Robotics Merit Badge - Class Photo

Here are over thirty of our scouts working on the newest Merit Badge - robotics.  Each team is building their own robot as part of the requirements for the badge.

Below are some more picture taken by Mr. O'Brien:

Robotics Merit Badge

Coming soon - the Robots Merit Badge.  Details are expected to be released next week in conjunction with the Boston-based iRobot.

The badge is designed with an image of the Mars Rover.

I know we have a few scouts who have been involved in the Lego Robotics leagues, so hopefully we will see some scouts earning this new badge.

NASA Announcement 

Troop 2 Welcomes Our Newest Scouts

Troop 2 would like to formally welcome the boys from Pack 2 that recently crossed over from Webelos to Boy Scouts.  Many of these boys are also Arrow of Light recipients.

Welcome to:

• Thomas B
• Zachary C
• Michael C
• Evan C
• Evan D
• John M
• Diego R
• Paul S
• Stephen S
• Kevin W

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge Recap

On Monday, March 7th we completed two components of the Scouting Heritage Merit Badge.

Many thanks to Mr. Keenan, Mr. D. Chase, Mr. Wallace, and both Mr. Kelley's for patiently answering questions at each of the interview stations. Their recollections, along with the recollections of several other veterans of our Troop, will be compiled for discussion at our next class for this badge.

We also reviewed collections from several scouts. These collections included many Cub Scout memories, as well as scouting ephemera that each scout has accumulated. In each case the scout was asked what the collection meant to them, and what it tells us about them and their interests.

We are nearly complete with this badge, so as a reminder - there are 3 homework assignments, which were due at the meeting on March 7th. In order for your scout to pass this badge, all 3assignments must be completed and turned in to Mr. Chase before the meeting on Monday, March 14th.


1. All Scouts must review the Troop 2 History information on the website (www.troop2weymouth.com) and record 4 facts about the Troop for discussion. This work was due on 2/28.

2. All scouts must turn in their work for Requirement 4b which was due on 2/14 – as a reminder, scouts must review the website for the National Scouting Museum at http://www.bsamuseum.org/ and prepare a paragraph about why this museum is important to Scouting. I also encourage the scouts to write to the address provided under Contact Us, asking for more details to help them work on this badge and specifically this requirement. Instructions are included in a previous note and on the website. Scouts will likely receive a patch in the packet sent to them by the museum. For more details on this homework, please check the previous BLOG entry.

3. Scouts should be assembling their collections of Scout related materials, which were due due at the meeting on March 7.


If you have any questions, please see Mr. Chase.

Community Service Opportunity - with cats!

Mr Clancy is going to take this opportunity to help boys work on their Pet Care merit badge.

In order to accomplish this, Mr Clancy needs two things - a formal list of scouts dedicated to the effort, and parameters so they can gauge their progress and ultimate success.   Mr. Clancy will have the outline and materials together, and at the next meeting Monday we'll need to get a formal list together.  This is a 6-8 week commitment for the boys.  If you cannot make it Monday, but are interested, please send an email.

This is also a good community service project for boys who need it for rank advancement.

The cat petting this weekend is postponed to give time to develop the materials and the list.  Our calendar has been updated accordingly.

See other related postings:
Feb 2011 Post
Jan 17 2011 Post
Jan 14 2011 Post
Dec 2010 Post
Nov 2010 Post

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge recap and homework reminders

Last night we reviewed the previous requirements for the Scouting Heritage merit badge, reviewed collections from several scouts, and formulated questions for interviewing.

As a reminder - there are 3 homework assignments, which are due at the meeting on March 7th. In order for your scout to pass this badge, all 3 assignments must be completed and turned in to Mr. Chase


1. All Scouts must review the Troop 2 History information on the website (www.troop2weymouth.com) and record 4 facts about the Troop for discussion. This work was due on 2/28.

2. All scouts must turn in their work for Requirement 4b which was due on 2/14 – as a reminder, scouts must review the website for the National Scouting Museum at http://www.bsamuseum.org/ and prepare a paragraph about why this museum is important to Scouting. I also encourage the scouts to write to the address provided under Contact Us, asking for more details to help them work on this badge and specifically this requirement. Instructions are included in a previous note and on the website. Scouts will likely receive a patch in the packet sent to them by the museum. For more details on this homework, please check the previous BLOG entry.

3. Scouts should be assembling their collections of Scout related materials, which will be due at the meeting on March 7.

Reminder - Scouting Heritage recap, and homework, due 2/28

At the gym night on 2/21 we experienced several historical games that were commonly played in the early days of scouting, including Stick Wrestling, Wobbly Platforms, and Deer/Hunters. Scouts who missed this gym night must meet with Mr. Chase on 2/28 for a review and further assignment.

A reminder, the following homework is due on Monday. February 28th

New work due 2/28

• All Scouts must review the Troop 2 History information on the website (address above) and record 4 facts about the Troop for discussion on 2/28

• Several interviews are incorporated in this badge. If a member of your family was in Scouting, please ask them to discuss their experiences with your son. We will be drafting a set of questions to use for interviewing at the meeting on 2/28. All Scouts should be considering the questions they would ask someone who has been a Scout, including their recollections of Scouting in their era, etc.

Previous homework (due by 2/28)

• Some scouts did not turn in their work for Requirement 4b on 2/14 – as a reminder, scouts must review the website for the National Scouting Museum, and prepare a paragraph about why this museum is important to Scouting. I also encourage the scouts to write to the address provided, asking for more details to help them work on this badge and specifically this requirement. Instructions are included in a previous note and on the website.

Scouts will likely receive a patch in the packet sent to them by the museum. For more details on this homework, please check the previous BLOG entry.



Ongoing assignment (due 3/7)

• Scouts should be assembling their collections of Scout related materials, which will be due at the meeting on March 7

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge – 2/14 recap & homework

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge – 2/14 recap

The following items were discussed at the meeting

Requirement 3 –
We discussed the various scouting entities and the demographic they each serve. As of December, 2010 there are over 2.7 million Scouts, spread across these units.

Cubs – introduced in 1930, it’s the biggest segment of scouting – starts at age 7, goes to age 10

BSA – ages 10-18, started in 1911

Explorers – started in 1935, coed in 1971, design changed over time from land based Sea Scouts to career exploration, split in 1998 to form Venturing

Venturing – started in 1998, also coed, goes to age 21, focus is on outdoor skills and similar development to BSA programs

Others - Sea Scouts, started 1912 now part of Venturing, Air Scouts, started in 1942, rolled into Explorers in 1947, Varsity Scouts, with a sporting theme, introduced in 1984, Rover Scouts, started in 1933, ended in 1941.

We also began work on Requirement 5, which involves the history of the local unit. According to our Troop History, Troop 2 is the oldest continuously chartered Scout Troop in Old Colony Council, and one of the oldest in the United States. A synopsis of the Troop 2 history is available on our website at http://www.weymouthheightsclub.org/id4.html

To set the stage for this review we handled old scout uniforms from the 1940’s through the 1970’s, sashes from these eras, and headgear.

Homework – as a reminder, homework has been assigned both last week and this week.
In order to complete this badge this homework must be passed in to Mr. Chase for review and recording.

Ongoing assignments

• Some scouts did not turn in their work for Requirement 4b last night – as a reminder, scouts must review the website for the National Scouting Museum, and prepare a paragraph about why this museum is important to Scouting. I also encourage the scouts to write to the address provided, asking for more details to help them work on this badge and specifically this requirement. For more details on this homework, please check the previous BLOG entry.

• Scouts should be assembling their collections of Scout related materials, which will be due at the meeting on March 7


New work due 2/28

• All Scouts must review the Troop 2 History information on the website (address above) and record 4 facts about the Troop for discussion on 2/28

• Several interviews are incorporated in this badge. If a member of your family was in Scouting, please ask them to discuss their experiences with your son. We will be drafting a set of questions to use for interviewing at the meeting on 2/28. All Scouts should be considering the questions they would ask someone who has been a Scout, including their recollections of Scouting in their era, etc.

Check Your Advancement

At the clubhouse we have a large chart that the boys can reference to see how they are doing on advancement. This allows them to see if they are keeping up w/ their peers, and also see how they are progressing towards the goal of Eagle Scout.

Every boy advances individually and at their own pace. The earlier ranks are much less dependent on Merit Badges, while later one depend on earning a mix of Eagle Required and optional Merit Badges. A boys must earn 11 Eagle Required and at least 10 other Merit Badges to be eligible for Eagle.

Below is a summary of our larger, more detailed chart. This should give parents and scouts a chance to check on advancement progress. If you have any questions on advancing through the ranks or earning merit badges, please feel free to talk to any of the leaders during a Monday meeting.

	Rank							Merit Badges
	Scout	Tenderfoot	Second Class	First Class	Star	Life	Eagle	Eagle Required (Target=11)	Other
Jordan	X	X	X	X	X	X		9	13
JB	X	X	X	X	X			7	10
Antonio	X	X						1	8
Nick	X	X	X	X	X	X		9	21
Brian	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	11	22
Paul	X	X	X	X	X			6	13
Tom	X	X	X	X				4	8
Chris D	X	X	X	X				5	9
Bryan	X	X	X	X	X	X		10	12
Eric	X	X	X	X	X	X		11	27
Jonathan H	X	X	X	X	X	X		9	20
Tim J	X	X	X	X				3	13
Joe	X	X	X	X	X	X		10	18
PK	X	X	X	X	X	X		9	10
Dan	X	X	X					2	7
Andrew	X	X	X	X				3	12
Tim M	X	X	X					3	10
Matt M	X	X	X					5	7
Ben	X	X	X	X	X			10	22
Nate	X	X						6	16
Jackson	X	X	X					3	10
Isaiah	X	X	X					0	1
Tyler	X	X	X	X	X	X		9	35
Chris R	X	X	X	X				4	7
Devin	X							2	4
AJ	X	X	X	X	X	X		10	18
Mitchel	X	X	X	X	X	X		9	13
Taylor	X	X	X	X	X			6	13
Ian	X	X						1	0
DJ	X	X	X	X	X	X		9	15
Josh	X	X	X	X	X	X		9	19
Matt W	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	11	33
Derek	X	X	X	X				3	10
Chris Z	X	X	X	X				3	9

Scouting Heritage Recap

On Monday, 2/7 we discussed the first two requirements for this badge.

As a recap, here are the notes on the historical figures, events, and materials we discussed

Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell (22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941), also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement.
Baden-Powell served in the British Army from 1876 until 1910 in India and Africa. In 1899, during the Second Boer War in South Africa, Baden-Powell successfully defended the town in the Siege of Mafeking.

He wrote Scouting for Boys, published in 1908 for youths and is the fourth bestselling book of the 20th century. During his writing of this handbook, he tested his ideas through a camping trip on Brownsea Island in August 1907, which marks the beginning of Scouting

In 1909, Chicago publisher W. D. Boyce was visiting London, where he encountered the Unknown Scout and learned of the Scouting movement. According to legend, Boyce had become lost in the dense London fog, but was guided back to his destination by a boy who told him that he was merely doing his duty as a Boy Scout. This inspired him to create a similar movement in the US.

Daniel Carter Beard - June 21, 1850 – June 11, 1941 - Beard founded a BSA predecessor organization for youth in the United States called the Sons of Daniel Boone, which later merged with the BSA. He also organized the Camp Fire Girls. He is best known as the first National Commissioner and Chairman of the Court of Honor and was the author of 21 books on outdoor living and survival skills

William D. Boyce - June 16, 1858 – June 11, 1929 - Publisher who encountered the “unknown scout” in London and went on to bring scouting to America soon afterward.

Waite Phillips - January 19, 1883 – January 27, 1964 - Wealthy oil man who in 1938 and in 1941, donated 127,000 acres of his ranch in New Mexico to the Boy Scouts of America, complete with water, mineral and timber rights and an office building, which is known as Philmont.

Ernest Thompson Seton - August 14, 1860 – October 23, 1946 - author, wildlife artist, and founder of the Woodcraft Indians, which later merged with the Sons of Daniel Boone and the BSA. His notable books related to Scouting include The Birch Bark Roll and The Boy Scout Handbook. He is responsible for the strong influence of American Indian culture in the BSA.

James E. West - May 16, 1876 – May 15, 1948 lawyer and an advocate of children's rights, who became the first professional Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), serving from 1911–1943. Upon his retirement from the BSA, West was given the title of Chief Scout. West was instrumental in expanding the third part of the Scout Oath: To help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. He also pushed to add three parts to the Scout Law: brave, clean, and reverent.

Brownsea Island - First Scout Camp was held on this island off the coast of England in 1906 to test ideas outlined by B-P, leading to the publication afterward of the first Boy Scout Handbook, Scouting for Boys.

The First World Jamboree – held in 1920, in London, England. 8000 scouts from 34 countries attended. Included 301 scouts from the USA. B-P was crowned the first and only Chief Scout of the World. Held roughly every 4 years since. World Jamborees unite scouts from across the globe.

Boy Scout Handbook – first published in 1911, provides the blueprint for scouting programs. Originally started as an outdoors guide by B-P, evolved early on by gathering information from other programs manuals.

Boys’ Life magazine- founded in 1911 by George Barton in Somerville, MA to provide a magazine that captures scouting ideas. He sold it to the BSA in 1912, with over 6000 subscribers, and it became the official BSA magazine.

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge Homework - due 2/14

Homework for Scouting Heritage Requirement 4B, due at the 2/14 meeting
For this requirement, you must give a short paragraph on what you think the role of the National Scouting Museum is in the Scouting program.

To gather information
- Visit the website - http://www.bsamuseum.org
- Send email to joseph.connole@scouting.org. Be sure to include your name, rank, and mailing address so the information may be sent to you.

Please bring your paragraph to the meeting on 2/14, and if you send an email to Mr. Connole, please print a copy and attach that to your paragraph.


Pertinent facts about the museum:

Established in 1959, the National Scouting Museum is the official museum of the Boy Scouts of America. The museum is committed to preserving the rich, 100-year history of the Scouting movement by collecting, organizing, preserving and displaying some of Scouting's greatest treasures.

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge

For the month of February and March, to prepare for our 100th anniversary and to coincide with the annual birthday of both Scouting and the founder, Lord Baden Powell, scouts will be working with Mr. Chase on the Scouting Heritage merit badge at the weekly Monday night meetings.

All scouts should come to the meeting prepared for this class with a notebook and pen, and there will be two homework assignments.

If you have any questions, please see Mr. Chase.

First Aid Class

Today Mr Kelley, Mr Chase and Mr Freitas worked with 20 of our scouts on bandaging, splinting and treating various kinds of burns. These boys have nearly completed the course for this Eagle required merit badge.

First Aid Merit Badge Practical Exercise Saturday 12/18

First Aid Merit Badge Practical Exercise

When: Saturday, December 18th from 9:30 AM until Noon

Where: Weymouth Heights Club

All scouts who are participating in the First Aid class with Mr. Chase must attend the practical component, where we will discuss and perform hands on activities, including the following:

• Treatment for bruises, strain, sprains

• Immobilization of broken bones, including splinting

• Proper treatment for head, neck, back injuries

• Bandaging of wounds

In addition, scouts will be issued a study guide packet with details from the training, and a “situation” card with the final homework assignment, due at first January meeting on 1/3/2010.

Please contact Mr. Chase if you have any questions.

Merit Badge University 2011

The 2011 Merit Badge University is now being planned for 2011. The following tentative schedule has been released:

1/04/2011 ~ Website and forms will be released
1/16/2011 - 1/21/2011 ~ Online Registration open
1/23/2011 - 1/30/2011 ~ Class Assignments
2/15/2011, 2/16/2011, 2/17/2011 ~ Orientation for instructors
3/05/2011 ~ Merit Badge University Day 1
3/12/2011 ~ Merit Badge University Day 2
3/26/2011 ~ Merit Badge University Day 3

New Merit Badges offered this year include: Cinematography, Entrepreneurship, Genealogy, Home Repair, Inventing, Journalism, Model Building, Theater, Truck Transportation and Veterinary Medicine.

The Classes will be held at Southeastern Regional Vocational-Technical School.

Several boys attended MBU last year and the feedback we received was very positive. The boys have the opportunity to earn or at least start to earn a variety of badges.

Opportunity to Earn the "God and Church" Award

Classes are starting for the "God and Church" religious awards at First Church. Mr. Murphy will be teaching this Protestant award for any scouts Grades 6-8 each Sunday from 10-11am. Boys are welcome to join us this Sunday and the class runs for 6 weeks, so will end in mid-January.

Awards will be presented during the February Scout Sunday at First Church.

First Aid Homework - Due 11/15

Homework assigned 11/8 for follow up 11/15
Our homework for 11/8 will be requirement 2d – “Prepare a first aid kit for your home. Display and discuss its contents with your counselor”

Please prepare and bring this kit to the meeting on 11/15.

For guidance, please refer to the following URL - http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS/gss06.aspx

Excerpt:
First-Aid Kits
A first-aid kit well stocked with the basic essentials is indispensable. Choose one sturdy and lightweight, yet large enough to hold the contents so that they are readily visible and so that any one item may be taken out without unpacking the whole kit. A plastic waterproof box, large slide lock freezer bag, or shoe box is a practical kit. Keep a list of contents readily available for easy refilling.

Suggested First-Aid Kit Contents

• Bar of soap
• 2-inch roller bandage
• 1-inch roller bandage
• 1-inch adhesive
• 3-by-3-inch sterile pads
• Triangular bandage
• Assorted gauze pads
• Adhesive strips
• Clinical oral thermometer
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Sunburn lotion
• Lip salve
• Poison-ivy lotion
• Small flashlight (with extra batteries)
• Absorbent cotton
• Water purification tablets (iodine)
• Safety pins
• Needles
• Paper cups
• Foot powder
• Instant ice packs

Because of the possibility of exposure to communicable diseases, first-aid kits should include latex or vinyl gloves, plastic goggles or other eye protection, and antiseptic to be used when giving first aid to bleeding victims, as protection against possible exposure.

First Aid Homework - Due 11/8

Homework Notes
Homework assigned 11/1 for follow up 11/8

Requirement 1 for the First Aid badge includes a review of the rank requirements from Tenderfoot to First Class - “Satisfy your counselor that you have current knowledge of all first aid requirements for Tenderfoot Rank, Second Class Rank, and First Class Rank.”

Please review these requirements in your scout handbook before the meeting on 11/8

Tenderfoot Rank First Aid Requirements

11. Poisonous Plants
12a. Choking
12b. Cuts and Scratches - Blisters - Burns - Bites and Stings - Snakebite - Nosebleed - Frostbite - Sunburn
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Second Class Rank First Aid Requirements

6a. Choking - Bleeding - Poisoning
6b. First Aid Kit
6c. Object in Eye - Bites and Stings - Puncture Wounds - Burns - Heat Exhaustion - Shock - Heat Stroke - Dehydration - Hypothermia - Hyperventilation
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
First Class Rank First Aid Requirements

8b.Sprains
8c.Transporting an Injured Person
8d. Heart Attack – CPR

First Aid Merit Badge - Schedule Overview

First Aid Merit Badge
The planned activities for the month of November and December are listed below.

Attendance is required to assure scouts are learning the necessary skills to pass this Eagle required badge.


11/1 - First Aid handout distributed - homework - review Handbooks
11/8 - Unit 1 -- req 1, 2, homework is 2d
11/15 - Unit 2 -- req 3
11/22 - Gym Night - Stretchers and carries - req 6
11/29 - Unit 3 -- req 4
12/6 - Unit 4 -- req 5 - prep for final
12/13 - Final Class - Scouts present their cases, board of review
12/20 - Holiday party

The following weekends will be available for those scouts who miss the material on a Monday meeting. These will be the only make up opportunities available in the schedule. Dates and times will be determined by need and posted on the BLOG.

Makeup Weekends
11/20 - 11/21 - Make up for Unit 1 and carries
11/27 - 11/28 - Makeup for Unit 2
12/4 - 12/5 - Make up for unit 3
12/11-12/12 - Campout - makeup for unit 4
12/18 - 12/19 - Final chance to make up any missed components, including unit 4
12/27 - Gym night - makeup for carries as needed

Advancement Report - May 2010

The following is all the Rank Advancements and Merit Badges that were earned during the month of May 2010.  Share this with your scout - ask him how he doing when compared to his peers.  Talk to Mr. Kelley if you have any questions regarding your scouts advancement.

Rank Advancement
JB	First Class
Paul	First Class
Taylor	First Class
Derek	Second Class
Chris Z	Second Class
Tim M	Second Class
Antonio	Scout
Devin	Scout
Merit Badges Earned Silver: Eagle Required, Green: Elective
AJ	Family Life
Ben	Citizenship in the Community
Ben	Communications
Chris D	Citizenship in the Community
Chris R	Citizenship in the Community
Joe	Citizenship in the Community
Jordan	Citizenship in the Community
Mitchel	Citizenship in the Community
Paul	Citizenship in the Community
Pat	Citizenship in the Community
Antonio	Fingerprinting
Andrew	Fingerprinting
Chris R	Fingerprinting
Derek	Fingerprinting
Jackson	Fingerprinting
Joe	Fingerprinting
Nate	Reptile and Amphibian Study
Paul	Fingerprinting
Tim M	Fingerprinting
Tim J	Fingerprinting
Tom	Fingerprinting
Tyler	Fingerprinting
Awards Earned
Devin	Totin' Chip
Antonio	Totin' Chip