Scoutmaster Moment

Between Winter Break and the recent snow it will have been almost a month since our last meeting together. Winter snows have always been a time I enjoy watching the flakes fall, the snow pile up on the ground and cover the trees in a quiet blanket. The falling snow muffles sounds and brightens the landscape, making the night much brighter.  As we grow older sometimes we focus overly much on the fact that snow throws off our plans, makes us break out shovels and ice scrapers.  Enjoy the forced break on routine and use the time to notice the scenery.  Use the time to read a book and perhaps catch up on a task that has been allowed to slip.

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.   
His house is in the village though;   
He will not see me stopping here   
To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   
To stop without a farmhouse near   
Between the woods and frozen lake   
The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   
To ask if there is some mistake.   
The only other sound’s the sweep   
Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   
But I have promises to keep,   
And miles to go before I sleep,   
And miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost

Photos – From this week’s local paper

TROOP MEETING OUTLOOK

This Week – 1/14 – Troop Meeting
Uniform: Class B (dress for weather)
Location: CUMC Activity Field

Due to missing last week’s meeting for snow, we must complete all the Klondike prep in this week’s meeting

  • Preparation for Klondike 
  • shakedown – grubmaster selection (remember this grubmaster duties are part of some rank advancement requirements)
  • Finalize station for competition
  • Fire Building challenge and final preparation for Klondike
  • Bring $15 for grubmaster
  • We will need a headcount of all scouts and adults camping this weekend (all or part) so we can complete registration.  Adult support will be needed for the station

This Week – 1/17-19 – Sully District Klondike Derby
Uniform: Class A/B
Location: Camp Snyder (meet at CUMC)

Annual Sully District Klondike Derby, a competition with district Troops and some Crews. This year’s theme is Ice Zombies. Saturday will be a day of different stations to earn points based on ability to complete challenges using Scout Skills (including a chili cookoff)

  • MUST turn in signed permission slip to SPL (or acting SPL) Friday before departing to camp (attached)
  • Dress for weather (layers!)
    • Staying dry is important, have rain gear
  • Be prepared for cool nights 
    • new clean clothes (next day’s base layer)
    • hat, dry socks
    • sleeping pad
    • sleeping bag rated at 20 degrees (additional blankets can help)
    • see attached Sleeping Warm tips

As with all campouts, we will depart from CUMC and arrive back to CUMC on Sunday.  All scouts are to assist the quartermasters for departure and on return.  Scouts will be dismissed by SPL on Sunday.

Next Week – 1/21- Patrol Night
Uniform: Class B (dress for weather)
Location: TBD

  • Patrol needs to decide on an activity and inform the Scoutmaster, Patrol Leader should coordinate with the patrol for this

 

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

University of Scouting – 2/29 – training opportunity for interested adults

Our council has an annual training event early each Spring.  It is a full day of training for leaders, with different topics offered across 6 different sessions. Lunch is included with registration fee.  “U of S” is broken into different colleges for each program, participants can attend sessions in any “college” – there are way more interesting sessions that I saw this year than had time to sign up for.  Registration is open now, and some sessions will fill early.  More info: https://www.ncacbsa.org/training/university-of-scouting/ 

Feel free to talk with me if you have any questions and are interested in attending!

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 

Merit Badge University info will be coming out shortly, stay tuned and be sure to sign up for badges you are interested in when announced

 

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.
  • Sully District Twilight Camp –  June 24-28  – The district has run a Cub Scout camp the past couple of years one week of the summer, in the evening.  This is volunteer run by both adults and scouts.  Organizers this year are particularly interested in some of the scouts from the two new Girl Troops participating.  There is an interest meeting planned on 1/23. 

 

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

  • 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