Keep Up the Good Scouting

With the recent snowfall, there are many opportunities to do your good turn. Help your parents clear the driveway and car, shovel the walkway, help your neighbors clear driveways and pathways, look for hydrants in your street, and go shovel them. Don’t wait to be asked. See the need and do your good turn. This is doing your part to be a good citizen and a good scout.

Tomorrow, be prepared for fire-building and winter skills. That means wearing proper footwear, hats, gloves, and staying hydrated. I suggest all scouts should start or make their own fire starter tinder kit. If you don’t know how the scouts will teach you. Start with some lint, cotton ball, small dry shavings of wood or dry bark, and some small tinder. Some can also create their own fire starter out of an old egg crate and fill it with wax (old candles, sawdust, and pour into the egg crate). There are lots of examples online. Note, this is not a Klondike approved starter but good to have handy in your pack. Some may want to make char cloth (old cotton, linen or partially burned and snuffed out and then put into a small container). This cloth will ignite with a little effort and then move it into your tinder box or pile and gently blow. Tomorrow, bring what you have and some tinder and dry kindling so we can practice these skills. It is never as easy as it looks.

Next week we will meet on Tuesday at Emerson for our holiday gathering and for those who want to participate in a Yankee swap COVID style. Your leaders are working on this to make it safe and they are a clever group of scouts.

Reminder, our Christmas tree pick up is coming and a mandatory event. This year we will work in family units and this is our only fundraiser for the year. The citizens of Concord depend on you for this service and it’s a good deed. Let us all pitch in to help and work together with Holy Family Youth Ministry to make this a great year.

So here are the meetings in review:

• Saturday, December 19, 08:45 – Senior Scouts assemble at Camp Acton. 0900 (9AM) Arrival and coordination of cars as necessary and as the road permits.  0900-1130 Bring your scout book (plastic bag would be good) and your gear (small backpack would be good for water and snacks). Good footwear and snow pants are required. Be prepared.
• Tuesday, December 22, 2020 – 1800 (6:00pm - 7:15pm) Holiday Party and Swap – Emerson Field – ALL SCOUT Alumni are welcome and encouraged to attend – once a scout always a scout, and always a member of Troop 132
• Tuesday, December 29, 2020 – No Meeting – Holiday break
• Monday, January 4 6:00pm - 7:00pm Zoom PLC Meeting  - all senior scouts should attend and looking for a younger scout representative to be part of this group.  Please see me or Christian for consideration – attendance at monthly meetings through the term (March) is required. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81507801214?pwd=ODc1TXJWNDQ4UUxwcFd2RnhXaStTUT09  Meeting ID: 815 0780 1214  Passcode: PLC
• Tuesday, January 5, 6:00pm - 7:15pm Emerson Field – Be prepared – flashlights and talk about Christmas Tree pickup
• Saturday, December 9, 0730-1500 Picking up Christmas Trees

We have some Boards of Review to schedule and please see me for scheduling and we will arrange.
Look to the Southwest skies this week for a rare event. Both Jupiter and Saturn will be almost aligned and the crescent moon will be there as well. Look through binoculars to see how close they are. Closest since 1623 and the next time they will be this close is 2080. I think you will need a new scoutmaster by then.

Another reminder, if you don’t feel well please stay home and if you have been in close contact with a Covid person please do not attend the meetings. Of course, please wear masks and we will break into small groups and practice social distancing.