Troop 111

Volume 1 | Issue 6 | Sarah Lindegren

From the Scoutmaster

A SCOUT IS…..COURTEOUS.

October is probably the best time of year for Scouting. The smell of decaying leaves. The cooler nights that make sleeping in the outdoors a little more
comfortable. The anticipation of the end of the month sugar highs (and lows). The bounty of activities that fill our calendars.

The Scout handbook says this: A Scout is polite to people of all ages and positions. A Scout understands that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along.

It’s the perfect time to remember that, even in our busyness and craziness to get to the next place and complete our next task that our courtesy to others must be foremost in our minds. We’re all in a rush. We all have things filling our schedule, but we owe it to each other to pick our heads up and remember we’re surrounded by other humans doing the exact same thing and a little courtesy will help us all get along.

Plan Ahead and Prepare…

It seems like just yesterday we were talking about heat and hydration. Now, as the weather starts to cool down, it’s the perfect time to do a gear assessment.

Your gear is your number one tool for success. The right sleeping bag makes for a restful night’s sleep. A waterproofed, clean and well-stored tent means wet nights won’t get you down. A fully-stocked, well-kept chuck box in your patrol means you’ll have everything you need for your next
gourmet breakfast burrito.

Plan ahead and prepare means taking stock every once in a while of all the things you’re taking on your campouts every month. The time you spend taking a good look at your gear, repairing small issues, and replacing broken and missing items means you’ll be ready for your next adventure.

Safety Moment

IF WE’VE SAID IT ONCE, WE’VE SAID IT A HUNDRED TIMES…

Troop 111 works hard to ensure we’re following every bit of the guidelines in place to safeguard our youth. The Scout rank and the Star rank remind youth and parents both to review some of those guidelines.

One of the most important – and difficult to practice – is TWO DEEP LEADERSHIP. Two deep leadership applies to everything we do, whether it be in person or virtual. Here’s a couple of reminders on how you can help practice this:

1. Scouts (and adults) should always ensure there are two adults on every email sent. There should be no one-on-one emails. Adults will remind scouts when they forget.
2. Pick up your scouts on time from events. This is particularly important on meeting nights. When a parent is late picking up a youth, that means two troop adults (and usually their scouts too) must stay to wait for that parent. Troop nights get mighty late and we’d all like to get home.
3. Use the BAND app! Safeguards are already in place to ensure messages have two-deep leadership without even trying.

Troop Calendar

The Troop 111 Calendar for 2026 has been approved by both the Patrol Leaders Council and the Troop Committee. We’ve also included events for Order of the Arrow members and some important Cub Scout dates for our Den Chiefs.

Something new you’ll find this year – each event has a youth and an adult name attached. These are the identified planners and points of contact for these events. As we say regularly – many hands make light work! Spreading the planning tasks across the youth and adult leaders helps us from becoming overwhelmed and provides another way for Scouts to practice interaction with adults. Please take note of these POCs and do what you can to support them and help them be successful!

Troop 111 Who’s Who?

This month’s spotlight: Troop Treasurer

One of the most important jobs our Troop Committee has is that of keeping track of the Troop’s finances. It may not seem like it, but running a Scout troop can be expensive! Our Troop Treasurer, Mrs. Watts, is responsible for making sure we’re being responsible stewards of our money. Specifically, here are all the things she’s responsible for:

• She handles all the Troop funds and makes sure all our bills are paid on time.
• She maintains the Troop’s checking and savings accounts
• She works directly with the Troop Scribe and helps with the collection of Scout dues.
• She supervises all fund-raising projects.
• She leads the Troop’s annual budget planning process.
• She manages campout fees and distributes food buy money to patrol grubmasters.
• She ensures Troop annual recharter funds are paid to Scouting America.
• She oversees the registration and insurance funds are paid for the Troop trailer.

Her job is definitely one of the busiest and critical to the success of our Troop.

How can you help? Pay your dues on time and make sure you’re registering and paying for campouts in a timely manner. When we’re late with funds it makes her job harder. You can also be good stewards of Troop equipment. The better we treat our equipment, the less frequently it must be repaired or replaced.

October Events

• 3-5 October: Apple Harvest @ Camp Shenandoah
• 6 October: Patrol Leaders Council
• 10-12 October: Order of the Arrow Lodge Retreat
• 11 October: Dedication of Terry Hope Memorial @ Camp Shenandoah
• 13 October: Troop Committee Meeting

Coming Soon…

• 7-9 November: Backpacker to C&O Canal
• 15 November: Merit Badge University @ Blue Ridge Community College
• 12-14 December: Wilderness Survival Campout
• 16 December: Winter Court of Honor

A Final Word…

As the leaves begin to turn and the nights get darker and cooler, I’m reminded that this time of year is a time of change and renewal. I’m a summer person, so watching the leaves fall and the trees lose their vibrance always makes me wish summer back again! But then I see what the season has to offer. The walnuts, acorns, and squashes are in abundance and promise there’s newness and life around the corner. We have to endure a little bit of cold and uncomfortabilit y once in a while to appreciate the bounty we receive on the other side of it all.

It’ s important to take notice and enjoy the journey.