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By Bharat, February 24, 2010 9:32 pm

The Eagle Court of Honor for Sam Buffum is scheduled for Sunday June 6, 2010.

Please join the event to congratulate Sam Buffum in achieving this milestone.

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By Bharat, October 28, 2009 6:07 pm

Minutes from the January 3, 2010 Committee Meeting.

In attendance: Jeff Buffum, Paul Casco, David Bosselait, Matt Bosselait, Fred Bowe, Norman Thibault, Bob Czekanski, Ed Sterling, Peter Scott, David Foster

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By Bharat, October 20, 2009 9:04 pm

2009-2010 CAMPOUT PLANNER 

SEPTEMBER, 2009

• Sept.8^th – First Troop Meeting of the 2009-2010 scouting year.
• Sept. 18-20^th   Order of the Arrow Fall Weekend at Camp Wanocksett
• Sept. 25-27^th – Campout with Troop 1 Berlin in Beckett, MA  (    Advisors: David Bosselait & Peter Scott)
• Sept. 27^th – Mass. Outdoor Expo – Hamilton Rod & Gun Club in Sturbridge

OCTOBER, 2009

• October 10-12 – Camp Richard, Nantucket (Advisors: Wes Durant & Norm Thibault)

NOVEMBER, 2009

• Nov.7-8^th – Christa McAuliffe Planetarium  at Camp Wah-Tut-Ca (Advisors: David Bosselait & Norm Thibault)

DECEMBER, 2009

• Dec. 11-13^th – Campout in Maine at Camp Hinds (Advisors: Peter Scott & Bob Czekanski)

We are headed to Pine Tree Council’s Camp Hinds in Raymond, Maine for our December campout.  The current plan is to drive up on Friday afternoon and set up camp.  We’ll be staying in the Cadigan Cabin, which has a woodstove and maybe even electricity.  Campers can also choose to sleep outside in tents.

Weather and trail conditions permitting; we will drive to Pleasant Mountain on Saturday morning for a hike.  There are several trails to the peak, with elevation gains of 1600 – 1900 ft over 2-1/2 miles and some nice views at the top.

We’ll spend Saturday night at Camp Hinds and pack up Sunday morning to head back to Bolton. 

Scouts and Adult Scouters will need to make a firm commitment by the December 1^st troop meeting if they plan to attend this campout.  A final itinerary, including the campout fees, will be available shortly.

JANUARY, 2010

• Jan. 8-10^th – Order of the Arrow – Winter Weekend  at Camp Split Rock
• Jan. 22-24^th – Klondike Derby, Treasure Valley, Paxton, MA

FEBRUARY, 2010

• Feb.13^th – Merit Badge College – Session #1
• Feb. 20-21^st – Mt. Cardigan (Advisors: Fred Bowe & Norm Thibault)

This trip is a 2.5 mile hike up 1500 feet to a mountain cabin on the side of Mt Cardigan and then a day or hikes around the top of the mountain. The cabin has a wood stove for heat, wood bunks with mattress pads, and a propane stove for cooking. There is no local water supply so we either carry it up or melt snow. The high cabin provides easy access to the summit and a number of other trails around Mt Cardigan. It should be noted that the cabin only sleeps 12 (we can have up to 14 with floor sleeper) so space is limited on this trip. For those who want to know more about Cardigan, visit the AMC website: http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2005/mountcardigan.cfm

This is a winter trip by snowshoe with the initial climb in the dark by headlamp. The climb up to the high cabin is with full gear and as such, is not for those who may have health issues. This is a winter hike with all the environmental concerns: high winds, exposure, rain, snow, freezing rain, etc. As such, all attendees must have appropriate winter gear. See the scout website for a list of winter gear. There will be a prep meeting prior to the climb to go over what gear is appropriate and how to pack for the weather without loading yourself down with too much weight.

On the lighter side, the mountain is criss-crossed with backcountry ski trails. Scouts in prior years have brought along plastic sleds and made a number of fun runs. The views from the top can be spectacular and the views from the cabin porch are also great. In all prior years there has been a fair amount of snow on the mountain, although the peak is often clear of snow due to the open rock and high winds.

• Feb. 27^th – Merit Badge College – Session #2

MARCH, 2010

• March13^th – Merit Badge College – Session #3
• March 19-21^st – Camp Collier – Iron Man Chef (Advisors: Don Cole & David Bosselait)

This camping trip is a hit amongst the Scouts and brings out the gourmet chefs.  The Patrols will be challenged to come up with a menu and cook a gourmet meal that wows the judges.  They may even have to incorporate a “secret” ingredient.   The Troop will enjoy Camp Collier in Gardner, MA as the stage for this culinary delight.

APRIL, 2010

• April 9-11^th – Camp Squanto – Skills Camping (Advisors: Paul Casco & Wes Durant)

MAY, 2010

• April 30^th –May 1-2^nd  – Massasoit Spring Weekend
• May 14-16^th – Order of the Arrow – Spring Weekend
• May 22-23^rd – NE Air Museum (Windsor Locks – camp at June Norcross Webster Scout (Reservation (old town site) Ashford, Ct.; Advisors: Norm Thibault & David Bosselait)

On Saturday, May 22, 2010 the Troop will visit the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT.  The museum’s web site states that it “houses one of the world’s most outstanding collections of historic aviation artifacts; more than 80 aircraft and an extensive collection of engines, instruments, aircraft parts, uniforms and personal memorabilia. Within this collection are the last remaining four-engine American flying boat, the Sikorsky VS-44A, donated by its previous owner, actress Maureen O’Hara and restored to original condition; a B-29 Bomber; the Silas Brooks Balloon Basket (1870), the oldest surviving aircraft in the United States; the Bunce-Curtiss Pusher (1912), the oldest surviving Connecticut-built airplane; the Sikorsky S-39, the oldest surviving Sikorsky aircraft; and a Kaman K-225 helicopter, the oldest surviving Kaman-built aircraft.”  In addition, the museum has exhibits including a “Lafayette Escadrille, WWII Combat Gliders, the History of Sikorsky Aircraft, Early French Aviation, a History of Air Mail, the Tuskegee Airmen, Airships, and many others”.  More information can be obtained at:  http://www.neam.org/default.asp

The Troop will stay that evening at June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation, a BSA Connecticut Rivers Council Camp, in Ashford, CT before returning to Bolton on Sunday, May 23^rd.

• May 31^st – Memorial Day

JUNE, 2010

• June 18-20^th – Mt. Greylock – Backpacking trip (Advisors: Norm Thibault & Peter Scott)
• June 19-26^th – Camp Wanocksett Staff Week

JULY, 2009

AUGUST, 2009

• August 1-7^th – Summer Camp – Camp Wanocksett
• August 10-20^th – Northern Tier Canoe Trip
• August 15-21^st  – Rover Scout Training

Patrol Leaders Council Meetings

August 30, Sept. 27, Oct. 25, Nov. 29, Dec. 27, Jan. 31, Feb. 28, March 28,  April 25, May 23

Comments (1)

By Bharat, October 17, 2009 4:02 pm

Please use the comments to this post to report “lost and found” items from troop meetings, events, and other activities. 

Click on the “# comments” link at the top of this post (to the right) to read the description of items.

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By Bharat, October 17, 2009 3:00 am

Bottles and Cans

The Troop has built a shed at the Bolton Transfer Station for the purpose of sorting returnable bottles and cans deposited in the shed by Bolton residents. This section describes the procedures to be followed by Scouts and their parents when it’s their turn to sort.

Remember – sorting redeemable bottles and cans is the Troop’s sole source of funds. These funds are used to help offset the cost of camping trips, to purchase and repair equipment, to pay for advancement materials, and more. As a member of Troop 1, you have an important role to play in keeping the Troop on a secure financial footing.

Figuring Out When It’s Your Turn

The schedule is posted on the troop website , and it is announced at each Tuesday’s meeting.

Before You Go

Before heading to the shed:

• Give the other member of the sorting team a call to verify that he’s coming and to arrange a time to meet. Two Scouts are assigned to most weekends; three Scouts are assigned following some holiday weekends, when larger volumes of bottles and cans can be expected. Parents are not explicitly assigned, but it is expected that one or both of a Scout’s parents will help.
• Collect beer case boxes from local convenience and package stores. These boxes are required to organize the bottles that are returned to the redemption center (cans and plastic bottles are sorted in large plastic bags). It is the responsibility of each team member to bring as many boxes as they can collect. You can never have too many.

If you leave the collection of boxes for the last minute, chances are you won’t be able to find enough. It’s quite common to fill 50 or more case boxes each weekend. Good sources for these boxes are: 

• Firewater on Forbush Mill Road
• Country Cupboard on Main Street
• Colonial Spirits in the Shaw’s plaza in Stow
• Bacon’s Wine and Spirits in Hudson

All you have to do is ask.

When dealing with local businesses, the boys should make the request for the boxes and make it clear that they’re being used for fundraising and community service (and not, say, for moving). Please remember to be polite and courteous as another Scout will inevitably be visiting that business for more boxes in the future.

• Check the weather. While it’s possible to get out of the weather and sort inside the shed, it’s often more convenient to sort outside.
• Pack a snack and a drink.

How Sorting Works

It’s quite simple, really:

1. Put on a pair of latex gloves; you’ll find these in the shed. If you prefer to bring your own, that’s fine, but it is strongly suggested that hands be covered at all times. Any way you slice it, sorting is a dirty job.
2. Returnable/redeemable glass bottles are placed in the case boxes you brought, 24 bottles to a box. Use only case boxes (not, for example, wine boxes). (You remembered to bring boxes, right?)
3. Returnable/redeemable cans (typically soda cans) and plastic bottles (soda and sparkling water) are placed in one of several bins in the sorting shed. There are separate bins for aluminum cans, and for plastic bottles of different sizes (2 liter, liter, and half-liter); the bins are marked to indicate the type of container they are intended for. Each bin is lined with a large plastic bag. (You will also find plastic bags in the sorting shed.)
4. When a bin is filled to the top, remove the bag from the bin. You will see that there’s still quite a bit of room in the bag. Keep filling until the bag is nearly full, but leave enough room to tie the top of the bag (square knot, of course!).
5. Place an empty bag in the bin.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5.

Sorting Rules

• Don’t crush the cans.
• Don’t crush the plastic bottles.
• Don’t tie-off bags unless they’re filled.

Are We Done Yet?

You’re done when there are no bottles and cans left to sort, the shed is swept clean, and supplies have been put away. Does this mean you have to plan on a full day at the shed? No. But it does mean that you cannot arrive at, say, 10am and call it a day at noon, as additional bottles and cans will surely be deposited until the transfer station closes, at 3pm.

Your sorting team can come when it wants, but you need to stay until the job is done. If you leave before the job is done, you will be required to return the following weekend to help the other team.

One approach that works for many teams is to arrive at noon and stay until the Transfer Station closes (at 3PM) or later, if needed. You can remain at the Transfer Station after hours, just make sure to close the gate securely when you leave. Similarly, you might choose to come on Sunday if your team can’t make it on Saturday. The Troop has permission to be at the Transfer Station when it is closed to the general public.

One approach that seldom works is for the team to work separately (one member/parent in the morning, another member/parent in the afternoon) as it is difficult to anticipate, for the morning crew, how many bottles and cans were left during the week (the Transfer Station is open on Wednesday and Friday), or, for the afternoon crew, how many bottles and cans came after the morning crew left or will come during his shift.

The bottom line is to work as a team. Stay until the job is done. If you can’t make a Saturday work, Sunday is a valid option.

What About Non-Redeemables?

Redeemable bottles and cans aren’t the only items that get left at the shed. People also mistakenly (it is presumed) leave other glass items (empty jars, wine bottles, and so on) and plastic items (milk containers, for example) and other recyclable but not redeemable containers. Thankfully, the Transfer Station has large bins for recyclable items, and as Scouts, we should take advantage of them.

The following items should be set aside during the sorting process and recycled/trashed accordingly:

• Corrugated cardboard – put in the cardboard recycling bin
• All other cardboard (six-pack packaging, for example) and paper (paper bags, for example) go in the mixed paper recycling bin
• Plastic and tin cans have their own bin
• Wine and liquor bottles go in the glass bin (sorted by clear/colored)

Plastic bags should go in the trash. No sticker is required for trash collected by the Scouts during the sorting process. Scouts should use caution if walking to the recycling bins.

Before You Leave

Take an inventory of the shed supplies – specifically, check the supply of gloves and plastic bags. Report this information to the Bottles and Cans coordinator, and make sure to mention it at the following week’s Troop meeting.

You also need to count the number of bags and case boxes that are ready to be hauled to the redemption center.

Hauling

Hauling is done, typically on Saturdays, by assigned Scouts and parents. When the shed is full of sorted and bagged/boxed bottles and cans (as reported at Tuesday’s meeting), the assigned hauling team should haul at the earliest opportunity. This ensures that the Troop gets the money that it has worked for, and that Scouts have room to work in the shed while sorting.

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By Bharat, October 14, 2009 5:27 am

In attendance -

Ed Sterling, David Bosselait, Norman Thibault, Don Cole, Bharat Nair, Paul Casco, Wes Durant, Jeff Buffum, Fred Bowe, Bob Czekanski, Joe Crowley, David Foster

Meeting rumbled to a start at approximately 7:20; it wasn’t clear to the Secretary where the PLC meeting ended and where the Troop Committee meeting started. It is suggested that we formally start future meetings.

Becket Trip -

Dave B. summed up trip as a good time had by all; opted out of the Big MOE owing to the rain Sunday and forecast for worsening weather throughout the day. 

Bob C. brought up the issue of the time-consuming nature of meal preparation and clean-up. This kicked off a wide-ranging discussion that included: adherence to patrol schedules; menus; adult participation; current processes; kitchen gear (pots, pans, utensils, stoves); cooking by patrol vs. troop.

Action items from this discussion:

• Jeff Buffum to look into camp stoves
• David Bosselait to look at kitchen inventory
• David Foster to look at patrol size (current and future)

Minutes -

No minutes available for discussion.

Wes – Scoutmaster

Nantucket trip: We settled on a reduced fee for Scouts ($60 from $90 with the troop picking up the difference) and full fee ($103) for adults. While discussing the trip, the Committee came to agreement that earlier committment was required for people wishing to go on trips to allow for adequate planning.

Annual troop dues will be increased to $45 from $40 to compensate for National’s $5 increase this year.

Ed – Eagle

Reminded us of August’s Committee discussion of an “Eagle Guidance Committee” — a group designed to help Life Scouts progress to Eagle by periodically meeting with the Scout (three times a year) to check status, progress, and remind the Scout of dates/milestones. What the Scout does with that information is up to them. The purpose of the Eagle Guidance Committee is not to drag the Life Scout across the Eagle finish line. Committee members are: Ed Sterling (chair), Bob Czekanski, David Foster.

Sam Buffum is on target. James Porteus’ project has been approved.

All work party notifications need to be distributed to the troop as far in advance as possible to ensure as much Scout participation as possible.

Fred – Advancement 

Current Life Scout candidatesL Ben Czekanski, Nick Casco, Kevin Connelly, Dan Enders. Court of honor planned for later this fall.

Don – Finance

Fiscal year end wrapped up. Working on a budget for next year. Distributed financials. Upcoming cash outlays anticipated for Nantucket, kitchen equipment, and (regrettably) tents. Brief discussion of consideration of fund raisers tabled until next Committee meeting (bring ideas).

Bharat – Web

Presented new group mailing lists (committee at troop1bolton.org and parents at troop1bolton.org). Settled on WordPress as the engine for the website project he is undertaking. Asked for volunteers to assist with ideas for general website design and content.

David B. – Trips

Wautucket – (OK, that’s what I wrote down, but the google machine can’t find it….) Trip to Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. $16 per person based on 20 participants, but could go up with fewer folks. The usual $10 fee for a trip still applies.

Klondike – No adult leader coverage for January 22-24 Klondike (location TBD, but it’s local). Joe Crowley volunteered.

Chocorua – Jeff Buffum agreed to lead this off-season trip if the Committee agreed, which they did. Tentatively planned for sometime in July.

Fred – Bottles and Cans

Moving along pretty well recently. Discussion about requiring adult participation and the ongoing need for sorters to provide boxes. (David B. recommends 25 per person.)

David F. – Secretary

Work on Handbook revisions is winding down. Planned review copy to be distributed by Tuesday’s troop meeting.

Miscellany -

• Peter Scott emailed updated copy of Troop Bylaws. Get comments to him.
• Ed reminded us of the benefit of holding the “Big Parents’ Meeting”

Meeting sort of dissolved by consensus around 9:30pm. The Secretary suggests we formally end meetings.

Submitted by David Foster Wednesday September 30, 2009