Troop 132

Greetings Scouts & Campers,

There is a renewed interest and energy on advancement and I want to shout out to many of you who have met new rank requirements. Keep going! Now is the time to finish those persnickety requirements. If you are stuck on one or two, you are not alone. Sometimes one or two requirements can be difficult to achieve and you will need some help. Please ask for any help you need. One example is that at next week’s meeting, Marcus will be giving the troop an update on invasive species. I think this is a great way we all work together and learn at the same time. I know we are looking forward to this update.

Early in September we will be doing Cyber Chip Training for both middle school and high school. This is a requirement and getting this training early will be good for the Troop and help the new scouts earn Scout rank. Eagle scout and back in Concord from the sunny west is John Rzepczynski, who has volunteered to help with this training. Thanks in advance John; welcome back and thanks for helping out.

We still have not received our Troop photos and completed merit badges from camp. I called over a week ago and will call again to see where this information is.

For those earning First Class, we will be handing out troop neckerchiefs! For those First Class and above who have not received one, please let me know.

Do your good turn daily!

YiS,
Mr. Duggan

Greetings Scouts & Campers,

There are a lot of things to say about camp and they are all good, with many lessons learned. I hope all your scouts are more enthusiastic about scouting after this experience. This update maybe a bit long but there are some important notes. Let me begin with some gratitude to those who made it happen.

Mr. Carter, for all your coordination and follow ups to each detail along the camp trail. To all our Troop Committee Members who come each month to meetings to keep us on track for risk, planning, membership, high adventures, compliance, and fund raising (this year campers had a $100 discount). Thanks to Mr. Rzepczynski for keeping our troop focused on the important and vital things that matter the most. Thanks to Mr. Belmont & Mr. Will (Duggan) who stayed with us three nights and four days of camp experience, giving up work commitments and listening in on Camp scouter meetings. To all our scout parents who made the trip on time both ways. Thanks to SPL Henry, ASPLs Lincoln and Lucas and JASM Ben for their service to the troop. To our scouts who are also volunteers in scouting to fit scout camp into a busy schedule.

Scout Camp is valuable; the value is earned as we come together as a unit with a shared mission. New scouts are working with older scouts to set up tents, clean camp, clean latrines, learn to be a waiter (sweep the floor, clear the tables, get water and food). They learn lessons like adults get the first serving and how to pass family style plates without reaching across their neighbor and spilling drinks that need to be cleaned up or spilling all the food for the table. They learn to be courteous and use words like please and thank you. They learn many, many scout and life skills. The older scouts learn to plan each day in detail with who goes where, when and what equipment will be needed. They learn to deal with issues including first aid, morale, hygiene, and logistics. They learn good sportsmanship and the value of working together. They learn rules are there for their safety. They also learn to challenge themselves. I can say all scouts this week did something new and were challenged, which leads to growth.

It was a great camping experience and long days. Ask your scouts about it and scouts, tell your parents what the day was like. First, wake up calls at 6:30, assembly for troop colors 7:15, down to the dining hall for roll call and breakfast, grab your bag lunch, then off for the morning, lunch on the run between morning and afternoon activities (Weather, e-Prep, ATV’s, Blacksmithing, Environmental Science, Welding, Rifle, Waterskiing, Archery, etc.…). Then back to camp after 4:30 pm, get ready and don class A’s for dinner. Troop assembly, strike the colors, off to camp, roll call, dinner, camp colors and announcements, then evening activities, and back uphill to troop camp for PLC meeting at 10pm-11ish for planning the next day. Morning to late night each day.

The facilities like the dining hall, Carter Lodge for adult meetings, waterfront (power boats, sailing catamarans, kayaks), council ring, camp sites with new canvas tents, blacksmithing forges, welding facilities, scout craft areas were “super fantastic”. The dining hall was good but all those with TL Storer experience said the dining experience and spirit was on a different level and I would agree. It was all good but TL Storer meals were beyond compare for scout spirit and songs and inter-table cooperation. Hidden Valley GSR was a great camp and there are so many more ways that this camp can be used for even more high adventure for older scouts.

All scouts earned merit badges, learned new skills and many earned rank advancements. All our new scouts earned Scout rank (parents, you need to complete #6 in the scout book). Many others earned ranks that have been allusive for a few months. Let’s get all these requirements in, boards of review complete and records all updated.
 
I’m proud to say that our troop shared the camp spirit award with their enthusiastic “shower patrol” camp challenge. This is a topic all to itself. A special shout out to the senior leaders and Marcus for challenging the entire camp to keep hygiene to the next level. It was the buzz of the camp. Another shout out to Charlie, who on Wednesday set the camp obstacle course record (for the entire season) at 2:53 minutes but was beaten by another individual by about 13 seconds later in the week). To the entire teams that completed in the Iron man and came in second place to a very senior Dover NH troop. Henry, Ben, Christian, Jonah, Charlie . You guys were super competitive. The entire troop was supportive and I witnessed great examples of sportsmanship from our entire troop.

Scouts - you lived the scout law and I’m proud of all your accomplishments at Camp. Keep up the good scouting and remember to do your good turn daily. 
 
YiS,
Mr. Duggan

BE PREPARED!

Greetings Scouts & Campers,
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Prepare for rain next week. Have extra socks in plastic bags. Have good footwear. Sneakers when wet will stay wet and lead to blisters. Think wisely about your choices and prepare for the worst…and hope for the best weather-wise.

This is a new camp for us and we will be sharing with several other troops. Our troop has a camp code of conduct. Basically if you always follow the scout law you will not have a problem at camp or in life for that matter. The code of conduct does have a couple points in that document that is important for you and your parents to read and understand. This is a big camp and we need to follow the buddy system at all times. Next, obey your leaders at all level so that we as a troop can be prepared and counted on for doing our duty to help the camp, be on time for meals, colors, merit badges, events, and keeping our space, troop space and camp in order. Please read this with your parents, sign and have your parents sign.

Please support all requests for camp from Mr. Carter and other leaders. For example, if you are doing welding or blacksmithing, you need proper clothing for camp (non-synthetic). Stand by for instructions from your leaders. Once again, this is a huge job to coordinate with camp. Thank you Mr. Carter for all your hard work and preparation. I know I’m looking forward to camping once again.

Camp is a great time to work on advancements and we will have plenty of opportunities. While I will miss our Camp Cheyenne at TL Storer and all the fun and adventure we had there, I am also looking forward to Hidden Valley and all it has to offer. 

See you tomorrow and be prepared for weather and all your activities.

YiS,
Mr. Duggan 

 Greetings Scouts,
 I hope you all are preparing for summer camp. There was a zoom meeting with Hidden Valley and I will say I was really impressed with their program and organization. One thing that jumped out is that if they say our check-in time is 2pm. It’s 2pm. Not 12 or 1. It’s 2. So please pay close attention to Mr. Carter’s emails and instructions to ensure smooth sailing for check-in.

As always, there is a Code of Conduct form. Please read and sign this and have your parents do the same. We will be collecting these and they must be signed before camp. No surprises here. Good conduct is outlined by the scout law and this year, new camp, we must be good followers because this will all be new.

Additionally, the buddy system will be also enforced and key. Once, I remember being part of a search for and and luckily finding, a stray scout after the alarms went out (he was not in our troop). Let’s not be like that scout!; that means following the lead from your patrol, SPL and SM. Rules exist for a reason and our job is to follow them and set a good example. Troop 132 will be an example for others.
Speaking of camp, we will have a duty roster, nightly PLC/cracker meetings to review the day and make adjustments. This is also a good time to work on advancements.

It will be good to get back to camp, even though many of us will miss TL Storer - that will always be a special place for the Troop. Stay flexible as we will also learn a lot from this camp experience, at a new camp and in a new district.

Remember, help Ben with his project this weekend, if you are able. Bring rain gear and be prepared.

YiS,
Mr. Duggan