Volume 1 | Issue 8 | Sarah Lindegren
From the Scoutmaster
A scout is…..obedient.
Obedience. It’s a tough word. It doesn’t always evoke the best of images in our minds, does it? The Scout Handbook tells us that obedience means a Scout obeys the law and follows the rules, but I think it has deeper meaning.
When someone is obedient to something, that means there’s a certain level of belief in it – a confidence that says there’s trust and acceptance. It means we accept the boundaries, the instruction, and the commitments. We cede a little bit of our own control to someone or something else.
How do we put obedience into action? We listen to each other and yield to the Senior Patrol Leader when instruction is given. We keep our word and follow through on our promises. We trust each other.
Can we push back? Absolutely. With grace and kindness. We use our noodles and do what’s right! That’s obedience.
Pardon the Interruption…
This month, I’m taking a little break from the standard format. Here’s why. As we enter the holidays and near the end of another year, I like to do two things: 1) reflect on the year gone by and 2) plan for the year ahead. I’m going to do a little bit of both in this issue.
It Was the Best of Times…
Looking back on the year, it’s been quite an eventful one! Our Troop had an outing every single month. We went to summer camp and Philmont. We summited mountains, swam in lakes, slept in the outdoors, and spent a heck of a lot of time with each other! We may or may not have learned something along the way.
We had to settle a few arguments and maybe also lost some folks along the way. We’ve been frustrated, over-stimulated, and burnt out. We might have lost our cool at least once. We’ve found ourselves in positions we didn’t expect.
But we persist. We get better. This year, I saw kids struggle through three miles with a backpack to knocking it out of the park for six miles in one day. I see kids smile on every outing. I hear eagerness in voices for their next Dungeons and Dragons campaign. I see lessons being learned (sometimes the hard way) and new solutions implemented. I see younger Scouts taking on leadership positions and thriving in those roles. I see progress and couldn’t be more proud of this troop!
If you’re Type A, you’ll want to know the numbers. Here’s the down and dirty for 2025:
- 586 Camping Nights completed
- 683 miles backpacked
- 6,985 feet climbed
- 184 Service Hours completed
- 131 Merit Badges awarded
- 17 Scouts advanced at least one rank
- 1 Eagle rank awarded
All in all, we’ve had a pretty good year!
A Vision for the Future
So what’s next, you ask? It goes without saying that Troop 111 continues to strive towards the mission of Scouting America: To prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices in the lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Each and every outing, advancement, and merit badge keeps this mission in mind. We strive to send our youth out into the world with a sense of accomplishment and a moral compass that will serve them throughout their lifetimes. We also hope they’ll look back and be motivated to give back to their schools, communities, country, and future Scout units knowing their time will be well spent. The adults serving our unit support this vision and commit to ensuring each Scout’s continued success.
Need Gear???
December is gear trade month!
At December’s Court of Honor, Troop 111 will be hosting a gear trade opportunity. We all have growing kids and likely have lots of items at your house that are no longer used and need a good home. Please bring whatever you’d like to trade – boots, clothing, mess kits, sleeping bags, etc. – to the Court of Honor and, after the ceremony, you’ll have an opportunity to take a browse through the “shop” to see if there’s anything you’d like to take home.
December Events
- 1 December: Patrol Leaders Council
- 8 December: Troop Committee Meeting
- 12-14 December: Wilderness Survival Campout
- 16 December: Court of Honor
Coming Soon…
- 17-18 January: Historic Trip to Baltimore, night on Coast Guard Cutter
A Final Word…
“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
– Admiral William H. McRaven, US Navy Retired
Admiral McRaven’s words are simple and yet profound. His point is this: start small, but start somewhere. Don’t sit around waiting for other people to take the lead. You may be waiting forever! Instead, start with things you can do every day to be a change maker in the world. Open a door for someone. Use your height to get something off the top shelf in the grocery store for the short little old lady. Pay for the next person in line’s coffee. Expect nothing in return. Small efforts grow. Don’t believe me? The organization Samaritan’s Purse and their Operation Christmas Child started off with a shoebox. Just one. Since then, the organization has provide dover 200 million children in 170 countries and territories with shoe boxes filled with toys, hygiene products, and school supplies at Christmas time. One small act has grown in to great impact. So, where will you start?