Simsbury Troop 175

SIMSBURY BOY SCOUT SEEKING DONATIONS FOR AFRICAN ORPHANS

Eagle Scout candidate Carter Hill is currently seeking donations for a unique international project focused on children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Africa.  The service project will benefit the Mkombozi Centre for Street Children in Moshi, Tanzania.  Mkombozi (“liberator” or “emancipator” in Swahili) is the leading child-focused agency in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions.  It uses education, research, advocacy and outreach to help vulnerable children.  Hill, a senior member of Simsbury Troop 175, intends to bring critically needed items to the Centre later this year.

“I had the opportunity to visit Tanzania and the Mkombozi Centre during a scout trip in 2007,” said Hill.  “It has unimaginable poverty, and a very high percentage of children orphaned by the spread of AIDS.  It’s a challenge to plan and execute an international service project, but scouting is all about meeting new challenges,”

Hill anticipates a visit during the Christmas season to bring the children at the Mkombozi Centre lightly used clothing, shoes, school supplies, small sports and camping equipment and personal hygiene items.  He will be accepting both donations of these items as well as financial assistance to purchase items and to defray the costs of his trip to the region.

For more information, please contact Carter Hill at (860) 651-0290.

To learn more about the Mkombozi Center, visit their web site at www.mkombozi.org

About Troop 175

Boy Scout Troop 175 in Simsbury, Connecticut, is a successful and growing troop in the best tradition of scouting.  An active troop with strong adult leadership and  nearly 90 scouts actively participating, the troop focuses on building traditional scout skills, helping boys become leaders, and fostering a strong commitment to community service.  Scout skills, such as camping, hiking, fire building and orienteering, are regularly taught and tested during a wide variety of  trips.  The troop sponsored eighteen trips during the 2008/2009 school year.  In addition to domestic venues in Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and the Philmont Scout Reservation in New Mexico, scouts from the troop have also traveled to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro (2007), camped in the Amazon jungle in Peru (2008), and canoed through the Algonquin National Park in Canada (2009).  Sponsored by St. Mary’s Church, Troop 175 has a proud record of success in engaging scouts and turning out the next generation of community leaders.  In 2008, the troop raised $25,000 through an Adventure Race to benefit a scout from a neighboring troop with a traumatic brain injury, which will be the topic of an upcoming “Boys Life” magazine feature.  Since 2000, 38 boys from the troop have achieved the ultimate rank in scouting:  Eagle Scout.  Learn more about Troop 175 by visiting our website:  http://www.SimsburyTroop175.org

Ever Been Hungry?

Please join the St. Catherine/St. Mary Youth Groups

For a  

Hunger Walk

Wednesday*November 11, 2009

10:30 am

Rain or Shine

Iron Horse Boulevard

Please bring a bag of non-perishable food and/or cash donations

All donations will be given to area food pantries

***Bring a water bottle***

For further information, please call

Judy Pluta @ 408-9408 or Diane Whittemore @ 651-8825

Thank you for helping those in need!

Holloween Car Wash

This Saturday, October 31st, please stop by St. Mary's school parking lot from 9am to 2pm and the scouts of Troop 175 wash your car with all proceeds going to benefit the in Moshi, Tanzania.

This fund raiser is being organized by Carter Hill, a Boy Scout with Troop 175 in Simsbury. Two summers ago he traveled to Tanzania, Africa and met workers from the Mkombozi Centre For Street Children- an organization that educates, feeds and clothes children who have been orphaned, most from the AIDS/HIV epidemic in Africa. The experience of meeting these children and workers had a profound impact on his life and he have chosen this organization as the focus of my Eagle Scout Project.

Here is how you can help to deliver these very needed items to the children.

THE CHILDREN ARE IN URGENT NEED OF: CASH DONATIONS WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED
GENTLY USED CLOTHING AND SHOES, ANY SIZE/GENDER
GENTLY USED BED SHEETS AND TOWELS
ANY SCHOOL/ART SUPPLIES AND BACKPACKS
TOILETRIES AND PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS

Please bring any of these items to the car wash if you can.

Two Videos from Cape Weekend

Our version of singing around a camp fire.

Longboarding was a popular activity on the Cape.

A scout is helpful....

Helping around the house is expected of all scouts. It's also a great way to earn a merit badge - Home Repair. If you are handy and like to fix things, take a look at the requirements below and see how many you have already done. Maybe by finding things around the house that need a little attention, you will be helping your family and adding one more badge to your sash.

Home Repairs Requirements

Discuss general precautions related to home repairs. Name at least 10 safe practices that every home repairer should exercise. Under the supervision of your merit badge counselor, do FOUR of the following: a. Maintain or recondition a garden tool and show that you know how to clean up and properly store it and other tools. b. Install insulation in an attic, wall, or crawl space. c. Caulk cracks or joints open to the weather. d. Waterproof a basement. e. Repair a break in a concrete or asphalt surface. f. Repair the screen in a window or door. g. Replace a pane of glass. h. Solder a broken wire or metal object. Under the supervision of your merit badge counselor, do THREE of the following: a. Install or build equipment for storing tools. b. Build a workbench c. Repair a piece of furniture. d. Paint or varnish a piece of furniture, a door, or trim on a house. e. Repair a sagging door or gate. f. Repair a loose step. g. Repair a fence. Under the supervision of your merit badge counselor, do TWO of the following: a. Locate a main electrical switch box and know how to replace a fuse or reset a circuit breaker. b. Replace an electrical cord or repair a plug or lamp socket. c. Install a single-pole light switch. d. Replace an electrical wall outlet. Under the supervision of your merit badge counselor, do TWO of the following: a. Clear a clogged drain or trap. b. Repair a leaky water faucet. c. Repair a flush toilet. d. Repair a leaky hose or connector. e. Clean or replace a sprinkler head. Under the supervision of your merit badge counselor, do THREE of the following: a. Paint a wall or ceiling. b. Repair or replace damaged tile or linoleum. c. Install drapery or curtain rods and then hang drapes or curtains. d. Replace window blind cords. e. Repair or replace a window sash cord. f. Reinforce a picture frame. g. Mend an object made of china, glass, or pottery.

Mt. Rushmore from the Canadian Side

Nothing But Nets to send nets and save lives

Boy Scouts of America (BSA) announced they are engaging their communities and the world by joining with the UN Foundation and Nothing But Nets to send nets and save lives.

In the poorest parts of the world, where effective window screens are lacking, insecticide-treated bed nets are arguably the most cost-effective way to prevent malaria transmission. One bed net costs just $10 to buy and deliver to individuals in need. One bed net can safely last a family for about four years, thanks to a long-lasting insecticide woven into the net fabric. 

Sending Nets. Saving Lives

This entire process of purchasing and distributing insecticide-treated bed nets to children under the age of five, as well as providing education and follow-up surveying on their use, is accomplished at the cost of just $10 per bed net. 

Although $10 for a bed net may not sound like much, the cost makes them out of reach for most people at risk of malaria in Africa, where many people survive on less than $1 a day. Malaria has been brought under control and even eliminated in many parts of Asia, Europe and the Americas. Yet in Africa, malaria infections have actually increased over the last three decades. Malaria is a leading cause of death of children in Africa, killing nearly one million children each year. Every day 3,000 children die from the disease.

Join us and Send a Net, Save a Life.

Wellfleet Weekend

 The October trip was a return to Wellfleet, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. While rain was forecast for most of the weekend, it held off until it was time to leave on Sunday.

The scouts of Troop 175 had a busy weekend long boarding, hiking around Chipman's Cove, attending the Wellfleet OysterFest, climbing the P-town Monument, street lugging and just hanging out together. They even had time to earn the music merit badge together.

The trip ended with several of the scouts trying a famous "Wellfleet Oyster" for breakfast. They all were enjoyed, except for one scout who did not quite keep his down.

Photos of the event are in the Troop Photo Collection.

Troop 175 Helps Simsbury Food Pantry

Troop 175, under the leadership of First Class Scout Mike D. recently held a food drive to benefit Simsbury Food Closet. More than 50 bags of food was collected and dropped off to help those who are having a hard time make ends meet.

Additional contributions are welcome. The Food Closet is located in the back of Eno Memorial Hall, on the North side, at the bottom of the handicapped ramp. Items can be dropped off during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

Troop 175 Food Drive for the Simsbury Food Pantry

Boy Scout Troop 175 is organizing a food drive to help support the Simsbury Food Pantry.

Please fill grocery bag(s) with canned goods From your family, friends and neighbors!

Bring to the Boy Scout Meeting at St. Catherine Church. Vans will be available to load your contributions into for delivery by parents to the Simsbury Food Pantry to help those in our community.

COLLECTION DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 15TH
COLLECTION PLACE: St. Catherine of Senia Church prior to Troop meeting

Requirements For New Scuba Merit Badge

Scouting News Reports the following as the requirements for the new Scuba Merit Badge. This Badge requires an additional certification in order to receive the badge, this means Scouts have to complete all the training requirements provided by an outside agency as well as paying for the certification and instruction.

Scuba Merit Badge Requirements:

1. Do the following:
a. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while scuba diving, including hypothermia, hyperventilation, squeezes, decompression illness, nitrogen narcosis, motion sickness, fatigue, overexertion, heat reactions, dehydration, injuries by aquatic life, and cuts and scrapes.
b. Identify the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person, and explain how to recognize such conditions. Demonstrate the proper technique for performing CPR using a training device approved by your counselor.
2. Before completing requirements 3 through 6, earn the Swimming merit badge.
3. Discuss the Scuba Diver’s Code with your merit badge counselor, and explain the importance of each guideline to a scuba diver’s safety.
4. Earn an Open Water Diver Certification from a scuba organization recognized by the Boy Scouts of America scuba policy.
5. Explain what an ecosystem is, and describe four aquatic ecosystems a diver might experience.

6. Find out about three career opportunities in the scuba industry. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

Complete information about this badge can be found here.

September Trip to Block Island

The September trip was a biking and camping trip to Block Island. You can see photos of the event in the Troop Photo Collection.

How to Start a Fire With Fungus

Here is an interesting article from the September 2009 Backpacker Magazine written by Steve Howe.

How to Start a Fire With Fungus

Chaga, or "tinder fungus" and other natural firestarters abound in the backcountry–you just have to know where to look for them. 

Commercial tinder, petroleum jelly-covered cotton balls, and dryer lint are all great for starting a blaze–until you realize you left them at home. But lucky for forgetful hikers, the woods are full of natural firestarters. One of the best: chaga, aka tinder fungus. This chunky black mushroom ignites easily, smolders for hours, and emits a pleasant, woodsy smell. Here's how to use it.

Find it

Chaga fungus grows year-round in cool northern forests from New England to the Northwoods of Minnesota and Wisconsin and into the southern Appalachians. Look for it on birch trunks; the dark, bulging mushroom resembles burnt charcoal and often sprouts up where the tree has been injured (chaga is a parasite; you won't become an LNT outlaw by taking a small chunk). Pry a palm-size piece of the fungus off of the trunk with your multitool.

Light it

Flint Scrape any part of your fungus chunk with a knife to produce a pile of powder, then direct sparks directly onto the pile. You can also place the fungus on the ground, off the edge of your flint or fire striker, and let the sparks land right on it. The highly flammable chaga will ignite no matter which method you choose.

Lighter

Simply hold the entire chunk to a flame.

 

Adapted from Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer, by Richard Wiese ($19, HarperCollins)

Emergency Preparedness Class

Simsbury Troop 175 will be holding a merit badge class for scouts to earn the Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge. This badge is one of the Eagle required badges and the class is open to Scouts First Class rank and above.

The class will be held from 6-7pm prior to the regular troop meeting on October 8th and 15th.

Scouts should come prepared to discuss the requirements of the badge and should have printed out the Merit Badge Workbook for the classes. It is expected that a completed workbook will be required to be signed off on the badge.

Click here to go to the Emergency Preparedness Requirements.

Click here to download the Emergency Preparedness Workbook.

The Troop will benefit from this training as October Troop meetings will be dedicated to Emergency Preparedness training and activities. Scouts below First Class will have the opportunity to participate in future classes.

Scoutmaster In Action

Assistant Scoutmaster Peter Van Loon is currently on assignment as a Captain with United States Navy Reserves in Djibouti. Here he is in Tanzania with members of a Ugandan Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit.

Some in the troop think that Mr. Van Loon was deployed with instructions to look for interesting future camping sites for Troop 175.

Simsbury Food Closet

The Town is again appealing to organizations in the community to assist in collecting non-perishable food items to help the food closet. This year the need is greater than ever. Anything that you can do will make a difference to needy families in the community. 

The Food Closet is located in the back of Eno Memorial Hall, on the North side, at the bottom of the handicapped ramp. Items can be dropped off during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). The Social Services Department can be contacted at 658-3283 for any further information.

Celebrating 100 Years - National Hall of Leadership

Leaders are those who see possibilities and inspire others to see them too. Over the past century, Scouting leaders have inspired millions of Americans to dream more, do more, and become more. They have shaped our nation’s youth by modeling Scouting virtues. And now we have a way to thank them.

The BSA 100th Anniversary National Hall of Leadership provides a one-time opportunity for you to honor and recognize a Scouting leader who positively impacted your life, or the lives of others. To be nominated, a person must be a living Scout or Scouting volunteer who may or may not be officially registered with the BSA. They must have served as an active Scout or Scouting volunteer for at least one year. A nominee may be young or old — there is no age limit — and you can submit as many nominations as you'd like.

For more information and to nominate someone who has made a difference to our troop, visit the BSA National Hall of Leadership Web page.