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BSA Troop 60 Newsletter: October 2022
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OCTOBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

Namaste, Scouts & Families!

We’re off to a great start for the 2022-23 Scouting year.

Read on for the highlights so far and important updates for the months ahead.



SCOUTMASTER’S CORNER

Scouts, Leaders, and Parents, welcome to a new Scouting year — and for many of you, welcome to Scouting! The first month has been a whirlwind of administrative tasks and exciting meetings, and we have gotten off to a fantastic start.

I am really excited to have this inaugural Troop 60 newsletter and hope you will enjoy the content. Thanks to Nicole Gupte, our Chartered Organization Rep (COR), for being our newsletter editor! [Editor’s Note: I also respond to the name “R.J.’s mom!”]

This month, I simply want to say THANK YOU to everyone for all you are doing. Currently we have a great youth leadership team made up by our Patrol Leaders’ Council (PLC), as well as a great adult leadership team (Committee and Assistant Scoutmasters) to provide support. The Scout spirit and energy have been amazing!

If you are a parent who is not currently involved with the Troop, please consider volunteering as a Merit Badge Counselor (see below) or to help with upcoming events. WE NEED YOU! Reach out to one of the adult leaders and get involved in this rewarding family experience.

Scout on!

Mr. Tyler, Troop 60 Scoutmaster

SCOUT LEADER SPOTLIGHT

Thomas Harrity, Senior Patrol Leader

ADULT LEADER SPOTLIGHT

Tyler DeWaal, Scoutmaster

UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS

Save the Dates


CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Merit Badge Counseling

A sincere thank you to the parents from eight families — representing 11 of our 25 Scouts — who have already volunteered to be Merit Badge Counselors (MBCs) ! Those volunteers should have received an email from Kathryn Farmer last week with the next steps to complete their registration with the Far East Council.

We need more volunteers, particularly for our Eagle-required badges. If you’re interested, please email Kathryn at ktolfree@hotmail.com or sign up in person during the 7-7:15 p.m. Merit Badge Counselor Q&A session with Scoutmaster DeWaal during the Oct. 4 troop meeting. Merit badges in need of counselors include:

Cleaning Out Our Closet

Did you know that the Scouts have a closet on the AES campus full of historical artifacts, camping gear and random supplies going back decades? We need to go through it to determine what’s still useful vs. what needs to be rehomed or discarded. In the name of being thrifty, clean, helpful and perhaps even brave, Scouts and adults are invited to participate in this project on Saturday, Oct 8. Please let Scoutmaster Tyler know if you plan to join us.

Staffing Our Lemonade Stand

The AES PSA has invited Troop 60 to suit up and manage the beverage booth (lemonade and soft drinks) at its upcoming Diwali Dhamaka Mela on Sunday, Oct. 9. Proceeds from those sales can help offset campout costs and other Scouting activities — and seeing uniformed Scouts on campus is always a great way to raise awareness of our program! If you can help out during one of the three slots, please sign up here.

 

MONTH IN REVIEW

Swim Testing & Pool Fun: Sept. 6 & Sept. 20

By Shivraj Sidhu, Blackhawk Patrol Leader


For September, our troop theme was swimming — the perfect choice, taking the weather into account. We started off with the swim test as a troop, which was fun. We also knocked out a few requirements for the many new Scouts, played games and learned lots of new things along the way.

For me, the swimming unit was one of the best Scouting experiences I have been a part of. For the first time in my Scouting career, I was able to plan meetings with friends and lead the whole troop through them. Watching the plan that I worked on fully come into effect was a really rewarding experience.

When I joined Troop 60 back in the 7th grade, I envisioned myself doing activities like this. So far this year, I have had a fantastic time and look forward to taking part in tons of more activities.

Leadership Training: Sept. 10

By Warren Harrity, Assistant Scoutmaster

Leadership is a vital part of the Scouting program. Scouts in leadership positions run the troop, taking care of the many tasks necessary for meetings and activities to run smoothly.

On Sept. 10, seven Scouts and four adult leaders spent a Saturday afternoon at my home, working on Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops, a program of learning and practicing BSA leadership skills and getting new tools for their leadership toolbox.

By accepting the responsibilities of troop leadership, Scouts are preparing themselves to be leaders throughout their lives.

Camp Wild: Sept. 23-24

By Tyler DeWaal, Scoutmaster

With all of its swimming practice during September, Troop 60 was well prepared for its first swim meet — I mean, campout — of the Scouting year, held during a massive monsoon at Camp Wild, Sept. 23-24.

Seven adult leaders and 24 Scouts arrived during a brief lull in the precipitation, allowing time to set up camp and begin work on Scout Rank requirements for our large group of newcomers. Alas, the rains came down and the floods came up, requiring some quick work to relocate a few tents out of the ankle-deep lake of rainwater, and to seek shelter under some cottage roofs.

Scout spirit remained high as we all migrated to the Camp Wild cafeteria to continue rank advancement and start our dinner preparations. While the Phoenix and Eagle patrols worked up some yummy dinners while indoors, the Blackhawks, drawing on their deep Scouting experience, decided to cook outside over a fire and show the younger Scouts how tough and smart they were.

An indoor "campfire" ended the day with skits, songs, and Scout Vespers. The heavy rains lightened into a light sprinkle around bedtime, and Scouts slept soundly on their waterbeds, with dreams of arid deserts dancing in our heads. It even stopped raining for about one hour in the middle of the night!

The next morning brought more rain, more cooking, and some basic First Aid training led by Assistant Scoutmaster Mike "Doc" Barker and Troop Guide Jackson DeWaal, assisted by Abe McKenney. Scouts played in the rain, bonded together, kept on smiling, and had a generally fun time. A brief break between downpours gave the Troop a 30-minute window to break camp, but stragglers got soaked by a final downpour.

Despite the wet weather, Scouts truly enjoyed their first campout, demonstrating impressive adaptability and positive attitudes. We may need to invest in some inflatable rafts for next year, but this was a good chance to test our camping and cooking skills and implement the Patrol Method.

A big thank you to our Activities Chair Simran Sidhu, as well as the adult leaders who came along to support the patrols.

Well done, Troop 60!

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

Don’t be a stranger! Reach out to anyone mentioned in this newsletter, or click on these links for helpful information: