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Scoutmaster Moment This week was our first full week of school and work after Winter Break, always a tough re-entry.  Wednesday January 6th is a notable day as “hump day” as halfway through the week, Epiphany or Three Kings Day,  and per the US Constitution the day that the presidential election is certified by the US Congress. This is largely a ceremonial activity, until it wasn’t. I know many of us were glued the TV watching news in disbelief as the Capitol was overrun. Our family had visited the building on a Cub Scout trip many years ago, we know [...]

Scoutmaster Moment A new year has rolled around, welcome 2021! 2020 is in the books, surely to be studied by historians for many years to come as a tumultuous time with a pandemic, historic election (and aftermath), and civil unrest related to our nation’s continued grappling with racism and its effects. While it was a roller coaster of a ride, the Troop did well in 2020; coming in 2nd in our first Sully District Klondike, doubling in size to 15 Scouts by December, adapting to pandemic by switching to all virtual, and back to in-person without missing a meeting, and [...]

Scoutmaster Moment This time of year everyone has an extra twinkle in their eye.  This past week the troop had the annual gift exchange, a bit different from last year’s due to COVID and the impracticality of doing another lock-in overnight in the gym, but quite fun nonetheless as everyone enjoyed the opening of gifts and the excitement as gifts that were then swapped around.  I have found that as much fun as it is in receiving a fun or well-thought out gift, the giving of one is immensely more satisfying. Snow this time of year adds to the festivities, [...]

Scoutmaster Moment I searched about looking for something inspiring for this week’s SM Moment, and since I covered Thanksgiving in last week’s note I turned to “this day in history” topics.  One website entry kept tugging at me.  On this day, Nov 29th 1942 coffee rationing started in the US. Other foods rationed out due to World War II at that time included butter, milk, and sugar (and many more items).  Coffee rationing ended the following summer, but sugar remained as a rationed item until 1947 - two years after the end of the war.  I will note that we had a nice Thanksgiving [...]

Scoutmaster Moment Tuesday’s meeting plan shifted in response to observations during last weekend’s campout with a noted need to review the troop cleaning procedures and give a thorough cleaning to the chuckboxes.  All patrols from both the troops thoroughly cleaned the checkboxes and reviewed the 3-pot cleaning method as well as stove and griddle cleaning procedures.  Fresh air cooking at a campout is fun; getting ill from poor sanitary practices while camping is never, ever fun. Healthy campers are happy campers. Although we take it for granted, sanitation is a physical measure that has probably done more to increase human life [...]

Scoutmaster Moment The Scout motto is “Be Prepared”, we do this in many ways in our Scouting activities, and hopefully those lessons also seep into other aspects of our lives.  We prepare for hikes and campouts by starting with the Ten Essentials.  We prepare with plans, with lists, with knowing where to find needed items within our homes (coats, day packs, flashlights).  We prepare for bad weather like winter storms, hurricanes, and more with stocking our homes with needed food items, water, flashlights and other necessities. Bryan on Scouting had a good article on Election Day Ten Essentials, as lines are expected to [...]

Scoutmaster Moment A very busy Scouting Week!  Saturday was our COVID revised Scouting for Food (SFF), 4 troop members represented at th 893 food sorting a VRES, and then one was able to help unload the truck at the food pantry.  We sorted and delivered over 3200 pounds of goods to the pantry.  From the status of some shelves you can see how these items are needed by our community. Great job to all who helped move so much needed material.  Sunday was our Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST), in the cold damp.  We had a very full [...]

Scoutmaster Moment This weekend was perfect for camping.  Dry and warm during the day, cool and dry in the evening - the rain from Hurricane Delta even held off until everyone was home and unloaded. My goal for the weekend was to get the troop back into camping mode after most of us hadn’t camped since January’s Klondike, and to work off some basic requirements.  Multiple Scouts earned their Totin’ Chit and Firem’n Chit, plus many rank advancement items marked off. There was a bear bag demonstration, ham radio set up, useful tools created from lashing poles together, hammock hanging, [...]