Scout Master Update

2

Staying Cool in the Summer

3

Merit Badge Opportunities

4

Life Guards 5

Scout Master

Update (cont.)

6

Eagle Leadership

Service Projects

4

CPR Class

Inside this issue:

Important

Dates

� Sept. 15 Scout

Elections & Re-

charter Meeting

� Sept 18-20 Fall

Camporee

� Sept 22 Court of

Honor

� Oct 9-11 Joint

292/Weblos

Campout

� Oct 24 Making

Strides for Breast

Cancer Walk

Volume XXXI August, 2009

Troop 292 welcomes our new Council Executive, Michael Hartigan. Michael has hit the ground running since arriving in Mo-bile. He has great ideas on how to improve programs for Boy and Cub scouts and is working hard to improve the facilities and program at Maubila Scout Reservation. Michael Hartigan is the Scout Executive for the Boy Scouts of America here in Southwest Alabama. The Mobile Area

Council is one of 304 Boy Scout Offices across America. The Council serves over 7,000 youth…almost 1,000 registered volunteer leaders…a staff of 12 and an annual operating budget of over $1.2 million dollars. Michael is a product of the Scouting program- - He is an Eagle Scout and a Vigil Honor. He has been in Professional Scouting for almost 18 years. This is Michael’s 4th Boy Scout Council- - starting out first in Fort Myers, Florida…then Orlando, Florida…then in Waycross, Georgia…and now here. On a personal note; Michael has been married to his wife, Cara, for over 17 years-- they have a 14-year-old son, (Boy Scout) Matthew…A 10-year-

Welcome Aboard!

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”. This months merit badge is Engineering and the classes begin Sept. 10. 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

Merit Badge Opportunities

Scout Master Update

My observations confirm that the

scouting “Outdoor” program is working! The scouts had a blast and are now better prepared to compete at the Camporee. On Sunday morning we had a church service that was conducted

by our troop chaplain, Cam K. The following Tuesday the troop prepared food for 13 individuals in need. Food was prepared by Stephen, James G, Hunter, Chan-dler, and Andrew. Mexican cuisine of Tacos and Spanish rice was prepared. Dessert consisted of hot homemade brownies with ice cream on top! These 5 scouts demonstrated Scout Spirit and “Service to Others.” The troop is very proud of their efforts. We are also appreciative of Providence Presbyterian Church for providing us the opportunity of this service

August has been a great month! The troop camped at Maubila Scout Reservation in Jackson, AL. This campout focused on acquir-ing skills with aquatic activities. The scouts canoed, kayaked, tubbed, swam, and sailed in the lake at the camp.

In addition, the scouts used the pool for many hours of swimming. The purpose of these activities was to prepare for the Fall Cam-poree on September 18-20. At the Camporee, each patrol will compete against 20 other patrols around the Spanish Trail District. The competition will include canoe relays, kayak relay, swim relay, tube relay, water rescue, a fishing tournament, bike relay, and an obstacle course relay. This camp-out allowed our scouts to acquire skills using different water craft and just to have fun.

to needy individuals. September will be an extremely busy month for the troop. It all starts with Order of the Arrow Elections on September 1. The scouts will elect their fellow scouts into the Order of the Arrow.

The OA’s are an organization with in scouting that provides service to the Mobile Area Council. They perform many projects at Maubila Scout Reservation. Arrowmen, as they are called, are among the “best of the best” in scouting. Scouts involved in the OA develop leadership skills, assume responsi-bility for projects, and run the or-ganization (not the adults).

Troop Elections will be held on September 15. The troop will elect a Senior Patrol Leader, 2 As-sistant Senior Patrol Leaders, 6 Patrol leaders (1 for each of the 6

Page 2 Troop 292 News You Can Use

Continued on page 4

Staying Cool in the Summer by Manny Russo

Summer camping is quiet a bit different than any other camping. What makes it different? That is easy. It is HOT both day and night. However, there are numerous ways to prepare that will make summer camping more fun. First of all, the troop will plan activities that involve the water. Sail-ing campouts, beach campouts, canoe trips, etc offer an opportunity to get wet and cool down. These water activities also increase the chance of sun burn. As stated in the April newsletter, a good quality water resistant sun block is a must. The sun block will prevent sun burn if applied correctly and often. Summer clothing is also critical to staying cool. Heavy clothing such as cotton shirts, cargo style shorts, belts, and cotton socks are a “no-no.” This type of clothing does not breathe very well. One gets hot, perspires, and the clothing stays wet. Cotton does not dry quickly and tends to hold in heat and perspiration. Cargo style shorts are usually made of heavy material and once again they do not breathe well and hold in heat and moisture. Cotton socks p-resent the same issue. The type of clothing needed is shirts, shorts, and socks that are made of synthetic materials. “Cool Max” is a type of shirt that is very light weight. It breathes exceptionally well, dries in minutes, and because it breathes so well, it helps with body odor! Shorts are also available in synthetic ma-terial. Shorts with a draw string as opposed to a belt are also cooler and lighter in weight. Most scouts wear cotton “no show” socks. Within minutes of wearing cotton socks in the summer time, they are wet with perspiration. Wool socks or synthetic socks are much more comfortable and will dry very quickly. They breathe well and will significantly reduce foot odor. When wearing boots, “Smart Wool” socks are one of the best to wear. In addition to clothing, a good cap made of synthetic material with a 4 inch brim is helpful. These hats are available at most sporting good stores and are not expensive. Water consumption is also important to stay cool and prevent dehydration. Dehydration can occur quickly in the summer and be easily misunderstood. A scout can be involved in an activity on a summer morning, not drink enough water and then at lunch time he feels nauseated, tired, and has a headache. This is a sign of dehydration. Dehydration can be easily prevented. Just drink plenty of fluids. If active, a person should drink 2 to 3 liters of fluids before noon. The same goes for afternoon. However, this depends on how active the person is and whether they are active in direct sunlight or in the shade. Common sense prevails as to how much water is consumed. Scouts and scout leaders are trained in first aid and should be able to recognize the signs of dehy-dration so that prompt treatment can be provided. Staying cool at night is also important. If the weather forecast is for a clear night, the scout should leave his rain fly off. This will allow more air circulation and the tent netting will not hold in heat. A sheet or other light covering is all that is needed. Also, remember that synthetic shorts or underwear along with a shirt will again be more comfortable than cotton sleep wear. Last but not least is a fan. A battery operated Coleman fan with run several nights on a single “D” cell bat-tery and will move enough air that one will be comfortable. After a full day of activities it is also recommended that one should “tank up” on fluids before bedtime. It is suggested that that the scout should visit a sporting good store such as Spoke N Trail or Ala-bama Outdoors. They carry all of the gear mentioned above. While synthetic shirts and shorts are often a little more expensive, they are durable and will make for a much more comfortable outing both in scouting and at home/play.

Volume XXXI August 2009 Page 3

Page 4 Troop 292 News You Can Use

Mobile Area Council & Spanish Trail District Welcome Senior District Executive Roger Druin

Roger came to us in May from the Okefenokee Area Council in Waycross Georgia where he served as a District Executive since 2002. Roger’s Scouting experience started as a youth and he earned his Eagle Scout. As a Volunteer Scouter, he served as a Den Leader, Cubmaster, Scoutmaster and on various district and council committees. Roger is active in the Order of the Arrow and is a Vigil Honor member. He has completed all BSA volunteer training and has served on staff for various BSA Training and Wood Badge courses. Roger enjoys traveling, riding his motorcycle and scuba diving. He has two children and two grand daughters.

patrols), and 6 assistant Patrol Leaders. There are also many positions that are appointed by the Senior and Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders. These include Den Chiefs, Quartermaster, Scribe, Bugler, Instructors, Troop Guides, Librarian, Order of the Arrow Representative, and Historian. These elected and appointed positions are overseen by the boy leaders, not adults. Each scout has an opportunity to develop leadership skills by holding a position. Scouts who are members of the Order of the Arrow or held positions on a regular basis are usually the scouts that advance and have the best opportunity to become an Eagle Scout. The Troop Court of Honor will be held on Tuesday, September 22. The Court of Honor is one of the most important ceremonies of the troop. This is a time to recognize each scout for what he has accomplished during the last 6 months. He will be recognized for positions held, rank advancements, merit badges earned, and much more. All parents and family are strongly encouraged to be in attendance. As you can see, your troop is strong and continuing to grow in number of scouts but more importantly, in the quality of the scout program. The troop and your scout’s success are directly related to the involvement of parents. A big thanks to each mom, dad, grandmother, and grandfather for what you do to support the

Scout Master Update (cont.)

SCOUT MASTER NOTE - Lesa Witherington is the “official” editor of the news-

letter. If you have any suggestions or contributions please contact Lesa at

lesa@lesatoday.com.

Court of Honor - September 22, 2009

Volume XXXI August 2009 Page 5

The troop Court of Honor is Tuesday, September 22, at the church. A court of Honor is a very special event in the life of a troop. It is a time to recognize each scout for his accom-plishments which include rank advancements, positions held, and merit badges earned. Parents, grandparents, friends are strongly encouraged to attend. Your attendance dem-onstrates your support of your scout and the scouting program. See you on the 22nd.

Both the Philmont and Sea Base high adventure camps for the summer of 2010 have one spot available. Each crew can have 12 crew members and presently each has 11. The cost of each high adventure activity is approxi-mately $1,400. To be eligible you must be 14 years of age by September 1, 2010. The troop also requires that you are at least a 1st Class Scout. If you are interested, please contact Manny for

Philmont and Geoff for Sea Base. The troop does not go to a high adventure camp each summer so it may be 2 or more years before we go to another high adventure camp.

Philmont and Sea Base 2010

As you know, I send out many updates about the troop activities.

Many of our scouts tell me that they do not see the emails and are

not aware of what we will do at the meetings or campouts. Please

see that your scout reads the emails so he will be informed of what

is going on. Thanks, Manny

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this newsletter. We want the

newsletter to be informative and of interest to each scout and their family.

If you have suggestions or articles of interest, please submit them.

Providence Presbyterian Church 2320 Schillinger Rd S

Mobile, AL 36695

Troop 292

News You Can Use

Scout Master: Manny Russo E-mail:

Manny.Russo@rehab.alabama.gov

We’re on the

web!

bsa292.org

Troop 292 is a very active troop that camps each month regard-

less 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 meet-

ings. We also provide hundreds of hours a year in service pro-

jects as we teach scouts this key value of "Service to Oth-

ers." 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 pre-

pare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by

instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Jame G & Garret H.

In the Press

Troop Recognition

Summer Navy

Training

Nick M

Find the official BSA Fluer d’Lis within the newsletter, be the first

to email Mr. Manny at manny292@comcast.net for a free meal at

Chick-Fil-A.