A Letter from Scoutmaster Chadwick

Happy New Year All,

I hope that you all have enjoyed the holidays and our break from scouts. It has been a very blessed time for me and my family as well as a welcomed rest.

As some of you may know, my mom and dad were able to visit over the Thanksgiving holiday and we celebrated my mom’s 70th BD. It was certainly a very happy time to be with my parents since they live so far away (Pittsburgh PA). The Christmas and New Year’s holidays were even more special. Most importantly, my immediate family was all together and we are all healthy and happy. God has certainly made His presence known in our household as we celebrated Jesus’ birth and joyously watched the clock tick down to 2011. Sam, Dan, Gloria, and I shared a very special moment together welcoming in the new year.

So, what will the new year bring? That seems to be on the minds of most .. these days…. And especially for the troop. Traditionally, we kick things off in January with a few meetings and the Webelos Campout at Eastman Lake, followed by a wintery trek to Klondike at Shaver Lake. Although the full 2011 calendar has not yet been fully developed, I can share with you, that most, if not all, of our regularly attended events will take place. As we begin meeting again this year… we will solidify the calendar and schedule out the things that the boys want to do. (remember, we must have Adult leaders for these things). Our first meeting of the new year is Monday, January 10th, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the Madera United Methodist Church.

Each year the BSA and the Sequoia Council strongly advocate that all scouts and parents be better educated in the topic that deals with Child Sexual Abuse. If you have been involved with scouting for any length of time, you already know that this topic is nothing new for scouting and that it is repetitive as the boys progress through their scouting career.

Now that we have successfully Re-Charted the Troop (a huge thank you goes out to Mr. Schneider), over the next few weeks the troop will be viewing materials produced by the BSA to help us all recognize and prevent Child Sexual Abuse. Please make arrangements for you and your son to attend. If for some reason, you don’t wish to view this in a group setting, the materials will be available for you to check out and view privately. There will be two groups. One that deals with younger scouts and one that is more appropriate for older scouts. For time’s sake, both sessions will take place on the same night (Monday, January 17th). The groups will be in separate quarters. If you have any questions or concerns re: this training, please contact me, Bob Rolan, or Gaylen Thelander, and/or the Sequoia Council.

Attention Patrol Leaders Council Members: (Green Bar). [ it is not up to the adults … it is up to you.. this is your TROOP]

1. As we now have 4 patrols, we must get our Patrol names, uniform patches, yells, and flags solidified ASAP. SPL and ASPL need to ensure that all patrol leaders are working on these goals over the next month. This should be completed by the time we go to Eastman Lake as it is our practice time for Klondike in February.

2. We also need to plan out our activities for Eastman Lake and be mindful that this campout is not only for the Webelos but for prep work needed for Klondike. Mr. Govett and Mr. Tucker will be preparing a compass course and other events. Please be prepared to assist them and on January 10th will have sign ups. We will need to plan menus on Monday the 17th and have those responsible for food purchases accomplish that no later than Friday the 21st.

3. We need to have a complete inventory and stocking up of our camp boxes (including the 4th patrol box) and coordinate with the Quartermaster and the adult QM Advisor with this effort.

4. Ensure that each scout is paired up with a buddy and that each buddy team decide who is responsible for the tent, etc.

5. Remember that we have scheduled Green Bar Meetings the 3rd Monday of each month. Starting time 6:15 pm. This month it is on the 17th. Please be there on time, we have a lot to accomplish and a short time frame.

Welcome to 2011, an exciting new year for Troop 116

In Him,

Scout Master – Mr. Chadwick