On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight........... A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Troop Committee Meeting Update

Thanks to all who attended our monthly Troop Committee Meeting last evening during Gym Night. In an effort to improve our communication we've prepared notes from this meeting, and will continue to share updates with the group.

A look back at March and April, and our May events.

In March and April our primary focus during the weekly meetings  was on two Eagle required merit badges – Personal Management and Cooking – scouts have largely completed both. Thanks to Mr. Nowiski, Mr. Cato, Mr. Nardo, Mr. Aieta and Mr. Reichardt for their help with Cooking, and Mr. Chase for his work on Personal Management.

Focus over the next two months will be in two areas – increasing our scouts exposure to new badges, several of which are easily achievable at home with a little guidance – Reading, Art, Scholarship, etc – and in June/July, preparation for our Summer Camp badge work. Our goal is always to introduce scouts to new ideas, concepts, and learning, without resorting to lecturing and excessive homework (it’s supposed to be fun, not schoolwork) – and we’ve noted our scouts are not earning the “extra” badges that serve as introductions to interests and hobbies. Look for more information on this over the coming weeks.

We distributed the new Council Shoulder Patches in March, and hope to see them on your sons uniform by the end of May for the Flagging and Parade. If your son did not receive one, please let us know.    If anyone needs scout pants, please let us know, as we have some in the uniform box, as well as a few shirts. In addition, we have a small number of the large Troop 2 100th Anniversary patches – if you do not have one, please let us know.

Scouts working toward Eagle are urged to complete their Project Proposals and make forward progress as the spring arrives. As a reminder, we meet on Thursday nights at 7 PM to offer guidance and review, and can meet other times by arrangement.  4 scouts have received council approval to proceed, and 6 have project ideas under discussion, so we’re expecting a lively Spring/Summer/Fall program of Eagle Scout projects and follow ups. Please note, if your son is a Life scout, he has to complete his work on Eagle before his 18th birthday, and we strongly encourage work to begin no later than his 17th birthday. If your son falls in this bracket and is not making progress, please give him a nudge. Also please note your son cannot start his project until it’s approved by Mayflower Council. Please see Mr. Chase if you have any questions.

We met with the Mayors Office in mid April  in an effort to communicate the process toward Eagle, and to discuss priorities for scouting, which went well. We are hoping to streamline the towns review and approval process for Eagle projects and community service, and to improve the experience and communication of all troops in Weymouth. We’re hopeful this will pay dividends in the longer term by increasing cooperation between the troops in town, and look forward to more meetings with both the troops and the town leadership. Follow up is planned for later in the Spring, and we're in regular communication with the leadership of all the scout troops in the area at the monthly district round tables.

In April we held an Eagle Scout Court of Honor, where we recognized the achievements of 4 Eagle Scouts. We camped at Valley Pines overnight, clearing brush from the winter storms. And we welcomed 5 new scouts, and are awaiting arrival of one other scout, and we welcome Mr. Cato, who's joining his oldest son at the Troop side while serving as Cub Master at the Pack side. 

Looking out a month, cost for our trip and overnight stay at  Fort Ticonderoga has been set at $150, which includes bus, food and lodging for the weekend, Class A shirts are required, and we have a limit of thirty participants, with a few seats available,  so please RSVP no later than our first May meeting.

Our primary organizational focus in May will be on this event, with Summer Camp planning, scheduling and prework the focus of June and July.

Note, our  weekday schedule at camp will be shifting slightly to encourage a more fluid, Merit Badge University style of classwork and field work, while outside that structured time we continue to stress and encourage free time activities (canoeing, waterfront, etc). We will share more of that in June, but if you’re an adult member or scout  planning to attend, and have an interest in teaching specific badges, please let us know and we’ll do our best to build that time into the week and pre/post camp work.

We are  reviewing the cost of Summer Camp, which is expected to rise this year  - we’ll share the expected rate soon, which is influenced by three factors  –the cost of fuel and gasoline, food, and declining enrollment all are drivers.

Our May events are below, and will include a campout, flagging at two cemeteries, and the Memorial Day Parade. Drummers, please note our meetings  on Monday evenings -  we all need to practice for the parade, and we urge all to attend so we can work on pieces and prepare to march

May 7 – clubhouse, drumming at 7
May 12 – 9 AM Civil War/rededication of memorial
May 14 – clubhouse, drumming at 7
May 19 - VP  Campout
May 21 – clubhouse, drumming at 7
May 26 - Flagging (8 AM Village, 9 AM Old North)
May 28 – No Meeting (Memorial Day holiday) - Parade


As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please let us know, either by emailing at troop2weymouth@gmail.com or in person on Monday evenings or Thursday evenings. We can also be reached by phone.