight into a giant rock and capsized! He quickly recovered the kayak and jumped back into the festivities.
We continued down the river over a number of Class II rapids with the two rafts and one kayak navigating the waves and stacks beautifully. Stephen in the kayak, half full of water, went over another giant boulder and straight into a hole! Both popped up eventually and he 'rafted' down the river for about half a mile on top of the up turned kayak until he found his way to the bank.
We then entered the beautiful "Barking Dog" (Class II+), Current Divider (Class II+) and Highway Rapid (Class II). It was a thrill to see all craft plunge and rise from the water with nervous screams of excitement from the crews. 
At Swimmer's Rapid (Class II+), Alex and Ian decided to "take" the rapids by themselves. They jumped into the water and raced through the rapid in front of the rafts.
We pull into Greenwood Creek for a spot of lunch.

After a great lunch spread prepared by our talented parents at Greenwood Creek, we launch again. This is were things started to get a little interesting.
After Cable Corner (Class II) and Slick Lisa (Class II+) the rafts then enter the steep granite canyon, after the "Popsicle Tree, known as "The Gorge". The rapids now come fast and furious and they are all Class III or III+

Fowler's Rock and Upper Haystacks were our first taste of Class III rapids and we could tell that the pace of things had kicked up a gear or two. Next up was the Class III+ Satan's Cesspool. Here we will let the photos tell the story..

This is a true story. We had enjoyed the delight that is Satan's Cesspool and we were cheering our success. The powerful rush of water was supposed to carry us around the rocks and on to Deadman's Drop (Class III). That name  must have been an omen for Raft 27A today. Instead of going around the obstacles, our raft seemed determined to give us the thrill of a lifetime. It picked up speed, like a bolting horse, and rode straight toward a sheer "wall of granite"! Between the resistance of the granite and the force of the pounding water something had to give.. it was Raft 27A! 

Within a few seconds, as time began to move in slow-motion, Raft 27A climbed the face of this granite mountain until we were one with the great wall and perpendicular to the rushing water below. Then the bow of Raft 27A began to peel off the top of the wall and back down toward the rushing water, trapping the crew between the heavy raft and the rushing torrent of water and the rocks below! This was a wonderful bow to stern "flip-a-roo" with the classic raft "body smack" of the crew on the water. The water survival game begins!

For what seemed like forever we struggled to find our way out from under the raft, away from the rocks and back to the surface for oxygen. Heads, gasping for oxygen, and paddles began to pop up all over Satan's Cesspool and we searched to make sure everyone was safe. Everyone followed their training like professionals and we made our way to other rafts and the shore to safety, collecting floating paddles along the way. 

The other boats helped us flip Raft 27A and we began to re-assemble the newly baptized "adventure" crew of Raft 27A. Tim and Loren were down river somewhere, Tony and Eli were in the water up river, Carl was down river but making his way along the bank and Stephen, Dan, Julian and Kevin were back in Raft 27A picking up paddles and "survivors".

We had lost two paddles, including the guide's paddle, but our spirits were high. We recounted the events with a mixture of excitement and exhilaration. We have to apologize that the photos from this story cannot be shown as they may too "graphic" and "disturbing" for some viewers ;-)

After the thrill of Satan's Cesspool, or "The Pool" as we like to now call it now, Deadman's Drop, Scissors, Lower haystacks, Bouncing Rock and Double Dip came fast and furious. But now we were "seasoned" and rode the rapids to the extreme. However before we could reach the Recovery Room rapid we had to deal with the challenging Class III++ Hospital Bar rapid. Here we will let the pictures tell the story..