Summercamp 2013

So as I sit here in my nice air-conditioned house on the evening before we leave for summercamp this year, I just smile thinking about all that we have done and are going to do with this Troop. I was reading the local paper and yet again we were featured in it for a flag retirement ceremony we helped out with. Last year, myself and our Scoutmaster took 5 boys to summercamp. Only 1 of the 5 had ever been to camp before. It was amazing watching how each of these boys grew during that week. We are taking 9 boys to camp this year and 4 of the 5 boys from last year are going again. That means, we have 5 new boys this year. It is going to be so much fun watching each of the 9 boys this year grow. We are so lucky to have the leaders we have, the boys we have and the family support we have. Having an active program is what makes a Troop successful. Yes, we all have our struggles, but as long as you learn from your mistakes and improve upon them, that's what makes a difference in these boys' lives. For anyone starting a new Troop or improve an established one, let me give you one piece of advice. At the least, download the BSA's Program Resources. You can find them in PDF form online, there are 4 books. We have focused a lot over the past year and a half on getting boys advanced. Now that our number of Scouts has increased, we really need to focus on having the right program for them. I have downloaded them and as we approach our 2nd annual Troop planning conference, I've read quite a bit of them and see a huge value in them. They can give you the outline for your next 12 months and then turn it over to your PLC and let them have fun with it! We just had a Court of Honor last week. 6 boys advanced. Before summercamp is over, 5 more will advance. I am hopeful that my own son will advance to Life before he heads to the Jamboree in 3 weeks. He needs 1 more Eagle required merit badge, a Scoutmasters conference and a Board of Review. I believe he's prepared to earn a minimum of 5 merit badges this coming week. Communications, Citizenship in the Nation, Emergency Preparedness, Canoeing and Computers. There are a few independent study merit badges that he can earn too, but I'm not going to push too hard on those. I am so excited for him to go to Jamboree. I remember going to the 75th at Fort AP Hill. It was amazing. I also remember going to the 100th and visiting for the day with my oldest son. Although the leadership of our council's troop is horrible, I am grateful that he knows how to have fun and I know he will get the most out of it as he can. I will be going out on the Saturday of the Arena Show for a visit. It's a hard pill to swallow when they want $50 just so you can see your Scout that you spent a ton of money on to go there! I do believe it will be worth it though. I haven't talked much about my younger son, but I will tell you that my little Bear Cub is headed for 4 days of summercamp himself. It is going to be a "rustic" type of camp, with coonskin caps and all. He is very excited to be going. He has asked a number of times if he can just skip Cub Scouts and become a Boy Scout. He's a funny kid, and really can't wait to be able to do the stuff that the big kids do. Yet another future Eagle Scout for our family. Have a great day and I hope you enjoy my thoughts. Yours In Scouting, Eagle Scout Doug

Brand new Troop

A little over a year ago, we became fed up with the direction that our old Troop was heading and started looking for a new Troop. The Pack that my son was in never had a Troop affiliated with it.....Until March 2012. I had gotten an email and a phone call from a gentleman who was looking to start up an old Troop and wondered if we would be interested in joining. I asked if we could have an "interview" of sorts, and he quickly said sure. That was a great sign. We met with them in January 2012 and I grilled them with questions. The first thing that got me was that he is an Eagle Scout. He's a few years older than I am, but wow what a guy. He's a Scouts Scout. Well, 2 months later, we chartered, I took a new job so that I could become an ACTIVE Scouter. We started with 6 boys. A little over a year now, and we have 15 active boys. In case you didn't realize, program matters! If you give the kids something to work with, they will come! This is my field of dreams. Rich and I have become great friends, we think alike, and we have the same values in Scouting. We completed almost 300 service hours last year. We camped every month, including taking 5 boys to summercamp! 23 Rank advancements. 27 Merit Badges. We don't need no stinking badges....Sorry, i just couldn't pass that one up. And the best part is, this is a boy led Troop, with adults and parents in full support of the program. Our committee seems to be strong and still growing. Our fundraising will be getting us a trailer in the next couple of months. We do things old school. No floor, canvas tents. Remember patrol boxes? I'm not talking about plastic tubs, I'm talking homemade built out of wood patrol boxes. You wouldn't believe all the people that come to our campsite during a camporee. We've done 4 of them now, and every time there are dozens of people who are amazed. This is something that I am very proud of and I hope this is something that I can bring both of my boys up in and continue on for years to come.