Troop 132

Sunday, December 2, we were asked to help with the Christmas Tree Lighting by the Concord Rec Department. This was our first year being asked and glad we were able to help. Under crew chief Luke Pautler, the Troop 132 team did some set up with speakers and tents and then they had some free time. The scouts then took it upon themselves to go to the Scout House and get the Troop flag and scouts marched in the parade. Good job scouts. Next year we will include this in our program planning and it was a nice community event to help and participate in. Good citizenship.

At our Tuesday Troop meeting, we welcomed two Lion Cub Scouts (kindergarten) and one Wolf Scout (2nd grade). The Troop did a wonderful job at welcoming and introducing themselves.  In the future, it would be great if Den Chiefs could invite their Dens to a meeting in the future. Remember, most of you were Cub scouts at one time. The Troop also focused on knots. I would challenge our troop to really get to know our knots and lashings. These scouts skills will help you in the long run and we have more work to do. Two more meetings left in 2018. Next meeting is planning for the December camping trip. The patrol leaders should all have their 3 ring patrol leader guides, which includes the planning sheets. Please bring this to the next meeting.

Congratulations to Charlie Stone for earning Tenderfoot and Eliott Tyne for earning Scout. Good work scouts. Bring your books to each meeting and on camping trips. You would be surprised to know how many requirements you can earn at meetings and camping trips. Knots are part of that too!

Thanks to Lucian Aibel who earned some money selling brownies and they were good.  Lucian is donating the extra proceeds back to the Troop. Well Done!

I posted this on the facebook page but in case you didn’t see it:  Thank you Mr. Rzepczynski, Mrs. Stefanov, Mrs. Aibel, Mr. Brooks, and scouts Ryan, Colin, Cameron, Lucian, Miles, Will, Logan, and Nick for coming to the wake/funeral on Saturday. Luc’s father was very appreciative and in the words of Logan “ …we are all connected together in the brotherhood of scouting”. Luc was involved with his father in the Order of the Arrow (OA) and was a very accomplished scout and young man. Luc was one of the few scouts to earn the National Outdoor Award (along with Alex C) and Ranger award. I was very proud of our scouts who participated in the color guard and stood and recited the Scout Oath and Law during the homily and represented the Troop. Thank you parents, and to the entire troop for thoughts and prayers for this young man and his family. As his father said in his reflection, be grateful for every day and the opportunity to help others.

Yankee Swap is planned for December 18. The guidelines are $15-20 (from the PLC) and I am just relaying the message. Please remember that we are a boy led troop.

Good work on painting the patrol gear this past Saturday.  The scouts organized the gear by patrol, made sure the gear was equitable, and they color coded the gear. We need to make this a yearly activity and update the checkout sheets accordingly.

Miles’ eagle project made a lot of progress and like every project, there are always adjustments to be made. While the Eagle project result matters, it is the process that we want to make sure gets addressed and this is every Eagle candidate’s opportunity to lead. Miles led the troop in some good carpentry skills (measure twice and cut once as they say). Miles will need more help to complete the project and please see the opening announcements above for more information.

Two scouts made progress on advancement this past weekend: Marcus earned Scout rank and Charlie earned Tenderfoot rank.  Please remember to bring your books to each meeting.

Justin and Aiden’s Eagle Court of Honor is Saturday, November 24 3 pm at the Scout House. All scouts are encouraged to attend and be a part of the ceremony.

Last Sunday the Troop and Holy Family collected 253 Turkeys which were distributed to Cross Roads Shelter in Boston. Great work.

On November 19, the PLC met and planned camping trips and meetings through most of the school year. John R came and used is NYLT leadership to help our PLC improve leadership skills. Nice job.

As our Holiday party approaches, please reach out to any and all past Troop 132 alumni.  Please pass the word that all past scouts and scouters are welcome to join us on December 18 at our Troop meeting holiday party.
 
Happy Thanksgiving and this is a time to do a good turn daily. There are lots of opportunities .

The Troop split into two different backpacking groups to accommodate the younger and older scouts this past weekend. 

Mt. Washington Trip Report from Mr. Cancio:  Five scouts and four leaders ventured to Mt. Washington and met with the usual fierce conditions. From rain at the start of the trek to 60 – 80 MPH winds and single digit temperatures at Lion’s Head, this year was once again not for the faint of heart. A true team effort helped us get through blinding snow, fatigue, creaking joints, frozen clothes, etc. Most importantly, when one of us was flagging, the rest pitched in and kept the team going and in high spirits. Hats off to crew chief, Kevin O’Neil, scouts JJ Moberly, Lucas Anthony, Nolan Roberts and Simon Cadavid for a great effort and thanks to first-time assistant honcho Logan Prewitt for his leadership and experience.  A video and some pictures (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).  Thank you to Mr. Anthony for being the honcho and leading another Mt. Washington trip and to Mr. Cancio and Mr. Roberts for driving and participating in the trek.

Mt. Greylock Trip Report Ms. Liazos: Over Veterans’ Day weekend, nine of the younger Scouts had a chilly but fun-filled backpacking trip to Mt. Greylock, the tallest mountain in Massachusetts.  We arrived at the trailhead and after a quick lunch, set out on a 3.4-mile hike to the shelter for the first night.  Many of the Scouts were probably carrying a heavier backpack than they have ever carried before, and they did a great job managing the load and the hike.  We found the shelter this year without a problem (ask some of the Scouts about the rock they slept under two years ago).  The shelter turned out to be very nice, with a loft and multiple bunks.  The Scouts did a great job setting up their gear and making dinner the first night.  Who knew freeze-dried food could be so delicious?  It was a short walk to a nearby stream to pump water for drinking and cooking.  They got a toasty campfire going, but it was still a very cold night, with snow on the ground, a low of 16 degrees and strong winds.  The Scouts were in their sleeping bags by 6-6:30 and were down for the night.
On Sunday morning, due to the cold temperatures, the group decided to make the trip a two-day trip instead of a three-day trip.  We still covered the same distance that we had planned for days two and three (5.8 miles), but instead of stopping at another shelter on the way down we continued to the bottom.  The hike on day two was challenging, with a lot of ice on the trails and cold winds.  The Scouts did an excellent job handling the trails and keeping their spirits up.  The Scouts worked together very well as a team, and when there were challenges along the way they stepped up and helped each other out, displaying tremendous character. 
Everyone was excited when we reached the summit of Mount Greylock and got some beautiful views.  After a quick lunch, we headed down the mountain.  Once we got a bit further down, the temperature warmed up and the hike was much more comfortable.  We hiked down and then up a very steep ravine, and the trail evened out from there, for a very enjoyable end to the hike.
Lead by Ben Sprague and Jonah Carter, the Scouts did an excellent job supporting each other and managing themselves.  Thanks to Ms. Liazos for being the honcho and to Mr. Sprague and Mr. Stone for driving and joining the trip. Pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Good job to the Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) this week to plan the next few meeting and get a jump on the November camping/hiking trips. The PLC is doing a good job at taking responsibility for all aspects of running the troop. Well done! The PLC (14 scouts were in attendance) also consumed 6 pizzas.

We have a special day of service coming up on November 17, as we rake leaves at the Scout House starting at 7:30 AM (arrive by 7:20). The patrol leaders will be painting (color coding) all of the patrol equipment, so the gear will be recognizable. I will also be in attendance doing Scoutmaster conferences (who needs one?) and signing off on any Scout, Tenderfoot, 2nd and 1st class requirements if you are ready or need some help. After raking, painting, and advancement, we will need seven scouts to head off to Miles Inman’s Eagle Service project at the Concord Council on Aging.  Pizza will be offered at lunch in addition to the morning donuts and other good stuff. Hope to see everyone there.
Monument Hall has been working well for us. Good facilities which have allowed for breakouts and boards of review. Reminder the turkey truck is Sunday, November 18th. Bring a frozen turkey for those who may not have a meal without your donation.
For Star and Life Scouts, Mr. Quigley, Flintlock District Advancement Chair, gave a presentation on the path to Eagle. Attending were Miles, Ben, Luke, Xander and Nolan along with their parents. This presentation was very valuable in describing the process and challenges for attaining Eagle. This is not an easy process. In addition to earning 21 merit badges (13 Eagle required), being active in the troop (attending meetings and Troop outings), fully participating in a Troop position of responsibility as Life Scout for 6 months, completing an Eagle project (planning, conducting, and writing up an Eagle project), filling out an Eagle application (references & dates), and passing a board of review. This is a challenge. For those in sports, I like to use the analogy that it is like having two varsity sports at the same time. Can you do it? Maybe. But in any case, it’s a huge challenge. It’s also challenging if your on a deadline. That’s why “Be Prepared” means just that. Plan ahead. The Troop and adult Scout leaders like myself, volunteer countless hours to help you (the Scout) along this journey, but it is all up to you (the Scout) and not your parents to earn Eagle.
Remember, the goal is to become good scouts. We have good scouts at every rank. What makes a good scout? A scout who lives and tries their best to live by the Scout Oath and Law. This is what we do and who we are. It’s the foundation for your life and our mission as Scouters (adult leaders) to give you that opportunity in all our events and activities. Not many other clubs, teams, or activities that request that you take an Oath and live by a Scout Law. Remember that. These are words that hopefully will shape your character.
We are here to support you and encourage you to become good scouts! Go do your good turn – daily – repeat …daily!

Unfortunately, the fall drop/swap was canceled. It would have been cold, wet, and hard to do this role and the town made the correct decision. We will have some more troop service projects coming. Stay tuned for announcements.

Be prepared this weekend and check the forecast. It could be some light rain and temps down into the 30’s as the days grow shorter. Be prepared means getting not only your personal gear but your patrol gear and spares. Be helpful to your patrol and I am looking forward to hearing about good meals prepared.

Note to Parents:
If you have questions about how the Troop runs things like Scoutmaster conferences, blue card process for merit badges, and planning for meals and equipment, my advice to you would be to ask your scout. The scouts have been introduced to these processes during meetings and they can ask their patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leaders, and the senior patrol leader if they are unclear. Our troop is boy-led and this empowers them to navigate through the Troop to get the answers they need.

That being said, you can reach me in person anytime before or after meetings, at events, camping, or by email or phone. I’m usually the last one to leave the Troop meetings and I usually have time to answer any scouts questions. As a general rule, we try to schedule Scoutmaster conferences on camping trips, on service projects (if we have breaks), and finally on Tuesday’s before or after Troop meetings (not during Troop meetings). The scouts need to be engaged in the Troop meetings with their patrols/Troop and if they are seeking personal advancement during a Troop meeting, then they miss out on either working with their patrol or helping the leadership obtain the goals of the meeting. There is always time, the scouts just need to plan ahead (Be Prepared) and sometimes they might have to wait. The scouts can also contact me by email at scoutmaster@troop132.com or text me 978 697-2730. If the scouts need to contact me via email or cell phone, they need to copy a second adult (parent or Curtis Gekle at committeechair@troop132.com). I will also post a whiteboard at each meeting where the scout can put their name on a board if the need a SM Conference. The Blue cards need signatures, the assignment of a merit badge counselor, and the finalization with the advancement chair to record the badge.

Lastly, one of the roles for our Troop Committee Chair is to field any parent concerns and questions and Curtis Gekle is always readily available via email (committeechair@troop132.com) to set up a time to talk.
If you have any questions please let me know. Glad to help, but it first starts with empowering your scout too self-advocate.

We had a good productive Troop meeting this week where the scouts focused on knots. Ben Clarke and Ben Sprague did a nice job with teaching the Troop and preparing skits for campfire programs. We have campfire programs for all our camping events and this is what the PLC planned. Nice job.
New leadership -  SPL Nick, ASPL’s Kevin and Ben are off to a good start.
Special thanks to Miles Inman and Will Duggan to responding like Minutemen to the call of duty to lead the town meeting for the flag ceremony. On short notice, which was due to some miscommunication issues, they responded and got this off with help from SPL Nick. Nice work again to the scouts who jumped in to serve their community when asked.

This weekend we have two more opportunities for scouting. Jacob Anthony will need scouts to help on Saturday afternoon and please plan on coming to an Eagle Court of Honor on Sunday at 3 pm at the Scout House. Will D and Michael Flannery will be honored by the Troop and this will certainly inspire others to say, ‘yes I can do that’. These two young men put in many, many, hours for our troop. At camp, on service projects, leading, and helping others. They went often times well beyond the call. Please come to celebrate and congratulate them