Scoutmaster Minute

Getting out into Nature, seeing some history and enjoying fellowship of other Scouts are some of the reasons why we are active in this program.  This week we walked over five miles across the Manassas Battlefield along “Blue Trail” dotted with historic canon, fences, and buildings; spotting all kinds of signs of animals and plants along the way.  We saw evidence of deer, dogs, raccoons, snakes, turtles and more.  We identified honeysuckle, white clover, sycamore tree, and many more plants.  Scouts navigated our path and made sure we arrived at our planned end point.  The ability to find our way and know what we are seeing along the way brings the sense of accomplishment and understanding that we do belong out on the dirt path, not just the paved sidewalks.

Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.

– John Muir

Photos

Manassas National Battefield Park, 5-mile Hike with Crew 893

 

Next week – 5/24 – Troop Meeting (8-9pm)

Uniform: Class A (tan shirt)

Location: CUMC chapel

Review outstanding requirements, plan out upcoming meetings

Review Summer Camp Shakedown items

 

Shed Cleanout (quartermasters) – 6/1

Uniform: Class B (troop t-shirt)

Location: CUMC Activity field (troop shed)

Troop 893 quartermasters will be cleaning out and reorganizing the shed

 

Annual Troop 893 Canoe Trip – May 24-26 

Uniform: Class B (troop t-shirt) for travel

WHAT:  The Troop’s biggest, most fun-filled event, the 46th Annual Memorial Day Family Canoe Trip, May 24-26, 2019.

WHERE:  South fork of the Shenandoah River, near Bentonville, Virginia with the Downriver Canoe Company.

WHO:  All Troop 893 registered Scouts (girls troop and boys troop), former Troop members, all Venturing Crew 893 registered Venturers, their families.  This is a family event, but because it is also a Scout event, ALCOHOL IS NOT ALLOWED.

Transportation, camping, grubmaster duties, cooking, cleanup, and canoeing or kayaking are done by families (or arranged by families), not by the Troop or by patrols.

WHEN:  Set up camp before nightfall Friday, eat, sleep, canoe, and be home on Sunday evening.

See 5 May email from Committee Chair Paul Taylor for campout details, forms, and schedule.  This is a great opportunity for new scouts to earn  requirement First Class 2 for cooking.

Tips for First Time Canoe Trippers:

  1. If the sun can see it, the sun will burn it.
  2. Weara wide-brim hat. The general flow of the river is northward, so the back of your neck will burn.
  3. Wear along sleeve shirt. Your forearms will end up in the water from paddling and any sunscreen will wash off. We usually get them wet as well to keep us cool.
  4. Bring 2 towels each. One of these will be kept dry and used for drying off. The other will be purposefully dunked in the river and then draped over your legs to keep them out of the sun and cool.
  5. Anything that isn’t waterproof will get wet.
  1. Anything that isn’t tied to the canoe, will end up down river.
  • Dry bags can be clipped to the thwarts.
  • Bring some string for your water bottles (paracord and carabiners work wonders).
  1. It’s in canoe, not a lazy-boy. Bring a kneepad or a piece of foam for the seat. Bring some bungee cords to secure it (see rule 3).
  1. Being unarmed makes you a victim, not a non-combatant.

Bring a water gun. This style is recommended: https://www.amazon.com/Boley-Super-Water-Blaster-Soaker/dp/B079ZWB3PM/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1558305267&sr=1-17&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&dpPl=1&dpID=51fgclytxwL&ref=plSrch

5 & Below store usually has some inexpensive ones of this type. They are also great for helping to bail out the canoe!

Water – bring your own. Most adults should have 3-4 liters per day. How much is needed for camping depends on heat (hotter = drink more for hydration), what is cooked etc.  Grocery stores have gallon containers that are handy.  Be sure to have plenty of drinking water in your canoe too (expect close to 2 liters per person)

Parking – this isn’t car camping with cars parked next to tent pads.  There are no tent pads (a mown field with lots of trees), and parking is in another field across a dirt road, roughly the distance of parking lot to CUMC chapel (see map in Mr. Taylor’s 5 May email).  A wagon can come in quite handy….

Meals – are at campsite for dinner and breakfast, lunch is on the river bank.  Consider that breakfast will need to be prepped, eaten, and cleaned in time for 8:30am formation and departure for loading point.  Snacks in the canoe are a good idea! May not want to load all snacks into one canoe that you can’t reach for the rest of the trip if you have multiple canoes in the family… (oops)

 

Upcoming Service Opportunities

Providing service is a key part of Scouting, to do our daily good turn. Helping others often in turn helps ourselves with new experiences and opportunities for growth. This is built into requirements for most ranks. I’m adding a new section to the weekly notes to list any upcoming service opportunities that may help the Community, and progress in your  trail to Eagle.

  • CUMC Grace Ministries is a monthly program through our charter organization held on the 2nd Saturday of each month, with prep the Friday night before hand, help is needed at both the Friday set up and on Saturday morning to bring goods to cars

 

Key Dates (mark your calendar)

also available from Troopmaster subscription calendar

May 24-26: Troop 893 Annual Family Canoe Trip campout

June 2 – Benjamin Power’s Eagle Court of Honor

June 4: Summer Camp Shakedown (all paperwork due)

June 23-29: Summer Camp at Goshen Scout Reservation, Camp Olmsted

July 2 – first meeting we begin meeting every Tuesday 7-8:30pm