Troop Communication
There are three ways in which we try to keep our troop members and parents informed outside of the usual communication in troop meetings.
The GeneralInterest@troop28providence.com mailing list
All general communication to troop members and their parents is sent through this mailing list. When a scout joins, we add the family email addresses of which we are aware to the mailing list, but often more than one parent would like to be on the list and sometimes email addresses change. To add your address or make a change, send a request to webmaster@troop28providence.com.
As with all mailing lists, sometimes mailers think we are spam and will shunt email from our list to a Trash or Spam box. Do check for this from time to time, and create a filter to accept email from our list if you find this happening.
Conversely, if you have reached a point where you would rather not be receiving our email at a given address, simply click the Unsubscribe Automatically link at the bottom of a message sent by the list server. You can also contact webmaster@troop28providence and ask that your address be removed.
Anyone whose address is on the list can post a message to the list by simply addressing email to GeneralInterest@troop28providence.com. Some mailers are smart enough that they do not show the return message from our list which is a copy of what was sent. If you are concerned that your message did not go out, simply ask for verification from some other troop member you know. With about 120 members on our list now, it takes about a half hour before messages to all members are sent. Wait accordingly.
When you Reply to a message from the list, your response will be directed just to the person who sent the original message. Use Reply All if you intend your response to go to the entire list.
You can have multiple email addresses on the list (in cases, e.g., where you read multiple addresses, say work and home), but of course you will be receiving each message twice then.
When you post a message to the list from an address not on the list, the message is rejected and a note goes to the webmaster. The webmaster may recognize your address and get back to you with a question on how you want to proceed. You can have the address added to the list or resend your message from the address which is already on the list. If you have the new address added, you may (or may not) want your other address removed.
Note that communication sent to the GeneralInterest list should only be about Troop business or BSA matters. We explicity discourge sending commercial or political messages to the list even though the content may be deemed of “general interest” to troop members. For example, a notice about an REI equipment sale could be of interest to many list members, but should not be sent through GeneralInterest.
www.troop28providence.com/announcements
After each Troop Meeting, we try to send a message (to GeneralInterest@troop28providence.com) containing the announcements that were made at the troop meeting. A number of those announcements may have a more extended life on the troop announcements page at troop28providence.com/announcements. These announcements can be updated with new or additional information and serve as a reference point less ephemeral and less subject to burial than email.
A personal RSS feed for the items at troop28providence.com/announcements can be set up at the site.
The troop28providence.com website
Perhaps you are there already!
In addition to holding the announcements mentioned above, the website contains other information about the troop which could be of interest. There is a calendar showing troop meeting dates, outings, and other special events. There is a page describing our outings (in some cases a little out of date) and containing the general trip permission form that must be filled in for every trip. Also on that page is a link to a list of recommended personal gear (boots, backpacks, pants, etc.) to take on our outings. Another link goes to our collection of picture albums showing the troop in action on various trips and projects.
The overview page gives a top-level description of where to look for different types of information. On the other hand, a Google Advanced Search (or other advanced search) specifying the site or domainfield as troop28providence.com can often help to locate something specific. Our Roster and Administration pages, as well as some other resources only accessible by password, are not searchable.
Note: Troop members often take pictures at our events and those pictures are often passed along to our webmaster for use on this website. If you do not want a picture containing an image of you or someone in your family to appear on our site, please contact the webmaster so that he may refrain from doing so.
Explore the information on the site and send feedback to webmaster@troop28providence.com so the site can be improved.