The "Troop 71" Boot

Newsletter of Boy Scout Troop 71 North Stonington, Connecticut Mohegan District Connecticut Rivers Council

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Heading North

Calendar of Events

May 3 - Bottle & Can Pick-up

May 4 - Pancake Breakfast

May 7 - Roundtable

May 7 - Chapter OA Meeting

May 10 - District Awards Banquet

May 12 - PLC @6:00

May 12- Committee Mtg @7:00

May 16/17/18 - Spring Camporee

May 26 - Memorial Day Parade

May 29 - Troop Court of Honor

Jun 2 - PLC @ 6:00

Jun 2 - Committee Mtg @ 7:00

Jun 4 - Roundtable

June 4 - Chapter OA Meeting

Jun 7 - Bottle & Can Pick-up

Jun 21 - Navigators Baseball/Campout

Jun 26 - Last Troop weekly meeting

Jun 29-Jul 5 - Summer Camp @ JNW

Jul 12 - Park Cars at NS Fair

Jul 19 - Bottle & Can Pick-up

Jul 26-Aug 6 - High Adventure Trip

Aug 6 - Roundtable

Aug 6 - Chapter OA Meeting

Aug 28 - First Troop weekly meeting

Sep 3 - Roundtable

Sep 3 - Chapter OA Meeting

Sep 8 - PLC Mtg @ 6:00

Sep 8 - Committee Mtg @ 7:00

Sep 20(?) - Millstone Merit Badge-o-ree

Sep 27/28 - JLT Weekend (tent.)

High Adventure 2003 - Spotlight on Caving

At our Troop 71 Junior Leader Training (JLT) weekend in October 2002 the troop leadership, under the direction of Senior Patrol Leader, Elliott Larson, decided that they would like to do some spelunking (caving) in this year’s High Adventure. With that in mind, SM John Bradshaw and ASM Tom Adams have put together a High Adventure trip incorporating several caving opportunities and highlighting the granddaddy of all US caverns, Mammoth Cave National Park, in Kentucky. Other exciting features of this 12-day adventure include:

Whitewater Rafting

Exploration of several Native American Sites

Harper’s Ferry National Park

Wright Patterson Air Force Museum

Wright Brothers Museum & Workshops (100th ann. year of first flight)

Kentucky Horse Park

Lincoln’s Birthplace and Boyhood Home

Hershey, PA

And all the while enjoying over 2000 miles of scenic travels along the Appalachian Mountain Sky Line Drive, Blue Ridge, Daniel Boone and Cumberland Parkways, along the Ohio River and through some of the byways of West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. We will also be offering opportunities to earn American Heritage, American Cultures, Indian Lore, Nature and Cooking merit badges during the trip. (Note: Some work may need to be done before departure on some MBs.) We will be camping mostly in State Parks along the way.

We have not yet worked out the day-by-day details of this trip or the trip cost, but expect that with troop support in funding, it will be around $200 per person, excluding personal purchases of souvenirs and snacks. Adults going on this trip so far include Karen & Steve Colgan, Tom Adams and John Bradshaw. Other adults (families) are welcome to join us. The dates for the adventure are July 26 - August 6. See SM Bradshaw or ASM Adams to sign up.

……Hey, it’s dark down here! Anyone have a light?

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UPDATES

Last updated May 7, 2003.

Connecticut Rivers Council Boy Scouts of America
Mohegan District J.N. Webster
Letterboxing The Fort at Number 4
Mount Washington meritbadge.com - Merit Badge Info
The Hartford Wolf Pack
The 2002 Merit Badge-o-Ree

On the night of November 9th we went to Millstone Nuclear Power plant for the Merit Badge––o––Ree. We thought our camp site was on a hill, but it was really on the other side of the parking lot. Once we set up camp some of us played football. The next morning November 10th we went to merit badge class that we had chosen. There were many merit badges to choose from, such as first aid, chemistry, nuclear energy, and computers just to name a few. In the middle of class we took a lunch break. For lunch my patrol had ham and turkey sandwiches. Then back to class. After class was over, you guessed it, we played more football.

Then the next morning we had breakfast, cleaned up, packed up, and then left for home.

Travis Fitzgerald

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Wolfpack Game

On Saturday, January 25th we arrived at the Hartford Civic Center. We got in a line that seemed perpetual (meaning it went on and on.). We finally made it in to put down our sleeping bags and there was almost nowhere to sleep! (oops…… I forgot. We slept under the ice. Well, the next floor below the ice.) We found a place and unrolled our sleeping bags. Then we headed up to the arena. We bought dinner up there. We had hot dogs, popcorn, soda and chips to name a few things. The game was exciting but the Wolfpack lost to the Wolves. After, there were some ““Scout skits”” until 11:00 PM! Then at 9:00AM the next morning we headed out for home.

Travis Fitzgerald

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The Boot Website

The Boot Website will be moving later this year. The new Website will be part of the Connecticut Rivers Council, BSA site.

Besides the articles you read in “The Boot” there are links to other scouting sites, and sites of interest to the Troop, and updates. We are asking you to share your favorite website to our link list. Send the address of your favorite website to me (rick.larson@snet.net) so I can add it to our web links.

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Troop 71 Eagles’ Nest

Chris Banker’s Eagle Court of Honor is coming up June 1- don’t miss it!!

Matt Lidestri is ready to fly from the Eagle’s Nest. He has completed all requirements and planning for his Court of Honor.

Other activity in the nest over the last few

months includes the following:

Chris Colgan has finished his project to refurbish dining room chairs for the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC). He is completing his paperwork and is almost ready for the SM Conference and his BOR. Assistant Scoutmaster, Tom Adams is serving as Chris’ Eagle Advisor.

Dan Sawyer has selected his project - to provide individual lockers for the volunteer fireman as the NS firehouse and is finalizing preparations for work.

Assistant Scoutmaster, Wayne Byassee will be Dan’s

Eagle Advisor.

Ray Pietrowski finished the Leadership requirement, serving as a Troop Quartermaster and has selected a project, to build a utility building for the NS Senior Center. Assistant Scoutmaster, Eugene Banker is serving as Ray’s Eagle Advisor

Charlie Pianka has met before the Troop Committee on his project and has written up and submitted the workbook to our District Advancement Chair for approval to begin work. His project will be to build a handicap ramp for the NS Grange. Jay Gillis is Charlie’s Eagle Advisor.

Stephen Quallich has just finished the Leadership requirement, serving as a Troop Quartermaster.

SCOUT’S REMAINING REQUIREMENTS

Mike Lidestri - BOR

Chris Colgan - SM Conf, BOR

Charlie Pianka - 1 MB, Proj, SM Conf, BOR

Aaron Buehler - 2 MB, Proj, SM Conf , BOR

Dan Sawyer - 3MB, Proj, SM Conf, BOR

Ray Pietrowski - 5 MB, Proj, SM Conf, BOR

Stephen Quallich - 4 MB, Proj, SM Conf, BOR

Lets see how many eggs we can hatch!!

John Wm. Bradshaw, Scoutmaster

The "Troop 71" Boot Newsletter Editor <rick.larson@snet.net>