Simsbury Troop 175

Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?

Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? It’s the question being asked by a new unscripted series from Original Productions (Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers) set to air this fall on the National Geographic Channel.

Those who have been involved with the Boy Scouts of America know how tough Scouts can be. They master hundreds of unique skills, learn what it takes to survive in a variety of circumstances, and focus on teamwork to accomplish goals that otherwise would be insurmountable. Now, as part of Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?, teams of adults from different backgrounds will have an opportunity to test their mettle against some of those Scouts in challenges based on the Boy Scout Handbook.

Maybe they should come looking for the scouts of Troop 175 if they want a real challange!

 

Troop 175 Receives National Outdoor Challenge Award

Boy Scout Troop 175 based at St. Mary’s Church in Simsbury has the reputation as a high adventure troop with scouts willing to challenge themselves to learn leadership, teamwork and outdoor skills and use them while camping.  The troop has been awarded the National Outdoor Challenge by the Boy Scouts of America for maintaining a high level of outdoor activity.

During 2011, Troop 175 conducted 17 outdoor trips including winter camping ,skiing and snowboarding, walking Boston’s Freedom Trail, climbing Bear Mountain and Mt Greylock, hiking Vermont’s Long Trail, a canoe trip, scuba diving and trips to Block Island and Nantucket. More than 80 percent of the scouts in the troop participated in these trips.

This year, Troop 175 also had 10 scouts and two adult leaders attend Philmont Scout Camp, in New Mexico.

The scouts of Troop 175 also earned 107 outdoors related merit badges during 2011.  Merit badges are the second main area of the Boy Scout advancement program. Unlike ranks, there is a degree of choice in the merit badge program. Outdoors-related merit badges include: Backpacking, Camping, Canoeing, Climbing, Cooking, Cycling, Emergency Preparedness, Environmental Science, First Aid, Fish and Wildlife Management, Fishing, Fly-Fishing, Forestry, Hiking, Lifesaving, Orienteering, Pioneering, Rowing, Scuba, Snow Sports, Soil and Water Conservation, Swimming, Water Sports, Whitewater.

In 2012, the troop has already planned trips including climb Tuckerman’s Ravine in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, camping on Nantucket, participation in Boston Ruckus, and a trip to Gettysburg National Battleground.

One of the first trips this year was a winter trip undertaken by the high adventure Immortal’s group within the troop that camped outdoor in minus 20 degree weather in the Adirondacks Mountains.

The troop also has two international outdoor trips planned for 2012. The first in April as members of the troop sail and explore in the British Virgin Islands on two 45 foot catamarans.  The second trip will see members of the troop hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa.

In addition to the National award, Simsbury’s Troop 175 also earned recognition from the CT River Council by earning the Journey to Excellence award. "Scouting’s Journey to Excellence" is the BSA’s council performance recognition program designed to encourage and reward success and measure the performance of units. Troop 175 received the Gold Award, the programs highest honor.

Immortals Don't Get Cold Feet, Or Do They?

The Immortals adventure group of Boy Scout Troop 175 thought that it was cold when they met at the parking lot of St. Mary’s church on Friday, January 13^th. At about 30 degrees Fahrenheit, however, the group would experience temperatures more than 50 degrees colder before the weekend was out.

That Friday night, the Immortals slept in an Adirondack shelter at the Adirondack Loj, a campground at the base of the notch they would be ascending. When they woke up the next morning it was about 10 degrees Fahrenheit. They commenced their trek, hiking about 3.3 miles into the Avalanche lean-to campsite. The snow that covered everything made the scenic trail beautiful, and the highlight of the hike was when the group reached Marcy Dam, a snow-covered lake set against a backdrop of white-capped Adirondack Mountains.

Once they got to Avalanche campsite, the Immortals began to set up camp. They built a shelter out of dead wood, and covered it with snow for insulation. After this, a group of the boys hiked an extra 1.2 miles to Avalanche Lake, where they experienced a stunning view. The lake was set in between to massive walls of rock, and the entire area was covered in two feet of snow. The wind blew so fast and frigidly that any part of the face that was left uncovered turned bright red.

After basking in the beauty of the scene, the side hike group started hiking back. Some of the group decided to run back, while others made their way back at a slower pace. Once the group was reunited, they cooked steaks over a smoldering fire. The wood around the campsite was so cold that it was nearly impossible to heat the wood up to the temperature it needed to burn. Boiling water was exceptionally difficult because the gas stoves ran sluggishly. At this point, it was so chilly (-10!) that toes and fingers were starting to go numb, despite proper equipment. Because of this, once everyone’s stomachs were full, the Immortals retired to the shelter that scouts Adam McIlveen, Andrew Gutierrez, Nick Carabillo, and Zack Zikovitch had selflessly completed while the other group had gone to Avalanche Lake.

The low of -20 degrees Fahrenheit set in sometime during the night, and the effects of this extreme temperature were very interesting. In the morning, there was a wreath of ice around the face hole of every sleeping bag, because the vapor from the scouts’ breath had frozen around their faces as they slept. Zippers on sleeping bags had to be thawed with hand warmers before they would open. When the boys tried to slip their feet into their hiking boots, some found that they were frozen in a position that would not allow feet to enter.

Despite these challenges, the group eventually got their campsite cleaned up, scattering the wood from their shelter until there was no trace of their presence save some footprints. They had fun going back down the mountain toward the cars because they could sled portions of the trail, and on the way they said hello to friendly hikers and forest rangers, all amazed that a group of boys could have survived camping in the Adirondacks the previous night.

The Immortals reached the parking lot, and after a few shaky car startups (all the moving parts were frozen in place) they were on their way home, marveling at the convenience of electric heat.

Submitted by Eric Barch, Immortal Chief

 

Deadline for Eagle scholarship applications is Jan. 31

Tuesday, Jan. 31, is the deadline for Eagle Scouts who are high school seniors to apply for a 2012 National Eagle Scout Association scholarship.

In all, 153 scholarships, each between $1,000 and $50,000, will be presented to worthy Eagle Scouts based on their Scouting record, school performance, and financial need.

Scholarships, paid directly to the school, cover “tuition, room, board, and books only and are limited for use at a four-year accredited college or university that offers at least a bachelor’s degree upon completion of the course of studies.”

Before applying or sending an application to an Eagle Scout you know, read these requirements.

Applicants must:

• Be an Eagle Scout having passed the board of review on or before January 31, 2012.
• Apply during their senior year of high school.
• Provide a high school grades transcript covering at least six semesters.
• Have an SAT composite score of at least 1200 and/or an ACT composite score of 28.
• Have demonstrated leadership ability in Scouting.
• Demonstrate financial need.
• Submit a letter of recommendation from a Scouter.

Click here for the official application (PDF). And good luck!

Troop 175 Cookbook Now Being Written

John Cahill had many options open to him when he began the process of laying out how to raise money to fund his upcomming Eagle scout project. Recently, scouts have successfully raised the money needed for their projects by holding a car wash, bake sale, selling photos, a bottle and can drive and even direct solicitation of donations. But by nature, John wanted something that would stand out, something that would give back to the troop and at the same time raise the necessary funds for his project.

John is creating a Troop 175 cookbook.

Using a website www.Cookbookfundraiser.com, John is asking each family within the troop to enter in several of their family's favorite meals and desserts. Once collected, these recepies will be printed in a cookbook that will be available for sale around Simsbury.

So take a few monents and pick a few of your scout's favorite foods and add them to the cookbook. It's easy, fast and free! Check the Troop Google Group for details on how to log in to our account.

The deadline for submitting recepies is January 15th and he is asking for everyone to contribute at least three recepies to help make his fundraising project a success!

 

How to make ice-fishing tip-ups

Now that is starting to get cold, scouts might be interested in giving ice fishing a try.

 

Here is a simple ice fishing set up that you can build from of Boy's Life Magazine.

Crèche Setup

Volenteers from Boy Scout Troop 175 helped our sponsor St. Mary's Church by setting up the Crèche, or nativity scene, in from the the church to welcome in the holiday season.

Inventing Merit Badge

Have you ever had a great idea that you thought people would love to have? Do you like to make things with your hands? Maybe Inventing merit badge is for you.

This merit badge was one of the original merit badges and one of the first to be discontinued. It was reintroduced in 2010 with new requierments.

In December the troop will discuss inventing and work on  this badge.

 

Inventing requirements

1. In your own words, define inventing. Then do the following: a. Explain to your merit badge counselor the role of inventors and their inventions in the economic development of the United States. b. List three inventions and state how they have helped humankind. 2. Do ONE of the following: a. Identify and interview with a buddy (and with your parent’s permission and merit badge counselor’s approval) an individual in your community who has invented a useful item. Report what you learned to your counselor. b. Read about three inventors. Select the one you find most interesting and tell your counselor what you learned. 3. Do EACH of the following: a. Define the term intellectual property. Explain which government agencies oversee the protection of intellectual property, the types of intellectual property that can be protected, how such property is protected, and why protection is necessary. b. Explain the components of a patent and the different types of patents available. c. Examine your Scouting gear and find a patent number on a camping item you have used. With your parent’s permission, use the Internet to find out more about that patent. Compare the finished item with the claims and drawings in the patent. Report what you learned to your counselor. d. Explain to your counselor the term patent infringement. 4. Discuss with your counselor the types of inventions that are appropriate to share with others, and explain why. Tell your counselor about one nonpatented or noncopyrighted invention and its impact on society. 5. Choose a commercially available product that you have used on an overnight camping trip with your troop. Make recommendations for improving the product, and make a sketch that shows your recommendations. Discuss your recommendations with your counselor. 6. Think of an item you would like to invent that would solve a problem for your family, troop, chartered organization, community, or a special-interest group. Then do EACH of the following, while keeping a notebook to record your progress: a. Talk to potential users of your invention and determine their needs. Then, based on what you have learned, write a statement describing the invention and how it would help solve a problem. This statement should include detailed sketch of the invention. b. Create a model of the invention using clay, cardboard, or any other readily available material. List the materials necessary to build a prototype of the invention. c. Share the idea and the model with your counselor and potential users of your invention. Record their feedback in your notebook. 7. Build a working prototype of the item you invented for requirement 6*. Test and evaluate the invention. Among the aspects to consider in your evaluation are cost, usefulness, marketability, appearance, and function. Describe how your original vision and expectations for your invention are similar or dissimilar to the prototype you built. Have your counselor evaluate and critique your prototype. Before you begin building the prototype, you must have your counselor’s approval, based on the design and building plans you have already shared. 8. Do ONE of the following: a. Participate with a club or team (robotics team, science club, or engineering club) that builds a useful item. Share your experience with your counselor. b. Visit a museum or exhibit dedicated to an inventor or invention, and create a presentation of your visit to share with a group such as your troop or patrol. 9. Discuss with your counselor the diverse skills, education, training, and experience it takes to be an inventor. Discuss how you can prepare yourself to be creative and inventive to solve problems at home, in school, and in your community. Discuss three career fields that might utilize the skills of an inventor.

The Denali Experiment

Senior Patrol Leader Keegan Rice asked us to post this video to the troop website as an inspiration to aspire to challenge yourself.

Public Speaking Merit Badge

Troop 175's Leadership group is working on the Public Speaking Merit Badge to help be more effective leaders. 

The final requirement for the merit badge:

5. Show you know parliamentary procedure by leading a discussion or meeting according to accepted rules of order; or by answering questions on the rules of order.

This requirement can be met by taking the following short 8 question online test and printing the results page and giving it to Mr. Rice (Don't forget to print the results page!).

Click on the link in the box to get started.

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Reposted from December 5, 2008