And Then There Were Two. . . Two Patrols That Is

Tuesday's activity was a bit laborious but productive.  The troop knocked out it's meal plan for summer camp, elected leaders for leadership positions, and organized two new patrols!

For those interested, here is how our troop is currently organized:

Senior Patrol Leader:  Austin Weight
Assistant Senior Patrol Leader:  Collin Walker
Scribe:  Tad Hoschouer

Sage Grouse Patrol
Patrol Leader/Guide:  Coulson Boggess
Assistant Patrol Leader:  Kyle Goulding
Quatermaster:  Doug Julian
Champlain's Aide:  Hunter Ferre
Historian:  Cole Thurston
Historian:  Jacob Underwood

Grizzly Patrol
Patrol Leader/Guide:  Spencer Steiner
Assistant Patrol Leader:  Kyle Larsen
Quartermaster:  Jackson Black
Chaplain's Aide:  Austin DeGraw
Historian:  Dallas Hawkins
Historian:  Tristen Dimick

Allow me to introduce Troop 1513's newest patrols:

Sage Grouse Patrol

The Noble Sage Grouse

When I was a young lad, my patrol's totem/mascot was the cunning seachicken.  I'm glad to see another  generation of scouts embrace the unique and somewhat curious attributes of obscure fowl such as the sage grouse.   The sage grouse is confident, noble, striking in appearance, and somewhat narcissistic and when strutting their stuff, tragically oblivious.  When not concerned with puffery, the grouse is allusive and rogue-like.   They are masters of duck and cover and are remarkable survivors because of their keenly honed skill of running away.  While the patrol's yell, which attempts to mimick the haunting call of the noble sage grouse sounds more like a wounded tom, the members of this patrol are no turkeys!

Grizzly Patrol 

The Fearsome Grizzly

They smell, they're grouchy when provoked (like messin' with their food or if they're abruptly awakened), and are more primal than intelligent.  Yes, I'm talking about the boys of the Grizzly Patrol.  Why, there's no more fitting totem/mascot for this bunch than the fearsome grizz.   Make no mistake, these aren't your average bears and there's no Yogi, Bubu, or Teddy among them.   The only difference between these boys and a real grizzly is these blokes like fire. . . maybe a little too much (Kyle!  Let's not see if hand sanitizer is flammable!).   This patrol's yell, while a bit pitchy due to their age, would strip the hair off a mule and grate the most patient relief society president among us!  We nearly debated making special t-shirts for camp for this group that read, "Caution:  Trouble Can't Be Far Behind".

Announcements

Okay, with the tomfoolery out of the way, I'd like to share a couple of final thoughts with our loyal readers.  Camp medical forms are due to me  (Tim DeGraw) by July 2nd.  Time is short to complete merit badge pre-camp requirements -- please review and complete before we leave July 9th.  If you missed the totin' chip certification, please arrange a time to meet with one of your leaders to pass off before camp.  

Thanks,

Tim

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Did You Know. . . The Scout Handbook

Parents and scouts,

Did you know the Boy Scout Handbook is not only a great resource for all things related to scoutcraft, woodcraft, campcraft, it has sections that allow you track progress towards rank advancement as well as logs for camping and service hours.

While the troop maintains duplicative records of advancement, service hours, and camping, it's important parents and scouts maintain a personal record complete with scout leader initials.  This will help scouts validate when any record might be missing or if a record is in question for any reason.  Scout boards also find a well maintained scout handbook a sign of
scout spirit and commitment.  
Keeping a personal record in your handbook allows parents to stay "in-the-know" on what their scout has accomplished and what tasks and requirements lay ahead for advancement.  Lastly, by maintaining a personal record, a scout journals/chronicles his scout experience which he can look back on the many activities and achievements during this Norman Rockwell period of their adolescence.  

The recording keeping section of the Boy Scout Handbook can be found on pages fo 432 - 447.   To ensure a leader is reviewing and signing a scout's handbook, it's important a scout bring their handbook to every activity.

Quick Quiz (come to this week's activity with an answer to this question and be rewarded):

Name two elements of the BSA Safe Swim Defense criteria found in your Boy Scout Handbook.  

Be Prepared

Robert Baden Powell

What are motto means according to Robert Baden Powell:

"Be Prepared... the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise"

Summer Camp 2011: Zion National Park (playing catch-up)

Capturing the Vision of Scouting by David L. Beck

David L. Beck, General Young Mens President

"Our efforts as Young Men advisers and Scout leaders can have eternal consequences"

 David Beck's thoughts on scouting are profound.  A must read for parents and leaders of scout-age boys.  To read more, go to:

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/06/capturing-the-vision-of-scouting?lang=eng&query=scouting+%28name%3a%22Julie+B.+Beck%22+OR+name%3a%22David+L.+Beck%22%29

Diamond Fork Canyon 04/12: A Lesson in Survival

Troop 1513 ventured up Diamond Fork Canyon to build survival shelters and to do a 6- mile hike.   As you can see from the pictures, the shelters were only part of the survival experience.  We also had to survive scout cooking (yes, that is bacon or it was at one point). 

Goblin Valley Campout 06/12: What We Ate, What We Saw, What We Felt Like Afterwards. A Picto-story of Survival.

Pork and Beans

Goblin Valley

Ding and Dang Trail

Less than 32 oz.

Betsy Gets A Cleanin' 06/19/12:

Members from the troop cleaned out the troop trailer "Betsy" in preparation for this year's summer camp.  Part of this activity included degreasing two Camp Chef stoves from layers of grease built up over 10 years of camping with scouts with Vince's 3,000 PSI power sprayer (man I need me one of those).   We organized boxes and bins and discarded a lot of garbage.

It feels good to be clean and organized!