Troop 4

On January 19, 2010, Tim Brundrett passed his Eagle Board of Review and became the Troop’s 20th Eagle Scout. Congratulations, Tim!

Details on Tim’s Eagle Court of Honor will be released in the coming weeks.

Hello Scouts/Leaders/Families…

Before my toes completely thaw out, I wanted to pass on some thoughts on our most recent winter camping trip. I don’t usually send out a “post-campout” note to the whole troop, but I was so impressed with the Troop’s performance and attitude, that I wanted to share my thoughts.

This trip was the coldest Troop camping trip in recent years. Temps dipped to around zero…and with a stiff breeze. Not only was the weather a challenge, but the trip included a trek with a full load of gear to the most remote corner of the Upton State Forest.

Scouts were well prepared, efficient, and despite the severe cold, managed to make it one of the most fun and ‘good eating’ trips in recent memory. Some specific things to commend…

All Scouts: Kudos for the cheerful attitude throughout the trip. Despite the cold, there was no whining, and scouts made the best of the challenging situation. You prepared well and worked hard to get the campsite in good condition to get us through the night. Nearly 20 scouts participated… the most for any winter hiking campout in quite some time.

Ventures had a strong showing at this event. We realize older scouts have busy schedules, so thanks for making this trip a priority. Your improvised hockey game, complete with home-made sticks, wood pucks, and the “sam”-boni rivaled the recent Fenway Winter-Classic. The hockey tournament was one of the highlights of the trip. Please continue to attend these events as frequently as you can, in order to demonstrate your leadership, and pass on your knowledge to the younger scouts. Great job on this trip.

Scout Leadership: Big improvements on this campouts. Patrols were well prepared, organized, well-led and well-fed…. as evidenced by the efficient camp setup, hearty meals, and the gathering of the large amount of firewood needed to get us through the cold night. Special kudos go to Ben, James and the patrol leaders for their careful selection of the optimal campsite. It was a great spot, with a commanding view of the lake, great tent sites, and good access to water and firewood.

Adult Leaders: Big thanks to Tom, Peter, Jeff and Tim. The adult team advised the scouts well, and the closing “lessons learned” session was super, and should be made a regular feature on all backpacking trips.
In closing…great trip! Thanks to all. Scouts did so well that Mr.Lanciano thinks you should all sleep outside again at the Lanciano Winter Weekend classic in Feburary. Maybe skip the tents this time for an extra bit of challenge….

Heh heh…. Just kidding.

Phil Bedard