Troop 160 Lexington

Message from the Scoutmaster:

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, if you are still trying to get requirements signed off for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class, we will meet at least the next couple of weeks at RFK (our usual meeting place) for some review of things like knots and lashings.

Let’s try for an hour this week.  6:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

I am especially interested in working with Scouts who have been to the First Year Program at either Bell or Hidden Valley and who are not yet First Class.

Yes, there will be an elected representative on hand so you can get that signed off as well.

Mrs. Caples is interested in finishing up E-Prep, by the way.  We may be able to roll that into the same night.  You will probably be hearing from her separately.

I hope to have some older Scouts there (this is a hint, guys) to do the teaching and review for the rank requirements.

It has been pointed out that some did not know I meant Thursday for the classes, not tonight.  So–Thursday night for the next couple of weeks at least.  And I will need at least a couple of older Scouts/Guides/Instructors!

-Hank

Hello all,
Many thanks to all the adults in the troop 160 “family” for pitching in this year to coordinate events, drive scouts to and fro, teach merit badge classes, work the fundraiser, participate in committee meetings, coordinate CoH’s, work on Eagle projects, organize high adventure trips, attend summer camp and participate in some of the other fun stuff.

The program for our boys only happens because of your efforts!!

I am starting to plan the 2008-2009 calendar and have one glaring hole that I would like to fill sooner rather than later.

I need a person to commit to be the coordinator for the Columbus Day Weekend (Oct 11-13, 2009) White Mtn’s Camping Trip. The reservations for Moosebrook State Park have already been made, the date is set, the weather will be gorgeous and I have a very experienced “assistant coordinator” to help with somebody who is new at this.

The troop has a very good “Trip Planning Guidebook” on our website www.troop160.com in the resources section.

For this signature event to happen, it needs your help. Pls contact me if you can take on this responsibility. (or if you wish nominate a future ex-friend of yours for me to call and bug

Thanks
John Woodhouse

Click picture to view Meg’s online photos of the Nantucket bike trip. Enjoy!

LAST COH

Thank you to everybody who helped organize that last COH.  And thanks to all of the merit badge counselors who taught the classes which allowed Scouts to earn all those badges.

And thank you to the Guides and Instructors who got so many Scouts to Tenderfoot, Second, and First Class.

However, a question about advancement to Scout for some New Scouts has arisen.  Apparently there has been some slipup in communication so that some may not be aware that they have reached that rank.  We are sorting that out now.  I will send out another note once I know what is going on.

FLAG DAY

Remember Flag Day.  7:00 PM on the Battle Green in Class A uniform this coming Monday evening.  Show up a few minutes early because we want to start promptly at 7 PM.  The ceremony will be short.  I have a meeting starting at 7:30 PM so you can bet I will be pushing it.

I need at least three Scouts to help fold the flag so for those who want to do it, please come 20 minutes early so we can practice.  Dropping the flag at the ceremony would be less than cool.  This is a very big flag so we will want to practice.  I will bring a tarp which approximates the size of the flag.

SUMMER ADVANCEMENT CLASSES

It has been pointed out to me that I left no time to meet with the Guides, Instructors, JASMS, and others who will be doing the actual work during the summer classes.  While I said “I” a lot in that earlier e-mail, since we actually use our Guides, Instructors, and older Scouts, that was sort of the inclusive “I”.  Meaning “we”.

So there has been a slight change of plans.  Next Thursday will NOT be a class.  Instead, I would like to meet with any available older Scouts, Guides, Instructors, and JASMs interested in participating as instructors in this effort.  We will meet from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at our usual meeting place.  Outside if the weather permits.  I will still need that other adult.  More if they are around.

GEAR INVENTORY & GENERAL QM ROOM CLEANUP

Some things have changed where gear is concerned.  The rooms have been cleaned up a bit and the gear has been inventoried.  Most equipment now has numbers to allow us to track problems.  When you have 8 identical lanterns and then one starts having problems, it is hard to identify which one is the problem one when they are all put back on the shelf in our storeroom.

Tent poles concern me a bit.  We appear to have tents which we cannot use because we are missing pole sets for them.  We have been busy checking, unbending, and putting new shock cord in our poles, but a bunch are just missing.  I suspect that the poles have been lost onesy-twosy rather than a whole set at once.  One of the new tents was missing a complete pole set which took me more than two months to locate.  I found it, pole by pole, and section by section, spread across the storerooms and in various other places.

So part of the summer classes will probably be about gear.  We probably need to relearn how to fold tents and flys and how to care for poles.

In the near future I will make available a list of all the gear the troop has which can be made available for events.

One of the things I did was sort out all of the food.  I tossed anything even close to the end of its shelf life, but we still have a ton of stuff.  Before an event, patrol grubmasters might want to visit the QM storeroom to see what is available.  Hint:  We have enough oatmeal in various forms and flavors to feed a small country.

TRIP REPORTS

This is directed mostly at adults who are trip organizers.

Trip organizers should sit down after a trip has been completed and write a quick report about it.  Some things to include are:
Where you went
When you went
Transportation arrangements and how you managed it
How many Scouts, how many adults attended
Things that went well
Things that gave you problems
Expenses plus total cost of trip
Changes you would recommend for future trips like yours

For instance, we have something like 20 years of Pancake Breakfast reports.  When I took over as coordinator for three years, those reports were invaluable.  When I was the organizer for the Fall Cookout, the report done by Skip Irving the year before was what allowed me to run it with absolutely no sweat and then the combination of Skip’s report and my report made it a lot easier for the coordinator the next year.

So, even though I am writing this without telling the organizers, and while they are on the road so they won’t see this until they get home on Monday, let’s start with the Nantucket Bike Trip.  And maybe fill in with one on the Last COH for this year.

And one more bit of paperwork.  As the organizer is putting the gear back in the storage area, grab an equipment report and fill it out.  It will take only a minute or two and will give the QMs some hint of what equipment needs to be looked at before the next event.

I know–Scout meetings have ended for the summer, but several Scouts asked about doing some advancement during the summer.  Let’s try a couple of classes …

Knots, lashings, and fusing/whipping the ends of rope appear to be a real problem for many Scouts and I am not just talking about those who are not yet First Class.

So, for a couple of weeks I will run a class on Thursday from 5:30 - 6:30 PM at our usual meeting place.  We will pay special attention to:

Knots and Hitches
Clove Hitch
Timber Hitch
Bowline
Sheetbend
Square or Reef Knot
Figure-8 Knot
Taut Line Hitch
Half Hitch
Butterfly Knot
Fisherman’s Knot

Lashings
Diagonal
Square
Shear

Finishing Rope Ends
Fusing
Whipping
Other methods

As a bonus, I will teach anybody who attends the trucker’s pulley knot, a very useful knot.  There is a variant called the haybucker’s knot.  I will also reveal to you the difference between a knot and a hitch and I might also tell you what a “bend” is.

Don’t wait until the class to try your knots and lashings.  The troop Web site has some fine links to knots including a couple of links to sites where the procedures are animated.  Check your handbooks to see which ones you absolutely MUST have for your next rank and try to learn to tie them.

Some other things we can do during those sessions is talk to an elected official about rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

We will work outside if the weather permits.  A second adult would be nice since the troop believes in both 2DL and YPT (that’s Two-Deep Leadership and Youth Protection Training.)

-Hank

From Scoutmaster Hank Manz:

As I am sure all of you know, four Scouts were killed during an NYLT course at a camp in Iowa.  Last night several news outlet began to spice up their stories by comparing what happened in Iowa to accidents at Scout and non-Scout camps.  One longish piece urged parents to check for camp safety.  Others led off with a rehash of the accident at the last Jamboree involving the erection of a tent too close to a power line.

Checking for camp safety is an excellent idea.  Scouting takes safety seriously and a major reason I like both Camp Bell and Hidden Valley is the emphasis they place on safety.  We are a Scout-led troop, but notice that we also emphasize that adults are there to monitor health and safety.

The news stories comparing the Iowa tragedy to other accidents is incorrect in that this was a tornado.  A totally unpredicted and unexpected tornado.  You have to have seen what a tornado has done to really appreciate the force of one.  A tornado can obliterate an entire town.  The tornado was not an accident somehow caused by inattention or inaction on the part of the Scouts.

The Globe this morning has a better take on what happened.  Note that the Scouts were prepared.  Note that the Scouts participated in their own rescue and recovery efforts.  Note that they took positive action as soon as the storm had passed.

Since links to newspapers grow stale rapidly, I am also pasting in the text of the story below the fold.

http://tinyurl.com/68lcqb
Continue reading ‘Health and Safety in Scouting’

One of the requirements for First Class that’s often hard to get is Orienteering. It’s not so much that it’s very difficult as that it’s often difficult to find a convenient course. One approach is to go to one of the occasional orienteering events in the area. Another is to use this permanent course that’s been set up in Milford, New Hampshire. There’s a link to the site on our Resources page, as well. Just print out the map and take it along.

The bike rack installation last Saturday went very well.  We learned how to mix concrete (like Bisquick one should lean toward dry rather than wet), how to dig conservative postholes, how to deal with big rocks, and how to pour concrete.  The rain squall didn’t slow the crew down at all.

Thanks to all who helped–Cole, Drew, and Harry from the Scouts and Joe, Mike, Andy, and Hank from the adults.  The adults didn’t have to do much–the Scouts did most of the real work.

We have had very nice thank you notes from the organizers and from the principal of the school.

-Hank

HASTINGS BIKE RACK PROJECT

The two troops are going to install a serpentine bike rack at Hastings School this Saturday starting at 10:30 AM. There is a chance that rain will wash us out so it may not happen. I don’t have a rain date because Sunday is impossible and next weekend is worse. If you are thinking of coming and can’t figure out if it is raining hard enough to cancel, call my cell at 617-620-5011.

This is not a huge project. We are going to dig two three foot deep postholes and pour a little concrete. Andy Dixon will be the project manager for this one since he knows how to construct footings and how to mix concrete.

Hastings School is off Mass Ave on Crosby Road which is near School Street and the Methodist church. There is parking to the side of the school.

Work gloves and sturdy shoes are ALWAYS a good idea. I will provide safety glasses. I am guessing that it may take until 1:00 PM but it depends on how many large objects we hit while digging.

YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING

Youth protection training consists of a film and then a Q & A session if needed. As I mentioned in the recent parent meeting about YPT, Scouting is different in that it includes the Scouts in the training.

The film will be shown for Scouts next Thursday. Parents are welcome to sit in on the film so that they can monitor what the training consists of. If there are any concerns, please contact me or John Woodhouse, the Troop Committee chair. If you wish to preview the film, please come to the meeting no later than 7 PM.

ADVANCEMENT CRUSH

If you have attended a First Year program at either Bell or Hidden Valley and are not yet First Class, check out the requirements in your handbook and then show up at the meeting early next week. Be sure to read the requirements first so you are ready to do stuff like tie the required knots. There will be at least a couple of leaders there by 6:30 PM.

FLAG DAY

Another Town ceremony is coming up fast. Flag Day will be celebrated on Monday, June 16th starting at 7 PM. It should be over by 7:30 PM. There will be no marching.
Every year the Elks give a new flag to the Town and the changeover is made at this ceremony.

All Scouts and leaders are encouraged to attend. I will need three Scouts, preferably older Scouts, to help fold the old flag. We will also have three from Troop 119 since it takes six Scouts to fold a flag this size. We will have a runthrough at our meeting next Thursday just to make sure we remember how to fold a flag.

Hank Manz

First, to all who participated in the Memorial Day parade, Thank you. The Town appreciates it greatly. I know not a lot of publicity was given to it in the media this year, something we are addressing with the Celebrations Committee.

Second, we have signed up for a service project. Yes, you can get hours for it, but there is more of a point to it than that. We will be placing a serpentine bike rack at Hastings School. This is a pretty easy project. Dig a couple of pretty deep postholes, dump in gravel, dump in sand, put the bike rack in place, then mix and pour concrete. The postholes have to be pretty deep–around 3′–so it will take a little effort.

I do need at least one person experienced with mixing concrete and pouring it. I have a posthole digger although having another would be helpful so we could dig two at a time.

Help from 119 would be greatly appreciated. This should be a joint project since it will attract attention.

I am thinking of doing it next weekend on either Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Let me know if you can give an hour or two to this project.

-Hank Manz