Personal Fitness Kick-Off Postponed

The Personal Fitness merit badge kick-off originally scheduled for September 27 has been posted to Sunday, October 4th, at 1:00 PM.

Troop 4 Family Newsletter – September 17, 2009

Troop Elections

The Troop conducted Senior Patrol elections at the end of the season. Ben S. won the election, and appointed James L., Richard R. and Pat B. as Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders. This leadership team then selected new leaders for the various troop positions, such as scribe, quartermaster, etc. This change to early elections and appointments allowed us to conduct training prior to the start of our new season so that we can ‘hit the ground running’ at next week’s first ‘all hands’ troop meeting. While many posts have been filled, some election activity remains. The election of patrol leaders and assistant patrol leaders is scheduled for opening night on Sept 24th.

Trip Report – Mt. Washington Backpacking Trip

A big thanks goes to Jeff Croteau and Mark Hobart for helping scouts organize the troop’s first ascent of the Northeast’s highest peak. At over 6200 feet, and the home of the ‘world’s worst weather’, the August Mt. Washington trip required careful planning and preparations. This crew perfected a lightweight packing approach for meals and patrol gear that will set the standard for future high adventure backpacking trips. A group photo on top of the fog shrouded summit has been posted to the troop website. These scouts have prepared a presentation of their trek to be shown at an next week’s troop meeting.

October Backpacking Trip

The troop will demonstrate these new backpacking skills on the weekend of October 23-25. The troop will travel to the Taconic Mountains in the MA/NY/CT tri-state area. This trip will feature a combination of cabin camping at the AMC’s Northwest Camp and tent camping along the Appalachian Trail. Experienced backpacking scouts desiring a faster pace and very challenging route may choose to leave on Friday afternoon directly after school. This group will meet at the St. Mary’s parish center for an immediate departure at 3pm. They will arrive at the trailhead at dusk for a very short ½ mile backpack to the cabin before dark, followed by a challenging hike to a wilderness campsite on Saturday.

First year scouts, and other scouts not able to leave on Friday will meet Saturday at the parish center for an on-time departure at 8AM. This group will travel on a 5-mile route over the Appalachian Trail to the same AMC cabin. This 2nd group may break into ability groups depending on the number of attendees. Both groups will backpack out on Sunday morning, stop for a fast food lunch on the ride home, and arrive home for a parish center pick-up at 4pm.

Our destination is home to many interesting features including the highest peak in Connecticut, and the highest land point in Connecticut. A nickel to the scout who can explain how these can be two separate places. We will also traverse exposed ridges, deep ravines and rocky summits.

The option for a Friday or Saturday departure may change based on the number of attendees and leaders. It is therefore very important that all scouts and leaders planning to attend turn in the permission slip no later than the Oct 1st troop meeting in order to allow for the required logistics planning. Early submittals via email to pbedard1@gmail.com are strongly encouraged.

Due to the challenging nature of this backpacking trip, all attendees must be physically fit. New scouts unaccustomed to strenuous activity should begin a fitness program now in order to be ready for this trip. Consider starting the personal fitness merit badge to get in shape. Same goes for older scouts/adults that want to participate. Please direct any questions on this topic to any of the Troop 4 Personal Fitness Merit Badge Councilors listed on the troop website.

All attendees (scouts/adults) will cook their backpacking meals individually, using only boiled water for meal preparation. Veterans of the Mt. Washington trip will provide detailed instruction on meal preparation and ingredients each person must buy. Ingredients can be easily purchased at a local grocer at low cost. Scouts should also bring some money for a fast food lunch on Sunday’s return. Detailed meal planning and packing instruction will take place at the October 8th troop meeting. All scouts must then bring their fully packed back-pack to the October 15th troop meeting where a “shake-down” will be performed to ensure each scout is well prepared. Scouts must “be prepared” by bringing every item on the checklist provided at the 10/8 meeting – no exceptions. On 10/15, each backpack must brought to the meeting in “ready-to-hit-the-trail” condition. Also, a nominal $5 fee (check payable to Troop 4) is required to defray the cost of the AMC Cabin.

Again, if your son will be attending, please drop off the permission slip no later than the beginning of the October 1st Troop Meeting, or email the form earlier to Phil Bedard.

Troop Eagle Court of Honor

The Troop Eagle Court of Honor will be Thursday, October 22nd from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at St. Mary’s parish center. This special Court of Honor will honor our newest Eagle Scout, Mike Tusino. Awards earned by all other scouts since the last Court of Honor will also be presented. There will be a dinner before the awards ceremony. The troop committee is planning the details and will communicate more information to families shortly.

Troop Dues and Medical Forms

Troop dues and medical forms are due at the Sept 24th or Oct 1st troop meetings. The medical form is required for each scout. Unlike summer camp forms, only a parent signature is required. Vaccines, if current, can be stated as such. The combined troop and re-charter dues are $85 per scout ($65 for additional siblings). More information on these forms and dues was previously provided in the kickoff letter, which is still posted to the troop website.

Advancement

Many Life scouts are actively working their Eagle service projects. Keep an eye out for emails and phone calls from these scouts as they recruit help for several interesting projects, which involve service to the Milford Bike Trail Committee, the Milford Geriatric Authority, and our own sponsor, St. Mary’s Parish. Please help them as much as you can.

All scouts who are ready for advancement, or who are very close, should have received an email from the scoutmaster recently with reminders on badge wrap-up, service hour wrap-up, or to schedule a scoutmaster conference. Due to the limited number of meetings between now and the Court of Honor, it is mandatory that scouts meet the deadlines established in these emails, and attend their scheduled conferences/reviews, if they desire to advance this fall.

Merit Badges

There are many merit badge activities planned this fall, some starting very soon. The venture planning meetings, and patrol leader’s council, will determine which badges will be offered, and when. Look for announcements at upcoming troop meetings.

Troop Library

Merit badge booklets are a significant expense for the troop. Please help the troop to be thrifty by returning any borrowed booklets to the troop library as soon as you are finished. Contact troop Librarian Matt B. if you have any library questions, would like to donate booklets, borrow books, or are seeking a particular merit badge book that’s not in the library.

Troop History

Troop Historian Wyatt B. has taken the challenge to improve the collection and preservation of Troop artifacts. Please see Wyatt if you can provide useful artifacts, like newspaper clippings of Troop 4 scouts, an especially good picture or two of a Troop 4 event, or any other notable artifact.

Troop Equipment

Troop Quartermaster Joshua S. is seeking the cooperation of the entire troop to maintain the cleanliness and integrity of Troop tents, cookware, and other high adventure / camping gear. All scouts should work closely with Joshua to account for, clean and return all troop equipment used at camping and other events. Any outstanding troop tent from the last Mt. Washington trip should be returned at the Sept 24 troop meeting.

Troop Recruiting

Troop 4 is always on the lookout for a few good young men. Contact Troop Recruiter Nolan H. if you know of friends that you think would be a good fit to join our troop.

Patrol Leaders

The strength of Troop 4 is based on the strength and initiative of our patrols. Patrol leaders and Assistant Patrol Leaders will be elected at the 9/24 troop meeting. Patrol members should use the Patrol Leader as their main point of contact for campout and event coordination.

Procedures for Submitting Troop Forms/Dues

Troop meetings can be very hectic at the start. Families can help by submitting routine dues, trip payments, permission slips and medical forms directly to Troop Scribe Cody M., or his designee/assistants. This year, the scribe will set up shop just outside the opening classroom to cut down on congestion. Of course, parents are free to direct special questions on forms and payments to any adult leader if required.

Venture Scout Corner

Venture Ideas for 2009/2010

The ventures recently held a meeting to discuss their Eagle Service Project status, and also to identify ideas for Troop and Venture meetings & trips for the new season. The crew put many exciting ideas on the table. The scout and adult leadership will work hard to make these happen. This batch of ideas is on the agenda for discussion at the first Patrol Leaders Council meeting, and includes ideas such as:

  • Merit Badge Classes
  • Frisbee Golf Tournament
  • Shotgun Shooting and Archery Nights at Maspenock
  • Troop Meeting “Tailgating” night… real football food, cooked on real tailgates
  • Troop Meeting taste test tournament (coke/pepsi, gatorade/powerade, tobasco/franks, Milford tap/Poland, etc)

The PLC will work these ideas, and others, into the upcoming season.

Guest Speakers

Troop 4 has a strong tradition of bringing in excellent guest speakers on topics of interest to venture (high school age) scouts. Speakers this year may address topics like “Engineering Careers”, “The Greenway Challenge, aka, The Apache Relay on Steroids”, and other topics relevant to venture scouts. Parents – if you have a topic of interest you would like to present, please contact Mr. Bob Garber or Phil Bedard.

Upcoming Event Dates & Reminders

  • Sept 24 – First general troop meeting. Troop elections.
  • Oct 1 – Troop Meeting (troop dues / medical form deadline / campout permission slip are due) and scoutmaster conferences
  • Oct 8th – Troop Meeting, including backpacking meal prep, packing instruction, and board of reviews.
  • Oct 15th – Troop Meeting, including backpacking “shakedown” and board of reviews (if required)
  • Oct 22 – Eagle Court of Honor
  • Oct 23-25 – Troop Backpacking Trip
  • Oct 24-25 – Scouting for Food
  • Oct 29 – Troop Halloween Party

Questions

Please call the Phil Bedard at 508-282-0283 or email at pbedard1@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Mount Washington Pictures – 2009

Scouting for Food

The troop will support the scouting for food event by receiving and sorting incoming food that other troops and packs have collected. The event will run from 12:30 to 3:30 PM. Mr. Hastings will be onsite to work with the senior attending scout to coordinate our troop’s activity.

Meet at the food pantry on Exchange Street.

Taconic Mountains Advance Preparation

Kickoff Letter for 2009-2010

Click here for Mr. Bedard’s 2009-2010 kickoff letter for Troop 4 families.

Troop 4 Kickoff Letter 2009-2010

Dear Parents and Families,

On behalf of all the Adult Leaders, and the new Scout Leadership Team led by SPL Ben S., I would like to welcome you and your sons back for another exciting 2009 – 2010 scouting year. We have many exciting and challenging activities planned for troop meetings and outdoor events – some old favorites and some new adventures as well.

This past year was filled with many outdoor adventures, including camping, backpacking (featuring a 3 day trek of Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast), winter camping, snow adventures, orienteering and hiking. The troop closed out the year with a great summer camp week at Camp Resolute.

Over the past year there were many awards, merit badges, and badges of rank earned by the scouts. We are very proud of our two new Eagle Scouts from last year, Jonathan Lincoln and Gabe Lanciano. We’re also proud to announce our newest Eagle Scout, Mike Tusino, who passed his Board of Review over the summer. Mike’s Eagle Scout award will be celebrated at our next Court of Honor.

Our scouts participated and completed many individual and group service projects, including several Troop 4 Eagle Scout projects underway.

The troop website continues to expand with information on activities and calendar dates/times. We have added pictures from each monthly troop outing, including recent summer camp and Mt. Washington trips. Be sure to check out the website on a regular basis at: www.troop4milford.org

The Venture scouts will continue to have a “Venture Corner” in each of the troop newsletters with information especially for them. And we will continue to bring in guest speakers to talk to the Ventures on a variety of careers and occupations, and plan to schedule some venture-only trips to challenge these older scouts. Mr. Garber has volunteered to work with this crew to develop an exciting venture program.

Troop meeting activities will include old favorite activities including: cooking, scoutcraft, pioneering, engineering, advancement, demonstrations, and merit badge classes. The troop meetings will continue to be held 7:00 – 8:30 PM on Thursday nights at St. Mary’s parish center.

To cap off the schedule for this coming season, the troop will embark on a 50 mile, week long, self guided, wilderness canoe trip on the east branch of the Penobscot River and surrounding lakes. Troop activities this spring will help to prepare us for this August adventure. Lots more information on this once in a lifetime expedition will be coming soon.

The Venture Scout organizational meeting will be held Tuesday, September 15. The first meeting for ALL OTHER SCOUTS (scouts in grades six through eight) will be Thursday, September 24. This will be our organizational meeting for the year, for election of Patrol Leaders and Assistant Patrol Leaders, and the announcement of other leadership posts assigned by the SPL. Venture scouts will come to the meeting as well.

Dues for the Year

The troop is collecting both the BSA re-charter fee and annual troop dues in one combined payment. To cover the Council’s decision to raise registration rates by $5 this year, the troop had to pass on this small increase to our dues. The total due is $85/scout with $65/scout for the second or more scouts per family. If this is a hardship please email/call Phil Bedard (confidential).

We will once again conduct a pancake breakfast as a supplemental fundraiser for our high adventure programs. We are expecting all scouts to fully participate in this year’s fundraising effort.

The fees are due at the start of the season. Please drop off your check at the start of the September 24 or October 1 troop meeting. If your son(s) can’t make either meeting but would like to continue in the troop, please mail the dues prior to October 1 to the Troop Treasurer, Mrs. Debra Laviolette at 7 Paulene Drive, Franklin 02038. Please make all checks payable to Troop 4. As a courtesy to the troop and to assist in our planning, if your son does not plan to continue, please have him call the scoutmaster to convey his decision.

For Assistant Scoutmasters in high school or college – your annual fee is $15. Please remit a check to Mrs. Laviolette at the above address.

Reminders for the Troop Meetings

  • We realize it’s hard sometimes to make the 7:00 PM meeting start time. Coming late from another activity or school work/job is fine, but when scouts arrive they should come into the meeting room (no detours to the corner convenience store). We will be starting the meetings at 7:00 PM.
  • Uniforms must be worn to all the troop meetings.
  • Return of troop camping equipment. Most troop equipment will be cleaned and put away after a trip. If your son does bring home equipment from a trip to clean – probably a tent, please clean it and get it back within 2 weeks of the event. Tents can be dried out in a garage or cellar – they don’t need to be aired out in the open. If you currently have any troop equipment, please return it by the September 24th troop meeting.

Annual Medical Form to Fill Out

The annual medical form is available on the troop web site under “FORMS.”  A hardcopy version of this form will also be available at the September 24 troop meeting. The troop asks for this information annually, even if you have recently provided a form for Camp Resolute. Access is limited to a few adult leaders. The information is then kept by the adult leaders in charge at all meetings and activities. We need the updated information on hand in case of medical emergencies and to be aware of any health restrictions for activities. Please complete the medical form and bring it to one of the first two troop meetings. Note that a doctor’s signature is NOT required for this Class 1 form. Vaccines, if current, can be simply listed as “current”.

Advancement and Badge Work

Troop 4 has a long tradition of many scouts earning many awards and badges. The upcoming year will be another year of great accomplishments.

The troop will continue to help scouts working on Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class badges of rank at troop meetings and troop events. These scouts, as well as the other scouts in the troop, will also have the opportunity to work on merit badges in Communications, Personal Fitness, Citizenship, Camping, Environmental Science, and other badges soon to be determined.

This year, Life Scouts preparing for an Eagle Service Project will be assigned an adult advisor from the troop leadership. Advisors will be available for questions and guidance as you work on your project. Those Life Scouts currently working on an Eagle Project must report status to the group at the September 15th Venture meeting.

Scouts working on Star, Life and Eagle ranks will also have opportunities to complete their scout spirit, participation and leadership requirements at troop meetings and activities this year.

Adequate participation is necessary for scouts working on Star, Life, and Eagle ranks in order that they can demonstrate and meet the scout spirit, active participation, and leadership requirements for advancement. While it is up to the Scoutmaster to determine if the scout meets the requirements, the Troop Committee has established these minimum participation requirements (and there may be more on an individual basis):

  • Scouts must attend and be an active participant in at least half the troop meetings in the scout year.
  • Scouts must attend and be an active participant in at least 4 outdoor troop activities in the scout year.
  • Scouts must attend at least 1 troop service activity in the scout year (e.g., cemetery clean-up, scouting for food, Christmas tree pickup).
  • To demonstrate leadership among your peers in the Troop, a minimum of 25% of the total number of Eagle Scout Service project volunteer hours (not the project leader’s hours) should be from Troop 4 Scouts, with a stretch goal of at least 50%.
  • Scouts must demonstrate scout spirit during troop meetings and outdoor activities and obey the scout law. Violations of the scout law will delay advancement. Serious or repeated violations will be reviewed by the Scoutmaster and Committee to determine further action.
  • In order to complete leadership requirements, scouts may need to attend more than the number of activities listed above, and may have to work independently to complete some requirements.
  • Scouts wishing to advance more than 1 rank in a year would be expected to meet the meeting requirements and the appropriate ratio of outdoor activities for each period (e.g., 2 outdoor activities for half a year).
  • The Scoutmaster determines if the scout has met any and all requirements for advancement. Failure to meet these requirements will result in a delay in advancement to the next rank, including Eagle.

Upcoming Events

The complete calendar of events for the 2009-10 season is on the website. Here are a few dates for some upcoming events with more information to follow:

  • A Troop Eagle Court of Honor on Thursday, October 22 for all the awards and badges earned since the June Court of Honor. Dinner will be served. The dinner will start at 6:30 PM and awards will start about 7:15 PM. The evening will conclude around 8:30 PM
  • The troop fall backpacking trip to the Taconic Mountains of northwest Connecticut will be held on October 24/25. A small advance party will depart on Friday afternoon October 23rd.
  • Scouting for Food will also be on October 24/25.
  • The Troop’s annual Halloween Party will be Thursday, October 29.

Please call or email if you have any questions. In addition, on behalf of all the Adult Leaders, a sincere thank you for all of the help from families and friends over the past year. We’re looking forward to an exciting new season!

Very truly yours,
Phil Bedard
Scoutmaster

St. Mary’s Cemetery Cleanup

This service event is important to support the troop’s sponsor. We’ll meet at the St. Mary’s cemetery Irish round tower at 10am on Sunday Nov 22nd. Bring work gloves and a rake. It would be helpful if another adult or two could bring a truck to haul leaves and debris to the woods. Note that this event will start immediately after the troop campout, so those at the campout have the benefit of automatic enrollment. Call Mr. Bedard if you have any questions.