On Saturday October 10, 2020 we had our 1^st of two 25-mile bike hikes on the Little Blue Trace Trail. The Scouts and Leaders had a great time. They rode the 25 miles in 3 hrs. (averaged 8.3 miles per hour). They rode from the north end of the trail south for 12.5 miles and then rode back to the north end. The one comment that I heard when they returned was it seemed that we were going downhill when we started and then on the way back it felt as if we were going uphill the entire distance. This scout was correct in his observation.

Great Job Scouts and Leaders only one more 25 mile and then the big finish the 50 miler.

How many leaders does it take to repair our troop rock? The troop rock at the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation in Osceola Missouri has once again been repaired after a summer of laying on its back from being hit by an unknown vehicle.

What everyone should look at is what the Scouting program will give to our youth (girls and boys alike) if they come and join the Scouting Program one of the greatest youth programs in America.

THE AIMS AND METHODS OF BOY SCOUTING

The Scouting program has three specific objectives, commonly referred to as the “Aims of Scouting.” They are character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness.

The methods by which the aims are achieved are listed below in random order to emphasize the equal importance of each.

Ideals
The ideals of Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout slogan. The Boy Scout measures himself or herself against these ideals and continually tries to improve. The goals are high, and, as he or she reaches for them, they have some control over what and who each individual becomes.

Patrols
The patrol method gives Scouts an experience in group living and participating citizenship. It places responsibility on young shoulders and teaches boys and girls how to accept it. The patrol method allows Scouts to interact in small groups where they can easily relate to each other. These small groups determine troop activities through their elected representatives.

Outdoor Programs
Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. It is in the outdoor setting that Scouts share responsibilities and learn to live with one another. It is here that the skills and activities practiced at troop meetings come alive with purpose. Being close to nature helps Scouts gain an appreciation for God’s handiwork and humankind’s place in it. The outdoors is the laboratory for Scouts to learn ecology and practice conservation of nature’s resources.

Advancement
Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Scout plans their advancement and progresses at their own pace as he or she meets each challenge. The Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him or her gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others.

Association with Adults
Boys and girls learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves. Scout leaders can be positive role models for the members of their troops. In many cases a Scoutmaster who is willing to listen to the Scouts, encourage them, and take a sincere interest in them can make a profound difference in their lives.

Personal Growth
As Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth. The Good Turn concept is a major part of the personal growth method of Scouting. Boys and girls grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others. Probably no device is so successful in developing a basis for personal growth as the daily Good Turn. The religious emblems program also is a large part of the personal growth method. Frequent personal conferences with his or her Scoutmaster help each Scout to determine his or her growth toward Scouting’s aims.

Leadership Development
The Scout program encourages boys and girls to learn and practice leadership skills. Every Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a Scout accept the leadership role of others and guides them toward the citizenship aim of Scouting.

Uniform
The uniform makes the Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Scout’s commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. The uniform gives the Scout identity in a world brotherhood/sisterhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. The uniform is practical attire for Scout activities and provides a way for Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished.

Merit Badge week was fun. I participated in leatherwork, woodcarving, first aid, and environmental science. I earned three out of the four. It took me all five days to get it done. We all had so much fun earning our badges.

this past week was a fun experience camp or no camp we made it work. With a full week of working on merit badges including, first aid, Environmental science, camping, leather work, archery, and many others.
to begin the week off, everyone showed up ready to learn about different things all the scouts got their schedules and headed off to their classes. in the classes I attended (first aid, environmental science, leather work, and basketry) I learned many different things and I had so much fun. I got to make my own lanyard using a box stitch, I carved my Initials into a wooden block I learned about the environment and wrote an article about polar bears and how they are becoming extinct , and lastly I got to learn how to save someone when they are choking and how to tie certain knots to keep the person from bleeding. we attended these classes in the church parking lot, of course we wore masks and were social distanced and we had to check in everyday to get our temperature.
To finish the week off on Friday, august 7th we finished up our merit badge classes and we ended up getting peach Nee hi which is a thing if you go down to camp (orange soda and ice cream)
Saturday, August 8th which was the last day, we arrived at a farm around 9:15am we checked in and we all split up into two teams the green and blue team, We had to choose our team names, we called ourselves “the shirts” our cheer was “we are the shirts we wear our scout shirts” the other team called themselves “the green goblins” their cheer was “ARG we will get you spider man!!” of course we wore bandannas to show what team we were and we had our team flag.
Each team went to different stations including, the monkey bridge, burning a string, rescuing someone using a rope, bury a treasure which is using a compass to get to the buried treasure, and a log sawing
by noon time all our parents came and we had a picnic, after the picnic we all earned our merit badges and awards
so this was pretty much what camp was like for us this year because of corona we couldn’t go but i’m still glad we made it work I know the scouts had so much fun and i did too. being a first year camper the experience may have different but in the end I had so much fun.

On March 7, 2020 our scout troop went to a Divers Equipment & Repair Service to scuba dive for a merit badge. We all had so much fun. The people that let us in were not used to that many people in a group but we did pretty well and everyone got a chance to scuba dive that day. We had to be patient and wait our turn to scuba diving, but the scouts found ways to entertain each other and themselves.

Our Patrol Leader Council had the Scouts participate in several team building activities during Troop Meetings and the one shown in the photo was very interesting. Each patrol was asked to lay across each other’s laps and then lock arm while they were sitting in chairs. Once everyone was ready, the chairs were removed from all the patrol members. The Scouts showed what team work and depending on their patrol members is all about. It was a great exercise and I would like to thank the Patrol Leaders Council for working these types of activities into our weekly Troop Meetings.

The Troop went to Ibex in Blue Springs on November 22, 2019. We learned how to climb on the rock walls. The Scouts and Leaders had a great time. We climbed till 1:30 AM. Everyone was wore out. There were several of the scouts that earned the Climbing Merit Badge. See photos.