BSA TROOP 716 NEWSLETTER

Goose Creek, SC

Volume 1 Issue 2 May 2013

Inside this Edition:

We fulfill the mission of the Boy Scouts of America by preparing the young people of Goose Creek to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law, and being a community service based organization.

Geocaching & Crowfield Hike 2 Training Merit Badge Mania On the Trail Good Eats 2

A Word from Scoutmaster David

I would like to thank Mr. Brian & Ms. Yolanda for presenting the Geocaching Merit Badge & Hike last month. Also, thanks to all the parents that came out to assist. The BSA requires us to have two-deep leadership at scouting events but I like to have more adults on hand in case of emergency. It sounds like everyone had a great time. Our planned camping program for April changed unexpectedly so we had to fall back into a regular campout program which was held on April 19th 21st at Givhans Ferry State Park. Luckily, this allowed us to take part in the 600 picnic tables in 60 days service program. The Troop constructed two picnic tables from the supplies delivered to the park and we, despite the weather, had a great time. Lastly, I would like to ask all parents to encourage your sons to read the Scout handbook and keep up with his achievements for it is his responsibility not yours to make sure it is completed.

Scouts in Action 4 BSA Swim Test 4 Advancement News Food Allergy Awareness

600 Table in 60 Days Service Program

After a generous donation from Cox Industries, Inc., the South Carolina State Parks System received the materials for its much needed new picnic tables. Thousands of scouts from across South Carolina spent countless hours in our State Parks during the weekends of March and April assembling picnic tables as part of the 600 tables in 60 days service project. Our Troop was no exception as they readily and willingly accepted the challenge! Not allowing the decidedly wet weather dampen their spirits, the boys took to sorting the lumber and building the tables. According to the instructions provided, each table took about 2 hours to complete and each scout who completed the service project received an official BSA commemorative patch. According to Congressman Joe Wilson, its service projects like these [that] build workmanship, responsibility and a sense of generosity character traits that make good leaders. Way to go Scouts! Congratulations on a job well done!

Medical Forms & Physicals 6 Upcoming Events

BSA TROOP 716

Geocaching & Crowfield Hike by ASM Brian Odgers

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Last month, we spent about 90 minutes or so in classroom presentations going over all the geocaching terms, history and basic information. Just as the boys were hitting their limit on classroom 'stuff' we finished up and prepped everyone for the hike. Our first cache was "..To grandmothers house we go" where we briefly meet another group of cachers out enjoying the day! We followed that up with a hike along the Crowfield trails into the Hamlets where we found after a tough search "Park it here". Micheal was the key to finding this tricky geocache as it took all 20 of us well over 15 minutes of searching to locate it, what sharp eyes Mike! After this success we traveled deeper into the Hamlets to find "Don't Ruin my garden" in the old Crowfield plantation ruins... After traveling over the grounds of the ruins and collecting clues we finally had enough for the final location. We checked this find off the list and headed back to the church for pizza and soda! You sons should have brought home blue cards for Geocaching with most of it signed off, we ran a little short on time and didn't have enough time to hide the cache or setup a geo-hunt, but we will cover this during future meetings. If your son left before the meeting, please let me know so I can get his blue card going! For those of you who wish to log your finds, these are the ones we found today: To Grandmothers house (GC25DST) http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=3b8d3e6a-c980-4370-8dc9-6bf695b8e5b2 Park it here (GC436K) http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=ac92c961-4b1b-41e0-a9bd-88e0e29f7d1d Don't Ruin My Garden (GC38PDB) http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=4a623951-f244-45d8-b575-5c4050208dfb

Examples of some Geocaches

Training Records
PARENTS: All parents are encouraged to take the Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat and Weather Hazards online training classes before we head to the NWWC on May 18, 2013. Safe Swim Defense training may be obtained from the BSA Online Learning Center. BSA groups use Safety Afloat for all boating activities. Safety Afloat standards apply to the use of canoes, kayaks, rowboats, rafts, floating tubes, sailboats, motorboats (including waterskiing), and other small craft. Lastly, Weather conditions good, bad, or just plain ugly are an important factor in any outdoor Scouting activity. The BSA has developed an online "Weather Hazard" training for all Scout leaders. To get started, simply login to MyScouting.org and take the online training courses which each take about 20 minutes to complete. Bring completed certificates to Valerie for our troop records.

Page 3 of 6 Merit Badge Mania

BSA TROOP 716

For those of you who havent already started, Geocaching is a GPS -driven treasure hunt which combines hiking with sleuthing. Derived from the words geo for geography and caching for hiding goods, Geocaching has gained quite a following since the games inception in 2000. There are currently over 5 million players seeking over 2 million active caches worldwide! Here are a few highlights of what Scouts will learn while earning Geocaching merit badge: Geocaching etiquette and how the principles of Leave No Trace apply (CITO) Geocaching terms How GPS technology works Steps for finding and logging a cache How to use geocaching.com, the official online home of geocaching But it isnt all classroom work. The majority of the merit badge involves Scouts sear ching for geocaches. Theyll also have the opportunity to create and hide their own caches!

On the Trail Good Eats

Theres something about camping that turns routine activities into something magical. This is especially true with cooking. Theres something about preparing a meal with little more than a skillet and a fire that is really rewarding not to mention downright fun. That being said, we also know that camping meals must be kept pretty simple. But Simple doesnt have to mean boring, prepackaged or even pre-assembled. What it does need to be however, is filling and provided enough energy for the physical activities going on around camp like hiking, biking, canoeing and any other activities youll be doing in the great outdoors. The best part about camp cooking is that its a really fun thing to do together as a family or as a Troop. The Cooking merit badge will be required for the Eagle Scout rank starting January 2014. All scouts who have not earned Eagle Scout by the end of 2013 must complete the cooking merit badge to earn Eagle Scout rank. One easy and flavorful meal my family likes to make is Italian chicken packets for the grill. This is so easy; you dont even need a pan just enough aluminum foil to form packets of food. It only takes about 30 minutes to cook and the result is a fresh flavorful meal which really satisfying and filling enough to get you through til breakfast. Ingredients: 4- 4 oz. Boneless, skinless chicken breast 4 Carrots, peeled and sliced Bottled Italian dressing Salt and pepper to taste 4- Medium Potatoes, cleaned and thinly sliced Butter or margarine Heavy duty Aluminum foil Preparation: Lay a piece of foil out and put sliced carrots and onions on the bottom. Lay chicken breast on top. Add Italian dressing, salt

and pepper to taste. Then tightly fold aluminum into a packet to keep the juices in. Cook on the grill grate over medium (indirect) heat for about 30 minutes turning halfway through the cooking time. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165F or until the center is no longer pink and the juices run clear. If you dont care for carrots, substitute your favorite vegetables. Broccoli and Zucchini also work well with this recipe. For the foil potato packets, grease the foil with butter and arrange the sliced potatoes on top. Add salt and pepper to taste. Repeat the process making 3 to 4 layers and then tightly fold the aluminum foil to create a packet and seal in the butter and steam. As with the chicken packet, grill over indirect heat for about 30 minutes turning half way through the cooking time. Feel free to add onion, garlic powder and paprika to spice it up a bit.

BSA TROOP 716 Scouts in Action

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It started off as a typical Tuesday afternoon. Jacob Eagle was watching TV with his little sister, Sabrina, after finishing his homework. Their Dad was outside working on a tent as they prepared for a family camping trip. Jacobs little sister was eating a lollipop when suddenly she started gas ping for air. She was choking! Without a second thought, Jacob began the Heimlich maneuver on his sister until he dislodged the piece of candy stuck in her throat. He then immediately ran and alerted his father of the situation. Because of the First Aid merit badge that Jacob earned through Scouting he knew how to properly administer the Heimlich maneuver and was able to effectively help his sister at a time when every second counts. Great job, Jacob! Everyone is very proud of you!

BSA Swim Test

One of the first things we do when we get to summer camp is complete the swim test. The BSA swim test is used to determine ability level so that participants can swim in an area which is appropriate for them. Scouts and adults must pass the BSA swim test to take part in most aquatics activities. At camp, there is a buddy board where scouts check in according to their ability level. The swim test is also used as a requirement for some advancement. Almost any rank advancement involving swimming or boating will require a swim test. Sometimes Scouts will be very disappointed in themselves if they dont get the Swimmer level right away. Camp staff will often let them try again later in the week if this happens.

BSA Swim Test Guidelines:

Swimmer Jump feet first into water over the head, level off, and begin swimming. Swim 75 yards in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: side, breast, trudgen, or crawl. Swim 25 yards using an easy, resting backstroke. The 100 yards must be completed without stops and must include at least one sharp turn. Rest by floatingLong enough to demonstrate ability to rest when exhausted. Beginner Jump feet first into water over the head, level off, and begin swimming. Swim 25 feet on the surface. Stop, turn, and resume swimming back to the starting place.

Non-Swimmer Did not complete either of the swimming tests.

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F Advancement News by Jim Harrelson via email

BSA TROOP 716

Congratulations to the following Scouts for their Achievements!

Rank Advancement:
JD Harrelson Eagle Gold Palm & Silver Palm Sean Odgers Star Scout Andy Harrelson Star Scout Davis Smith Tender Foot Jose de la Cruz Tender Foot

Merit Badges:
Allen Andrus - Environmental Science, Reading, Cooking, & Personal Management Davis Smith - Personal fitness, Sports, & Dog Care Austin Smith - Environmental Science & Bird Study Taylor Brackett - Engineering Noah White -Mammal Study, Collections, Environmental Science & Communications JD Harrelson Astronomy, Computers, Scouting Heritage, Insect Study Small Boat Sailing, Painting & Crime Prevention Jose de la Cruz - Citizenship in the Nation, & American Heritage Andy Harrelson Photography, Space Exploration, & Citizen in the Community Sean Odgers Gardening & Aviation Jacob Eagle - American Heritage & Citizenship in the Nation Austin Buzzell- Swimming & First Aid

Service Awards:
Fifteen of our adult leaders also received sevice recognition awards at the COH, the total years of service added up to128 years of Scouting!! Congratiolations everyone! Thank you for all yo ur hard work and continued dedication to Scouting!

Food Allergy Awareness

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month. Did you know that nearly 15 million Americans have food allergies including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis. Food allergies affect nearly 5 percent of children under the age of five and about 4 percent of those people aged 5 and older. There are eight major food allergen categories: Milk, eggs, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and crustacean shellfish. Be aware, however, that these are not the only foods which can cause allergic reactions but they are the most common foods which cause reactions. Allergic reactions to food can range from mild to life-threatening and a person cannot tell how severe his next food-allergic reaction will be based on the severity of the previous reactions. Because of the risk of allergic reactions to food, many people with food allergy are prescribed auto-injector epinephrine, which should be carried with them at all times. Parents: Does your scout have any food allergies? We would like to hear from you!

BSA TROOP 716 Medical Forms and Physicals via Troop e-mail

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Please be aware that ALL Medical Forms expire annually and must be renewed. ALL Scouts must have a current Medical Form and Physical on file to go to any event over 72 hours (i.e.: both summer and winter camps). The forms are good for one rolling calendar year. The medical record required consists of forms A, B & C. Forms A & B are filled out and signed by a parent and are required to be in file for every Scout outing. Form C (The Third Page of the Medical Form, is required for Long term camping) must be filled out and signed by a physician. Forms can be found at: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/whole.pdf

Upcoming Events
May 11 May 12 May 1218 May 18-19 May 22 -24 May 26 May 27 May 27 June 14-16 June 15 June 16 July 4 July 7-13 July 13 July 15 July 29 Aug 16-18 Aug 19 Aug 26 Sept 2 Sept 13-15 Sept 20-23 Sept 30 Oct 18-20 Oct 19-20 Scouting at Magnolia Plantation ($25 fee required per scout, $10 per chaperone and includes lunch) Mothers Day Food Allergy Awareness Week National White Water Center National Board of the BSA voting on membership policy resolution Memorial Church Service presentation of the Flag Ceremony Troop 716 Memorial Day flag placements presented by the American Legion Summer Camp Final Payments/Knights Patrol payment due Campout Scouting at Magnolia Plantation ($25 fee required per scout, $10 per chaperone and includes lunch) Fathers Day Independence Day Summer Camp Scouting at Magnolia Plantation ($25 fee required per scout, $10 per chaperone and includes lunch) NO Troop Meeting tonight PLC/sign-offs/BOR/DC planning Campout Court of Honor PLC/sign-offs/BOR/DC planning Popcorn Sales Begin Powder Horn Camp Ho Non Wah Campout PLC/sign-offs/BOR/DC planning Campout Jamboree on the Air (JotA) Weekend Plant Science and Forestry MBs Camping and Carowinds Weekend Peace Presbyterian Church Carolina Memorial Gardens 6:30AM TBD
Citizenship in the Nation & Insect Study

Camp Rainey Mountain, GA

Citizenship in the World & Reptiles and Amphibian Study

Rest and Relaxation. See you next week! TBD TBD/TBA TBA: Stay tuned for details High Adventure for Leaders and Scouts Age 14 and over Space is limited to 48 so sign up early TBD TBD

Created for and Distributed by: BSA Troop 716 174 Londonderry Rd Goose Creek, SC 29445 Connect with us via e-mail: BSA-Troop716@googlegroups.com Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BSA-Troop-716-Goose-Creek-SC/251189264909864 Look for us on the Web: http://www.bsatroop716.net/