Eagle Court of Honor:
Congratulations to Spencer Carlin and Jim Malnati on their achievement of Eagle Scout. The Court of Honor was a big success. In addition to the fine show put on by our two new Eagles, Troop 4 scouts were awarded a record 185 merit badges. This display of achievement is a testament to our hard work of our scouts, and to the troop’s leaders for offering so many merit badge opportunities. Special thanks go to the COH planning crew consisting of the Cathy Avery, the Brundrett family, the Garber family, and many others.
Trip Report – Appalachian Trail Backpack Trip
The troop recently completed the a very challenging backpacking trek through the A.T.’s scenic section in southwest MA. Twenty scouts backpacked for 12 difficult miles over two days through steep ravines, cliff hanger ledges, and two mountain peaks. All scouts performed superbly. Special kudos goes to our two newest scouts, Jack and Ulisses, who each performed admirably and with good cheer throughout the journey. And 3 cheers to the venture “dispatch team”, who after completing their grueling 6 miles each day, doubled back up the trail to help younger scouts take it across the goal line; admirable scout spirit by all. Keep your eyes on the website for some great pictures soon to be posted.
Halloween Party:
The next troop meeting (October 28th), features the annual Troop Halloween party. The uniform of the night will be “costumes”. There will be prizes for the best costumes (funniest, scariest, most realistic, most creative). Prizes also awarded to the winners of our traditionally nutty games and contests. Scouts should bring a snack or dessert to add to the food/beverage table.
November Backwoods BBQ Camping Trip:
Will be Saturday November 20 and Sunday November 21 at the troop campsite in Milford. We’re going with a backwoods BBQ theme. The troop chefs are just beginning to formulate an exciting menu to cook out in the field. If you’re not a BBQ fan, there will be some hot dogs and other food too. We’ll have a full schedule of outdoor activities, including Archery, the troop’s famous obstacle course, and other games/contests. We have invited some Second Year Webelos to attend as well. We will have a troop campfire Saturday night. The troop will provide a complete dinner and breakfast along with all the eating utensils, cups, plates, etc. The scouts will be planning the meals, activities, and doing the cooking for the weekend.
We will meet at St. Mary’s parish center at 9:00 AM Saturday November 20 and will return to the parish center for a noon pickup on Sunday the 21st. Scout should bring their regular camping gear and bag lunch for Saturday. As always, scouts can come / leave early late, etc, if they have conflicts with sporting or other local events. We will need a few parents to drive to/from the event.
If your son is planning to attend, please return the permission slip by the Nov 11 troop meeting along with a check for $12 to cover the cost of the food for the weekend (dinner / breakfast). If your son can’t make the Nov 11th troop meeting but wants to attend, please call or email Phil Bedard before the 11th so we can include him in planning for the event. Note that this is the only regular campout that we charge a fee, because this is the only regular campout that the troop provides the food.
Special Service Events:
The troop will be supporting at least 3 service events this fall/winter. Please make every effort to attend at least one of these events (mandatory for scouts advancing to upper ranks (Star, Life, Eagle)). The next event is on Sunday November 7th at the food pantry on Exchange Street. 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 1230 to 330pm. Mr. Barie will be onsite to work with the senior attending scout to coordinate our troop’s activity.
Canoe Trip Memory Books:
A big thanks goes to Amy Croteau for the wonderful job on the Troop Memory Album for the Penobscot River Canoe Trip. The book contains beautiful pictures and wonderful anecdotes from all places on the trip. If you did not participate on the trip, be sure to look at the Troop’s copy of this album, which will be on display at future events, like the pancake breakfast.
Troop Equipment:
Scouts should return equipment they were recently assigned to bring home and clean (e.g, tents) at the next troop meeting. All tents should be set-up, aired out, and thoroughly shaken out to remove debris. If the tent is short stakes (should be at least 6), notify the troop Quartermaster upon return. Coordinate all returns with the Quartermaster James and DJ.
Troop Recruiting:
There are two big recruiting events coming up….the November camp out at the Troop Campsite, and the 11/4 troop meeting. Webelos will be attending both. Please take a moment or two to speak with these Webelos and their parents, and do your best to make them feel welcome. Thanks. Contact Troop recruiter Justin if you want to help work with the Webelos at these events.
And congratulations for their successful recruiting efforts so far this fall, which has seen the addition of two new Scouts: Jack and Isaiah.
Life Scouts:
The troop has a very large number of newly minted Life Scouts. A meeting will be held at an upcoming Troop meeting to discuss the Eagle Service Project process with these scouts, and to brainstorm some possible ideas. This meeting will be announced several days in advance, and conducted in parallel with our normal troop meeting.
