June 4, 2021

Greetings Scouts,

I’m sure we were all disappointed canceling of the Annual Family Bike Trip, but it’s a good lesson on how to update your plans given new information and changing weather conditions. This happens all the time when outdoors on hikes, while paddling on rivers, lakes or sailing on the ocean. You have to factor in the weather and be watching for changing conditions and adjust your plans accordingly. Not adapting in real time can put you at risk; there are lots of good books to read about this. One book I read, borrowed from Mr. Spraque, is Critical Hours: Search and Rescue in the White Mountains. Plenty of case studies of where very experiences hikers did not factor in changing weather conditions. It’s a good read.

I always thought that the Weather Merit Badge should be an Eagle-required merit badge, since most - if not all - our activities are outdoors. Most council, district or national scouting events require we post a forecast for the troop along with our duty rooster which is good practice. Many of you have this merit badge. This fall we will see if there is an interest in offering it again. Of course, we prepare for most weather conditions but should remain aware and adjust plans as conditions warrant. 

Cancelling the trip was a good decision. The Troop Committee discussed this and in the future if there are any questions then a small group between the honcho, assistant scoutmasters, troop risk manager, scoutmaster and troop committee chair will make the decision. Hopefully that will be rare.

In the words of Ben Franklin: “Some are weather-wise, some are otherwise." Let’s have a troop of scouts that is weather-wise and makes good decisions.

Do your good turn daily.  

YiS,
Mr. Duggan

PS: We have postponed the Annual Family Bike Trip to June 19-20, weather permitting, of course!