Hello again, Troop 457! This is your Scoutmaster, Mr. Maloney returning after a hiatus and welcome you to the July 3rd episode of our Scoutmaster Minute Podcast. As always, remember that RSVP links and other important information are available in the show notes.
Let’s start off with some celebrations!
First off, a very happy birthday to Noah F.! We hope you have a fantastic day.
We had an incredibly successful Summer Camp last week at Seven Ranges Scout Reservation with 17 Scouts earning a multitude of merit badges.
- Ian B.: Rifle Shooting, Shotgun Shooting, and First Aid Merit Badges
- Luke B.: Chess, Animation, Astronomy, and Energy Merit Badges
- Matthew B.: Mammal Study, and Chemistry Merit Badges
- Marcus: Rifle Shooting Merit Badge
- Brooks: Fishing, Orienteering, Wood Carving and First Aid Merit Badges
- Jack F.: Nuclear Science and Animation Merit Badges
- Eliot: Pioneering, Swimming, and Astronomy Merit Badges
- Jacob: Fishing, Leatherwork, Model Design and Building, and Wood Carving Merit Badges
- Cameron: Fish and Wildlife Management, Kayaking, Lifesaving, and Fly Fishing Merit Badges
- Brennan: Mammal Study and First Aid Merit Badges
- Ian M.: Leatherwork, Photography, and Fly Fishing Merit Badges
- Konner: Leatherwork, Model Design and Building, and Animation Merit Badges
- Dimitri: Leatherwork, Pioneering, and Chess Merit Badges
- Dominik: Mammal Study and First Aid Merit Badges
- Tyler: Mammal Study Merit Badge
- Jack P.: Pioneering, Rifle Shooting, and Forestry Merit Badges
- Solomon: Shotgun Shooting, Lifesaving, and Astronomy Merit Badges
A few of these Scouts also partially completed other merit badges that they can complete now that we’ve returned from camp. Congratulations to all of you for your hard work and dedication. This is a LONG list of achievements and we’re proud of each and every one of you.
Special congratulations go out to Cam who completed the Mile Swim while at camp, and to Cam, Ian M., Brooks, Jack P. and Mr. Hrizo who participated in the camp honors program and earned their first year Pipestone. And let’s not forget our entire summer camp contingent who achieved a perfect score on their campsite inspection, earning the Troop a coup feather at Friday night’s retreat.
And of course, we can’t forget our Scouts who were not at camp. Well done to Landen, Eddie, Jeffrey, Sean, Nathan, and Brayden who raced our Troop bed through the obstacle course at the Zelienople Bed Derby. We ended up with a fourth-place finish despite losing a wheel in the first race!
A quick RSVP reminder for those attending Sea Base: please respond in TroopTrack by next Thursday, July 11, to let us know if you plan to participate in the Snorkel Practice on Sunday, July 14.
Today, I want to reflect on a story about timeliness.
Several years ago at summer camp, there was a troop was getting ready to go to dinner. The SPL had about 15 minutes left and it was about a 5 minute walk to get to flag ceremony. He then had the troop roll out and his Scoutmaster asked him why we were leaving already as we had plenty of time. The SPL turned and looked at his Scoutmaster and said:
Early is on time
On time is late
And late is unacceptable
Time is a precious thing that once used we can never gain back again. And this SPL realized something important about time; the decisions we make also use up other peoples time. Imagine if his Troop had shown up five minutes late and the whole camp had to wait for them to begin. If there were 500 people in camp, that would have wasted 2500 minutes (or about 42 HOURS) of other people’s time.
We also need to manage our time effectively to make sure we have the opportunity to do things we want to do. Now imagine that the SPL’s Troop had arrived 5 minutes late to dinner and the camp DIDN’T wait for them to begin. The Troop may have missed out on the best food or a funny skit because they were late.
Our Troop meetings and events are the same. In the next few months, we need to be on time for many things: our the Zelienople Parade, our White House Visit, lunches at the Marine Corps barracks, our flights for Sea Base, and even our weekly meetings. So whether you use a watch or a sun dial, always remember: “Early is on time. On time is late. And late is unacceptable.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming week, we have the Zelienople Fourth of July Parade this Thursday. Please RSVP if you are able to attend so we can get a head count. We’ll be leading off the parade as the color guard so please wear your Class A uniform shirt and neckerchief along with appropriate pants or shorts (no athletic shorts) and shoes (no crocs or flip flops). This is a great opportunity for us to be visible in the community.
Next week’s Troop Meeting will be a Maps and Orienteering Meeting hosted by the Colorblind Pink Panthers. The meeting will be in Zelie Park at the Mussig’s Pavilion near the baseball field due to the concert in the park using the amphitheater at the top of the hill. For this of you on the Patrol Leaders Council, don’t forget that next week begins our new PLC meeting routine. PLC members should arrive at our meeting location early so we can begin our PLC meeting no later than 6:45 PM.
That’s all for today’s episode. Keep up the great work, Scouts! Until next time, I’ll see you along the Trail!