1997/98
Further Update on Nantucket Bike Trip: Weather prediction is showers on Saturday. Be sure to bring your raingear. We will setup a couple of rainflys in camp. Showers may not be all that bad. We may end up exloring indoor sites on the island.
Nantucket Bike Trip, June 12-14: We were too ambitious on the meeting time. 2:45 pm is before the Middle School lets out, and before the 6th graders get back from Canoby Lake Park. So just get there at 3:00 pm or as soon thereafter as possible. We'll try to leave at 3:15 pm, but won't leave anyone behind who indicated they were coming. If you cannot be there by 3:15 pm, call Mr. Lee to let him know.
Nantucket Bike Trip, June 12-14: See the newsletter and Information/Permission Form for more details on this trip, which is a repeat of last year's successful end of the year trip. We meet at the Scout House ata 2:45 pm on Friday, June 12, and return about 5:00 pm on Sunday, June 14. Bring your bike!
Boards of Review at Tonight's Meeting, June 8: Be sure to attend the meeting tonight, to complete any outstanding advancement, and have your Board of Review. Some advancement will be done on the Nantucket Trip, and special Boards of Review will be held on the ferry onthe way back as needed.
End of Year Picnic and Court of Honor, June 15: Our family picnic is next Monday night, at the Scout House at 6:30 pm. The whole family is invited. Call Rich Lettieri with questions.
Summer Backpacking Trip, Date TBD: The Patrol leaders Council is planning a two-night backpacking trip for a weekend this summer. The date will be announced at the picnic.
June 1 Meeting Important for Completing Advancement: Tomorrow night's meeting is critical to completing advancement on ranks and merit badges. Be sure to attend.
Mountain Biking on May 30 a Success: We had 11 boys and fathers attend the mountain biking trip to Waterville Valley. Weather was perfect. Sunny and enough breeze to keep the black flies away.
Parent/Son Canoe Outing, May 16: We will meet at Southbridge Boatworks, at 496-502 Main Street, in Concord at 9 am on Saturday morning. The plan is to head south (upriver), and try to get into the Great Meadow in Sudbury, before turning around and heading downriver back to the launching point. We expect to be on the river for about 3 hours, pulling out at about 12:30 pm. Cost will be approximately $24/canoe, as the group rate we are getting is about $8/hour. See you there on Saturday morning!
Canoeing Trip and Mountain Biking Trip Rescheduled: To allow us to find a suitable biking area, we have had to move the mountain biking trip to 5/30, and thus the Canoeing trip needed to be moved to 5/16. More details are in latest edition of newsletter (5/2).
Camp Yawgoog Deadline, April 10: This summer we will be reviving our annual troop week at Yawgoog, the summer camp we had attended every year for a long time, up until 1995. In that year, most of our summer-camping scouts attended the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and it has taken us a few years to resume the Yawgoog tradition. Everyone should have received a handout regarding Camp Yawgoog. A copy of the cover sheet of the handout is available online. We need to know by Friday, April 10, whether a boy will be attending, and a deposit of $25 must be given to our Treasurer, Ginny Wright, 15 Linden Circle by the same date.
Winter Camping Trip Was Cancelled: We had to cancel the trip this past weekend, owing to a shortage of adults that could go. Our next trip is the Spring Camporee, on May 3-5. Let's try to plan further ahead for that one.
PLC Meeting Cancelled: Monday night's PLC meeting has to be cancelled because of the 8th grade Washington trip, which has claimed 4 of our 7 PLC members. We'll reschedule it.
Citizenship in Community Merit Badge: We'll continue working on this badge at the next meeting, on March 23.
Winter Camping Trip at Mt. Monadnock, New Hampshire: We will be doing a one-night overnight camping trip this coming weekend (3/14-15). We'll be sleeping in tents at Camp Wanocksett in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, right at the base of Mt. Monadnock. We'll leave the Scout House at 8am on Saturday morning. Camp Wanocksett is the boy scout summer camp of the Nashua Valley Council. Mr. Lee attended Wood Badge training there. There is a large pond, and plenty of wooded campsites. Review the online tips on winter camping, by our very own Glenn Brewster. We'll be going over equipment requirements on Monday night. Everything you need is actually on the troop packing list. You simply need to pay attention to the cold-weather items. Absolutely essential are: at least a 20 degree F sleeping bag, polypropylene long underwear, warm hat, 2 pair of warm gloves or mittens, a sleeping pad to insulate you from the ground, a warm coat. See the Information and Permission Slip for additional info. See you Monday night.
Court of Honor Awards Record Number of Badges: A total of 43 merit badges and ranks were awarded at the Court of Honor. This is more than in any prior Court of Honor in the memories of those presently affiliated with the troop. Congratulations to all.
Cape Cod Camping Trip, March 14-15: The PLC met following the Court of Honor and decided to "head south" for the March camping trip. We are hoping for a warm March weekend. The actual campsite has not been chosen. Mike L. is looking into a site in Wellfleet. We will leave on Saturday morning. Boys working on Second and First Class should be sure to attend, as we will work important advancement activities into the trip, and it will be one more outing toward the required number (5 for Second Class; 10 for First Class).
Nantucket Here We Come (Once Again): The PLC has decided that the Nantucket Trip last June was too good not to do again. So we will catch the ferry on a Friday in June.
Ski Trip, February 6-8: Our second ski trip is this weekend. We leave from the Scout House at 6pm on Friday. Consult the Information and Permission Form for further information. We hope you can attend.
Court of Honor, February 9: Our midyear Court of Honor will be held Monday at 7:30 pm. Many of our boys have advanced a rank and/or earned merit badges. This is an important activity for the boys and their families. Please try to attend.
January 12 Meeting: Officer Millen will be leading a program on the "dangers of using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and other practices that could be harmful to your health," a requirement for the boys working toward First Class. Mr. Brewster will be leading a program on winter camping, in preparation for this weekend's outing at Nobscot Reservation.
Nobscot Trip, January 17-18: We are going to be camping at the troop's cabin at the Nobscot Scout Reservation in Sudbury, Massachusetts. There will be lots of fun outdoor activities, including our traditional rounds of Capture the Flag. We will be paying particular attention to advancement for boys working toward Second and First Class, helping boys finish up requirements prior to the Board of Review and Court of Honor at the end of the month.
We will meet at the Scout House at 9 am on Saturday morning. Boys will be driven home on Sunday at about Noon. We will be sleeping inside the cabin, which is heated by a wood stove (but which can still be very cold, particularly if the stove goes out at night). Be sure to bring a warm sleeping bag and sleeping pad (there are bunks in the cabin, but the bunks have only springs, no mattresses, and without a pad you will be uncomfortable). Be sure to bring all the cold weather clothing mentioned on the troop's packing list (e.g., gloves/mittens, hat, polypropylene long underwear). Review the Winter Camping writeup on the website (it summarizes the presentation that Mr. Brewster is planning to give at our meeting on January 12). Some scouts may choose to setup tents, and sleep outside in the vicinity of the cabin, in which case you will need to be sure you have your tent and groundcloth with you. The cabin is about a three-qiuarter mile hike (uphill) from the parking lot, and so you will want to pack your gear in your backpack. Everyone should leave a little room in their packs to carry food and patrol/troop equipment.
Bring along your signed Permission Form on Saturday morning.
REI Wall Climb, Monday, December 15: We meet at REI in Natick at 6:45pm. Pickup will also be at REI at about 8:45-9:00pm. Might be a good idea if carpools were arranged. As announced earlier, we will probably split into two groups, with one group climbing, while the other tours the store. Should be a lot of fun.
Ski trip is on for this coming weekend: Ski conditions should be excellent, as snow is falling today and tomorrow, and more is expected toward the end of the week. Complete information about the trip was in the last newsletter. The Information and Permission Form for the trip contains much the same information. If you are renting skis, you will need to have your parents sign a rental form: Wildcat Rental Form, page 1 Wildcat Rental Form, page 2. Copies of all forms will be available at Monday's meeting, December 1, and at dropoff time (6 pm) on Friday, December 5. Please let Mr. Lee know at Monday's meeting, or by telephone by Tuesday, whether you are going so that we can get an accurate head count and be sure we have enough drivers.
Work at Scout House Will Be Indoors: It is supposed to rain hard tomorrow, but we are still going ahead with meeting at the Scout House. We will be cleaning up our own storage area beneath the stairs, and then going on the South Side Firehouse to box food for Scouting for Food. If the rain should surprise us and quit in the morning, we may take a hand at the leaves.
Scouting for Food/Service Day, This Saturday, November 22, 7:30 am: We will meet at the Scout House at 7:30 am this Saturday morning. We will rake leaves (or do another service project at the Scout House if the snow has not melted) until about 10 am, and then move on to the South Side Fire House to help box food collected by the cub scouts. The start time is moved up a half-hour (from the originally scheduled 8 am), in order to provide more time to complete the project at the Scout House. Please bring a rake from home (unless we still have snow cover, in which case we will not be raking.) Most of us will be finished sometime between Noon and 1:00 pm, but a small contingent will be needed to deliver and unpack the food at A Place to Turn in Natick. This is a very important activity for the troop. Please be sure to come if at all possible. It is important for at least three reasons: (1) we help collect food for people in need; (2) we show our gratitude to the Weston Scout House, who provides our meeting place; (3) we sell Troop 157 to Weston's cub scouts (and their parents). Be sure to wear your uniform. If you want, you could change into your scout shirt at the conclusion of the work at the Scout House.
More Advancement on Monday, November 10: Scouts working toward First Class will be working on knots and lashings at Monday's meeting. Boys who are have already completed First Class will be meeting with Mr. S. to continue working on Communications merit badge. Mr. W. will join us on November 24 and December 1 to work on First Aid merit badge.
White Mountains Condo Weekend, November 15-16: Our November outing will take us back to the Whites, where we will do a 5 mile hike (route will depend on weather) in the Mount Washington area. This will satisfy the 5-mile hike requirement for those working toward First Class. Other advancement activities will also be included in the weekend's activities. We will be staying at Mr. Lee's condominium at Bretton Woods, and enjoying the Bretton Woods Sports Lodge and going out for pizza on Saturday night. Departure will be at 7 am on Saturday morning from the Scout House. We will return in the early afternoon on Sunday. Cost for the trip will be $10. But each boy will need additional funds (e.g., $5-10) to cover cost of a lunch stop on the way home on Sunday.
Reserve Early for REI Wall Climb, December 15: There will be limited space for climbing at REI at our regular meeting on Monday, December 15. REI will limit the number of participants to as few as 15 boys, and thus we ask that everyone who wants to participate in this activity get a signed permission form to Mr. Lee at or prior to the November 24 meeting. REI's Information and Permission Forms are attached as Acrobat PDF files. Hard copies of these forms will be available at our meetings on November 10 and 24.
Advancement Program Begins Monday: We will begin working on First Aid at our meeting on November 3. All of the First Aid requirements for 1st and 2nd class ranks will be covered, and a start will be made on First Aid merit badge. Mr. W. (Weston EMT) will be our instructor, and will return for two additional sessions to complete First Aid merit badge prior to the February Court of Honor. In parallel with the work on First Aid merit badge, for those boys who already have that badge, will be work on Communications merit badge (led by Mr. S.), which is another badge required for Eagle. Mr. S. will hold the first session on Communications merit badge at our November 3 meeting.
Weather is looking better for backpacking trip: Forecast now has the rain missing us both Saturday and Sunday. Good thing we are going to be way up north, as it will rain in Boston.
October 22, 1997
Expect cold weather on backpacking trip: Weather forecast is for a partly sunny day on Saturday, with temperatures in the 40s, and for temperatures to drop into the 20s Saturday night. So make sure that you bring warm clothing. Polypropylene long underwear is a must. Also, the prediction is for rain on Sunday. So be sure to bring rain gear (separate rain jacket and rain pants are best), and a waterproof cover for your pack (a large garbage bag will work if you do not have a specially designed cover). We have a good group going: six boys and three adults. See you Friday at 6:00 pm.
October 21, 1997
Backpacking Trip, October 24-26: We leave from the scout house at 6:00 pm on Friday afternoon. See writeup in newsletter that should have arrived in your mailbox (the old fashioned one) on Monday. Same info is included in the Information and Permission/Waiver Form (84K Acrobat PDF file). We will be hiking along the Zealand Trail, past Zealand and Threau Falls, to Ethan Pond, and then down Ethan Pond Trail to Crawford Notch. Take a look at the Appalachian Trail Map(710K Acrobat PDF file) for the area.
Orienteering Day, October 25: Beginning Scouts not able to attend the White Mountains Trip should consider attending Orienteering Day on Saturday morning, October 25, at the Nobscot Scout Reservation in Sudbury. Twice a year, the New England Orienteering Club conducts a weekend of orienteering training and competition for local Scout troops. We have signed up for the start of the first day of this fall's event. Orienteering is both an exciting sport and an important outdoor skill. Scouts will learn how to "orient" a map using a compass, and will compete on a one-to-two mile orienteering course in which teams of Scouts work against the clock to find hidden orienteering flags in the woods using only a marked topographic map and a compass. This Saturday morning is not only a lot of fun, but very important training for boys working toward their First Class rank. (If you are unable to make this session because you are going on the White Mountains Trip, don't worry; there will be other opportunities to complete the First Class orienteering requirement this year.) We will meet at the Scout House on Saturday at 9:15 AM, so that we are sure to get to Nobscot promptly for our 10:00 AM starting time. Although the event runs continuously through most of the weekend, we plan to return to the Scout House for parent pick-up at 1:30 PM. That way, we will have the opportunity to do plenty of orienteering and our soccer players can also make their 2:30 game. We will go rain or shine, so please be sure to dress for the weather. Bring a good compass (with a base plate), a whistle, a bag lunch or snack, and water or something else to drink. Special orienteering maps will be provided. Also, please bring a signed copy of the NEOC permission slip/waiver of liability (copies of which will be available at Monday's meeting), which must be turned in to the organizers before we will be allowed on the course. Because car space might be limited, it would be helpful to know ahead of time how many Scouts plan to attend. Depending on the level of Scout interest, we may also have room for a few other family members. If you are interested in attending or if you have any questions, please call Mr. Sallay at 235-7089.
October 10, 1997
Troop Committee Meeting, October 28: The Troop Committee will meet at Mr. S's house at 8:00 pm. This date has moved from the originally scheduled October 15. The agenda for the meeting has been mailed to all committee members.
October 7, 1997
Next Meeting is October 20: We are not meeting this coming Monday in view of its being a holiday. Our next meeting is on Monday, October 20, when we will continue working on backpacking skills and do our planning for the White Mountains Backpacking Trip on October 24-26.
First Aid Instruction, November 3: Ed Walker, who is an EMT for the Weston Fire Department, will teach first aid at our regular meeting on November 3. Included will be all of the first aid requirements for Second and First Class, and so this is a meeting that boys who have not reached First Class should be sure to make.
October 4, 1997
Monday's Meeting, October 6: The main activity will be instruction and demonstrations on backpacking gear, in preparation for our backpacking trip.
Backpacking Trip to the White Mountains, October 24-26, 1997: We will go up Friday night to Mr. Lee's condominium at Bretton Woods, and use the condominium as a "base camp." We'll go over everyone's gear Friday night, with an eye to leaving behind any unnecessary weight. We'll choose a route (or routes if we have clear differences in hiking ability) for Saturday's hike based on the weather and the ages/abilities of the scouts attending. We'll camp Saturday night in the tents we bring in on our backs. Sunday's morning hike out will probably be shorter than Saturday's hike in, so that we can be back in Weston by about 3pm. We can probably arrange for boys who cannot leave until Saturday to meet up with us at the trailhead.
Checkout the new Camping Gear Links Page: A page of links to online camping gear catalogs has been started. It's accessible from the main menu.
September 29, 1997
We Continue to Grow: Two more 6th grade boys joined at our meeting on September 29 (Chris E. and Michael W.), bringing to eleven the number of 6th grade boys in the troop. There are still at least two boys actively considering joining.
Nature Hike: A large Blue Heron opened and closed our hike. It was nearly hidden along the far shore of College Pond at the start of the hike, but it spread its wings and flew low over College Pond very close to us at the close of our hike. Seven boys and four adults came along. We identified over twenty five plants, and over twelve animals. Many of the animals identified were birds, sometimes by their appearance, other times by their call. Among the birds and other animals were mallards, mourning doves, chickadees, nuthatches, chipmunks, and a painted turtle. We learned to spot poison ivy in its various forms (e.g., growing as a vine on a tree or as a low growing plant).
Climbing the Wall at REI, December 15, 1997: We have reserved the REI climbing wall for the troop's use for our regular meeting on December 15. We will meet at 6:45pm at REI in Framingham (on Route 30 near Shoppers World). Be on time so that we can start without delay at 7:00pm. Our time on the wall runs until 8:30pm. We will divide into two groups. While one group is climbing the other can shop/observe gear in the store. REI's Information and Permission Forms are attached as Acrobat PDF files. You will need to bring the Permission Form with you. Hard copies will be available at a future meeting.
September 22, 1997
Nature Hike: A troop event added since the 1997-98 calendar was distributed at the end of August is the Nature Hike scheduled for this Sunday, September 28, 1997. We will meet at the parking lot next to College Pond at 2:00 PM, walk some of the trails on the town conservation land in that area, and return to the parking lot for pick-up at 4:00 PM. The hike will be run by Mr. S. (Assistant Scoutmaster) and Mr. P. (recent Weston Tree Warden and member of the Troop Committee). Parents and other family members are welcome to join us.
The event is particularly designed for the younger boys in the troop who would like work on the following requirements:
Tenderfoot #4 - Explain the rules of safe hiking, both on the highway and cross country during the day and night. Explain what to do if you are lost.
Tenderfoot # 10 - Identify local poisonous plants; tell how to treat for exposure to them.
Second Class #5 - Identify or show evidence of at least 10 kinds of wild animals (birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, mollusks) found in your community.
First Class #6 - Identify or show evidence of at least 10 kinds of native plants found in your community.
This event will also count as one of the 10 troop events needed for First Class requirement #3. Since it is not necessary to have completed a rank to work on the requirements for the next rank, even the boys who have just joined the troop should be able to complete all of these requirements on Sunday.
To reach the parking lot: as you are going north on Concord from the center of town, go past Merriam Street and just after you pass College Pond on your right, take a right turn onto the narrow road leading to the ice skating hut, tennis courts and ball fields.
In case of rain, the event will be postponed, but please dress for the weather in any case. Please call Mr. Sallay at 235-7089 if you have any questions before Sunday.
Do Not Forget to Bring a signed Permission Form.
September 15, 1997
Open House: The troop held a successful open house at its regular meeting Monday night. Four new sixth grade boys attended, and each either joined or expressed serious interest in joining. If all four joined, that would bring to twelve the total number of sixth grade boys in the troop.
Maine Island Trip: We meet at the Scout House at 4:45pm as planned. It appears that about 12-14 boys and 6 adults will be going on the trip. One thing that was not mentioned in the handout or discussed at the meeting is that we will be stopping for a meal (e.g., Wendys or MacDonalds) on the road going up and coming home, and so the boys should plan on bringing money with them for those meals (e.g., $10-15). Also, everyone should refer to the Troop's packing list (on the website), and especially to the cold weather items, in packing for the trip. It is not necessary to bring a pack--a duffel bag would work well--for this trip, as we will not be carrying our gear more than about 300 yards (the distance from the island pier to the campsite). Refer to the Trip Information and Permission Form for more information, and bring along a signed copy on Friday (Mr. Lee will have hard copies when we meet at the Scout House). Be sure to bring Tevas or surf slippers to protect your feet when walking into water to get into kayaks, as the rocks can be covered with barnacles. You should plan on wearing shorts in the kayak, and be sure you have sufficient change of clothes so that if the shorts and shirt you wear kayaking gets wet, you have adequate clothes for the rest of weekend.
New Junior Leaders Elected: Matt Kennard stepped down as Patrol Leader of the Wolverines, owing to time commitments that will prevent him from attending a sufficient number of outings. Mike Benson was elected Patrol Leader in Matt's place. Colin Harley remains the Assistant Patrol Leader of the Wolverines. Matt Kennard was elected Assistant Senior Patrol Leader.
September 8, 1997
Troop Organization: At tonight's meeting the boys elected
a new Senior Patrol Leader, organized into patrols, and elected Patrol
Leaders and Assistant Patrol Leaders. Mr. Lee appointed the Troop
Guide and Troop Quartermaster. Here are the new junior leaders of
the troop:
| Senior Patrol Leader | Mike Lettieri |
| Patrol Leader | Matt Kennard |
| Asst. Patrol Leader | Colin Harley |
| Patrol Leader | Matt Kennard |
| Asst. Patrol Leader | Ben Brody |
| Troop Guide | Alex Wolf |
| Troop Quartermaster | Mike Benson |
Open House, September 15: We are inviting prospective new scouts (e.g., 6th grade boys) to join us at our next meeting. A slide presentation will be given.
July 19, 1997
Fall Schedule: A newsletter will be going out in August announcing the schedule, and plans for the first few outings. But here is a look at the preliminary schedule for September:
September 8 Kickoff Meeting 7:30 pm - Scout House 13 Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) 9:00 am - Scout House Meeting & Junior Leader Training 15 Meeting - Open House 7:30 pm - Scout House 19-21 Maine Island Trip Warren Island, Maine 22 PLC Meeting 6:00 pm - Scout House 26-28 Adult Leader Training Nobscot 28 Nature Hike 2:00 pm - Weston Conservation Land 29 Meeting 7:30 pm - Scout HouseElection of leaders will take place at our kickoff meeting, on September 8. On the following Saturday, we will hold a Junior Leader Training session for the elected leaders, as well as our first Patrol Leaders Council Meeting. That will run from 9:00 am through about 1:00 pm on Saturday, September 13. At our second meeting of the month, on September 15, we will hold an Open House for boys and parents interested in joining the troop. Our first outing of the year will be to Warren Island in Maine. This should be as much fun as our very successful Butter Island Trip of two years ago. A PLC meeting will be held on the Monday after the trip (this will be our regular PLC meeting time throughout the year, i.e., the Monday after a trip, when the troop does not meet). A Nature Hike somewhere on Weston conservation land will be held on the next Sunday afternoon, and our third meeting will be on September 29.
National Jamboree: Mike L., George L. and Josh Z. are headed off to the National Jamboree this coming Sunday, July 26. They will be gone for 9 days, and should have some interesting tales to tell us next fall of their experiences living for over a week with 30,000 other scouts from around the country.
Summer Camp: Ben B. attended Camp Resolute earlier in July, and is going on the Knox Trail Council's 50 mile hike through the 100-Mile Wilderness section of the Appalachian Trail (northern Maine) later in the summer. Mike B. and Jesse L. are attending Camp Yawgoog in August. Next summer we plan to attend Camp Yawgoog as a troop in early August.