2012 Pinewood Derby

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Troop 101 participated in the annual Pack 101 Pinewood Derby. For those who don't know, the Pinewood Derby (not to be confused with the Space Derby, the Rain gutter Regatta, or the Demolition Derby) is an event held every year by Cub packs that requires the Cub Scout to create a Pinewood Derby car out of a kit. Sometimes the cars become works of art, or aeronautical science projects, but in the end, the only real rule is no propellants, and the car must weigh 5 ounces.

The Troop and Pack have over the last few years been competing together, with different categories for Cub Pack, Troop, Adult, and even "Pack Buddies" (siblings of the Cub Scouts.)

It was a fun filled afternoon of racing, with everyone walking away with an award of some sort. The Troop's own CJ won overall for the troop - which was surprising as his car was based off of what looked like a Dodge pickup.

This has been an event that goes back as far as I can remember - though only for Cub Packs. One of the reasons the troop participated is because at our level, we focus more on Scout skills (with events like the Klondike Derby) that in just plain being creative and having fun. However, rumor is that National has decided to attempt to do a Pinewood Derby like event at the Boy Scout level... and is that CO2 powered cars that I see...

Stay tuned with that one. I'm sure in traditional 101 fashion, we'll build them with a rocket of some sort...because what's a race without a spectacular crash?

What will Scouting do for my son?

I'm asked the question often by perspective parents. This is probably the best answer to that question I have ever heard - written by a parent and a scoutmaster. This was sent to me by a fellow Scouter, and was posted to a Yahoo group for Scouters in New Jersey. For those of you who may be curious to the answer, this is pretty much it. Enjoy.

What will Scouting do for my son? I have two answers to that question - one long, and one short. I'll give you the longer answer first.

In a post on an online Scouting forum, someone talked about the son of his who did very well for himself playing soccer, and defended those who encourage their sons to devote massive amounts of time to the sport. I have also seen posts from parents who talk of how their sons who play sports sit on the bench in the hope of getting 5 minutes of playing time, or have to skip a camping trip in the hope of getting into a game at all. More than once, I have heard of coaches who will make a boy run laps around the field if he is late to practice, will give him only minimal playing time if he skips practice to go to a Scouting event, and will bench him entirely for a game if he skips a previous game to go camping with his Boy Scout troop. I do not, for a single minute, wish to give the impression that I am painting all youth sports teams with this same brush, or denigrate those who play sports because they enjoy playing; but all too often I have heard of increasing pressures to have a boy (or girl) practice a sport six days a week, and then play a sport practically year-round in order to develop superior skills and "become known" -- perhaps winning a college scholarship - and then they either "burn out" or suffer an injury that ends their playing days. Even if this doesn't happen, the day almost always comes when there is no longer a team on which the boy or girl can play; and at best they can look forward to coaching, or to playing an occasional game (which gets tougher to do as they get older). I remember the boys across the street leaving their houses before sunrise, or late in the evening, to go to some rink where ice time was available for the boys' hockey teams. Of course, they laughed derisively when I suggested that they try Cub or Boy Scouts. Eventually, the level of competition exceeded the boys' abilities; and now, as young men, they don't play at all, and will probably never touch a hockey stick again unless they have sons of their own.

Things like this do not happen in Scouting. Scouts play every inning, every down, every period and every quarter. No one gets stuck in right field while the "best" on the team play shortstop or pitch. They play all positions, both offense and defense; and eventually, they do some coaching as well. The adults are there to support and advise them, not run the troop. No one rides the bench, or gets into Scouting activities only at "garbage time". No one "runs laps" because he is late for a meeting or camping trip, gets kicked out of the troop for choosing some other activity over a camping trip, or has his devotion to Scouting questioned because he has other interests. No one suffers a repetitive stress injury that prevents him from ever going camping again; and no one ever goes on so many camping trips, twelve months a year, that he "burns out" and can't bear to think of ever going camping again. The same teamwork, discipline and need for good leadership necessary for success in sports is found in Scouting -- just look at any properly functioning patrol. The "level of competition" in Scouting -- if one might call it that -- never pushes anyone "off of the team". And then, when the boy gets to be too old to be a "member of the Scouting team", he doesn't have to stop playing and switch to coaching, or try to find a "mens' league" where he can play, once in a while. He can still play the "game of Scouting", although now in an advisory role. Had I been involved in youth sports as a boy, I wouldn't be able to play in some "men's league", at my age (59), without risking serious injury to myself; but as a Scouter, I can do almost everything I did as a Boy Scout in the 1960s. Not only that, I don't have to wait for a Scouting event to do it; I can do it every day of my life.

Youth sports certainly has its place in our communities; but I can see no better program, for our boys than Scouting - the one program which seeks to improve the character of young people through an emphasis on the outdoors, youth-led units and the "patrol method". The boy who plays youth sports can earn distinctions aplenty, such as awards, certificates, and captaincies. He can travel to many different places - some very far away -- to play his sport. Well, Scouting can provide those same things as well, in many more areas than a sports team can; and Scouting can also provide something for which there is no real equivalent in youth sports. A Boy Scout who earns Eagle Scout rank, the highest one in Scouting, is a boy who doesn't have to say that he CAN lead others; he can show that he has DONE it. The Trail to Eagle is so arduous (but not impossible to travel) that only two out of every hundred Scouts ever earn that rank; but having earned it, he has a distinction which he can present to college or trade school admission committees, or prospective employers - and they WILL take note of his achievement. Whatever the course an Eagle Scout's life may take, he will go through like with an invaluable set of skills which he learned in Scouting. Apart from that, the skills he will learn in Scouting will serve him well, every day, for the rest of his life. Knowing how to throw or hit a baseball, shoot a puck, pass or catch a football, or shoot baskets is certainly useful when you are playing the sport in question; but rarely will those skills be called upon when your boy becomes a man.

That's the long answer; now, for the short answer. Think of what's in your pants pocket right now - or, if you're not wearing a pair of pants with pockets, think of a backpack or purse that you own. Think of what's in there - or isn't in there. Now, if I were to ask you all how those items got in there, your answers would be almost identical - "I put them in there." However, those items are of only potential to use to you as long as they are in there. You have to reach in and take them out to make use of them.

That, as Dad and Granddad said, is the essence of Scouting. A boy will get out of Scouting what he puts into it. As in the case of parents who allow their son to earn pocket money by performing various tasks around the house, the adult leaders of your son's troop will make it possible for your son to put items in his "Scouting pocket" - but they cannot put it there themselves. The Scout must do that himself. And, as with whatever is in the pocket of his pants, the contents of his Scouting pocket are of little use to him unless he reaches in, takes out one or more items, and puts them to use. It is our hope that, by the time your son has spent (we hope) several happy years in our ranks and is ready for manhood, his Scouting pocket will be crammed full of useful things. We hope that your son will make a lifetime's use out of what he learns as a Boy Scout, and we will encourage him to do so; but whether or not that happens is up to him. It's his pocket; and only he can reach into it.

Klondike 2012

Saturday, January 21st Troop 101 attended the annual district Klondike Derby. Held for the last several years at Ringwood State Park, in Ringwood, NJ, it is the event where troops from around the district compete for bragging rights as to who is the best trained, and skilled troop.

As the name might imply, the Klondike is based around the Iditarod, the dog sled race that runs 1150 miles from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska in 10 - 17 days. All the troops have a sled (just like the dog sled, though some can get quite interesting looking) that carries various pieces of equipment, that the Scouts haul from one station to another testing various Scout Skills, from firebuilding to First Aid. Each station awards points (a maximum of 10 per station) and the troop with the most points at the end of the day wins 1st place.

Every Klondike has a theme, and this year's was the Gold Rush. To encourage the theme, the organizers asked that everyone dress accordingly, and for once, Troop 101 were not the only Scouts and Scouters wandering around in cowboy hats and dusters. I'm pretty sure that most of the period costumes were left home due to the snowstorm that hit dropping 5 - 6" of snow on the ground, and dropping the temperature to somewhere in the teens. While the snow was great for moving the sled (on skis) from station to station, it tends to make an individual where more modern fabrics for keeping warm than what was offered to the average prospector in the 1890's.

At any rate, after a delayed start to weather, the boys managed to complete 10 of the 15 stations, with total score at the end of the day of 80. Breaking this down, if a patrol gets a perfect score at every station (and completes every station) there is a potential 150 pts. to be had. Since we only were able to complete 10 of the 15, this leaves us with potential 100 pts. Since we earned 80, I'd say the boys did pretty well for themselves, scoring all 8s, 9s, and one 10.

At this point we don't know where we ended up in the rankings, but I'll let you know when I do. Also, we were only able to get two pictures, and as soon as my camera defrosts, I'll post those up.

Congratulations, and good work to all our Scouts!

Janaury 2012: Camp Yawpaw, Mahwah, NJ

Once again Troop 101 is out and about after our holiday break. This time we stayed close to home, and headed to Mahwah, NJ to the lovely Camp Yawpaw. This trip was the final trip before the Klondike Derby, so it would be where the Scouts would be able to practice all their fieldcraft before the big day.

There are some trips that go smoothly, according to plan, and without a hitch. Those trips where, things are so routine, that they are boring, and are quickly forgotten in the collective memories of the members of the troop.

This was not one of those trips.

To start with, we initially had 4 Scouts attending the trip, but in the last few days before leaving two backed out. One because of a boatload of schoolwork, the other for family reasons. As the leader of Troop 101 I would like to see all the Scouts attend all the trips all the time, but family and school always come first. When all is said and done, you still need an education, and if it wasn't for your family, you A) wouldn't be here, and B) wouldn't have a ride to said event.

At any rate, as our policy is if even one Scout wants to go, and we can get enough adults, we go. So, piling into the big blue pickup with our two newest Scouts, we made our way to the camp without incident.

The first issue with this weekend was that it was probably the coldest of the year thus far. Topping out during the day at a whopping 31 and dropping down to 12 with a windchill of 4 - yeah, you could say it was a little brisk out. However, our morale was boosted by the knowledge that this is the one trip of the year where we stay in an actual cabin with heat, so it wouldn't be all that bad.

We grabbed our packs, checked in with the campmaster, and started heading towards the cabin. The cabin, as it were, is not only 3/4 of a mile from the parking lot, but it is at the top of the hill within the camp. As you can imagine, on a good day it is a schlep, on a cold day with your pack, troop gear, wearing extra clothing and below freezing temps - its a bit of a trek. So, we gathered as much as we could in two trips, got water and started making the cabin home.

Before I go on, let me say this about the water. The water in the area has a high iron content which is a chronic problem throughout the area, not only with the camp's well, but also with the water that is piped to the comes in the area. This causes two things: the first is it makes the water an orange-brown color, and the second is that new Scouts are reluctant to drink it even when its boiled extensively.

After huffing and puffing, we were all pretty thirsty, so we decided to drink a little something. As it happened, all we had was a carton of orange juice (that was suspiciously already open) which we almost killed that night, and potentially leaving us with nothing to drink in the morning. OK, no big deal, we had plenty of hot chocolate, and mix to make iced tea. However, we were more cold than thirsty, so we figured now was the time to get that cabin all nice and toasty.

The two Scouts got the fire going, while the adults took care of getting the food and other equipment in order, and getting some firewood cut. The nice gentleman who was our campmaster is also a very devoted woodsman, and was nice enough to bring up a few loads of firewood for us before turning in for the night. The guys got the fire started, and I stepped in to get it really going, while everyone organized and gathered wood for the long cold night.

It was at this point that we hit our first major bump in the road. As I was working on the fire, I guess my might lungs blew a little to hard on the coals, and the vertical part of the chimney fell off the stove. (This is one of those "stoves" where you take a 55 gallon drum, put it on it's side, add legs, a door and a chimney and burn things in it. There was a vertical chimney piece on the "stove" itself, and then a permanently attached chimney to the building. This allows the drum to be replaced.) The elbow that attaches between the vertical and the stove had rotted to the point of becoming the equivalent of paper, and the weight of the vertical was enough to make it finally give way. We managed to get the vertical back on, but there was a gap of about 6" between the temporary and the permanent chimneys. We figured, it would be fine, and watched as the smoke was sucked up the chimney.

Well, the way these things work is the fire creates a suction that carries all the smoke up and out. For this to work properly, the chimney must be sealed. So, in our case, every time we opened the front of the stove, smoke would come billowing out the front. Needless to say, within a few minutes, the cabin was filled with smoke.

So, we opened the doors, and let the smoke out, and the cold air in. There were two windows up in the vertical eaves of the cabin. One was nailed shut. The other opened quite easily by the glass falling out and smashing on the rocks outside. Well, I guess that's one way to open a window...

At that point, we bundled up and went to bed. To combat the cold night, we all took our extra clothes and placed them in the sleeping bags with us. One of our Scouts decided it would be better to wear all his clothes, so he went to bed about 40 lbs. heavier. Despite the cold and wind, we survived the night.

The next day we got the fire outside going and got breakfast cooked. Taylor ham, eggs, cheese and bacon on an English muffin. As we were cooking, I was asked to grab a plate to put the cooked bacon on while we got the eggs going.

It was at this point we realized that we had grabbed the one cook kit with no plates.

Argh. Fine. We had two frying pans, so we used one to place the cooked pork products on to one side of the fire to keep warm. While eating breakfast, we (obviously) got thirsty. Oh yeah, we're pretty much out of orange juice. So, rationing that (it was cold though!) we were down to making hot chocolate. We had placed the kettle on so the water can start boiling - however, you can't boil iron out of water. Not wanting to haul iron-laden water from the well (which was back at the parking lot) I decided to go down to the car and head out to Shoprite and get some water and pre-made iced tea.

So, off I went.

On my way out, I stopped at the campmaster's to let him know the stove situation. He said he needed to check for spare elbows, and if he had one, he'd come and fix it.

I headed to Shoprite, got three gallons of clean water, and two containers of Arizona Iced Tea and, after a brief stop at Dunkin' Donuts, headed back. I pulled into the lot, and put my heavy clothes back on. Then I realized that I had to haul 5 gallons of liquid back to the cabin. (Which is the exact amount of water that the beverage cooler holds that we didn't want to carry all the way.) OK. So I took some rope, and tied the jugs to me, and started making my way back.

Now, being the dedicated coffee drinker I am, I decided to walk a few yards, then take a drink. I mean, I didn't want to drink cold coffee did I?

Two heart attacks and a minor stroke later, I got back to the site and we finally had clean water for... whatever, and tea to drink. My two ASMs were working 1-on-1 with the Scouts on woods tool use, and knots and lashings. One of them really took to the knots and lashings, the other (mostly because he put 2-and-2 together and realized that more cut wood means bigger fire means less cold) took to cutting, splitting and burning wood.

Not long after, our committee chairman showed up to join us for dinner, and with the good news that the campmaster had found a spare elbow. We'd have heat tonight!!

Well, the campmaster arrives not to much later (with our 3rd load of firewood) and starts to work. After removing the old hardware, he begins to attempt to get elbow A into hole B. Hole B does not have the same size shape as elbow A, so using his trusty micro-adjustment tool (read a pair of channel lock pliers) he pounds the hell out of elbow A until it fits hole B - to no avail. He figures he needs a flange of some sort to adapt elbow A to hole B - and they reside at the store in Paterson. So, giving us his regrets, he packs his tools and heads back to the nice, warm, HBO having campmaster's cabin on the other side of the camp.

Enter Mr. Emmetts (the elder). He takes a look and states he can fix it, and heads off to his car in search of tin snips, a Dewalt codless drill, hammer, and a few paving stones (which oddly enough, were to be found right next to my tuck in the parking lot.) After 3 heart attacks, a stroke and an anneurism (he's in his forties and was carrying at least 120 lbs. in paving stones) he returns with everything he needs to fix this stove.

To fix a stovepipe at Coyle Cabin, Camp Yawpaw:
Step 1: Using a piece of firewood, return the elbow to its original shape and repair all damage created by campmaster and pliers.

Step 2: Using tinsnips, cut the one side 19 times about 1" into the elbow from the edge, creating 20 tabs.

Step 3: Bend every other tab 90 degrees out from the elbow.

Step 4: Place non-bent tabs into hole on stove.

Step 5: Reach into elbow, and bend inside tabs around hole, creating a flange. (You know, the one that was in Paterson?)

Step 6: Using a hammer and a flathead screw driver, split all the pavers in half, and use them to prop up the front and rear of the stove, so you close the gap of 6" to the main chimney, making the rear higher than the front so all smoke goes out the back and not the front.

Step 7: Light a roaring inferno in the stove, and stay warm.

Step 8: Close the now (*ahem) "open" window by screwing a found sheet of metal over it.

Finally, we had some heat. We had a great dinner of Sloppy Joes, cheese and broccoli pasta, and the portable salad bar that Mr. Emmetts (the elder) always travels with. He headed home, and we retired to the cabin for the night.

As with all fires, they have this annoying habit of going out - which is what happened in the middle of the night. Since we were all warm in our bags, no one was willing to get up and get it going again, and we all woke to a very, very chilly morning. Deciding it was better to be warm than eating right away, we decided to pack and eat our cereal in the car of the ride home.

Also, our two Scouts were a little frozen over by the time we got them to the car, but judging by them running around at the church when we got back, I'd say they are no worse for the wear. Sometimes, no matter how big the fire, or how warm the clothes, if (like in the case of these two Scouts) you have little body fat or muscle, you are going to get cold and/or be cold. After some time in the hot car, they thawed and were ready for whatever was coming next. Our final piece of business was leaving a roster (written on a cereal box) with the campmaster and we beat feet and headed home.

We returned, unloaded our frozen equipment, and headed home for a warm shower, and a much needed warm bed.

Time once again to clean up all the gear, repack, and head out on the next adventure - hopefully one that is a little less bumpy, and a lot warmer.

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Troop 101 wishes you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a happy and healthy New Year!

December 2011: Cannonball Trail

Normally, the troop schedules a camping trip every month (except for August), however over the last few years, we normally don't get a lot of attendees for the December camping trip. The reasons are several, but the top two are either the Scout needs to go and visit family for the holidays, or the parent doesn't want their child getting sick so close to Christmas and Hanukkah.

So, in wanting to keep the outing in Scouting, we decided this year to do a day hike on the Cannonball Trail, which runs through the Ramapo Mountain Range in Oakland, and parts of Ringwood State Park. (Frankly, its a beautiful hike that more people should be on).

The Cannonball Trail itself is about 15 miles from Oakland heading North - however (like we did) you can take one of the many side and additional trails that run through the mountains, and turn the hike into a giant loop - and I do mean GIANT. The SM had his pedometer running on his phone (an app that is a must for any regular hiker), and when the battery ran out at 3/4 of the way through the hike, we had just about hit the 8 mile mark. A rough guess would be that we hiked around 10-12 miles.

The weather was brisk, but nice, which made it interesting getting the amount of layers need correct. When heading up some of the more steeper areas, your body was warming up and sweating profusely - so you remove a layer - only to be shivering as you descend the other side of the rise. The trail was pretty wet and muddy due to the volume of rain, but there are ways around everything, and for the most part, we survived quite well, and had a great hike. Special kudos go to Mike "The Foot" who was our trail leader for the day.

Total time on the trail was roughly 7 hours or so - which may be a record for a hike of that long for 101!

Pictures can be found here.

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.