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Latest newsletter: February 26th, 2013

Douglas State Forest Trip Report

April 23rd, 2013

We had a great trip in the Douglas State Forest this past weekend The day started cloudy and damp and soon became sunny, warm and dry! During the trip, there were many archaeological sites to be seen and abundance of wildlife around. There were also several horse riders and Troops from Oxford MA and Mystic CT sharing the trails. It was also a trip of many accomplishments for our scouts. Here is a quick run down.

  • 26 Scouts were in attendance. A great mix of young and older scouts.
  • 6 Adults were in attendance…including 2 new dads. Way to go!
  • Older scouts showed thier leadership skills helping the new scouts along and led the troop on the hikes.
  • First year scouts (Vikings and Honey Badgers) showed great endurance, teamwork and leadership qualities…helping each other out when they got tired or fallen down. They also learned how to set up and breakdown thier own tents, make thier own meal plan, pack a backpack, carry thier gear along the trail, cooked on an open fire or on a gas stove, pumped water from a bubbling spring and had the most creative campfire skit..
  • Viking and Honey Badgers Patrols created their first outdoor patrol meal together
  • Duct Tape Patrol tried their hand at gourmet cooking….Ramon Noodles with Beef Jerky.
  • Hawks and Honey Badgers loved their hot dogs!
  • Ventures tried their hand at a variety of Mountain House meals (chicken and potatoes, spare ribs, beef stroganoff, lasagna)…”take out” food anyone!
  • 2 new dads joined in on their first trip and sampled some gourmet cooking – Pedro Patrol style…..complete with appetizers, entree, dessert and butt kick’n coffee!
  • A first year scout created his first natural shelter and slept in it….and he did ….in his first camp out ….in his first year….snug as a bug in 31 degree temps….and earned a requirement for Wilderness Survival MB.
  • Everyone learned the importance of a compass and map.
  • Wintergreen mint really is tasty…..and its everywhere!
  • Troop 4 scouts met other Troops from Mystic, CT and Oxford, MA. in passing. The other troops passing by were impressed with the size of our troop and the participation.
  • All scouts (and dads) got a great work out hiking. In fact…this weekends trip qualifies under Endurance and Aerobic activities for those working on the Physical Fitness MB.
  • The overall trip was 13.35 miles!
  • Day one qualifies as a 10 mile trip for the Hiking MB.

Here is the breakdown.
Day 1
Route 1 = 8.8 km x 0.62137 = 5.46 mi (2 1/2 hours)
Route 2 = 6.29 km = 3.91 mi (2 hrs and some exploring)

(add in the many trips for water and you can round out Day one to a 10 miler)
Day 2
Route 3 = 3.35 mi (1.5 hrs and lots of site seeing)
Total = 13.35 mi.

Most of all – Troop Support….several parents volunteered to help the boys get to their destination. Even though we used a few of the many parents who volunteered….your support is why Troop 4 continues to excel in advancement and adventures. Thank You.

Troop 4 Milford
Ron Gorham
Scoutmaster

Douglas State Forest Pictures – April 2013

April 23rd, 2013

Troop 4 has 2 more new Eagles!

March 14th, 2013

Troop 4 does it again!  On March 14th,  Wyatt Barie and Alex Croteau beacame the 30th and 31st Eagle Scouts of Troop 4.  Both scouts passed challenging Knox Trail Council Eagle Board of Reviews by unanimous decision of the board members.  We’ll honor their achievements at an Eagle Court of Honor this coming June at the St.Mary’s Parish Hall.  Please congratulate Wyatt and Alex when you see them around school or town.  Great job boys!  Special thanks to Brian Weber for representing the Troop leadership at this Board of Review held in Westboro, MA.

Another New Troop 4 Eagle Scout!

February 27th, 2013

On February 26th,  Nolan Hobart became Troop 4?s 29th Eagle Scout.  With only 2 days advance notice, Nolan was called to fill an unexepectently open board of review slot.  As usual, he step up to the challenge and passed his challenging Knox Trail Council Eagle Board of Review by unanimous decision of the six board members.  We’ll honor his achievements at an Eagle Court of Honor this coming June at the St.Mary’s Parish Hall.  Please congratulate Nolan when you see him around school or town.  Great job Nolan!  Special thanks to Peter Lanciano for supporting this short notice Board of Review held in Westboro, MA.

Clearing out fire hydrant after blizzard

February 10th, 2013

Thanks, Evan, for clearing out the hydrant at the corner of Forest and Grove Streets!

Upcoming Events

March 2013
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Category: General6:30 am Pancake Breakfast

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6:30 am – 1:30 pm

Pancake Breakfast

The breakfast is scheduled for March 3rd. Tell all your friends and relatives. Thanks to all the scouts who are working hard to sell tickets and advertisements. All scouts have picked up their initial 20 tickets to sell for the breakfast. Currently we have raised $1335 worth of tickets, and $790 worth of advertising, so far. One scout has sold several hundred dollars of tickets and couple scouts have sold over hundred dollars of tickets each. Great job to those working hard! It’s not too late for the rest of you to get more tickets, and to cash in on the outstanding prizes to be given out to the top salesmen.

Contact Mr. Gorham if you need more tickets. Prizes will be based on tickets sold and money turned in by the START of the pancake breakfast.

The pancake breakfast is one of more important troop events of the year. It is our only fundraiser. All scouts (not parents) are expected to sell their initial $100 allotment of tickets and to participate at the event. Proceeds help not only high adventure, but also allow purchase of all our regular camping gear, too. The SPL will discuss his plan for scout roles and responsibilities at the pancake breakfast. Plans will be finalized at the February 28th troop meeting. We will also conduct waiter training at this meeting.

If you can’t attend the breakfast because of a serious schedule conflict, you MUST contact the SPL (Ulisses) in advance. The schedule on the day of the breakfast will be as follows:
• The venture kitchen staff should report for KP no later than 6:30 AM sharp. Cooks (ventures) should wear a Troop 4 T-Shirt.
• Scouts in charge of a station (ticket booth, camp display, troop store, bake sale, Troop display, etc) should arrive no later than 7:00 AM.
• The wait staff (all other scouts) should arrive between 7:00 – 7:15 AM for set-up and final waiter training, and must be in regular Class A uniform. Looking forward to seeing you there!

We will also likely have a bake sale table to sell goods donated by interested troop families. Keep an eye out for more information from the troop committee soon.

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Category: General7:00 pm Troop Meeting

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7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Troop Meeting

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Category: General8:30 am Troop Hike - Upton State Forest

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8:30 am – 3:30 pm

Troop Hike - Upton State Forest

The Troop Day Hike will be Saturday, March 9th at the Upton State Forest in Upton MA. We will meet at the parish center at 8.30 AM so that we have sufficient day light for the hike. We will return for pick up at the parish center by approximately 3:30 PM that afternoon. Scouts need to bring: a bag lunch, poncho or rain coat if it looks like rain that day, boots, a hat and gloves/mittens. A spare pair of socks is a must to bring. If the weather is cold, bring a warm coat as well. Scouts should bring two quarts/liters of water (no soda, juice, punch, etc.). Do not bring water in disposable water bottles - get a canteen or hiking water bottle at Wal-Mart, Target, etc. for about $5-$10; they last forever. Scouts need to bring a day pack (school pack will work fine) to carry their personal and troop gear for the day.

The Upton State Forest is a great place to hike and explore. The trails are local, has caves to explore, ponds to slide on, beaver dams, and many wildlife to see. There are many “one off’ trails” that we can explore too. The troop did this trail many years ago. It is great for all levels of ability and a terrific trail for the younger and new scouts to join as we will tackle a 5 mile route.

No fast food stops are planned for this trip, so no pocket money is needed. We will return to St. Mary’s for pick up between 3 and 3.30pm. Scouts will call ahead if we are earlier than that.

If your son will be attending the hike, please complete the permission slip and return it no later than the March 7th troop meeting. If you son would like to attend but won’t be at this troop meeting, please call or email Ron Gorham at 508-868-8793 or rgorham29@gmail.com We will need a few parents to drive to/from and/or stay for the event. If you can help out please indicate on the permission slip.
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Category: General7:00 pm Troop Meeting

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7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Troop Meeting

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Category: General6:30 pm Eagle Court of Honor

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6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Eagle Court of Honor

Scouts Ben Sgamatto and James Symmes recently passed the rigorous Eagle Board of Reviews earlier this month. They are the troop’s 27th and 28th Eagle Scouts! The Eagle Court of Honor (COH) will be held on Thursday, March 21 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM at St. Mary’s parish center to award our newest Eagles and feature rank advancement and merit badges earned throughout the fall season.

Dinner will be provided for the COH by the Sgamatto and Symmes Families. For the rest of the troop, families with last name starting with letters A-L are asked to bring 2 two liter bottles of a soft drink or soda. Last names M-Z please bring a desert item. New scouts, family members and siblings are all encouraged to attend this family event

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Category: GeneralWinter Sports Weekend Trip

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Winter Sports Weekend Trip

The annual NH Winter Sports Weekend is almost upon us. The Lanciano’s have once again graciously invited the troop to their mountaintop alpine adventure base in Alexandria NH. Venture scouts (high school) are eligible to depart with the advance party on Friday if they sell the minimum tickets. Ventures will meet and depart at the St. Mary’s Parish Center on Friday March 22 at 6pm. As a fundraising incentive, the Hawk Patrol (8th graders) are also eligible to depart with the advanced Friday if they work extra hard on the pancake breakfast fundraiser, by selling at least $100 worth of tickets.

All other scouts will meet and depart from the Parish Center on Saturday March 23 at 8 am. Scouts will return from the event for pickup at the Parish Center at 3 pm on Sunday. All scouts should eat a meal before they depart, as there will be no meal stop on the ride up north.
Don’t forget your sled on this trip. Intense sledding is the main feature. For safety, scouts are encouraged to bring a ski helmet or sport helmet if they have one. Interested scouts can also try their hand at cross country skiing and snowshoeing. There is no fee for this camping trip.

All scouts should bring a bag lunch on Saturday. All scouts will cook outdoor patrol style meals for Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast. We’ll stop for a fast food lunch on the ride home. Meal planning will be done by scouts at the March 7th troop meeting. Meals will be cooked by patrols outdoors over their wood fire.

Scouts will be sleeping in the wood stove heated luxury of the Lanciano cabin ground level (aka basement). While no tents are required, scouts should bring their full complement of winter camping gear (see website checklist), including sleeping pad and sleeping bag.
A permission slip (attached at the end of this newsletter) for this event is due at the beginning of the March 7th Troop Meeting. Remember, as with all camping trips, if you sign up to go, and something comes up at the last minute, you must make arrangements to provide your assigned food items to your patrol leader.

NOTE - If you can’t go to the March 7th meeting, and want to go on the trip, you must email Scoutmaster Ron Gorham before March 7th so that your patrol leader can include you in the plan. We need to enforce this rule for this camping trip. Late permission slips have made it difficult for patrol meal planning, and difficult for transportation planning. Unfortunately this trip is not intended for the new weblos who are crossing over this month for safety reasons as they will require some Troop 4 outdoor training. Not to worry however as there are camping/hiking opportunities every month for you!

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Category: GeneralWinter Sports Weekend Trip

Close
N/A

Winter Sports Weekend Trip

The annual NH Winter Sports Weekend is almost upon us. The Lanciano’s have once again graciously invited the troop to their mountaintop alpine adventure base in Alexandria NH. Venture scouts (high school) are eligible to depart with the advance party on Friday if they sell the minimum tickets. Ventures will meet and depart at the St. Mary’s Parish Center on Friday March 22 at 6pm. As a fundraising incentive, the Hawk Patrol (8th graders) are also eligible to depart with the advanced Friday if they work extra hard on the pancake breakfast fundraiser, by selling at least $100 worth of tickets.

All other scouts will meet and depart from the Parish Center on Saturday March 23 at 8 am. Scouts will return from the event for pickup at the Parish Center at 3 pm on Sunday. All scouts should eat a meal before they depart, as there will be no meal stop on the ride up north.
Don’t forget your sled on this trip. Intense sledding is the main feature. For safety, scouts are encouraged to bring a ski helmet or sport helmet if they have one. Interested scouts can also try their hand at cross country skiing and snowshoeing. There is no fee for this camping trip.

All scouts should bring a bag lunch on Saturday. All scouts will cook outdoor patrol style meals for Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast. We’ll stop for a fast food lunch on the ride home. Meal planning will be done by scouts at the March 7th troop meeting. Meals will be cooked by patrols outdoors over their wood fire.

Scouts will be sleeping in the wood stove heated luxury of the Lanciano cabin ground level (aka basement). While no tents are required, scouts should bring their full complement of winter camping gear (see website checklist), including sleeping pad and sleeping bag.
A permission slip (attached at the end of this newsletter) for this event is due at the beginning of the March 7th Troop Meeting. Remember, as with all camping trips, if you sign up to go, and something comes up at the last minute, you must make arrangements to provide your assigned food items to your patrol leader.

NOTE - If you can’t go to the March 7th meeting, and want to go on the trip, you must email Scoutmaster Ron Gorham before March 7th so that your patrol leader can include you in the plan. We need to enforce this rule for this camping trip. Late permission slips have made it difficult for patrol meal planning, and difficult for transportation planning. Unfortunately this trip is not intended for the new weblos who are crossing over this month for safety reasons as they will require some Troop 4 outdoor training. Not to worry however as there are camping/hiking opportunities every month for you!
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Category: GeneralWinter Sports Weekend Trip

Close
N/A

Winter Sports Weekend Trip

The annual NH Winter Sports Weekend is almost upon us. The Lanciano’s have once again graciously invited the troop to their mountaintop alpine adventure base in Alexandria NH. Venture scouts (high school) are eligible to depart with the advance party on Friday if they sell the minimum tickets. Ventures will meet and depart at the St. Mary’s Parish Center on Friday March 22 at 6pm. As a fundraising incentive, the Hawk Patrol (8th graders) are also eligible to depart with the advanced Friday if they work extra hard on the pancake breakfast fundraiser, by selling at least $100 worth of tickets.

All other scouts will meet and depart from the Parish Center on Saturday March 23 at 8 am. Scouts will return from the event for pickup at the Parish Center at 3 pm on Sunday. All scouts should eat a meal before they depart, as there will be no meal stop on the ride up north.
Don’t forget your sled on this trip. Intense sledding is the main feature. For safety, scouts are encouraged to bring a ski helmet or sport helmet if they have one. Interested scouts can also try their hand at cross country skiing and snowshoeing. There is no fee for this camping trip.

All scouts should bring a bag lunch on Saturday. All scouts will cook outdoor patrol style meals for Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast. We’ll stop for a fast food lunch on the ride home. Meal planning will be done by scouts at the March 7th troop meeting. Meals will be cooked by patrols outdoors over their wood fire.

Scouts will be sleeping in the wood stove heated luxury of the Lanciano cabin ground level (aka basement). While no tents are required, scouts should bring their full complement of winter camping gear (see website checklist), including sleeping pad and sleeping bag.
A permission slip (attached at the end of this newsletter) for this event is due at the beginning of the March 7th Troop Meeting. Remember, as with all camping trips, if you sign up to go, and something comes up at the last minute, you must make arrangements to provide your assigned food items to your patrol leader.

NOTE - If you can’t go to the March 7th meeting, and want to go on the trip, you must email Scoutmaster Ron Gorham before March 7th so that your patrol leader can include you in the plan. We need to enforce this rule for this camping trip. Late permission slips have made it difficult for patrol meal planning, and difficult for transportation planning. Unfortunately this trip is not intended for the new weblos who are crossing over this month for safety reasons as they will require some Troop 4 outdoor training. Not to worry however as there are camping/hiking opportunities every month for you!

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Category: General7:00 pm Easter Vigil Fire Ceremony - St.Marys Church

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7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Easter Vigil Fire Ceremony - St.Marys Church

The troop will light a ceremonial fire in support of the church's Easter Vigil outdoor ceremony. Arrive for prep at 7pm. Ceremony at 730. Parent pickup at 8pm. Come in full uniform. Put layers "under" the uniform, if it's chilly.... so that we all look sharp. If you want to volunteer for this event. See Mr. Gorham or Mr. Bedard
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Category: General7:00 pm Troop Meeting

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7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Troop Meeting

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