Simsbury Troop 175

Scout Makes TV Commercial

Kirk S, a scout Star scout in Simsbury Boy Scout Troop 175 recently was featured in a TV commercial for the Ski Sundown ski area. Here is the ad posted on Facebook.

University of Scouting Dates Announced

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, March 12, 2011! 

The Connecticut University of Scouting will be at Crosby High School in Waterbury, Connecticut again for 2011. This annual training extravaganza gives all adult leaders a chance to expand their horizons by attending classes and workshops with seasoned instructors. 2011 marks the 14^th year of the Connecticut University of Scouting, and our catalog of courses has been improved and updated again to keep current with the BSA scouting program. The University has something for everyone. Tiger Den Leaders, Cub Den Leaders, Webelos Den Leaders, Cubmasters and all their Assistants, Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, Venturing Leaders, Committee Members of all unit types, District and Council members, Commissioners, interested parents…any and all scouting volunteers will find courses that will help them to become more effective in their role(s), accomplishing more in less time. Attending the CUoS is an investment in YOUR effectiveness and in the quality of program that you can provide or guide for the youth in your unit or district.

 

No prerequisite training is necessary for most courses, but Fast Start Training (now available on-line) may be helpful. The University provides a full spectrum of classes and workshops that cover all scouting programs in a university style atmosphere. You pick the courses that you want from a catalog of nearly 100 available courses.

 

So save Saturday, March 12, 2011, for attending the new and improved Connecticut University of Scouting. 

 

For further information, contact CUS Provost Norm Thibodeau, at CUS2011@comcast.net or 860-873-1658

 

 

 

10 reasons to attend Advanced Training

1. To broaden your commitment to scouting.
2. To deepen their understanding of the impact Scouting has on youth.
3. To better understand the various roles of a successful unit.
4. To better appreciate the value of all Scouting programs.
5. To strengthen your Pack, Troop, Committee, Crew, Post, or Den meeting.
6. To improve your leadership skills.
7. To learn “how to” sell Scouting better…to parents, community, and youth.
8. To share successful ideas and pick up new ideas from others.
9. To deliver quality Scouting programs.
10. To have fun and learn.

BSA 100th Year Award Still Available

For 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America has created a strong foundation of leadership, service, and community for millions of America's youth. Through A Year of Celebration, A Century of Making a Difference, the BSA will demonstrate the incredible impact of a century of living the Scout Law.

Program participants will earn recognition for making a difference in their communities due to their dedication to five of Scouting's core values: Leadership, Character, Community Service, Achievement, and the Outdoors. Through that commitment, participants can earn each of five award ribbons to display from our 100th Anniversary commemorative patch.

A Year of Celebration will take place from September 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010. The program is open to all Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers, adult leaders, and Scouting alumni.

Download Patch_Requirements_for_Boy_Scouts

 Download Patch_Requirements_for_Leaders

Here are the requirements for scouts:

LEADERSHIP  

Scouting has a proud tradition of producing great leaders. Self-determination, teamwork, and preparedness are synonymous with Scouts everywhere. For Scouting’s 1OOth Anniversary, let’s celebrate this tradition of developing youth leaders.

The Year of Celebration Leadership Award encourages Scouts to explore and reflect upon the qualities of a good leader. The award recipients will work on leadership skills. The Leadership Award rewards participants for reflecting upon and sharing leadership lessons and skills. Scouts earning this award will look to role models, lead groups, and participate in leadership-building activities. Adults and alumni will build their unit leadership skills by emphasizing membership growth, volunteering, and providing role models.

Complete three of the five requirements in each category to earn that award.  

1. Identify someone from your Scouting experience you think is a good leader. Ask them what makes them an effective leader and then talk to your parent or Scoutmaster about what makes a good leader. Write 200 words on the leader you chose and share with your troop leader.

2. Teach a Scout a rank requirement and help them to a successful completion.

3. Serve in a troop or team leadership position for three months.

4. Serve as a youth staff member for a unit, district, or council event or camp.

5. Serve as a den chief for a Cub Scout or Webelos den for three months.

ACHIEVEMENT

Achievement in Scouting builds self-esteem and fosters collaboration with others. With every rank advanced and award earned, Scouts develop pride in themselves and their units. More than just getting a patch, Scouting’s myriad of awards challenge Scouts to excel, have fun, and grow into healthy, prepared adults. In addition to advancement, the award recipient makes an active effort to reflect on personal achievements and those of other Scouts.

The Year of Celebration Achievement Award highlights the possibilities for personal achievement. Scouts will pursue rank advancements, religious emblems, as well as engage adults and alumni in conversation about their own achievements in Scouting.

Complete three of the five requirements in each category to earn that award.

1. Talk to a family member or family friend who used to be in Scouting or a Scout leader and ask about their favorite Scouting achievements. Write 200 words and share with your troop leader or parent OR fill out your family’s Scouting Family Tree at www.Scouting.org/100years.

2. Advance to Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, or Eagle rank, or earn two merit badges.

3. Earn the religious emblem for your faith.

4. Attend 90 percent of your troop or team meetings for three consecutive months.

5. Earn one of the following awards: BSA Lifeguard, Mile Swim, BSA Emergency Preparedness Award, or BSA Physical Fitness Award.

 

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Scouting’s contribution to society is most visible in the movement’s commitment to community service. Service is interwoven into many of Scouting’s honors and is mandatory for earning the higher rank advancements. Through service, Scouts demonstrate that they provide an essential function to their communities.

The Year of Celebration Community Service Award rewards recipients for providing time and resources at no charge for the good of their local community. More than just engage in service, the award recipient must also share their thoughts about why service is crucial to our society and how Scouts today fulfill a 100-year-old legacy of serving communities.

Over the years, the Boys Scouts of America has partnered with several national organizations to accomplish some great service projects. If you are looking for service project ideas, consider the following options: Nothing But Nets Scouting For Food, Habitat for Humanity Our National Parks, American Red Cross Arbor Day Foundation, Take Pride in America, The Salvation Army, Cell Phones for Soldiers Preserve Our Waterways, 2010 US Census.

Complete three of the five requirements in each category to earn that award. * Make sure that all service hours are recorded online for ―Good Turn For America.‖

1. Participate in Scouting for Food or another food drive by spending at least one hour placing bags, collecting bags, distributing food, or spreading the word about food collection.

2. Volunteer to plant trees or landscape an area around a church, synagogue, or other place of worship or a not-for-profit organization that is not the Boy Scouts of America.

3. Provide two hours of service in a group community service project approved by your Scout leader.

4. Recruit one new boy or adult leader into Boy Scouts or Varsity Scouts.

5. Provide two hours of volunteer service at a hospital, senior citizen or veteran’s facility, or another facility approved by your Scout leader. 

CHARACTER

Scouting is a character-building enterprise. Youth learn that personal responsibility and integrity are essential to accomplishing one’s goals. They learn to do good turns without expectation of reward. They learn to be brave when challenged to do the right thing.

The Year of Celebration Character Award rewards recipients for engaging in an active conversation about living by the Scout Law. The award involves elements of citizenship, family life, and personal fitness. Scouts will reflect on their own character and values. Adults and alumni will rediscover the impact Scouting makes on their own character.

Complete three of the five requirements in each category to earn that award.

1. Participate in a flag ceremony, in uniform, for a non-Scouts organization.

2. Earn one of the Citizenship merit badges.

3. Present a written record of your daily Good Turns for a period of 30 consecutive days, verified by your parent, guardian, or Scout leader.

4. Provide two hours of assistance at an activity conducted by a Cub Scout pack, another troop or team, or other youth-serving organization approved by your Scout leader.

5. Conduct a family project (such as the examples found in the Family Life merit badge pamphlet) approved by your Scout leader.

 

OUTDOORS

Complete three of the five requirements in each category to earn that award.

 

1. Earn Hiking, Camping, Backpacking, Canoeing or Wilderness Survival merit badges.

2. Attend a Scout overnight campout and practice the principles of Leave No Trace.

3. Attend a full session of council summer camp, participate in a council or national High Adventure program, or earn the “50 Miler Award.”

4. Participate for at least two hours in an outdoor conservation project approved by your Scout leader.

5. Participate in a Scout backpacking trip separate from requirement No. 2.

 

Original Posted to website Sept 24 2009 and October 10, 2010.

Jewish Scouting Award for Boy Scouts

The Connecticut Rivers Council Jewish Committee on Scouting (CRC-JCOS) is offering a Religious Emblems Workshop for Jewish Boy Scouts seeking to earn their Ner Tamid or their Etz Chaim awards. This workshop will be held on Sunday February 13, 2011 from 1 PM until 5 PM at the Mandell Jewish Community Center 335 Bloomfield Avenue West Hartford, CT. To register online for this event, please go to http://www.ctrivers.org/jcos.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Andrew Pulvermacher, JCOS Committee Chair at jewishscoutingct@gmail.com.

Merit Badges Will Be Going Mobile With New iPhone App

According to Scouting News, beginning in early 2011, Boy Scouts will be able to manage their merit badges with an interactive application for the Apple iPhone. The application which will be available for $1.99 through the iTunes Store, will let Scouts review merit badge requirements, keep track of their progress by requirement, and even share their success on Facebook.

“Boys are notoriously bad at paperwork and famously good at technology. This app will help Scouts keep up with their advancement and undoubtedly spur them on to achieve even more,” said Bob Wiemers, team leader for Publishing & Printing Solutions.

The app’s home screen shows the total number of badges the Scout has completed and started. With a few taps, he can check the requirements for any badge, find links to related websites and resources, and record the requirements he has completed. He can also post his results to Facebook from within the application.

If a Scout has already purchased The Boy Scout Handbook – Boy Scouts of America app, which appeared in 2009, it will automatically be imported into the new app. The handbook app is also available for purchase through the merit badge app for $7.99.

The merit badge app is about more than just merit badges. It also includes an RSS aggregator that pushes Scouting news to the owner’s phone.

Time Is Running Out For The Historical Merit Badge Program

At long last, the Boy Scouts of America has released the details of their long awaited Historic Merit Badge Program first announced back on January 12, 2010.

The program honors Scouting's rich 100-year history by introducing today's Scouts to the merit badges earned by yesterday's youth. To bring the badges into a 21st-century context, the BSA has created supplemental information guides that will accompany scans of the original merit badge pamphlets.

• The badges can be earned beginning today, and requirements must be completed by Dec. 31, 2010.

• Historic merit badges do count toward a Scout's rank advancement.

• Each merit badge emblem features a gold border, which will help identify it as special to the centennial year.

Pamphlets for these badges will not be reprinted. Instead, Scouts and Scouters can go online to find digital scans of the original pamphlets.

Here are the requirements for each of the historic merit badges:

Pathfinding

To obtain a merit badge for Pathfinding, a Scout must:

1. In the country, know every lane, bypath, and short cut for a distance of at least two miles in every direction around the local scout headquarters; or in a city, have a general knowledge of the district within a three-mile radius of the local scout headquarters, so as to be able to guide people at any time, by day or by night.
2. Know the population of the five principal neighboring towns, their general direction from his scout headquarters, and be able to give strangers correct directions how to reach them.
3. If in the country, know in a two mile radius, the approximate number of horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs owned on the five neighboring farms; or, in a town, know, in a half-mile radius, the location of livery stables, garages and blacksmith shops.
4. Know the location of the nearest meat markets, bakeries, groceries, and drug stores.
5. Know the location of the the nearest police station, hospital, doctor, fire alarm, fire hydrant, telegraph and telephone offices, and railroad stations.
6. Know something of the history of his place; and know the location of its principal public buildings, such as the town or city hall, post-office, schools and churches.
7. Submit a map not necessarily drawn by himself upon which he personally has indicated as much as possible of the above information.

Here is an Information Guide and original booklet for the merit badge.

Tracking

To obtain a Merit Badge for [Tracking], a Scout must:

1. Demonstrate by means of a [tracking] game or otherwise, ability to [track] skillfully in shelter and wind, etc., showing how to proceed noiselessly and “freeze” when occasion demands.
2. Know and recognize the tracks of ten different kinds of animals or birds in his vicinity, three of which may be domestic.
3. Submit satisfactory evidence that he has trailed two different kinds of wild animals or birds on ordinary ground far enough to determine the direction in which they were going, and their gait or speed. Give the names of animals or birds trailed, their direction of travel, and describe gait and speed; or submit satisfactory evidence that he has trailed six different kinds of wild animal or birds in snow, sand, dust, or mud, far enough to determine the direction they were going and their gait or speed. Give names of animals or birds, their direction of travel, and describe gait and speed.
4. Submit evidence that he has scored at least 30 points from the following groups:
   Group (f) and 4 of the 5 groups (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) must be represented in the score of 30 and at least 7 points must be scored from (a), (b), or (c). Make clear recognizable photographs of
5. (a) Live bird away from nest - 4 points each
6. (b) Live woodchuck or smaller wild animal - 3 points each
7. (c) Live wild animal larger than woodchuck - 4 points each 
8. (d)  Live bird on nest - 3 points each
9. (e)  Tracks of live wild animal or bird - 2 points each
   AND
10. (f) Make satisfactory plaster cast of wild animal or bird tracks with identification imprint on back of cast - 2 points each

Here is an Information Guide and original booklet for the merit badge.

Carpentry

To obtain a Merit Badge for Carpentry, a Scout must:

1. Demonstrate the use of the rule, square, level, plumb-line, mitre, chalk-line and bevel.
2. Demonstrate the proper way to drive, set, and clinch a nail, draw a spike with a claw-hammer, and to join two pieces of wood with screws.
3. Show correct use of the cross-cut saw and of the rip-saw.
4. Show how to plane the edge, end and the broad surface of a board.
5. Demonstrate how to lay shingles.
6. Make a simple article of furniture for practical use in the home or on the home grounds, finished in a workmanlike manner, all work to be done without assistance.

Here is an Information Guide and original booklet for the merit badge.

Signaling

To obtain a Merit Badge for Signaling, a Scout must:

1. Make an electric buzzer outfit, wireless, blinker, or other signaling device.
2. Send and receive in the International Morse Code, by buzzer or other sound device, a complete message of not less than 35 words, at a rate of not less than 35 letters per minute.
3. Demonstrate an ability to send and receive a message in the International Morse Code by wigwag and by blinker or other light signaling device at the rate of not less than 20 letters per minute.
4. Send and receive by Semaphore Code at the rate of not less than 30 letters per minute.
5. Know the proper application of the International Morse and Semaphore Codes; when, where, and how they can be used to best advantage.
6. Discuss briefly various other codes and methods of signaling which are in common use.

Here is an Information Guide and original booklet for the merit badge.

Lifeguard Training Classes

Have you every wanted to be a lifeguard at a pool? If you are age 15 or older, here is your chance to become Red Cross certified at the Farmington Valley YMCA in Granby.

2 Class Options!
 Dec. 27-31: Monday - Friday 9am-4pm
one week class - get certified over your vacation!

January 4 - February 15: Tuesdays 6-9pm
& Saturdays 8:30-11:30am
only 6 hours/week! - great for busy schedules!

Register online at www.ghymca.org/farmington or call the YMCA at 860-653-5524 for more information

Camping Buying Guides

Boys Life Offers a series of buying guides to help you pick the best equipment for your needs just in time for the holidays.

 

Backback Buying Guide

Cookware Buying Guide

Headlamp and flashlight buying guide

Sleeping gear buying guide

First-aid kit buying guide

Backpacking tent buying guide

 

 

 

Cookies for a Cause

Logan Schoenhardt is a four-year-old boy who lives in Simsbury.  He is currently undergoing treatment for recurrent cancer. 

All proceeds from Cookies for a Cause will help defray the mounting medical expenses.

 

 Saturday, December 11, 2010

Covenant Presbyterian Church (The Barn) 124 Old Farms Road

Doors open at 10 am

 

 How you can help:

Shop our cookies by the pound

Bake and contribute festive holiday cookies

Contact Julie Peacock for details:  (860)651-3115 or julie.peacock@comcast.net

 

God and Life Award

A Scout is reverent. He is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion.

Covenant Presbyterian Church (The Barn) is offering the religious emblem course, “God and Life” open to all boys in grades 8-12. Sean Carroll, Interim Director of Youth will be leading this on Mondays, 5-6pm, for 6 weeks, beginning Jan 3rd.

Please reply by Dec 20th to julie.peacock@comcast.net  if you would like to attend, so the booklets will be on hand.

First Aid Class To Be Held In January

First Aid is one of the most important for a boy scout in our troop. Being prepared, if you're walking down the street or participating in high adventure activities, means knowing what to do if someone gets hurt.

 

Troop 175 will be offering a class starting in January for those scouts ranked First Class or higher that would like to earn this Eagle-required merit badge. A sign up sheet will be available at the Dec 9th troop meeting.

 

First Aid requirements

Satisfy your counselor that you have current knowledge of all first aid requirements for Tenderfoot Rank, Second Class Rank, and First Class Rank. Do the following: a. Explain how you would obtain emergency medical assistance from your home, on a wilderness camping trip, and during an activity on open water. b. Explain the term triage. c. Explain the standard precautions as applied to bloodborne pathogens. d. Prepare a first aid kit for your home. Display and discuss its contents with your counselor. Do the following: a. Explain what action you should take for someone who shows signals of shock, for someone who shows signals of a heart attack, and for someone who shows signals of stroke. b. Identify the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person. Then demonstrate proper technique in performing CPR using a training device approved by your counselor. c. Explain the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). d. Show the steps that need to be taken for someone suffering from a severe cut on the leg and on the wrist. Tell the dangers in the use of a tourniquet and the conditions under which its use is justified. e. Explain when a bee sting could be life threatening and what action should be taken for prevention and for first aid. f. Explain the symptoms of heatstroke and what action needs to be taken for first aid and for prevention. Do the following: a. Describe the signals of a broken bone. Show first aid procedures for handling fractures (broken bones), including open (compound) fractures of the forearm, wrist, upper leg, and lower leg using improvised materials. b. Describe the symptoms and possible complications and demonstrate proper procedures for treating suspected injuries to the head, neck, and back. Explain what measures should be taken to reduce the possibility of further complicating these injuries. Describe the symptoms, proper first aid procedures, and possible prevention measures for the following conditions: a. Hypothermia b. Convulsions / seizures c. Frostbite d. Dehydration e. Bruises, strains, sprains f. Burns g. Abdominal pain h. Broken, chipped, or loosened tooth i. Knocked out tooth j. Muscle cramps Do TWO of the following: a. If a sick or injured person must be moved, tell how you would determine the best method. Demonstrate this method. b. With helpers under your supervision, improvise a stretcher and move a presumably unconscious person. c. With your counselor's approval, arrange a visit with your patrol or troop to an emergency medical facility or through an American Red Cross chapter for a demonstration of how an AED is used. Teach another Scout a first-aid skill selected by your counselor.

 

History of Boy Scouts on YouTube

Here is an excellent video history of the Boy Scouts in America that has been broken down into four parts on YouTube.

 

Originally posted to Troop 175 Website December, 2009.

December Troop Meeting Dedicated to Scouting Heritage

In honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts, Troop 175 will be working on the new Scouting Heritage merit badge during the first full troop meeting of December.

In addition to the program at the troop meeting, scouts will also need to complete requirements 6 and 8.

On May 4th, the Boy Scouts of America announced the requirements for its newest merit badge - Scouting Heritage, in honor of the 100th anniversary of scouting in America.

Below are the requirements.

 

Requirements

1. Discuss with your counselor the life and times of Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. Explain why he felt a program like Scouting would be good for the young men of his day. Include in your discussion how Scouting was introduced in the United States, and the origins of Boy Scouting and Cub Scouting under Baden-Powell.
2. Do the following:
   
   1. Give a short biographical sketch of any TWO of the following, and tell of their roles in how Scouting developed and grew in the United States prior to 1940.
      
      1. Daniel Carter Beard
      2. William D. Boyce
      3. Waite Phillips
      4. Ernest Thompson Seton
      5. James E. West
   2. Discuss the significance to Scouting of any TWO of the following:
      
      1. Brownsea Island
      2. The First World Scout Jamboree
      3. Boy Scout Handbook
      4. Boys’ Life magazine
3. Discuss with your counselor how Scouting’s programs have developed over time and been adapted to fit different age groups and interests (Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Exploring, Venturing).
4. Do ONE of the following:
   
   1. Attend either a BSA national jamboree, OR world Scout jamboree, OR a national BSA high-adventure base. While there, keep a journal documenting your day-to-day experiences. Upon your return, report to your counselor what you did, saw, and learned. You may include photos, brochures, and other documents in your report.
   2. Write or visit the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas.* Obtain information about this facility. Give a short report on what you think the role of this museum is in the Scouting program.
      • *If you visit the BSA’s national traveling tour, Adventure Base 100, in 2010, you may use this experience to fulfill requirement 4b. Visit www.adventurebase100.org (with your parent’s permission) for the schedule and for more information.
5. Learn about the history of your unit or Scouting in your area. Interview at least two people (one from the past and one from the present) associated with your troop. These individuals could be adult unit leaders, Scouts, troop committee members, or representatives of your troop’s chartered organization. Find out when your unit was originally chartered. Create a report of your findings on the history of your troop, and present it to your patrol or troop or at a court of honor, and then add it to the troop’s library. This presentation could be in the form of an oral/written report, an exhibit, a scrapbook, or a computer presentation such as a slide show.
6. Make a collection of some of your personal patches and other Scouting memorabilia. With their permission, you may include items borrowed from family members or friends who have been in Scouting in the past, or you may include photographs of these items. Show this collection to your counselor, and share what you have learned about items in the collection. (There is no requirement regarding how large or small this collection must be.)
7. Reproduce the equipment for an old-time Scouting game such as those played at Brownsea Island. You may find one on your own (with your counselor’s approval), or pick one from the Scouting Heritage merit badge pamphlet. Teach and play the game with other Scouts.
8. Interview at least three people (different from those you interviewed for requirement 5) over the age of 50 who were Scouts. Find out about their Scouting experiences. Ask about the impact that Scouting has had on their lives. Share what you learned with your counselor.