Scoutmaster Moment

The theme for meetings for the next month is Klondike Prep.  The Sully District Klondike campout and competition is next month.  Stations are likely to include standard scout skill activities, so we prep by working on knots (last week) and first aid (this week), later we have fire building and more.  These are key Scouting skills to know and master. We expect these skill to serve us well at campouts, in competitions with fellow scouts such as Klondike, and some sometimes Scouts draw on these skills at other times.  Most of us have had an opportunity to use basic first aid skills on ourselves, or to assist others.  Below is a link to an article in Scouting Magazine about Scouts in the vicinity of Pearl Harbor after Dec 7 1941 that I mentioned at last week’s meeting. Their basic Scout skills helped their community recover after the day that lived in infamy, and to prepare for expected further onslaught.  While I hope our skills are never needed on this scale, Scouts have a history of assisting after natural and man-made disaster and I know members of this troop also have skills to assist should the need arise.

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2016/12/07/after-pearl-harbor-was-attacked-boy-scouts-sprang-into-action/ 

Be Prepared… the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise.
-Robert Baden-Powell

 

Photos – Scouts singing the State Song at completion of game at meeting, and from Klondike Sled Build

TROOP MEETING OUTLOOK

This Week – 12/17 – Troop Meeting
Uniform: Class A
Location: CUMC Chapel

  • Preparation for Klondike: First Aid run by Caitlin & Elena
  • Should include 1st Aid skills required for Tenderfoot-1st Class 
  • Look in Program Resources for ideas: http://www.programresources.org/activities/
  • Should be fun!

Year End (close of 2019, start of 2020):

  • Dec 24, Jan 31 – Winter Break (no meetings)  
  • Jan 7 – Klondike Prep
  • Jan 14 – Klondike Shakedown / Fire building (on Activity Field)
  • Jan 17-19 – Sully District Klondike
  • Jan 21 – Patrol Night (no troop meeting)

Meeting Outlook from Fall Planning

  • December – January Theme – Klondike Skills
  • February – Scouting Through Time
  • March – Fun with Fire
  • April – Back 2 Basics

 

OTHER NEWS & INFO

Merit Badge Opportunities

Anyone interested in beginning on the Personal Fitness MB should speak with Ms. Kathy and Ms. Staton.  We are discussing an opportunity to gather needed metrics starting after Winter Break, this would be outside our normal meeting time.  This is an Eagle Required MB that requires keeping a log of your activities for 3 months.  Knocking it out early is a great idea, having encouragement from others is even better.
More info on the badge: http://usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/mb010.asp 

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. This section is to list any upcoming service opportunities that may help the Community, and progress in your trail to Eagle, this list is not inclusive and there are many other activities in the area that are also worthwhile.  Activities listed here are Scoutmaster approved, if you have other activities you would like to do be sure to check with me if you would like them to count towards scout service requirements.

  • 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
    • More info can be found under Grace Ministries on the CUMC Food Ministries page: http://centreville-umc.org/serve-outreach/food-ministries/
  • Camp Snyder Work Days – Camp Snyder is located in Haymarket and has two work crew days each month where volunteers can help with camp maintenance doing carpentry, painting, trail maintenance…  This can be done as an individual or as small groups.  Let me know if you are interested  in providing service (or if a group wants to go together) and I can provide recent announcements. 

 

Key Dates (mark your calendar)
also available from Troopmaster subscription calendar

  • Dec 24, Jan 31 – Winter Break (no meetings)
  • Jan 17-19 – Klondike Derby
  • Apr 24-26 – New Scout Campout (possible conflict may require date change)
  • May 22-24 – 893 Annual Family Canoe Trip
  • Jul 5-11 – Summer Camp (Summit Bechtel)
  • TBD – Astronomy MB stargazing will be rescheduled