Getting Outdoors

Dear Scouts,

Family Life Merit badge continues to evolve. This past week we had a discussion with what a chore is and is not. Your homework, while it might be a chore for you scouts, is not a family chore that contributes to the household. Great discussion and many are ready to begin. We also had some discussions on projects and plan to meet again next Tuesday. Then we can post a schedule over the next three months, most likely a once a month check in starting in November.

Many scout parents met downstairs Tuesday night while scouts had the meeting upstairs. I was a little late due to a prior meeting I had with my involvement on the Marine Committee with the Sea Education Association (www.sea.edu). They currently have a group of high school students out on board the SSV Cramer from Proctor Academy Oceans Classroom. The Cramer is the vessel I sailed earlier this year from St. Croix to Miami. The Cramer is currently in Lunenburg Nova Scotia and it sounds very exciting for these students who will then sail to Bermuda and Charlestown, SC. Glad to play a small role in SEA and believe it or not, it’s a lot like scouting. You are in a challenging environment; you work with other crew/patrols and learn to live and function as a unit!  They do have many programs and are worth checking out.

Take a moment and thank your parents for attending the meeting and helping create all these wonderful scouting opportunities like this upcoming Greylock and Ramblewild. Take a few moments and show them your book and entries for logging service hours, camping nights and the requirements you have signed off and earned. They might not know all the things you have learned so far and it’s good to share. We have a good year planned and it takes many to make this work and it’s certainly appreciated.
Next week we meet to have our Patrol Leader Council Meeting (PLC) on Monday, Family Life MB training and the Troop meeting on Tuesday (we will plan for our climb up Mt. Greylock and time on the Ramblewild ropes course at the Troop meeting).

I would strongly encourage all our scouts, especially the younger scouts, to attend any and all events and bring your book so you can work on advancements. You will have chances to prepare and cook meals, identify plants and animals among the many other requirements that can be met. Scouting is not just done in the Scout House but most especially, out in the wild. This is where you really learn; the meetings can then help us prepare, plan and regroup,  so we can do the real scouting is outside! Please join in.
In a couple weeks we will have one outdoor meeting and need to do more of those going forward.

The Automotive Maintenance Merit Badge finish-up is now planned for Saturday morning October 28; we ask that you signup again, at the sign-up sheet found here.

Do your good turn daily.

YiS,
Mr. Duggan, Scoutmaster