MAY 2024

Namaste, Scouts & Families!

Following up on our December/January, February, and March/April newsletters, please read on for the highlights so far, plus important updates and volunteer opportunities for the months ahead.

SCOUTMASTER’S CORNER

It’s been a busy and rewarding time for Troop 60!  Spring Break began with the Dharamshala hiking campout (scroll down for Jaya’s article) and we just had our first ever overnight campout at AES (scroll down for Sophie’s article).

Our troop meetings have been jam-packed with activities too. 60B patrols spent the month of April learning and practicing first aid skills, with assistance from the adult leaders and parents; 60G engaged in team-building games and designed small group activities to focus on particular skills that each of the Scouts needed — such as knots and lashings, rank advancement knowledge, and fitness.

We are coming into the end of the school year — but there is still plenty of Scouting to do. This includes troop meetings and activities, our Merit Badge Extravaganza, and helping with Evan’s Eagle Project. Finally, we will end with a celebration of Troop 60 achievements at the Court of Honor on Sunday, May 19.

Scouts, you are all learning and growing so much. And I encourage everyone to keep the energy and momentum going and make the most of what is to come in May.  

Parents, please have a think about how you can contribute to and support our troop — whether it’s as an adult leader or committee member or helping out with a particular skill or activity you are good at.  We would love to have you involved, so please get in touch!

Yours in Scouting,

Scoutmaster Alanna, 60G

VOLUNTEER CORNER

Parents: Troop 60 Needs You!

The BSA Troop 60 Committee sets troop policies and handles administrative functions, allowing the Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters to focus on working directly with the Scouts. As several of our committee members will be leaving at the end of this school year, we invite more parents to join us to help keep Troop 60 running smoothly. Please contact Runa Gokhale if you’re interested in one of these anticipated vacancies — or stepping up in any other capacity (including as a merit badge counselor).

• Treasurer: Handle funds, pay bills, supervise fundraising, and maintain our accounting through the AES business office. (AES badge-holder preferred.)
• Advancement Chair: Organize boards of review, courts of honor, merit badge counseling program and related supplies to ensure Scouts advance through their ranks.
• Membership Chair & Registrar: Ensures a smooth transition of new Scouts into Troops 60B and 60G, orientation for new parents, and annual rechartering process with our umbrella organization.
• Equipment Chair: Responsible for inventory, storage, and maintenance of troop equipment.
• Outdoor Activities Chair: Source and secure campsites and transportation options.
  

UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS

Save the Dates

• May 4: Merit Badge Extravaganza, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. @ AES
• May 7: Troop Meeting, 6:15-7:45 p.m. @ AES MPR
• May 19: Court of Honor & Potluck, 4-6 p.m. @ AES HOP
• Summer Camp 2024: Options include Camp Tifie in Utah (June 22-29) and the Far East Council’s Camp in Mongolia (July 28-August 3)

Saturday, May 4: Merit Badge Extravaganza

Note: Families are strongly encouraged to have at least one parent attending the 9 a.m. meeting on Saturday, May 4.

Sunday, May 19: Court of Honor

Troop 60 holds a Court of Honor every six months to formally recognize the Scouts who have moved up in rank and any merit badges earned since the previous COH. This event will include a uniform inspection, so Scouts should make sure they have all their uniform parts and patches sewn and displayed correctly. This is a time for family and friends to come and celebrate our Scouts and enjoy each other’s company. We look forward to celebrating with you! This month’s ceremony will be followed by a potluck meal; please sign up and let us know what dish you plan to share.

Summer 2024: Camps

A week of camping at a BSA Summer Camp is a chance to spend time outdoors with fellow Scouts, make new friends, employ the Patrol Method, earn several merit badges, and try new things. Among Troop 60 Scouts and adult leaders, more than a dozen will attend Camp Tifie in Utah (June 22-29), a smaller group will fly our flag at Camp Mongolia (July 28-August 3), and others are signed up to attend BSA camps in Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, and elsewhere in the U.S. For more information, please ask your Scoutmaster.

SCOUT LEADER SPOTLIGHT

John Wilcox,
Grumpy Old Eagles Patrol Leader 

• Birthday: July 4, 2010
• What brought you to Scouting? My mom forced me to. I was really not interested at first, but I like it much better now.
• What is your current rank? First Class
• When did you join Troop 60? I joined at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.
• What was the first merit badge you earned? I earned Game Design first at last year’s merit badge extravaganza.
• What was your favorite merit badge to earn? Archery was my favorite, which I  earned at summer camp in Nepal last summer. It was very fun to try to be the best while shooting arrows. It is sooo satisfying to get a bullseye.
• What was the most challenging merit badge to earn? For me, it was Crime Prevention, because there was a lot of work to do outside of the session and it was difficult for me to find the time to do them around my other activities. I did not end up finishing it until almost a year after I started. (Don’t do that, it is annoying.)
•  Which merit badges do you still want to earn? Going for Star Rank, I am focused on getting Eagle-required badges, and I am looking forward to doing the Swimming merit badge at the extravaganza.
• What is your goal for Troop 60 this year? Focusing on the learning topic that the [Grumpy Old] Eagles are teaching, my goal is for the entire troop to understand and be able to use the skills covered in the teaching and have fun learning them
• What is your favorite thing about Scouting? I love being able to go outdoors and have time experiencing adventure with everyone else.
• Favorite camping meal:  Bread with Nutella and bananas on top. With cheese sticks as the dairy if I can remember them.
• Where else have you been involved with Scouting? Nowhere else.
• What do you like to do when you’re not busy Scouting? I practice my instrument, I play sports, I play board games, I do all sorts of stuff.

ADULT LEADER SPOTLIGHT

 Min Sun Yu, 
Security Liaison & Gate Welcome

• Birthday: October 13
• What brought you to Scouting? Two years ago, my elder son JiHo Kim's English Language Arts teacher at AES, Ms. Luebbe, introduced me to Scouting. At the time, I was searching for long-term activities or clubs for him to participate in, and she recommended Scouting and its fantastic program. However, he discovered his passion for playing the violin and basketball, then gave up being a Scout. But later when I talked with Ji Yong, he expressed interest in joining when he entered sixth grade. I was delighted with his decision.
• When did you join Troop 60? July 2023 at the Court of Honor ceremony.
• What is your role(s) within Troop 60? I assist Scouts and parents at the AES gate, ensuring smooth entry to the campus for troop meetings. I sometimes escort them to our meeting location, if needed. Also, I communicate with the AES security team to notify them a day before our meetings. I participated in a Board of Review once, and assisted with first aid activities during the last troop meeting. The dedication of the amazing people in Troop 60 — adult leaders, volunteers, and Scoutmasters — was very impressive to me and has inspired me to volunteer in any way I can, even if it's a small thing, while I'm waiting for Ji Yong during troop meetings.
• Your favorite merit badge or rank requirement to help Scouts earn? The 30 days of fitness test for the Tenderfoot rank. We thoroughly enjoyed it, from A to Z: setting up and writing down our goals on a sheet with a table for the 30 days, and keeping track of his progress for each of the four exercises. Ji Yong and his brother often did the exercises together in the evening in the living room (except for the 1-mile walk/run – done on campus or in the garden), and I acted as a coach, cheering them on, blowing the whistle, and counting. It became a fantastic family activity that helped us all stay physically fit as well as connected. Ji Yong’s follow-up record after 30 days showed much improvement indeed, and it made him proud of himself.
• The most challenging merit badge or rank requirement to assist Scouts in earning? For me and Ji Yong, it was Scout rank, describing concepts in Scout’s own words after understanding and memorizing each applicable content from the Scoutbook. We often found ourselves in need of guidance on how to complete these requirements well. Thankfully, Scoutmaster Tyler and some of the adult leaders took the time to explain the process to us. Additionally, Abe, our senior patrol leader, helped by mentoring Ji Yong, patiently guiding him to complete each requirement. Thank you so much again to all who helped us!
• Your goal for Troop 60 this year? To continue volunteering at the AES gate for smooth access for Scouts and parents attending meetings on campus.
• Favorite thing about Scouting? Seeing Scout’s happy faces, their leadership, friendship and supporting one another through activities.  
• Favorite camping meal? I haven't attended a Scout camp yet. But when my family lived in Manila, Philippines for five years from 2009, for my husband's work, we enjoyed pancakes and ramen in the morning during our travels to some islands in the Philippines.
• Where else have you been involved with Scouting? This is first time for me and Ji Yong, too.
• What do you like to do when you’re not busy Scouting? I enjoy working out at the gym. And love to play the piano which helps me stay positive. Whenever the weather is fine, I like to visit historic sites in Delhi.
• Anything else you would like Troop 60 to know? This is indeed an honor to be a part of Troop 60. Thank you! धन्यवाद.
  

MONTH IN REVIEW & PHOTO GALLERY

April 10-11: Dharamsala / Kareri Lake Campout
By Jaya Stapleton, Troop 60G Assistant Senior Patrol Leader

Seven girls from 60G and 15 boys from 60B attended the Dharamsala campout along with eight adult leaders. To get to this camp, we took a plane to Dharamsala, located in the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. While at base camp, we had lots of fun rappelling and ziplining. We spent one night at the base camp before hiking to Kareri Lake. Our Scouts were greeted with plenty of rain and thunder during that first night. In the morning, we packed up camp and began our 6 km backpacking trek. During the trek, we had to cross a river and hike up lots of stairs, but we took plenty of breaks along the way.

We ended up not going all the way up to the lake because the rain from the night before made it hard to do so with our bags. However, we found the perfect campsite next to a river and ended up camping there. Once we set up camp, a small group of scouts continued to hike up the rest of the way without their large backpacks. It began to hail while they were hiking, so they had to return to the camp. Meanwhile, the other scouts at camp played capture the flag, tried to cross the river, and hung out with fellow scouts during the hail storm. That night most of our scouts went to sleep early because they were exhausted from the hike up. That night the temperature grew quite cold, and scouts warmed up with layers and emergency blankets.

After packing up our stuff the next morning, we began our way back down to base camp where we reflected on our experience and worked on some requirements. After lunch, we packed up and headed to the train station, where we boarded an overnight train back to Delhi.

April 20-21: AES Campout

By Sophia Abrams, 60G Blue Jays Assistant Patrol Leader

About 40 Scouts and 10 adults gathered for Troop 60’s first campout on the AES campus. This campout was a good opportunity for Scouts to complete rank requirements and enjoy activities. Since the campout took place in hot weather, Scouts swam and played pool games on the first day. New Scouts were able to cook meals and learn skills. In the evening, Scouts performed fun skits. After that, patrols queued up to peer through telescopes set up by Mr. Butch. Although the stars were not clearly visible, due to city lights and pollution, the telescopes showed the moon at a close view.

The following morning Scouts woke up early to prepare breakfast. After breakfast, Scouts played soccer and tag, and climbed a banyan tree. This brought our final campout of the year to an end.

Good job to all the Scouts for demonstrating the scout spirit despite the heat. Thanks to the adult leaders who made the campout possible!  

April 28: Climb Central (60G)

Scouts and adult leaders from Troop 60G kept their cool while reaching new heights at Climb Central Delhi on Sunday afternoon. Some highlights:

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

Don’t be a stranger! Reach out via WhatsApp to anyone mentioned in this newsletter, email scoutmasterboys@bsatroop60.in (Troop 60B) or scoutmastergirls@bsatroop60.in (Troop 60G), or click on these links for helpful information:

• MyScouting
• ScoutBook
• Medical Forms (required annually!)
• Far East Council website and newsletter
• Scout Life Magazine
• AES Calendar