Troop 150 takes 2nd place at the District's Fall Camporee!

Great work guys. I saw a lot of encouraging things during this Camporee. You guys are really beginning to work well together. The 'Trick out my Scout' was a great NEW skit.

A special thanks to the Dads that ran stations for the boys... it wouldn't have happened without you!
Thanks to Mr. Steesy... you, your truck and your dedication to the Troop is greatly appreciated.

Again a GIANT THANK YOU to all of the guys that gave up their weekend to come share it with us at the Camporee.

Hope to see you all at Thursdays meeting.

-AC

The Scout Outdoor Essentials

The Scout Outdoor Essentials

This is the minimum list that I would expect all Scouts to carry, to this I would add;

• pen and paper
• a LNT toilet kit

S100 50/50 Premium Heavyweight T-shirts from ClassB.com

S100 50/50 Premium Heavyweight T-shirts from ClassB.com

Prior to Committee Meeting last night we were talking about t-shirts.
Class B will do our shirts. No artwork or shipping fees, print (one color) front and back... free shipping for $9.99 per shirt (40 shirts)... check it out at the link above.
-Andy

GREAT JOB!

Kudos to the guys that gave up thier Sat. to take part in the classroom portion of the Adult Leader Training. Great job; Steve, Scott and Ted!
It's not too late for everyone else... you can still join these guys durring the Outdoor portion of the training in October. Check out the calendar for details.

Meetings 9/7/06

Happy Thursday... looking forward to seeing everyone tonight!

Patrol Leaders Council for Patrol Leaders Assistant PL's @ 6pm
Month's Agenda

Troop Meeting @ 7pm

POPCORN... We need EVERYONE on board for this. Last night the Popcorn Committee has ordered almost 3 times the amount of popcorn from last years Show n' Sell. They know you can sell this.
Mrs. Steesy is leading the charge with this and will be at tonight's meeting. Bring your calendars and be prepared to commit to selling lot's of POPCORN!

Prep for Open House

New Leader Training... this Saturday in Littleton. There is a link on the BLOG with info. I'll bring a copy of the flyer from the web site to the meeting. So far I have commitments from Mr. Laliberte, Mr. Steesy and Mr. Mannik.

See you all tonight,
Andy

Link to the District Training Calendar

For the leaders attending this Saturdays training here is the link to the District training calendar. Click the 'HERE' for the flyer. Dennis Murphy is the contact person for this event.

Thanks for your commitment to providing and excellent program for the boys.

-Andy

Fall Camporee 2006

When; Sept 29th- Oct 1st

Where; Palmer Brook Scout Reservation, Broomstick Hill Rd., Littleton, NH

You will need to turn in your permission slip to your Patrol Leader by Thursday, the 21st, if you are planning on attending.
Registration cost is $8 per person. If this is to come out of your Scout account remember to write a 'check' and turn it in with your permission slip (you are responcible to make sure you have funds available).
Please use your Scout Handbook as a reference source for the personal items that you will need to bring. If you have any questions as to what is appropriate please see your Patrol Leader or Senior Patrol. We will be hiking our gear into our camp site.

We will be departing from our Troop shed Friday evening at 5:00 pm. We will be carpooling to this event.

We will be returning to the shed by 12 pm on Sunday, Oct 1st. Scouts will need to be picked-up @ noon.

There is no cell service on this site... in an EMERGENCY you may contact 447-1393; every effort will be made to get word to the camp site.

What a day!

 

Prepping the 'blaze'

 

More from the Pond

 

Sawyer Pond

 

Sawyer Pond Trip

 

What a GREAT weekend for a backpacking trip!

A much reduced version of the Troop went on a backpacking trip to Sawyer Pond this past weekend.
Saturday morning, after a little pack fitting, we left parking lot on the Kanc behind us. Promptly we shed our hiking boots and put on our water shoes to wade across the Swift River. We reviewed proper water crossing techniques and then jumped in. The water was COLD. Upon reaching the other side we dried off, re-laced our boots and donned our packs. We were off following the Sawyer Pond trail. The trail is fairly well marked and we met several other hikers either coming from or headed to the pond. We stopped for a very nice lunch on the trail... it's amazing how good a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich can taste when enjoyed on the right location with the right company.
We had a fairly flat hike for the first half of the trip. Once we hit the the halfway mark we started a slight elevation gain, the trail became rockier with more exposed roots. We started thinking about how much fun it was going to be when we hit camp. In true Scout fashion the guys broke out into marching songs while on the trail. After SEVERAL verses I had to be the wet blanket and beg them to stop... there would be a brief pause (out of respect, I'm sure) and then they'd set off singing again.
Upon reaching the pond we made another water crossing and found the tent platforms. We gave some brief thought about staying in the shelter, but, the boys decided... "we lugged the tent... we're going to sleep in it"... there was no arguing with that logic.
It was fun to watch the guys set up camp... they attacked it like real pros. They set up their tent and stowed their gear. Then they went about the task of gathering firewood... this is no easy job as this area sees a ton of traffic. Using teamwork they built one of the best log cabin fire-sets I think I have seen. They set this beauty a blaze using flint and steel. Their next task was cooking dinner. We prepared spaghetti and carrots on the backpacking stove. We enjoyed some ginger snaps and chai tea for dessert. The fire was timed perfectly we enjoyed it thru dinner and then it burned out. After dinner was cleaned up we set-up the requisite bear bag and then went off to filter some water out of the pond.
As the sun set the guys broke out the LED Frisbee and had a blast tossing it about the camp site, as the throws got wilder we decided to call it a night. We got cleaned up and ready for bed, after a long day we turned in around 8:30... I must have been out as soon as I hit my pad. The next morning the boys reported to me the shenanigans, from the college aged group, going on at the site adjacent to us... I don't know how I missed it. Tough being an old dog!
Sunday morning I was up early to enjoy the pre-sunrise dawn. I took my cup of tea down to the edge of the pond and watched the mist rise off the pond... Truly beautiful. The boys rolled out and we cooked rather lumpy, slightly charcoaled, apple pancakes on the stove... looked rough, but, tasted great. We washed them down w/ hot Tang... it get's no better.
We broke camp and cleaned the whole campsite (it's amazing the garbage that people leave behind). The guys did a super job with following the Leave No Trace principles.
We made an impromptu bush-wack around the back side of the pond before taking the Sawyer River trail back to the parking lot and civilization.
All in all a GREAT weekend. The guys joining me are real troopers... this was their first backpack outing... I would not hesitate to take them anywhere.

Here's to more trips into the backcountry.
-Andy

Philly Scout update

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/columnists/15132591.htm

To clarify

BP is my shorthand for Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scout movement.
I apologize 'BP' is rather irreverent slang for such a great man.

Please forgive me.
-Andy

A response to a note I received from 'anonymous'

Today I received an e-mail from 'anonymous'. It included a link to a gay/ liberal website with various articles about the BSA policy towards homosexuality. I am not including a link to this site as I know that many people, of all ages, read my blog. If you would like me to give you the link so that you can read the article for yourself please e-mail me... I will gladly give you the link.
Most recently there was an article that 'anonymous' sited questioning BP's sexual orientation. Basically, the author regurgitated the standard BP biography that we all have read. Then the author went on to question BP's sexual leaning.
The person that e-mailed me did so on an account that will not accept a reply... Does this tell us something about the honor of this person?... Perhaps.

I wanted to share my response.

Dear Anonymous,
An interesting take.
I have read various claims by other biographers before... All pure conjecture and supposition on behalf of the writer. I have never heard or read any evidence that BP was gay. I am of the belief that serving in the military or having close male friendships does not make or qualify a person as being gay. Of interesting note; those that theorize that BP was a homosexual or bisexual seem to have that tendency themselves, or have a 'political' agenda in regards to the BSA.
In a world filled with immorality and vice it is disheartening to me that people spend so much time and energy trying to tear down the foundations of things that actually have value and are making a positive impact.
I have often thought this is just a symptom of our valueless age. A time of instant gratification and immorality. Then I am reminded of our history... Jesus was crucified for his 'crimes'... again radical Muslims are waging an un-holy war against Christendom. Sadly, it seems those that hate people, or movements, that are positive are not bounded by the constraints of time.
For the rest of us we struggle on. Turning the other cheek, trying to make the world a better and more positive place.
I pray that people will spend more of their energies actually trying to make a difference and impact the future... For the better.

Here's to 'leading change' and 'leading to make a difference.'
-Andy C

On the you've got to be kidding front...

Boy Scout Council May Be Evicted In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA - The city said it will evict a Boy Scout council from its publicly owned headquarters or make the group pay a fair rent price unless it changes its policy on gays. The Boy Scouts' Cradle of Liberty Council, the country's third-largest, has been battling with the city for more than three years over the policy, which like the national Scouts organization forbids gays from being leaders.
City Solicitor Romulo L. Diaz Jr. wrote a letter to William T. Dwyer III, president of the Cradle of Liberty Council, stating that the council's "discriminatory policies" violate city policy and law, and that city officials have not been assured the group will not discriminate.
Unless the city gets a "fair-market rent agreement," the council will be evicted, the letter says.
The group has made its headquarters on a half-acre owned by the city in the upscale Philadelphia Art Museum area since 1928, when the city council voted to allow the Scouts to use the property rent-free "in perpetuity." The Scouts pay for building upkeep.
Council spokesman Jeff Jubelirer questioned the timing of the city's move.
"With an epidemic of gun violence taking the lives of Philadelphia's children every day, it is ironic the administration chose this time to destroy programming that services 40,000 children in the city," Jubelirer said.
Stacey Sobel, executive director of Philadelphia's Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, said she's pleased the city is taking action.
"If they are going to discriminate, the taxpayers shouldn't be subsidizing it," Sobel said.
The Boy Scouts of America's policy on gay leaders was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000.
In 2003, the council in Philadelphia said it would adopt a nondiscrimination policy on gays. However, weeks later the group dismissed an 18-year-old Scout who publicly acknowledged he was gay.
Dwyer did not immediately return a message Saturday from The Associated Press, and a phone rang unanswered at the organization's national headquarters in Texas. [AP]

DWC e-letter

http://www.dwcbsa.org/resources/eletter/index.htm

Emergency Preparedness

September is national Emergency Preparedness month... Let's start planning to 'be prepared'.
Good Troop MB topic. Are you prepared? Check out www.ready.gov.

Help meeting 1st Class recruiting requirements

Boy Scouts can invite friends using Web site e-mail. The e-card, a new feature available to Scouts and leaders on the www.thescoutzone.org Web site, helps a Scout complete the new First Class requirement to invite a friend to a troop meeting or activity.

To use the e-card, a Scout goes to www.thescoutzone.org, clicks on "Tell a Friend," enters his name and his friend's name and e-mail address in the designated boxes. He selects the action images he thinks his friend would be interested in doing, then chooses music and a message.
After previewing the e-card, he sends it to his friend.