Scoutmaster Moment

Today Governor Northam shifted the state’s suggestion to stay at home to an order to do so. Residents may leave home for specific essential activities (supplies, medical care, exercise, work).  This extraordinary step is to limit the spread of this virus and allow our health system to help all who come.  Please don’t go out unless you need to, and maintain distance if you do.  

Once upon a time the idea of being home and not having to go anywhere sounded great when we had so many places to run off to for Scouts, sports, early to rise for school…  Too much of a good thing can be overwhelming, and these circumstances aren’t ideal, but we control how we react and use our time well each of us should work to do your best.  Help around the house, work on rank skills and merit badges, review class material to be ready for distance learning next month. Exercise is important, the days are warming and flowers blooming which makes for lovely walks.

 

Nothing external to you has any power over you.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photos – Our 2nd Virtual Meeting included Kahoot! first aid game and breakout for a Scoutmaster conference

 

TROOP MEETING OUTLOOK

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and compliance with the need for social distancing, in-person troop meetings are on hold. Please see the 3/14 joint email from Mr. Morley for more details and 893 plans for this Spring. Leadership continues to discuss the situation and work towards continuing Scouting now, and and when we can meet again in person. For now, we are looking at options for some leadership training to be online and cancelling our Court of Honor and the New Scout Campout until we can meet – more to come.

We will complete the BSA CyberChip over this week to ensure all Scouts understand the impacts, and risks, of online activities. The idea is to continue to meet virtually even if we cannot meet in person. Why allow a little virus-induced world disruption impede our Scouting?

WHAT: CyberChip s a BSA program to educate youth about today’s increasingly technological world, and most importantly how to stay safe within it. The Cyber Chip is required for the Star Scout rank and the Programming Merit Badge. 
This is completed annually within Troop 893 to complement our Electronics Policy which also must be signed by every Scout.

WHO: All Scouts & Parent/Guardian (no exceptions)

HOW: Complete the age/grade based requirements in the attached workbook. Sign name in the green box for requirement 1.

WHEN: Should be signed by the Scout and Parent/Guardian on or before April 3, 2020.
 

This Week – 3/24 – **VIRTUAL** Troop Meeting

Uniform: Class A – tan button down
Location: Zoom App, meeting code: 760-623-607

This week’s topic will be towards completion of the BSA CyberChip requirements.  This will via meeting activities, and a portion including worksheet and videos to be completed independently. The worksheet is attached and includes links to the videos – this should be completed by 3 April and has parental involvement.

Important – ALL scouts should participate in this CyberChip meeting

Council has recommended some settings for Zoom use, these are now implemented on our meeting template.

  • Private chats in Zoom are disabled (chat feature still there but includes everyone in meeting)
  • Waiting Room is enabled, the meeting host will start the meeting and bring everyone in
  • Meetings will not be locally recorded

Our meeting begins at 7pm, the online joining will be enabled at 6:45.  It can be run from your browser or the app (app is generally recommended) from your phone or a laptop (laptop makes some activities easier).

 

THINGS TO DO FROM HOME

Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI)  4/3-5

This event is normally held in the Fall in conjunction with Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) where Scouts can use radio equipment to talk with people around the world and computers to do activities online, but this year a special “JOTI” will happen April 3-5 to allow Scouts to meet up and still keep our social distancing. More info will become available at this link: https://www.jotajoti.info 

Merit Badges

See my 3/21 email for info on how merit badges work, and the troop process for opening a badge 

  • Finish open badges from MBU (or others)
  • Start a new badge (talk to me to formally open it).  
  • Good candidates are those that include tracking activities over many weeks, such as Family Life  Personnel Fitness  and Personal Management
  • Public Health is a highly relevant topic one now (and perhaps appropriate to earn during a pandemic)
  • Our troop has many councilors available to work with you using technology, and across NCAC and further others are offering to assist scouts with badges to help keep everyone busy (not bored)  

Rank Advancement

Review your Scout Handbook, work on your skills so you can get items signed off.  You can discuss with other scouts too. 

Read a book, so many to choose from!  

Here are some suggestions:

  • Lost on a Mountain in Maine, Donn Fendler – true story of a 12 year old scout lost for 9 days
  • My Adventures as a Spy, Robert Baden-Powell
  • List of books to read from Boys Life magazine
  • What books do you suggest??

 

OTHER NEWS & INFO

2021 National Jamboree – 21-30 July 2021, Bechtel Summit Reserve, WV

The BSA National Jamboree occurs every four years for 10 days and is held at the same location as our 2020 summer camp. As a national event there are scouts from all over the country, and some international scouts may participate.

  • Registration is now open, anyone interested must register as an individual and Jamboree Troops are formed by each Council.
  • A participating Scout must be at least 12 by the first day, and cannot be older than 18 by the last day.
  • Adults can register as leaders for a Council-formed troop, or to volunteer to help work camp.  Young adults (18-25) can register to volunteer as well.
  • There are past Jamboree participants in the 893 Boy Troop (including Mr. Treat and DJ Treat), I’m sure they would be happy to talk about their adventures
  • Jamboree is 10 days of friends, fun and adventure, 7/21-30/2021.  Cost for participant is $1,175
  • Official website: https://jamboree.scouting.org 

 

Key Dates (mark your calendar)

also available from Troopmaster subscription calendar
(Most dates are dependent upon COVID-19 response)

  • Apr 4 – CUMC Spring Clean Up
  • Apr 14 – Spring CoH
  • May 1-3 – New Scout Campout (New Date)
  • May 22-24 – 893 Annual Family Canoe Trip
  • Jul 5-11 – Summer Camp (Summit Bechtel)