2011 Wayne Rotary Fruit Sale

This Saturday marked the 20th year that Troop 101 has assisted the Wayne Rotary at their annual Fruit Sale. The Rotarians sell cases of oranges, grapefruit and apples and it is T101's job to distribute the pre-sold cases to the citizens of Wayne.

Sounds like a lot of work? Yeah, it is.

However, we had surprisingly mild weather for the first weekend in December, and despite the hard work, we had a lot of fun - though I'm not sure there is an event where we don't have fun. While we don't know the actual number of cases distributed, we can say that we filled several big orders - and big trucks -  for other charity organizations, which then distribute the fruit to the needy at places like Eva's Kitchen in Paterson, NJ.

Some facts of the day:
1.) one order filled was for 65 cases of oranges, and 35 cases of apples.
2.) another order (which was picked up in two Chevy Tahoes converted to hearses) was over 100 cases
3.) each case weighs 42 lbs.
4.) our youngest and smallest Scout - Danny - weighs between 70 - 75 lbs. He was more than capable of lifting the cases of fruit without assistance into the cars. The cases were over half his body weight!

At the end of the day, each Scout went home some fruit, some sore muscles, and some service hours under their belt - and the knowledge that they helped a lot of people, and I don't mean just the Rotarians - who are very grateful that we can make it every year.

More pictures are here.

11/2011 Washington, D.C.

Every other year, the troop takes the extended weekend vacation of teacher's convention, and heads to a different state for a trip through a historical city or place. The schedule rotates between Boston, MA, Gettysburg, PA, and Washington, D.C. This year was our trip to D.C.

We left on an overcast day Thursday morning, right on schedule. Traveling down we saw fog, and more fog, and decided to take a break at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. Sadly, not only was the ordinance museum closed, but many of the tanks, armored vehicles and artillery pieces were gone - all being moved to a new facility in Virgina. (Probably so that visitors don't need to go through the security check to get on the grounds.) However, we still wandered the few acres of open field looking at various tanks from WWI, WWII, the Cold War Era, and Vietnam. The tanks came from many different countries, and we had fun trying to figure out where they were from, and what era they were in. Since the exhibited vehicles were in the process of being moved to a new home, many of the description plaques were gone, leaving us guessing as to what exactly we were looking at. Despite the rather brisk autumn breeze, we managed to spend about an hour out there discussing ordinance. After that, it was brief stop at Wendy's for lunch, and we were back on the road.

We entered the Lorton, VA area with minimal difficulty, but once we hit side streets, we realized that our stopover in Aberdeen put us at rush hour. So, after a several mile crawl, we got to our campground after dark, a very nice former BSA camp called Camp Wilson.

Immediately, we got to work on setting up camp, and had a great meal of pork chops, Zataran's rice, salad and applesauce, it was off to bed to get some rest for our hike the next day.

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Friday morning was a beautiful, clear and (very) crisp autumn day, with a pretty cold wind blowing through. After a great breakfast of pancakes, we packed a lunch, jumped in the car, and drove to the Metro station. Being Veteran's Day and a federal holiday, tickets were a reduced fair (yeah!).

Riding the Blue line into Metro Center (for about 30-40 minutes) we began our tour. Starting from the Metro station, we headed for the White House Visitor's Center, where we saw an exhibit about the building and re-construction of the White House as well as a short video that discussed the day-to-day operations of the White House and its staff. (It also gave us some time to warm up).

Being led by Mike "Foot" Kane, we headed to the White House, where we discovered that they had closed the side walk that allowed you to get a good pick of the building. Not wanting to stand and freeze until the sidewalk opened back up, we started heading south towards the Washington Monument. On our way there, we made a brief stop at the Boy Scout Monument to take a few pictures (we are Boy Scouts after all!) We then continued south to the base of the Washington Monument (which is closed to the public until further notice) around the north side heading west to the WWII monument. (After running into a Segway tour filled with people from Wayne!)

For those who have never seen the WWII monument, it is truly something that needs to be seen in person. To make matters more interesting, being Veteran's Day, the entire city was crawling with vets of all wars, as well as wreathes, and small personal memorials. Several pictures were taped to the monument while we were there. Walking along the upper part of the monument closest to the Reflecting Pool (which has been drained and is in the process of being expanded) we walked the northern side of the pool towards the Vietnam War Memorial, which featured a live band playing songs from the time, and we happened to get there was the official ceremony was starting. Since the ceremony was going on, we couldn't get too close to the wall itself, but got close enough. After heading over to look at the Combat Nurses Memorial and the Vietnam Soldier's Statue, we then headed to the Lincoln Memorial.

Here we viewed the Memorial, and had lunch. Heading south again, we worked our way to the Korean War memorial, where we met a veteran of the war dressed as one of the statues, in his original uniform. Heading... south (I think) we worked our way to the tidal basin, where we hit Washington's newest memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. This memorial was supposed to be dedicated the day of the earthquake, though happily, it survived without any damage, and is a great memorial to the man, and a beautiful piece of artwork.

Walking around the tidal basin, we stopped at the FDR memorial, then headed to the Jefferson Memorial. On the way there, we saw a very, very, very small wedding taking place on the grassy field next to the building. They said "I do" as we stopped to watch. Heading up the Jefferson Memorial, we saw the upper statue and dome, then headed to the underground exhibit, where we took a few minutes to learn about the man, and warm up again.

From there, we headed north away from the Tidal Basin towards the U.S. Mint and our next destination - the Holocaust Memorial Museum. This is a museum is something that I personally feel everyone should visit at least once in their lives. It can be very intense, even for adults. That being said, we unfortunately managed to get there and get wrapped up one of their temporary exhibits about Nazi Propaganda, and after 4:30 they stop letting people into the permanent exhibit. However, the Scouts did see the exhibit about the propaganda, and an exhibit that they have called "Daniel's Story" and version of the main exhibit aimed towards children.

As dusk settled on D.C., we made our way east along the Mall, towards the Capital, and ended our tour at the Supreme Court. From there, we jumped back on the Metro for a very sleepy and quite ride back to our stop. Jumping in the car, we headed back to the site for a great dinner of steak, beans and salad, and getting to sleep for another long day in the museums.

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The next morning we awoke to another bright, clear day with a lot less wind and a bit more warmth. After a breakfast of Taylor ham, eggs and cheeses on English muffins, we once again made lunch, drove to the Metro station, and rode in to the Capital, where we had a tour time of 11:30.

The Capital requires that you arrive at least 45 minutes early to go through security. Upon arriving outside the visitor's center, they have you get in line and let in groups of 20 through security at a time. Outside is where they tell you that there is no food or drink allowed inside at all. So, Mr. Foray volunteered to sit outside and watch our belongings while we took the tour.

Getting through security quickly, we got our passes and had 20 minutes to kill. We wandered through small exhibit about the history of the building, and then got in line for the tour. After waiting 10 minutes, we entered an amphitheater where we watched a 10 minute movie. From there, we lined up for our tour, which took us through the vault under the dome, through the dome itself, and the statuary room.

Total time on tour: 10 minutes.
Total time spent waiting and getting ready: 30+

Needless to say, the tour wasn't really worth the morning it wasted.

At any rate, we headed to the Air & Space Museum, and spent an hour there looking at the history of flight, and afterwards had lunch on the front steps. Heading across the Mall, we hit the Natural History Museum, with great exhibits on all sorts of creatures, and the planet itself, as well as the hall of minerals and rare gems, which includes the Hope Diamond. (As you can imagine, there were a lot of women in the hall of gems and around the Hope Diamond.)

At this point, with dusk settling on the city again, we decided to call it a day, and head back to the site. There, Mr. Israni joined us for Thanksgiving Dinner: fried turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, biscuits, gravey, corn and MORE SALAD!! We gorged ourselves on a really great meal, and while waiting for dinner to cook, the Scout worked on rank advancement. After dinner, it was KP, and then to bed.

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The next morning was another great day weather-wise, but alas, the end of our trip. We had a light breakfast of crumb cake, OJ and coffee, packed our gear, said goodbye to Mr. Israni, and headed home. Before leaving, our two newest Scouts had a Scoutmaster's Conference, and are now the rank of Boy Scout.

We hit the streets, and knew we were back home when we hit traffic on every road we got on...

All in all a great trip, and as Scoutmaster I hope that your Scout had a fun and informative time.

Now to clean up all the gear, repack, and head out on the next adventure.

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Pictures from the trip can be found here. If anyone would like a digital copy or a print, please let me know.

9/2011 Camping Trip: Swartswood Lake, NJ

Location: Swartswood Lake, NJ; Emmetts Lake House
Weather: mid-60's to mid-40's; partially cloudy and cool

Food:
Saturday:
      Breakfast: Pancakes, Bacon, Orange Juice and Coffee
      Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Brownies
      Dinner: Pot Roast, Spaetzle, Corn on the Cob, Brownies, Popcorn
Sunday:
      Breakfast: Taylor Ham, Egg & Cheese in a Pita

Well, this was our first trip of the 2011-12 season, and as usual, this is the trip to really figure out what equipment we need (or forgot), what needs to be replaced, what needs to be fixed, and what needs to be cleaned because it didn't get put away properly the last time we used it.

The first lesson I think we all learned is that mother nature has a sense of humor. Initially, the location was chosen so that if it was unseasonably warm (or seasonally warm depending on climate change) there would be the opportunity to take a dip in the lake, and have some fun in the water.

So of course what that means is its the perfect time for a double cold front to push through.

However, 101 being 101 we were for the most part prepared. A few of us wished that we had brought an extra jacket or fleece, or even a pair of light gloves, but the fire pit kept us warm, and the Scouts with us stayed in the boat house, while the adults slept under the stars.

Despite the cold, the boys managed to do a little canoeing, and explored a small island and found a few metal artifacts, as well as a little kayaking, and a trip in Mr. Emmetts' M-Scow sailboat. There was a light breeze heading out, and the paddling back the last 100 yards or so helped the Scouts burn off the morning's pancakes...

After that, we got into an impromptu fishing tournament, between the scoutmaster, one of the assistants, and both Scouts. We were competing for "Scoutmaster for the night" as well as bragging rights, and happily, the Scoutmaster stayed the Scoutmaster for the duration of the trip, followed closely by one of our newest Scouts. Our oldest Scout, however, managed to catch the largest Sunfish - the 13' sailboat variety. Parked on a dock. With no sail. He also managed to catch two docks, and cast so hard out that he shattered the bobber on the line. While our assistant Scoutmaster was attempting to fish, he didn't manage to catch one, however, he did dump enough breadcrumbs in the water to keep the fish near the "quay".

After the "fishing derby" the adults cooked dinner while the Scouts worked on the requirements for the Boy Scout rank, and afterward we sat around the fire talking and enjoying the crisp night air.

Finally, on a more somber note, we did have one fatality this weekend. Our 1st Assistant Scoutmaster discovered that while one can kayak and take pictures with a waterproof digital camera, the manufacturer does suggest using a float when on the water in case the camera goes overboard. The manufacturer was, in fact, correct on that fact. Sadly, he lost the camera overboard, and it now is resting comfortably in Davy Jones' locker. Despite deepwater salvage efforts, the camera could not be located and is considered lost. Happily, there were no important (or incriminating) images lost, though we have no images from the weekend.

All in all a good camping trip. Now to clean the gear, repack, and on to the next adventure...

New year and a new blog...

I think maybe the most asked question I get from new parents is: "What do I need to buy my son for camping?" This has to be one of the simplest and most difficult questions to answer. There are literally hundreds of thousands of pieces of camping equipment out there, that cost anywhere from $1 to $1,000 dollars.
To keep the answer (and the cost) as simple as possible, we need to face a terrible fact: your 11-year-old is growing, and will continue to grow throughout his time with us. Just about the time he's able to pay for some of his own equipment, he will stop growing. That being said, the best thing to get your scout for the new year are really three simple things:

1. A really good sleeping bag. This is probably by far the most important thing you can get your scout. Troop 101 does the bulk of its camping during the fall, winter and spring - and we are usually at a higher elevation so when night falls, so does the temperature. He will be in a tent (which we provide) to keep him as dry as possible, but the sleeping bag is what keeps him warm, and gives him a good restful night's sleep for the next day's activities. Personally, I use this bag. Now the first question I get is, why I don't use a "mummy bag" - the answer is because I roll in my sleep like a fish on a dock, and I don't like waking up twisted up like a pretzel. Also you'll notice that its over 6.5' long - this allows me (at 6') to stretch all the way out, and still be completely covered in the bag.

This particular bag also allows me to stuff my extra clothes in with me. This adds another layer of warmth (as it reduces the amount of open air in the bag for my body to warm) and I'm not putting on cold clothes on in the morning!

If you are in the market for a bag, go to the store and try it on. Literally get in and see how it feels. The lower the cold rating, the warmer your scout will be - and he won't need to go to bed with his long johns on!

2. Footwear. During a normal camping trip, your scout is on his feet almost the whole weekend - and sometimes we go on hikes over rough terrain. A pair of appropriate and good footwear is essential to your scout's comfort. Unfortunately, this is one of those items that he will grow out of, but they can always be passed down to a younger sibling - if he's planning on getting into scouting.

I never recommend wearing sneakers or any open toed shoes on any of our trips, except for the canoe trip, and even then, I recommend changing out when you get back at the end of the day.

I always recommend boots, warm for the winter, good ankle support and waterproof. Even your basic insulated work boot is fine, just remember to watch the cold rating on the boot (or ask the salesperson). Not all boots can be worn in snow and keep the foot warm. Nothing hurts more than cold toes and trying to keep working to keep the fire going, or cooking dinner.

NEVER, EVER, wear new boots to a camping trip. Always break them in. My suggestion: have your scout wear them to school! They are constantly walking around (put a pedometer on them one day and see how far they've walked) and it will allow the boot to conform to the uniqueness of their foot. Wear them for about 2-3 weeks straight at school before a camping trip, and they should be ready.

3. Hat and gloves. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? A wool watch hat (like these) made of fleece sometimes isn't as warm as one made of wool, and insulated (like these). It all really depends on the scout - how heavy he is, how long his hair is, etc., etc. The key to the hat is that it keeps his body heat in, and can cover his ears - those are the two most important things. Other than that, its really personal preference. Some troops have official troop hats. We don't. In fact, the stranger the hat, the more you should wear it at troop functions! Most of our adults wear wide-brimmed cowboy hats - it keeps the sun out of our eyes, and the rain and snow from going down our shirts. Most scouts like baseball hats - but I've also seen civil war kepis, bandannas, and a bunch of different styles.

Gloves are another one of those items that sound easy, but isn't always the case. On a normal camping trip, your scout is constantly working with his hands. Sometimes with wood tools, tying ropes, or working around the fire. He'll need a glove that he can work comfortably in, yet still keep the fingers toasty (also, in the case of the fire, something that won't burn too easily). Personally, I use these - they keep the fingers warm, have leather in the palm for extra protection, and have a gauntlet to keep the snow from getting in.

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Obviously, I don't always take this same equipment. In the warmer months, I carry lighter gloves (mostly for night) and in the summer, I use either blankets or a lighter "indoor" sleeping bag. I have a variety of footwear for the right situation, and even different hats for different temps.

These are the basic elements that make up my camping gear. In purchasing these, there are a few hard and fast rules, and a lot of personal preference, but in the end, these items will make a scout happy on a weekend trip.

What about clothes, pack and everything else? For clothes, in the winter, he can always layer his clothes and jackets. Most of us use long johns, but even with enough layers, they are almost not needed. For carrying all this, he needs a pack, yes, but we have several available for loan if anyone would like to test one before spending the money, and frankly, as long as everything fits inside or onto, the pack can be whatever works for the scout. Frame packs are great, but some are larger than the 11 year-old scout carrying it!

All the other items you can think of - flashlight, pillow, etc., etc. are really all up to the scout. Will it make his life easier? Sure. Does he really need it? Well, that depends on the scout. Some can operate in the dark as easily in the day, others like to know that should they need it, its there. Also, the troop always travels with a propane lantern, so its not like there isn't something to read by.

No matter what, we will teach him what to pack, how to pack, and how to use what he packs for camping. The more he camps, the more he'll alter what he takes. Maybe he'll start with a small LED flashlight, and learn that he likes a headlamp better. Or that he never really uses that cook kit he got from grandma and grandpa, but the moisture wicking socks from Uncle Bob are a must for all winter camping.

The troop provides a lot of equipment that we share as a group, but also has a lot of equipment that was donated for use by scouts who aren't quite sure what type of pack they want, or if they want to spend the money on their own cook kit. So, ask before hitting the outfitter, and see what we have, or recommend.

On a final note, don't ever let your scout take something that you don't want damaged. If you loan him a custom Norman Rockwell BSA official pocketknife that should be on display - don't expect it back in the same condition it left in - if it comes back at all. If you want an idea of what his tent will look like, take a look at his bedroom. If he's lost stuff in there, he'll lose stuff out in the field.

Hope this helps some of you new parents, and maybe give a little insight to some of you returning ones!