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Scoutmaster Moment Next weekend marks the time for us to adjust our clocks and “fall back” one hour.  Remembering the time change, and adjusting all those clocks, can be challenging (I’m told electrical tape works wonders until it is removed in March to reveal the proper time again).  As a parent I admittedly relish the extra hour of sleep the fall time change affords me…  This week is All Hallows Eve, or as more commonly known: Halloween.  Enjoy your festivities, costumes, sweets in moderation.  Do be careful while out trick or treating, dark costumes are hard to see by many [...]

Scoutmaster Moment Many thanks this week go to Mr. Adam and Mrs. Alvarez for their efforts this week. Mr. Adam  presented more of the Astronomy Merit Badge, with a star gazing day coming up soon.  Mrs Alvarez  coordinated a table provided by the American Legion at Centreville Day for Scouts to show community presence and recruit more scouts to our troop.  Rowan, Christina, Rai, and Caitlin all helped out at the booth with an opportunity to see the parade and speak with many folks.  Caitlin helped the Rotarians dismantle their demonstration disaster displacement tent as a Good Turn.   What [...]

Scoutmaster Moment The troop had a very busy week!  At our Fall Court of Honor the BSA Charter for 893 Girls Troop was officially presented to Pastor Will of CUMC, and as our first year notes we have been “serving youth for    years”  I look forward to the 2020 charter actually having a number in it.  The CoH had the new leadership team was sworn in, and the many accomplishments of all scouts recognized.  If anyone is tracking, since our start in February the original 7 scouts have: earned 22 rank awards and 62 merit badges - this is [...]

Scoutmaster Moment This week has been a busy one filled with many activities for the troop!  Shakedown for the camporee next week, then recruiting at the Sully District Troop Showcase where our scouts spoke with a number of people, then today’s Klondike sled build at the Snyder wood shop (with many thanks to Mr. Staton and other supporting adults!)     (photos from the Sully Troop Showcase and 893GT Klondike sled build day)     This week - 10/8 - Fall Court of Honor Uniform: Class A Location: CUMC Chapel   Court of Honor is the troop opportunity to recognize all that [...]

Scoutmaster Moment Cooperation was in evidence this week as Troops 893 held a joint recruitment event on the CUMC Activity Field and Pavillion.  The troops had joint opening and closing formations and took turns with the flag ceremony while holding separate activities with visitors who may be interested in the troop.  It was wonderful to see visitors join us for some fun activities, and we hope to see them again at Mission Impossible in November and upcoming meetings. These activities mark a turn in  the troop as it matures from a new troop to a thriving one with new members [...]

Scoutmaster Moment This weekend the troop’s youth leadership camped out and met for a full day of leadership training and games - and visits by goats.  We discussed having a vision of where the troop would be at then end of this leadership term in the Spring, the importance of delegation to others to spread the workload and enable others to learn.  The stages of team development and what they mean, what “servant leadership” is and means.  I saw a group of developing leaders working together, learning, and caring for one another - and have great hopes for this term. [...]

Scoutmaster Moment This week we chose new Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leader, decisions for remaining troop positions will be announced soon. Our first Leadership Skills training will be this weekend, and I’m greatly looking forward to spending time with all the troop leadership on this.  Leadership is not a trait that individuals are born with like their eye color; it is a skill learned over time, practice, and yes with failure thrown in to learn from.  This campout will give everyone some time to work on learning those skills.    If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn [...]

Scoutmaster Moment This past week all of our scouts returned to their classrooms in their schools and we had our annual back to school picnic. I’m sure that in preparation for this there were new clothes purchased, school supplies obtained and more.  The first week of school is often filled with some consternation with finding the right classroom, meeting new classmates and learning the best routes between classrooms.  With this comes the need for some flexibility, adapting to new schools, learning from new teachers, meeting new classmates and group projects.  All this is true for many aspects in life, new [...]

Scoutmaster Moment This weeks meeting had lashing activities and a last-minute added activity of building a troop recruitment board.  It was great to see the scouts teaching one another skills to lash and tie sticks together to build something useful.  Both recruitment tables went well, with enthusiastic scouts getting 14 names for the girls troop, 2 for the boys troop, and an interested person in the 893 Pack.  These leads will be followed up on and hopefully lead to more scouts joining us soon.   Every woman should recruit a female friend to take up golf so there will be [...]