February 13, 2006
PLC meeting
After a very busy Patrol
Leader's Council, Adam and the council have filled in the calendar for most of
the remaining year. For more information, read on and see our calendar page.
We also have
new photos from the last campout (thanks Jeremy).
Snowshoeing hike
Our postponed snowshoe event has been rescheduled for
Saturday, February 25th. Details are to follow, depending on where we can
find sufficient snow but, as before, the event is open to the troop and our
guests from the Webelos. For more information, contact Mark Tate
mark@bigbro.biophys.cornell.edu
or call 266-9422.
Webelos visit
At our regular meeting, March 6, we will welcome
senior Webelos to our meeting to give these younger scouts a chance to see
what goes on in our troop. The activities will be geared to help everyone have
fun regardless of age, size or ability. If you have boys aged 11 to 18
please bring them along to our meetings and let them see if they have fun.
Memorial Day weekend trip
Many thanks are due to Mari Tiwari for researching
this year's memorial Day trip options. The Patrol Leader's Council heard
details about both Gettysburg and Boston as options and chose
to visit Boston. More details will be announced in coming weeks but the
departure will be Friday May 26th and we will return on Monday 29th. Families
are encouraged to join us for what has always been a great group getaway
with lost of fun things to do and see over the holiday weekend.
University of Scouting 2006 - From
Dave Martin, Chancellor
I am pleased to announce that
Baden-Powell's 2006 University of Scouting will be March 25, 2006 at
Chenango Forks High School, with the theme
Building on the Foundation.
The University Catalog
and Registration Form is posted on the Council website
http://www.badenpowellcouncil.org/,
and will be distributed at the February RoundTables
and at the Feb 4 Scout Show at Oakdale Mall.
New this year:
This year we have a pool available where we
will offer Kayaking BSA, Kayaking Skills for Trip Leaders, and
Intro to
Snorkeling/Scuba (offered twice). For all these, bring swim suit & towel
and current Class 1 medical; have passed Swimmer test within past 12 months;
extra $5 to cover lifeguard expense. Your older youth leaders (minimum age
14, with Scoutmaster/Venturing Advisor approval) may take courses that
interest them (except the adult position training ones, e.g. New Leader
Essentials, Youth Protection, Boy Scout Basic Leader Training, and the like)
– they will not earn Merit Badges but they’ll gain skills and have fun.
Also new are Intro to Special Awards, Intro to Aquatic Awards, Finger Lakes
Trail, Giving & Receiving Feedback, Certified Safety Trainer, Record
Keeping, and Compass Game for Webelos.
Winter Court of
Honor
Monday evening we had a
great collection of scouts, families and leaders to join in recognition of the
achievements of our scouts since the summer. Outgoing Senior Patrol leader
Jesse opened the meeting and lit the ceremonial candles along with new
SPL, Adam. Following the return of Jery and Robin Stedinger from a
sabbatical, outgoing scoutmaster Mark Tate thanked all those who made his
job easier during the last six months, particularly thanking our college student
assistant scoutmasters, Dan and Jeremy from Ithaca College and Tom
from Cornell. Mark then presented a slide show of activities and events
beginning with our bike ride to Camp Barton, including the orienteering and
aviation weekends, our rock climbing fun, carol singing and ending with the
Scout overnight two days before. Various boys were asked to talk about their
experiences and explain what was happening in the slide show.
Sam and Joah advanced
in rank and were presented with their new insignia by their proud parents.
Pictures of the events during the evening as well as other activities can
be found on our photos page. Mari Tiwari thanked everyone for
their work in supporting the troop and stressed the importance of family
commitment and backing for the boys, the troop and the committee.
Dave Gross was
presented with a $500 donation to the Camp Barton bouldering wall project
and he brought along 7 or 8 decades worth of scrap books for everyone to
get some good idea of the history of Camp Barton. Michael Kazarinoff
made a presentation on behalf of the Friends of Scouting and made sure everyone
understood the purpose and the benefit to our council of a successful campaign.
It looks as though, through hard work and fiscal propriety, Baden Powell
Council will balance the books for the second year running.
The evening closed with
refreshments provided by the committee, giving people a chance to talk and
exchange views and memories of scouting.
Merit Badges
Our Merit badge coordinator, Rick Grossman, would like to announce a
general info session for anyone wishing to take Reading merit badge this year.
All those interested should meet at the First Congregational Church next Monday
at 7:00pm for half an hour prior to the scout meeting. For more information on
this or to discuss any aspect of merit badges, please contact
Rick Grossman
rdg@tc3.edu or call 277-5556 evenings and
weekends.
Beginning at the end
of February and running through the Spring, David Kuckuk will be
running the Communication Merit badge each Monday from 7:00 until 7:30 at
FCC. More details will be coming soon.
Recruitment - 2006
and beyond
Troop 2 is not alone in facing difficulties with maintaining numbers in the face
of increasing alternatives to Scouting. Some of our recent events have been
incredible experiences for the boys taking part and the value of scouting
cannot be overestimated. To ensure that we grow our numbers we are looking
for ideas from scouts, parents, troop alumni or anyone else interested in
helping. If you know boys between 11 and 18 then talk to them about the
troop and see whether they would like to come along and find out what's going
on. If your scouts have friends at school then talk to them about overcoming
their fears and asking them to come to a meeting -
they might just enjoy themselves!
Annual dues
collection
If anyone has not paid their first dues
payment yet please make arrangements to send it in. For those not reaching
the $200 sales level in fundraising please note the second installment of $35 is
now payable. Please send dues with your scouts to the next meeting or mail
the payment (payable to BSA Troop 2) direct to our treasurer Tony
Brock 257-8776
Upcoming events, February/March
2.4 - Scout overnight at FCC followed by
Scout Sunday
2.5 - Scout Sunday at First Congregational
Church
2.6 - Court of Honor at FCC. Come and
celebrate scouting achievements within the troop, meeting starts at 7:30
2.13 - Scout Meeting at FCC. First year
patrol and Merit badges at 7:00, meeting starts at 7:30
2.20 - School break, Scout Meeting at FCC.
First year patrol and Merit badges at 7:00, meeting starts at 7:30
2.21 - Troop committee meeting, the Library @
FCC, starts 7:30
2.25 - Snowshoe hike, contact Mark Tate for more
information
2.27 - Scout Meeting at FCC. First year
patrol and Merit badges at 7:00, meeting starts at 7:30
3.6 -
Scout Meeting at FCC. (Webelos visit)
First year patrol and Merit badges at 7:00, meeting starts at 7:30
3.11 - Ski-O-Ree at Greek Peak, rentals are available -
contact Jery Stedinger for more information
3.13 -
Scout Meeting at FCC. First year patrol and
Merit badges at 7:00, meeting starts at 7:30
3.20 -
Scout Meeting at FCC. First year patrol and
Merit badges at 7:00, meeting starts at 7:30
3.21 -
Troop committee meeting, the Library @ FCC,
starts 7:30
3.25 - University of Scouting,
3.27 -
Scout Meeting at FCC. First year patrol and
Merit badges at 7:00, meeting starts at 7:30