Yours in Scouting

From Ramon Cancio (Bike Trip Honcho) - This past week, Life Scouts Ben Sprague, Lucas Anthony, and JJ Moberly-Chan traveled to Washington DC for a 200-mile cycling trek along the C&O canal, culminating this year’s outdoor adventure theme of “Riding”. The seven-day adventure was a self-supported trip that required close teamwork planning each day's ride, meals, grocery shopping, cooking, campsite selection, and etc. The group included visits to Antietam Battlefield, Harper’s Ferry (site of John Brown’s attempted insurrection that lead to the Civil War), swimming every evening, spelunking in Killian’s Caves, and a tour of the Washington Mall. Along the way, a number of interesting historical sites were encountered, including the last operating “rope drive” generator power station in the US, the site where baseball was first played, and a stop at the oldest continuously operating train station in the country (Martinsburg, WV). As the miles piled on, the team grew stronger to the point that a 50-mile ride to complete the Cycling Merit Badge will seem like a stroll in the park!


From Bill Duggan (Scoutmaster)
At last night's Troop Committee (TC) meeting the TC approved funds for a Troop medical kit and a Troop/Eagle toolbox. The Troop medical kit will serve as a backup to the patrol kit and the adult scouters can use the Troop medical kit as necessary. The Troop/Eagle toolbox can be used at summer camp (to fix our platforms, latrine, and etc.) and as a base kit for any Eagle Projects. While it’s impossible to have tools for every Eagle project, we had a donation to our Eagle fund for this purpose and the toolbox will have some basics like safety glasses, gloves, hammers, saws, drill bits, and this toolbox will be available for every eagle project. Life scouts working on their Eagle projects can first see what we have as a Troop and then supplement tools for the specific project. This might save a trip to the hardware store and save time and cost. Zander's recent Eagle Project had some tools (extension cord, etc.) and the tools were donated to the toolbox. Our Quartermaster will help with the inventory and the toolbox will be a welcome addition to our Troop.

We used some of our summer meeting time to do a good turn by assembling a bench for the Great Meadow National Wildlife Refuge. The bench was sponsored by Concord resident, Mr. Gene Rork (who coincidently is an Eagle Scout). We will be installing this on Friday at 5 pm at the Great Meadows and come if you can as we will need some help moving it around.

Occasionally, Mr. Jared Green (Superintendent of the National Wildlife), gets a request from people who want to donate a bench in memory or in honor of a family member as a remembrance and contribution to the Refuge. We volunteered as a Troop to support the Refuge and work with the sponsor to order the bench and plaque. Then we build and install the bench. This has a positive impact on both the sponsor and refuge. This is one way we can simply do a good turn for our community.

Please attend the Erik's Eagle Court of Honor this Sunday.