TROOP MEETING MONDAY 6:30-8:00
via google meet (link sent in email)
The PLC met last week and represented your interests well. They came up with a great plan for the next few Mondays. Our Troop Meetings this month will primarily focus on Gaming as we're missing our annual board game camp this month.
For the rest of the calendar year, we'll be meeting via Google Meet on Monday, and then we'll head to some pre-determined "breakout rooms." Please read below
Toward this end, the PLC would appreciate it if you'd fill out this FORM to indicate which game you'd like to play this Monday. This way they'll be able to keep rooms a manageable size and make sure that numbers work.
At the time it was canceled, entire troops were already en route to the nation's Capitol by train (a multi-day journey for many), and many had to turn around and head straight back home.
Now, I am happy to be corrected if I am being inaccurate, but looking through the historical records of this event I'm not able to locate any instances of people portending from this unfortunate event the "end of Scouting," nor was I able to find any leader from this era implying that the organization had gone soft or anything of that sort.
The Scouts and Scouters of 1935 took it in stride, made the sacrifices that were necessary cheerfully and with Scout Spirit, and two years later in 1937 gathered for the rescheduled Jamboree when it was safe to do so. That's how the Scouts in 1935 handled it.
Toward this end, the PLC would appreciate it if you'd fill out this FORM to indicate which game you'd like to play this Monday. This way they'll be able to keep rooms a manageable size and make sure that numbers work.
As part of these meetings, Scouts may wish to try their hand at designing some of their own games and maybe even try for GAME DESIGN or CHESS merit Badges. Mr. Rozatis is a chess MB counselor, but I'm not sure we have a Game Design Counselor in the troop.
You'll have to check Scoutbook if you're interested.
HIGH ADVENTURE 2022
Additionally, We need to start thinking about High Adventure 2022. PLC started a list of some options. Please fill out their form but feel free to add ideas. They're trying to gauge interest in activities. With time to plan the sky is the limit. By the end of January we should take a final vote and make a decision about what we'd like to do so we've got time to plan. If you're not sure of what these are, do some research. Spending a little time looking up BSA high adventure on google will yield quite a few ideas, I'm sure.
FYI - for the BSA sponsored National High Adventure Bases (Philmont, Sea Base, Summit Bechtel, Northern Tier) there are age requirements of basically 14. Anything we might do outside of these may or may not have age restrictions, depending on the activity.
Here's a link to some photos from past Troop 1 Adventures. http://www.troop1min.org/high-adventure
In somewhat High Adventure related news, I just finished listening to an audiobook of Cary J Griffith's Lost in the Wild: Danger and Survival in the Northwoods. I highly recommend it! He's got another one about the Gunflint Burn I can't wait to read...
WINTER/SPRING ACTIVITIES
We will continue to monitor and abide by the restrictions and recommendations for safety regarding Covid-19. We now know we can expect a vaccine that will likely be available to most of us close to summertime.
Hopefully, we'll be able to add some camping (with modifications) into the mix come February or March. In the meantime, scouts may be able to start/continue some outside activities together. I don't know what they'll be but if we work together, maybe ice fishing, maybe snowshoeing, maybe more "daytime activities." Hopefully, we'll get some good snow and each scout will make their own quinzee snow shelter and sleeping in it and make some sort of archive of that experience.
SUMMER
Superior Hiking Trail - June 24-27
We can open this up to more than just the Philmont Crew if we can get the adults to support a second crew.
The Philmont Crew will be on the SHT as a training Shakedown for their July Trek in NM. Adding more scouts to their crew on the SHT probably isn't in the cards because part of the reason we take the trek is to go through our steps of group development(forming, storming, forming, performing) before we get to NM. Also, having more than 12 people in 1 backpacking group is hard on the SHT.
Philmont Scout Ranch - July 15-29
Many Point Summer Camp - August 15-21 --- ALL Scouts should make every attempt to attend this year!
HEALTH FORMS DUE
Val Mayer has volunteered to be Troop 1's new Health Officer. Thanks for volunteering!
As I'm sure you all remember from reading her Nov 16 email requesting completed health forms (parts AB only) by Dec 15. These need to be printed and mailed to Val. This is 3 pages. Please check your email for her address.
As I'm sure you all remember from reading her Nov 16 email requesting completed health forms (parts AB only) by Dec 15. These need to be printed and mailed to Val. This is 3 pages. Please check your email for her address.
You do not need a physical...yet. Part C of the health form is for the physician to fill out.
All Scouts going on any activity longer than a weekend will need to get the C part filled out also before their trip. Philmont Crew - we'll deal with this separately as they have a system they'd like us to use for health forms.
If you have more questions about health forms please read here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
BSA Troop 1 - Closed Facebook Group
Troop 1 Website
Committee
Please consider joining the committee or volunteering to help out with a specific task or activity as your schedule permits. Sometimes we need people to fill big important volunteer jobs like Committee Chair, Treasurer, Advancement Chair, Camp Coordinator, or Health Officer. Sometimes we just need somebody to make a good contact list of scouts in google sheets, or to help coordinate the wreaths, or to help with another activity. Teamwork makes the dream work, and every adult has something to offer. If you're interested in how you can help out, please attend the committee meeting this week (zoom) or reach out to our committee chair, Quentin Randolph <bent_ear@comcast.net>. He'll also send you details for this week's meeting.
Also, you might just consider becoming a Merit Badge Counselor.
There are lots of Merit Badges and new ones being written all the time.
Sharing Again
I shared this back in May (which feels like 2 years ago).
I know all these cancellations are a drag but keep in mind a bit of perspective and history. In 1935, the VERY FIRST National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America, which was planned to celebrate the young organization's 25th anniversary, was canceled due to an outbreak of a highly contagious virus, polio.
At the time it was canceled, entire troops were already en route to the nation's Capitol by train (a multi-day journey for many), and many had to turn around and head straight back home.
Now, I am happy to be corrected if I am being inaccurate, but looking through the historical records of this event I'm not able to locate any instances of people portending from this unfortunate event the "end of Scouting," nor was I able to find any leader from this era implying that the organization had gone soft or anything of that sort.
The Scouts and Scouters of 1935 took it in stride, made the sacrifices that were necessary cheerfully and with Scout Spirit, and two years later in 1937 gathered for the rescheduled Jamboree when it was safe to do so. That's how the Scouts in 1935 handled it.
For a bit more of a humbling perspective at this moment, imagine the things you would have overcome if you were born in 1900. When you are 11 your join the newly formed Boy Scouts of America, when you're 14, World War I starts and ends on your 18th birthday with 22 million people killed. Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until you are 20. Fifty million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million.
When you're 29, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, global GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy. When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren’t even over the hill yet.
When you're 41, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war and the Holocaust kills six million. At 52, the Korean War starts, and five million perish.
Approaching your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, could well have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening.
At 64 the Vietnam War begins, and it doesn’t end for many years. Four million people die in that conflict.
As you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? A kid in 1985 didn’t think their 85-year-old grandparent understood how hard school was. Yet those grandparents (and now great or great, great grandparents) survived through everything listed above.
Let’s try and keep things in perspective. Let’s be smart, help each other out, let’s follow our Scout Law and we will get through all of this.
When you're 29, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, global GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy. When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren’t even over the hill yet.
When you're 41, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war and the Holocaust kills six million. At 52, the Korean War starts, and five million perish.
Approaching your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, could well have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening.
At 64 the Vietnam War begins, and it doesn’t end for many years. Four million people die in that conflict.
As you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? A kid in 1985 didn’t think their 85-year-old grandparent understood how hard school was. Yet those grandparents (and now great or great, great grandparents) survived through everything listed above.
Let’s try and keep things in perspective. Let’s be smart, help each other out, let’s follow our Scout Law and we will get through all of this.
In the history of the world, there has never been a storm that lasted. As this year has proven, our future will be forever altered by COVID-19, just as futures were changed by all of the events listed above, we’ll get through this - and we’ll do it by following the Scout Law and supporting each other.
