As a young boy, Scouting gave me a confidence and camaraderie that is hard to find in modern life. BEAR GRYLLS
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays ZOO TROOP!
This month, I want to share with you why I got involved in Scouting:
1) I wanted to make sure my two sons had the best program and the best scouting experience possible, and I didn?t want to place my trust in others ?hoping? that they would have a great experience. I helped make it happen, and it created a bond between my sons and I that wouldn?t have existed otherwise. Yes it took some time and sacrifice on my end, but isn?t that what parenting is all about?
2) Personally, it sounded like fun! Here was an excuse not only to have to spend time with my boys, but I got to go camping and share in outdoor adventures with them and watch them grow into young men. Going on the trips I was able to view them at their absolute worst and lowest, and watch them overcome their difficulties and physical pain to obtain new heights. There is no feeling like spending hours on a difficult hike to finally reach the top of the peak and watch the scouts glow with the knowledge that they did it, they beat the mountain.
3) Finally, I did it for me. Yes, I work full time, including overtime, my schedule is not always set and can be erratic. And yes, before I got into Scouting I thought I was busy and didn?t have much extra time. To be honest, I didn?t know what busy was. You CAN make it happen. In reality, the busy time was watching weird cartoons with the boys, doing yard or housework, making breakfast or dinner, or sometimes just feeling so exhausted from work that I didn?t want to do anything. That changed when I got into Scouting. All of a sudden, what seemed like your typical drawn out daily and weekly chores became scout adventures I was able to do with both my boys. Mowing the lawn and trimming trees became a physical workout as we trained for another troop hike. More than once I had patrol meetings revolve around home ?service? projects. It became fun, and rewarding. It gave me an excuse to stay active and in shape. It gave me an excuse to turn almost every little chore into a leadership building experience. And I cannot explain the feeling of reward you get at the end of the day when you finally view the end result in your scouts. No, it wasn?t always easy, but what in life is?
With this is in mind, please pay special attention to these important reminders:
University of Scouting University of Scouting (UOS) is right around the corner! UOS provides specialty scouting classes not provided anywhere else or any other place. ALL ASMs should plan on attending. Topics include committee ideas, fundraising, flag etiquette, outdoor cooking, how to organize large events, how to organize and plan Eagle Court of Honor, and much, much more. The Outdoor Cooking classes are especially fun and informative. I have always learned something new. Scoutmaster classroom training is also being offered and parents are STRONGLY encouraged to sign up for this course to give you an idea of how scouting works and what it is all about. If you are new to the Order of the Arrow and want to learn more, there is a class for that. DON?T MISS OUT ? REGISTER NOW! This is the most important training event the Council puts on during the year. At least one parent from each family should attend.
Den Chief Training Den Chief Training will also be held at the University of Scouting from 9 ? 2pm. The training applies not only to working with cub scouts, but how to help younger, first year scouts integrate into the troop. This is a great leadership tool that will help scouts not only in scouting, but in school, sports and other leadership tasks. ALL Scouts 1st Class and above should sign up for this training.
New Committee Chair Needed! Steve Nawrath has gone past his term dates and needs a break. Without a Committee Chair our troop cannot function. This is a year-round program, not a sporting event that lasts a few months. We also need ASMs to replace those from the Penguins that we will be losing over the next six months.
Going forward we will be concentrating on cold weather camping since the next two months will be all about snow camping. This is an experience I recommend for EVERYONE, scouts and parents alike. Believe it or not it is not difficult to stay warm while camping in the snow and the experienced hands will show you exactly how to do that. It doesn?t take specialized equipment and we can show you how to camp with what you have and minimal added equipment. Sharing this experience with your son will lead to stories told around family gatherings for years to come. These are the memories you want to build with your scouts.
One Last Note...
Hurricane Maria did extensive damage to the Guajataka Scout Reservation in Puerto Rico. As part of a national fundraising attempt to raise money to help repair the damage the Patriot?s Path Council is selling a unique patch. I personally have purchased 10 of them to hand to scouts I feel are especially worthy due to their service and leadership. I do encourage each of you to purchase a patch and wear proudly. The patches are sold in three pricing tiers, from $5 up to $25.
The story is here: https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/11/08/buy-patch-help-rebuild-puerto-rico-councils-beloved-camp-guajataka/
The order form is here: https://scoutingevent.com/358-PPCPRP