Simsbury Troop 175

Simsbury Land Trust Activities for April

Here are some outdoor activities fun for the entire family being sponsored by the Simsbury Land Trust. For more information, go to the Simsbury Land Trust Website.

Trail Run Series 

Sat., April 2 • Sat., May 7 • Sat., June 4
These event locations will be based on weather. Please sign up for our trail run list by emailing azeiner@simsburylandtrust.org and we will let you know when details are available.uested by Jan. 19.

 

Wagner Woods Bird Walk

Sat., April 9 • 8:00 a.m. 
Wagner Woods on Great Pond Road
Join local birding expert and property steward Roger Preston on a bird watching walk through Wagner Woods. Dress appropriately for the weather and wet trail conditions. Bring binoculars if you have them. The walk will last for about an hour and a half. Heavy rain will cancel the event. Space is limited, so RSVPs are required by April 4.

Family Hike and Breakfast at Flamig Farm 

Sat., April 30
Flamig Farm Party Room
Join the SLT and Farmer Nevin for breakfast and a family hike. Additional details will be announced later in March. Space will be limited, so RSVPs will be required.

 

Litter Lugging Day

State Representative Linda Schofield is recruiting volunteers for the third annual Linda's Litter Lugging Day on April 9th (rain date is Saturday, April 16th). 

 

Volunteers will meet at the town hall parking lot between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 9th, where they will be given a clean-up assignment, rubber gloves, trash bags, and orange safety vests. Volunteers may also sign up for a section of road in advance, if they prefer.

  

Paine's will be removing all the recyclables and trash collected at 3:00 p.m. from the town hall parking lot. Refreshments will be provided by Fitzgerald's.

  

Interested volunteers should email Linda at Linda.Schofield@cga.ct.gov or call her at her office at 860-240-8635.

This would count for a scouts community service hours.

Snow Shoeing to Lonesome Lake Lodge

Thirty scouts with leadership positions in Simsbury Boy Scout Troop 175 participated in the troop’s annual Junior Leader Training weekend in March at the Lonesome Lake Hut in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  This is the fifth year since the troop began these focused leadership training trips as a way of building scout and life skills.  These experienced scouts and 14 adult leaders hiked nearly 3,000 feet to the Lonesome Lake Hut, maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club, using snow shoes with full packs.  Led by Senior Patrol Leader Rob C, and Asst Senior Patrol Leaders Keegan R, Jon E, Tommy A, Isaac P and Eric B, the scouts also brought up sleds of equipment necessary for the training sessions for the weekend as well as their food and other supplies. The theme of the training this year was "negotiation.”

According to Scoutmaster Brad Mead, negotiation is something that we do every day, but it is a skill that is not taught in school. We thought it was important enough to develop a program around. 

Joining the group this year was Dr. George Gramatikas, an experienced international explorer, accomplished business executive who is skilled in the art of negotiation.

The group started the weekend with a negotiation game that required the scouts to acquire information from their fellow scouts by teaming and trading clues in order to decode a puzzle given to everyone at breakfast.  During the hike up the mountain and all day long the scouts worked on finding a solution to the challenge. The adult leaders were also in possession of information that could be useful and negotiations were brisk in all directions. Just before dinner the Life Scout team of Eric B. Isaac P, John C, Nicholas C and Zack Z turned in the final solution. That evening after dinner scoutmaster Brad Mead went through a presentation on Meyers Briggs Personality Profile Indicators, which all the scouts and adults who have been part of the Leaders trips over the past five years have participated in.  The scouts learned how different personalities create challenges and opportunities in negotiation.  Dr. Gramatikas then conducted a survival game that required teams to work together and negotiate for better outcomes.

Check out photos from the trip in the Troop Photo Library.

 

 

 

Do you know where the highest mountain summit in Connecticut is? It is Bear Mountain in Salisbury, Connecticut. This mountain is a part of the Appalachian Trail. On our April trip we will be hiking this mountain. This is a place with a lot of exciting history.

You can read more about it in this article.

Boston Freedom Trail Trip

The troop outing in March took 48 scouts from Simsbury Troop 175 to the heart of Boston, where we tooka guided tour of the Boston Freedom Trail (Boston Commons, Old North Church, Paul Revere’s home, Bunker Hill, the USS Constitution, Sam Adam’s grave, etc.).  We also spent two nights Sayre Scout Reservation in Milton, MA.

To see photos from the event, check out the Troop Photo Library.

 

 

BSA 2010 Report to the Nation

You should be proud to be part of the Boy Scout movement.

The Boy Scouts of America's annual Report to the Nation highlights the achievements of the BSA's values-based program.  A representative contingent of youth delegates is chosen annually to present the report to the Speaker of the House as required by our charter. Other government officials that traditionally receive the report include the president of the United States, Congressmen from both houses, and other government officials. Every U.S. president since William Howard Taft has received a BSA Report to the Nation delegation.

Here is the text of the report for 2010:

Who We Are

With the support of more than 1.1 million volunteers and 114,994 national community organizations, the Boy Scouts of America provides educational programs for 2.7 million young people in building character, developing leadership capabilities, training in the responsibilities of active citizenship, and developing personal fitness.

Who We Serve

1,601,994 boys ages 7 to 10 in Cub Scouting
898,852 boys ages 11 to 17 in Boy Scouting and Varsity Scouting
238,846 young men and women ages 14 to 20 in Venturing and Sea Scouting
664,063 boys and girls in elementary through high school in Learning for Life character education programs
113,062 young men and women ages 14 to 20 in Exploring career-based programs

What We Promise

The BSA prepares young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

A Century of Service to America

Since our founding in 1910, we have taught the importance of putting others before yourself and doing what is right, even if it is the hard thing to do. Scouting is as vital and relevant today as when our journey began, and we will continue to guide America’s young people during our next century of service.

As part of our Good Turn for America national service initiative, we have completed more than 15 million community service hours on projects such as food collection and distribution (Scouting for Food), litter cleanup/community beautification, conservation projects, and military support/appreciation.

Volunteer Service—On average, Scout volunteers give 20 hours per month in service to their community. This equals approximately 273 million hours of volunteer time given to support Scouting. That means more than $5 billion worth of volunteer time was given across America.

Military Families—With the support of 4,600 volunteers, we serve 11,800 youth annually in military bases around the world. Some of the service projects include: clothing drives for children in Afghanistan, and new trails and conservation projects on military recreational facilities.

Eagle Scouts—Eagle Scout is the highest attainable rank in Boy Scouting, and Scouts must demonstrate proficiency in leadership, service, and outdoor skills at multiple levels before achieving the Eagle Scout rank. In 2010, a record 56,176 Scouts earned the Eagle Scout badge, making it our fifth year of 50,000-plus Eagle Scouts. In addition to the 21 life skills badges required to earn Eagle Scout rank, each Scout must complete an extensive service project that he plans, organizes, leads, and manages before his 18th birthday. In 2010, Eagle Scout service projects provided approximately $210 million in service to schools, churches, and communities across the nation (based on a national volunteer hour value of $20.85).

Conservation Programs

Scouting for State Parks mobilizes Scouts, volunteers, and alumni to help save our state parks. We have teamed up with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to complete service projects, such as trail construction, grounds cleanup, and playground installation. We have also started working with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism to help with trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, and river cleanups. These are two examples of many programs we hope to introduce with other state parks.

Healthy Living and Outdoor Programs

Obesity and inactivity among youth is a crisis in the United States. Healthy living, fitness, and overall wellness have always been part of Scouting’s DNA. There have always been multiple exercise/fitness requirements at every level of Scouting, making physical fitness an imperative to participation. In keeping with the Boy Scout Oath of being physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight, 635,257 life skills badges were earned related to physical activity, such as hiking, swimming, cycling, and personal fitness. The Cub Scouts Academic and Sports Program was developed to supplement the normal requirements and reinforce physical fitness.

We also had over 1 million Scouts attend our high-adventure camps in New Mexico, Minnesota, and Florida, as well as our day and summer camps. Some of the projects our campers worked on include restoring trails; clearing terrain for trails; constructing switchbacks, retention bars, and several other erosion controls; and removing invasive species.

Workplace Preparedness and Innovation

We have conducted student career interest surveys since the 1970s to help companies, businesses, or organizations provide young men and women a hands-on job experience that could enhance financial success, career preparation, and college endorsement.

Scouting has always encouraged a balanced mix of academics and sports along with active participation from parents. In all of our programs, more than half of the 125 life skills badges are related to science, technology, engineering, and math, including inventing and geocaching. We worked with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to design the Inventing merit badge, which encourages Scouts to gain an understanding of the importance of inventive thinking and the value of creativity in their service to society. We also introduced the Geocaching merit badge, for which Scouts learn how the principles of Leave No Trace apply and how GPS technology works.

We are working with ExxonMobil Corporation and NASA to develop programs that encourage active interest by young people in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The BSA STEM/NOVA program is designed to bring a Scouting focus to skills that are relevant and needed in our competitive world.

100 Years in Review, 1910–2010

Total youth served–117,004,329

Total number of life skills badges awarded–117,649,303

Total adult volunteers–34,464,261

The Next 100 Years

Scouting brings families and communities together to prepare America’s young people to live with character and integrity while at work and play. Ethical decision making is one of the lessons taught by Scouting through the Scout Oath and Law that will help carry us into Scouting’s next century. The Boy Scouts of America is where young people can learn what those values mean, commit them to memory, and—more important—put them into practice.

Robert J. Mazzuca
Chief Scout Executive

Tico Perez
National Commissioner

Rex Tillerson
President

2013 National Scout Jamboree

The 2013 National Scout Jamboree at The Summit . . . Coming sooner than you think!

The dates of the jamboree are July 15 – 24, 2013. Depending on the council contingent travel plans, the departure from Hartford may occur up to two days earlier (July 13).

 The jamboree fee, as established by the 2013 National Scout Jamboree (National) executive committee will be $850 per Scout/Venturer/leader participant (3^rd Assistant Scoutmasters will be $425). Local council contingent costs will be over and above the national fee. The national fee covers the expense of program materials, food, insurance, and equipment, as well as the use of a tent, cot, dining shelters, stoves, fuel, and cooking utensils during your adventure at the jamboree. The national fee also includes a “Jambo 13 Kit,” consisting of a duffel bag and two activity shirts for each contingent member. (Details regarding the distribution of the Jambo 13 Kit will be announced at a later date.)

We have once again been allocated SIX jamboree troops - 216 Scouts and 24 leaders. PLUS we will fill 20 Venturing slots.

 Registration Information - The 2013 National Scout Jamboree will use an online application process for all Scouts, Venturers, leaders, and jamboree staff applicants desiring to attend the jamboree. The website will be activated in late spring 2011. 

Interested youth, unit contingent leaders, and prospective staff members must complete an online application. It is accessed through www.myscouting.org. Applicants will need their BSA ID number to access the application web site. An initial online application fee will be required. This fee is nonrefundable and does not apply to any other jamboree fee.

Scouts and Venturers applying to be a part of the council contingent will be directed to print a confirmation and send it to the council with a $100 deposit.   The confirmation will state that their application must be accepted by their council and does not guarantee participation.  

Connecticut Rivers Council National Scout Jamboree Refund policy: If a Scout/Venturer signs up to attend the Jamboree and later finds that he/she cannot attend, he/she will receive a full refund of his/her payments (less $25) only if an alternate is recruited to take his/her place. If an alternate cannot be recruited, he/she will receive a partial refund. This partial refund will exclude all fees that have been paid, less any expenses related to contractual agreements made on his/her behalf.

 Individuals seeking jamboree staff positions will pay their fees online by credit card to the National Council.

 Contingent Leadership Positions - Scouters desiring to be considered for one of the 24 adult leadership positions need to submit a Troop Leader Interest Form by August 31, 2011. They must also submit an official online application for a leadership position. Contingent leaders will be interviewed in September/October 2011, with appointments offered by November 1, 2011. Those applicants not selected as contingent leaders may then be considered for jamboree staff positions.

summitbechtelreserve.org

Clean Up Simsbury

Community Service opportunity - State Rep. Linda Schofield is organizing a day to clean up Simsbury and recycle the litter on Saturday, April 9th. Volunteers should call Linda‟s office at 860/240-8635. Meet at town hall between 9-11AM - bags, gloves, etc. will be provided.

Sailing the Ocean Blue

Eighteen Scouts and parents from St. Mary's Boy Scout Troop 175 spent their school vacation week learning how to sail in the tropical paradise of Caribbean. The group left Simsbury and flew to St. Martin where they picked up two Katana 47 ocean sailing catamarans. Both boats were self sailed, one by Scoutmaster Brad Mead and the other by Dave Fletcher, a Troop Committee member, both very experienced sailors.

Upon arrival in St. Martin, the group was taken by van over to Port Royal, the harbor on the French Side of the island. Each Yacht can sleep 10 people, weighs about 12 tons, has two engines and can sail at speeds in excess of 15 MPH in a stiff wind. The boats were also air conditioned, had water makers on boards and extensive electronic navigation and radio equipment. The group was briefed on the boats and the surrounding islands and possible routes and then the skippers were taken through a very extensive mechanical and safety briefing on each boat. The group then took a van to the local giant supermarket and provisioned both boats for the week with food, drink, snacks and a seemingly endless supply of Mountain Dew.

Keegan Rice as senior Scout on the trip, organized the boys into groups to unload and stow all the groceries. The charter officials then came on board and assisted in piloting the boats through the draw bridge into Marigot Bay and into a marina for the evening. The next morning shortly after sunrise the boats were off to Anguilla, the next island about 20 miles away. The winds were strong and the seas were following  so the boats moved very quickly through the ocean. The skippers would instruct each scout in the basics of sailing and then turn the wheel over to the scout to sail the boat. Standing nearby the skippers would coach the boys in the art of steering feeling the waves, the winds, the currents and the ocean. None of the scouts had sailed before and the thrill of steering a $750,000 boat through the ocean at a high speed was evident.

Upon arrival at Anguilla the boats were anchored side by side off of a pristine white sandy beach called Cove Bay Beach . The temperature was 85 degrees and the water clear blue. Using the buddy system the boys swam into the beach to play in the surf. That evening the chicken barbeque was cooked up on the ships grill with all the Scouts and adults participating in the cooking and eating.

The next morning at sunrise the boats pulled anchor and set sail for the island of Saba , 40 miles away across open ocean. Once the again the Scouts took turns sailing as the boats sailed at top speed to this ancient volcano. Saba was the island backdrop used for the original King Kong movie and has about 1000 inhabitants. It is famous for its clear waters and snorkeling. The winds however began to blow in excess of 30 knots and the group was forced into Fort Bay, the harbor for the island. Both boats had developed operational issues that needed some mechanics attention so the boats were moored and the group hiked up the volcano to the village two miles up the trail. Upon return the winds were still blowing so the boats spent the night in the harbor rocking and rolling. The next morning the winds had died down and the boats were repositioned to the west side of the island where the best snorkeling was.

One of the boats wrapped the mooring rope in its propeller. This required Scoutmaster Mead and Keegan Rice to go over board with knives to cut it loose. Once freed, the boats were finally moored and dinghy's dispatched for snorkeling in the caves and rocks off of Wells Bay. Colorful fish, turtles and eels were all part of the experience. That night the boats stayed at Wells Bay and once again the wind blew at gale levels making sleep impossible and requiring the skippers to check the moorings frequently. The boats had a joint pasta dinner and then a massive card came before spending the night rocking and rolling again.

The next day the boats began their sail in very high winds to St. Martin but this time the waves and the wind were head on. Along the way one of main Jib Sails ripped out in the high winds and the sail was quickly brought down , a new sail put up and the mainsail reefed for storm conditions. By this time both boats had lost their starboard engines to various mechanical problems and skipper Fletcher’s boat had lost its radio transmission. While equipment failures on these complex boats are common as more accumulate it is best to get into port. Skipper Mead brought his boat finally into Phillipsburg the crew repaired various things on the boat and then went ashore to go shopping on the Dutch part of Sty Marten. That evening the group had a restaurant meal on solid land. Skipper Fletchers Boat had made it all the way to Sandy Beach on the north side of one of the other islands, also calm water and they spent the evening swimming and also doing boat repairs.

The last day both boats spent the morning swimming at their different ports and then sailing back to Marigot Bay the home port.- both arriving just about sunset on another very windy day. Both boats united in the marina and the group went out to a final dinner at a local restaurant.

The Scouts did really great" said Scoutmaster Mead. "This was really hard sailing in open ocean conditions and everyone kept their head in the game and got home safe. A sailing ship moving at high speeds is a challenge and when the weather gets rough it can be also be dangerous unless everyone is careful. The guys did really well. Our Troop really likes to do adventure trips and many of these guys have been with us on our Kilimanjaro Climb,our exploration of the Amazon Jungle and last summer’s expedition to Alaska. They learn to take their scout skills and use them in real challenging situations."

Crewing with Skipper Mead was Keegan Rice, Mike Vallen Sr. Jack Vallen, Nicholas Carabillo, Ann Carabillo, Eric Campion, Noah Campion, Jason Child, and Zack Zikovich. Crewing with Skipper Fletcher were- Andrew Fletcher, Ron Falkner, Jack Falkner, Tom Nicholson, TJ Nicholson, Ken Gutierrez and Andrew Gutierrez.

 To see photos from the trip, please visit the Troop 175 Photo Library.

 

 

 

Law Merit Badge

The Scout leadership has choosen the Law Merit Badge has the next topic for our upcoming troop meetings.Guest speakers will help cover the requirements for the scouts.

Earning this merit badge enables a Scout to learn about the history and kinds of laws, the purpose and methods of law enforcement, consumer protection agencies, emerging law, and careers in the legal profession.

 

Law requirements

Define "law." Tell some of its sources. Describe functions it serves. Discuss TWO of the following: a. The Justinian Code, The Code of Hammurabi, and the Magna Carta. b. The development of the jury system. c. Two famous trials in history. Tell what civil law is; tell what criminal law is. Tell the main differences between them. Give examples of each. Ask five people (not more than one from your immediate family) about the role of law enforcement officers in our society. Discuss their answers with them. Go to a law enforcement officer in your neighborhood and ask about his or her responsibilities and duties. Report your findings. Tell about several laws that were passed to protect the consumer and the seller. Tell about several organizations that provide help to consumers and sellers. Do ONE of the following: a. Attend a session of a civil or criminal court. Write 250 words or more on what you saw. b. Plan and conduct a mock trial with your troop or school class. After the trial is over, discuss it with the group. Arrange a visit with a lawyer who works for a business, bank, title company, or government agency. Find out his or her duties and responsibilities. Report what you learned. Explain the requirements for becoming a lawyer in your state. Describe how judges are selected in your state. Make a list of 15 jobs which deal with some aspect of law or legal processes. Tell which you prefer. Why? Tell where people can go to obtain the help of a lawyer if they are unable to pay for one. Tell what you can do if you can afford a lawyer but do not know of any in your area. Discuss with your counselor the importance of TWO of the following areas of law that have recently emerged and are still developing: a. Environmental law b. Computers and the Internet c. Copyright and the Internet d. Space travel and satellites orbiting the earth

Public Speaking Merit Badge Requirement Test

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.

Powered By ProProfs - Create A Quiz or Flash cards

Reposted from December 5, 2008

Communications Merit Badge

Troop 175 will hold a merit badge class in March for the Eagle Required Communications merit badge. This badge will be lead by Mr Carter and is limited to 20 scouts, First Class rank or higher. Rank will be given preference in considering participation.

A second class may be schedule for April for those scouts who are unable to get a spot in the March class. This will be announced at a later date.

The requirements for the Communications merit badge are listed below.

 

Communications requirements

Do ONE of the following: a. For one day, keep a log in which you describe your communication activities. Keep track of the time and different ways you spend communicating, such as talking person-to-person, listening to teachers or the radio, watching television, reading books and other print media, and using any electronic communication device. Discuss with your counselor what your log reveals about the importance of communication in your life. Think of ways to improve your communications skills. b. For three days, keep a journal of your listening experiences. Identify one example of each of the following, and discuss with your counselor when you have listened to: 1. Obtain information 2. A persuasive argument 3. Appreciate or enjoy something 4. Understand someone's feelings c. In a small-group setting, meet with other scouts or with friends. Have them share personal stories about significant events in their lives that affected them in some way. Take note of how each scout participates in the group discussion and how effectively he communicates his story. Report what you have learned to your counselor about the differences you observed in effective communication. d. List as many ways as you can think of to communicate with others (face-to-face, by telephone, letter, e-mail, text messages, and so on). For each type of communication discuss with your counselor an instance when that method might not be appropriate or effective. Do ONE of the following: a. Think of a creative way to describe yourself, using, for example, a collage, short story or autobiography, drawing or series of photographs, or a song or skit. Using the aid you created, make a presentation to your counselor about yourself. b. Choose a concept, product, or service in which you have great confidence. Build a sales plan based on its good points. Try to persuade the counselor to agree with, use, or buy your concept, product or service. After your sales talk, discuss with your counselor how persuasive you were. Write a five-minute speech. Give it at a meeting of a group. Interview someone you know fairly well, like, or respect because of his or her position, talent, career or life experiences. Listen actively to learn as much as you can about the person. Then prepare and deliver to your counselor an introduction of the person as though this person were to be a guest speaker, and include reasons why the audience would want to hear this person speak. Show how you would call to invite this person to speak. Attend a public meeting (city council, school board, debate) approved by your counselor where several points of view are given on a single issue. Practice active listening skills and take careful notes of each point of view. Present an objective report that includes all points of view that were expressed, and share this with your counselor. With your counselor's approval, develop a plan to teach a skill or inform someone about something. Prepare teaching aids for your plan. Carry out your plan. With your counselor, determine whether the person has learned what you intended. Do ONE of the following: a. Write to the editor of a magazine or your local newspaper to express your opinion or share information on any subject you choose. Send your message by fax, email or regular mail. b. Create a web page or blog of special interest to you (for instance, your troop or crew, a hobby, or a sport).. Include at least three articles or entries and one photograph or illustration, and one link to some other Web page or blog that would be helpful to someone who visits the Web page or blog you have created. It is not necessary to post your Web page or blog to the Internet, but if you decide to do so, you must first share it with your parents and counselor and get their permission. c. Use desktop publishing to produce a newsletter, brochure, flier or other printed material for your scout troop, class at school, or other group. Include at least one article and one photograph or illustration. Plan a troop court of honor, campfire program, or an interfaith worship service. Have the patrol leaders' council approve it, then write the script and prepare the program. Serve as master of ceremonies. Find out about three career opportunities in the field of communication. 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.

Troop 175 Back in Boy's Life Magazine

In April, 2009 Troop 175's Adventure Race was highlighted in Boy's Life Magazine, the 100-year old publication has a readership of 8.2 million each month.

The magazine's "Scouting Around" blog recently highlighted Simsbury Troop 175's recent Breaking Dawn Mission Profile leaders trip with an article entitled Troop 175′s Unique Challenge complete with photos taken from our photo library.

Check it out.