Troop 315 February Newsletter

Troop 315 February Newsletter

Eagle Court of Honor

Well,  after a long time waiting, Hank Matthes, Danny Crouse, Tyler Stimmel and Cody Gerdeman had their Eagle Court of Honor.  Parents, scout leaders and community came together to celebrate their accomplishments and hard work as these young men walked the Boy Scout path with their brothers in scouting.   Very emotional and moments of the ceremony that will last in my memories were the point when all their moms and dads were on stage at the pinning of the medals.   An especially meaningful time was during Danny’s speech when he recognized Larry Bateson as his mentor and leader since his early days.  In his first year ,Danny was taught how to tie a tauntline by Mr. Bateson and asked to grab a leaf off a tree, testing his knot .  Danny told the story and presented it to his mentor as we all realized what scouting means to each boy who joins  in North Baltimore.    As a scout leader, I’ve been blessed to be part of  “all of it”.  I can see myself as an old person in the year 2060 something doing this:  maybe have a walker or caine by then but this is the mindset and scouting spirit in your Scoutmaster.     Thank you all

Winter Camporee

Are we ready ?   Troop 315 will be going to Camp Miakonda in Toledo February 3-5 for a Winter camp with our district.  Scouts will leave Friday at 5:30pm from the scout house and return Sunday around 10:00 – 10:45 ish   The troop will stay in a rustic cabin , heated by a wood/coal stove, with no modern amenities.. Sound fun?    Scouts will cook our meals and menu is as follows:  Friday – Cold cuts sandwiches, chips ::  Sunday Breakfast,  homemade biscuits and gravy ::  Lunch   Beef Noodles/ Mashed Potatoes/ veggie and dessert ::  Supper,  Homemade beef stew and Sunday breakfast,  Nickels  pastries, Choco milk.

Saturday will be filled with scout program such as,  snow show competition, sled races, geocaching, bear bag challenge,  sled balance, and snow snake.  Campfire and scout skits that evening.  Troop 315 will be performing a classic tune from the 1920’s  ” Shaving Cream”.  Feel free to look it up?

Scout awards ceremony

February 15  Wednesday..  We will have a rank and merit badge ceremony at the Virginia Theater in N.B.  This event will be open to the public with a free scout movie to follow.  Doors open at 6:00pm , Ceremony to start at 6:30pm and show to start at 7:00pm.  Please invite friends and family.  This ceremony will recognize all scouts who ranked up in class and earned merit badges from July 2016 to present.  Camporee patches , Eagle palms will also be recognized.   Scouts, please wear class A uniform to the event.

Camp Alaska

March 4-5 will be our annual Camp Alaska.  Location is Doc Roberts woods..  Scouts leave scouthouse at 8:00am Saturday and camp out in woods for 24 hours.  Requirements areas follows:   Make a shelter,  prepare your own food and fire,  pack and dress proper for winter survival,  hike 1/4 mile to location with all needed gear, and hike out.  Scouts will earn a patch for fulfilling all requirements for camp Alaska.  A BSA official will come out the campsite and inspect   Troop 337, Bloomdale has asked to join us this year   Scouts will be able to buddy up

We will teach winter survival skill through February in preparation for Camp Alaska.  A Note;  Scouts really know if they’re ready or properly prepared when night falls and sleeping in their shelters

Finances

Scout accounts  are all updated with correct balances, please email me to find out what your scout has in his account and with that : Fundraisers are a great way to have your scout earn money for all the program throughout the year.  A list of fundraisers we do;

Meat Stick sales/ Wreath sales/  G.I. breakfast at Armed Forces days,  Good Ol Summertime fest food booth,  Luckey fest food booth.  By participating in these fundraisers, scouts have earned $250.00 or more during a calendar year.  This helps mom and dad out when dues and camps come up

Summer camp details

Yes, it’s early in the year to think about   Fees for 2017 Early bird, in council scout camp is $277.00 Here is the link from Camp frontier
https://www.psrweb.org/content/13959/Fees-and-Meal-Plans.   Feel free to look at all summer camp has to offer.  I inform all parents in February so you have the option of spreading the cost over 4 months.  The early bird deadline is May 1,2017  .  4  payments would be $69.25 each month.  Scouts can use any and all their accounts for this .
Fees and Meal Plans | Camp Frontier | Pioneer Scout …<https://www.psrweb.org/content/13959/Fees-and-Meal-Plans>
www.psrweb.org
Meal Plans Plan A: Dining Hall. We will do all the cooking for you! Plan B: Patrol Cooking. The camp will provide the food and deliver it to your campsite.

For parents to look at.  Camp Frontier 2017 leaders  guide link:    https://www.psrweb.org/files/5713/2017-Camp-Frontier-Leaders-Guide-1-20-17
CONTINUED WORK ON: CAMP STEWARDS IMPROVEMENTS: Waste Water …<https://www.psrweb.org/files/5713/2017-Camp-Frontier-Leaders-Guide-1-20-17>
www.psrweb.org
I Camp Frontier 2017 CONTINUED WORK ON: CAMP STEWARDS IMPROVEMENTS: Waste Water Treatment Lagoons UPCOMING FALL PROJECTS: Expansion of the

In preparation for camp , scouts will need an annual BSA physical,  BSA part A,B,C must be completed annually for scout to participate in camps of 72 hrs or longer  ::  http://www.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-001_ABC.pdf.  These are due by June 1st,2017 and can be included in any checkup, sports physical, but must be signed by physician.  We keep them with us for all scouting events

We still have plenty of meat sticks in stock if you would like more to sell or buy.  Unfortunately,  this scoutmaster keeps them in his computer shop and temptation is leading to multiple in house sales of them.  e hem….

Do we all know who Sir Baden Powell was;

Lord Baden Powell (1857-1941) was a British general and founder of the modern Scouting movement.

He studied at Charterhouse school and served in the British army from 1876 -1910. He became a national hero during the Boer war of 1899-1900 when, with a small garrison, he commanded the defence of Mafeking.

It was during the Boer war that Baden Powell wrote down a guide to Scouting. Initially meant for military purposes, after the war he felt it could be used as a focus for young boys to give them more meaning in life.

First Scout Camp and Foundation of Scouting Movement

In August 1907, Baden Powell organised a trial scouting camp to be made up of 20 boys from a diverse social background. They spent a week on Brownsea island and it proved to be a great success.
From this initial starting point, the scouting movement soon blossomed and within a few years had become a national institution. In 1910, a parallel organisation, The Girl Guides was founded, and later run by his sister. The Scouting movement also became an international phenomena with scouting groups forming around the world. Unfortunately, the First World War temporarily destroyed much of this international feeling; instead the Scouts used much of their training in the trenches on the Western Front. However, in 1920, two years after the end of the First World War, an international scouting convention was held in Olympia where Baden Powell was declared Chief Scout.

He retired from the Scouting movement in 1937, in his last letter to the Scouts, he wrote:

“I have had a most happy life and I want each one of you to have a happy life too. I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness does not come from being rich, nor merely being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence.”

– Lord Baden Powell

Shawn Benjamin
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