October 09
Transcription
October 09
Volume XXXIII Outside Scouting — In the Marital Arts Alan M participates in Tae-Kwon-do Alan started his martial arts career with tae-kwon-do when he was seven years old. He spent six years at taekwon-do and in that time earned a second degree black belt and participated in many tournaments. While in those tournaments Alan won so many competitions that he lost count of them. Two years ago he had to stop taekwon-do because the place he studied moved. From there Alan spent about a year in shotokan karate. While in shotokan he learned how to use a tomfoo which is basically a night stick. After a year in this martial art, another tae-kwon-do school opened and Alan earned his second degree black belt. Alan is in this sport for many reasons but the most important reason for is to learn self-discipline. Martial arts do not focus on brute strength. Martial arts are about self-control and learning self defense. Tae-kwondo originated in ancient Korea as a military close quarters training and it is still used in today’s world. A typical tae-kwon-do class is one hour long and consists of five main parts. The first part is stretching and warm ups. This part is used to stretch and warm up your muscles so when you are farther in the class you don’t hurt yourself. The second part of class is normally pad drills. A pad drill is where the instructor teaches you a new kick or punch and then you do that technique several times so you learn the technique. The third part of class is your form. A form is a series of techniques that are done in a certain way at a certain speed. The form is where you put the moves you have learned into practice. Each belt level has its own unique Merit Badge Opportunities Merit badge opportunities are available each month as part of the Spanish Trail District Roundtable. One merit badge is offered each month and the class is held at Christ United Methodist Church on the second floor of building “A”. For specific information you may call Dan Lessley, District Training Chair, at 490-2735. This monthly merit badge opportunity is an excellent way to earn merit badges and learn about careers and hobbies. October, 2009 Inside this issue: Scout Master Update 2 Thank You Palmer Toyta 3 Popcorn Update 3 Job Well Done 3 Scout Master Update (cont.) 4 In Martial Arts (cont.) 4 Roundtable 5 Two New Lifeguards 5 Outside Scouting 5 Winter Camp 5 Read Newsletter 6 Website & Photo Gallery 6 Service Opportunity 6 Service to Others 7 Important Dates Nov 13-15 Backpacking/Hiking Campout Nov 13-15 Philmont Practice Trek Dec 4-5 Backpacking/ Camping Campout Dec 18-21 Philmont Practice Trek Dec 27-30 Winter Camp Scout Master Update Your troop has had loads of fun over the last several weeks. Beginning on October 1st the new scout leadership began their 6 month term of leading the troop. lables into a bag and hanging it high in a tree to prevent bears and other varmints from getting into it), “A” Frame walking, knot tying, tarp raising, and tug-of-war. Their first assignment was to plan the October campout in which we had 11 Webelos and their parents’ camp with us. The purpose of the joint campout is to expose the Cub Scouts to Boy Scouting. This gives them an idea of what they have to look forward to when they join a troop. This campout also gives our scouts the opportunity to plan a campout and provide leadership. The joint campout took place at Chickasabogue Park in Saraland. We had 55 scouts, adult leaders, Webelos, and their parents with us. A campfire ceremony was also planned for the evening. It began with a flag retirement ceremony in which several worn and tattered flags were retired over a ceremonial fire. This was a very impressive ceremony and once again was led by boy leaders. The boy leaders in troop 292 planned a day of activities. These activities included setting up their tents and campsite, placing them in a 292 patrol, and familiarizing them with the day’s activities. Skits and just sitting around the campfire was enjoyed by all. Following this orientation, the troop divided into 4 groups and the Webelos were placed 3 to a group. They started with first aid and a stretcher relay race, compass reading, bear bag hanging (placing food and other smel- On Sunday morning the troop had a church service which focused on honesty, kindness, being courteous, being obedient, being of clean mind and body (well-the body cleanliness was in question!), and being reverent. Jonathan R developed and led this church service. The meals that the scouts prepared were unbelievable. The Panther Patrol grilled New York Strip steaks and baked potatoes, the Bison Patrol cooked homemade chicken and dumplings, the Owl Patrol cooked homemade chili, the Cobra Patrol grilled chicken breast with corn and veggies for sides, and the Roadrunner Patrol cooked homemade beef stew. Is this awesome or what! On October 24, the troop participated in the Cancer Walk in downtown Mobile. The troop has also committed $250 to this cause. Each scout was encouraged to raise $1 from 5 neighbors so the troop can reach this goal. On October 31 and November 1, Alan, Robbie, Stephen, and Tony participated in Wilderness First Aid. This is a 16 hour course that is very intense. This level of first aid is required for our crew of 12 that will go to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico during June of 2010. Four scouts have begun or about to begin their Eagle Project. The Eagle Project is the culmination of many years of hard work to become an Eagle Scout. Josh N has completed his Eagle Project at the church. His project consisted of building 12 garden spots to be used to plant vegetables and other plants. Kalen had his project work day on October 17. He Continued on page 4 Page 2 Troop 292 News You Can Use Thanks Palmers Airport Toyota Palmers Airport Toyota has made a donation to the troop to help with the DVD project. We appreciate their generosity and how community minded Palmers is. We stress with our scouts that a core value in scouting is “service to others” and giving back to one’s community is very important. Thanks Palmers Airport Toyota for your help! Popcorn Update Three scouts did a great job selling popcorn. Not only did this help the Mobile Area Council but added money to the scout’s individual account. James Garraway was our top sales person with $554. Joshua Deaton was second with $316.00 sold and Troy Fleming was third with $200. Congratulations to these top three sellers and to all those who sold any amount of popcorn. The money that they earned can be used to pay for scouting activities or any items used for scouting purposes. To use the money each scout needs to see the Treasurer, Lisa Peacock, who will reimburse the scout when he provides a receipt for what he purchased. Job Well Done Brian B assumed his responsibility with eager commitment. He raised $70 for the “Making Strides for Breast Cancer.” Brian raised this money by asking his neighbors to make a $1 donation. Brian, this demonstrates Scout Spirit and Leadership. Job Well Done! Volume XXXIII October, 2009 Page 3 Scout Master Update (cont.) removed a fence and cleaned up around an AC unit, removing shrubbery, installed a fence around the unit, and built forms to pour concrete for a 150 foot side walk beside the soccer field. This project took place at Corpus Christi School. Chris R and Alec P should start their Eagle Project in November, and several other scouts are expected to begin theirs in a few months. As you can see, Troop 292 has a lot of fine young men that have become leaders and are on their way to becoming an Eagle Scout. See the Photo Gallery for pictures of their project work days. November will be a fun month of camping. The troop will travel to Milton, Florida and camp at Camp Paquette. They will focus their activities on acquiring outdoor skills, taking a 5 mile hike while using a compass and map, and helping younger scouts with basic scout skills such as identifying plants and animals, learning to hike safely, basic first aid, and much more. The 12 scouts and adult that will be going to Philmont Scout Ranch in 2010 will leave the troop and back pack about 17 miles over the two days. These scouts will learn how to use light weight stoves for cooking their meals, learning how to purify water for drinking and cooking, and learning how to work together as a team. After all, these 12 scouts and adults will be together for 12 straight days hiking in the mountains of New Mexico. Your troop continues to be very active and is learning the core values of scouting. Some of these values include honor, responsibility, leadership, and service to others. None of these quality programs could take place with the commitment and help of the Assistant Scoutmasters and many adult leaders. Thanks for your tremendous help and leadership. Outside Scouting — Martial Arts (cont.) form and the black belts normally have to learn multiple forms. The fourth part of class is free sparing. In free sparing you are fighting one other class member. There are several types of pads that you have to wear when free sparing. These pads are for your safety and for the safety of the person you are sparring. The last part of class is another time to stretch. This is important to work out soreness just in case you had a really bad night! Jack E and Kung Fu Jack has been taking Kung Fu for over two and a half years and really enjoys the way everyone treats him at his martial arts school, which makes him feel kind of like a member of a family. Jack is currently a Brown Belt in Kung Fu and takes his classes at John Graham’s Elite Martial Arts. He is looking forward to his Black Belt testing which will take place in January. His instructors are really friendly and are mostly Master John Graham and his son Master JJ Graham. Master John Graham is a 9th degree Black Belt and is working on his 10th degree Black Belt. Master JJ Graham is a 4th degree Black Belt. His instructors not only teach Kung Fu but also concentrate on being respectful to others, self confidence and discipline, and how to be leader in life. Jack got interested in Kung Fu because he used to have trouble with bullies but doesn’t have that kind of trouble anymore. He also says he feels more self confident and is really looking forward to getting his Black Belt. He attends classes at least two to three times a week and is also a volunteer instructor for lower belts. His favorite Kung Fu move is the “dragon-tail sweep” in which you get low to the ground and sweep your leg around. Page 4 Troop 292 News You Can Use Roundtable Two New Lifeguards Roundtable is the name given to the monthly meeting of all scout leaders in each district. Troop 292 is in the Spanish Trail District. We have 14 troop[s pus many Cub Scout Packs. The purpose of Roundtable is for the Mobile Area Council to have the opportunity to convey important information to Scoutmasters, adult leaders, Den Leaders, Cub Masters, and other scout volunteers. This meeting is held on the second Thursday of each month. It is an important time and all adult leaders or those that just want to be involved in scouts, are welcome to attend. The meeting takes place at Christ United Methodist Church on Grelot Road at 7:00. At the Court of Honor in September, we failed to recognize Tyler S and Max P who completed their BSA lifeguard course at Summer Camp. This was a very intense course that required about 5 hours per day in the pool learning rescue techniques, first aid, and a lot of “classroom” activities. A comprehensive and difficult written test also had to be passed. While the Roundtable is being conducted, the merit badge of the month is being offered. Bring your scout to the merit badge class and join in the Roundtable. We are very proud of Tyler and Max and are sorry that we failed to recognize them at the Court of Honor. Outside of Scouting Has your scout excelled at some activity outside of Scouting? Does he play soccer? Is he involved in the church choir/hand bells? Is he in the band? What about Community Theater? Does he perform well in school? Has he won an award or been recognized for something? We are very proud of the young men in troop 292 both in and out of scouting. If your scout has been recognized for some achievement, email Lesa a picture and a brief write up for the newsletter. Lesa’s email is lesa@lesatoday.com. Winter Camp Maubila Scout Reservation Winter Camp will be held at Maubila Scout Reservation in Jackson, Alabama on December 27-30. Winter camp is the best time to earn those “hard to get” merit badges such as Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, and Citizenship in the World. Scouts who advance in rank and become leaders are usually found at Winter Camp. This has been observed as these scouts seem to be very committed in acquiring merit badges and fellowshipping with their brothers in Scouting. Take advantage of Winter Camp and have fun! You can register by contacting the Scout Office at 476-4600. Volume XXXIII October, 2009 Page 5 Scouts – Have You Read the Newsletter? Do you read the newsletter? If so, find this logo in the newsletter and be the third person to email Mr. Manny at manny292@comcast.net and you will receive a prize not to exceed $1,000! Read from top to bottom and if you see this logo more than one time make sure you let Mr. Manny know in your email. You must also be in full uniform with scout book at the troop meeting in which the prize is awarded. We may have more than one winner depending on how close together the emails are to Mr. Manny. Good luck! Website and Photo Gallery The troop website is jam packed with information that will help you plan for scouting activities and to see what your scout has been doing. Go to the “Photo Gallery” and you can see pictures of each campout and the activities that took place. The photo gallery also has pictures of other events such as a visit to the State Legislature, Court of Honor, Webelos Bridging Ceremony, and the Cancer Walk. Take advantage of the Website and enjoy it! If you would like to submit articles for the website or tell us about something your scout has done outside of scouting, please email this information to Manny at manny292@comcast.net or Steve Marcantonio at steve@cpsinet.com. An Opportunity for Service Scouts and Parents – Here is another opportunity to help those in need. This date does conflict with our campout so if are unable to camp that weekend, take advantage of this service project. Camp Rap-a-Hope is a pediatric oncology summer camp sponsored by the Medical Society of Mobile County. They are hosting their Fall Family Fun Day on October 10th at Camp Grace. The event is from 2-6 pm. Any Scout that would like to help facilitate the event are asked to contact Shay Bruton at the Camp Rap-a-Hope office (phone #476-9880) as soon as possible. Anyone willing to volunteer is asked to arrive around 1:00 pm. They can leave about 3:30 or stay to volunteer at another area. Camp Rap-a-Hope will provide a hot dog meal for the volunteers wishing to stay and help. Camp Rap-a-Hope contact information is: Shay Bruton Office: 251-476-9880 email: rapahope2@earthlink.net Page 6 Troop 292 News You Can Use Service to Others “Service to Others” is stressed to the scouts at almost every meeting and most activities. It is so important that to become a Star Scout, one must complete a minimum of 6 hours of service. It is so important that in order for a scout to become a Life Scout he must provide a minimum of 6 hours of service to others to reach that rank. It is so important that the Boy Scout of America require a service project to become an Eagle Scout. This service project usually ranges anywhere from 75 hours to over 200. It is so important in Scouting that the Scout Oath states, “To help other people at all times.” Again, it is so important that the Scout Law states that a scout will be “Helpful” and “Reverent.” We know that no matter which religion we belong to it is important to help others as God asked us to. This is the reason that the troop talks so much about service projects such as providing food for homeless individuals, collecting money and participating in the Cancer Walk. It is believed that a scout who understands the importance of helping others will be a better husband, parent, and citizen. In October, James G, James N, and Stephen J helped prepare food for homeless individuals. These young men and all other scouts who participate in service projects are demonstrating leadership and leading with their hearts. Great Job guys! Troop 292 News You Can Use SCOUT MASTER NOTE - Lesa Witherington is the “official” editor of the newsletter. If you have any suggestions or contributions please contact Lesa at lesa@lesatoday.com. Providence Presbyterian Church 2320 Schillinger Rd S Mobile, AL 36695 Scout Master: Manny Russo E-mail: Manny.Russo@rehab.alabama.gov e We’re on th web! rg bsa292.o Troop 292 is a very active troop that camps each month regardless of the weather! We will camp in excess of 30 nights and days per year. The Boy Scout program is an "Outdoor Program," meaning that scout skills and leadership skills are developed through this outdoor program, not only at Tuesday night meetings. We also provide hundreds of hours a year in service projects as we teach scouts this key value of "Service to Others." Join us as we provide a quality program that turns young boys into young men who live the Scout Law and Oath in all that they do. Our Mission-The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.