As the title says we have a big mid-week program update that everyone needs to know about. We all know that because of the virus most of our summer was turned upside down and kicked around a bit. Now that we can get back to business we need to at least try to give the kids a good summer program. There will be a few summer time program updates coming out over the next few days so please stay tuned to the mail.
Now that we're finally back in action after a long forced hiatus there is a lot to go over and little time to do it. A quick turnaround in our program schedule could mean the boys have a resurrected summer activity lineup with not a lot of stagnation.
Good Templar Park update
This past Thursday I spoke to Heather Snyder the caretaker of Good Temper Park. She was able to give me a few updates on what is happening at the park at this time. For the time being the members side of the park is going to be specifically for the members of the park. The members have requested that no outside guests use that side of the park for the time being.
The soccer groups that normally use the park throughout the spring and summer will be there using the fields but not in any great quantity. They will be holding minor practice's and skirmishes but nothing big for the time being. Our troop still has almost sole usage of the park as we have been associated with them for more than a decade now.
We have the ability to hold merit badges, camp-outs and other service projects and day outings. We also have been given the green light to use the better bathrooms inside the kitchen building versus the large bathrooms.
Monday 6 - 8, Patrol Leaders Council and Committee meeting
We will be holding our monthly P.L.C. (6pm - 7pm) and C.M. (7pm - 8:30pm ish) IN PERSON over at Good Temper Park on the park side of the park. Weather reports say that it's going to be sunny Monday evening so we will be back by the kitchen building. If for whatever reason rain comes up we will be meeting by the front pavilion. We have been using WebEx over the past few weeks to some success and I don't think we will be stopping any time soon. If you cannot make it to our in person P.L.C. or C.M. meetings You can tune in to our Webex broadcast starting at 6pm. There will be some big topics and big issues to go over so please attend or tune in.
As of right now a majority of our 1st and 2nd years have participated in the 1st portion of the First Aid merit badge. The book learning and discussion portions of the badge are fairly easy to complete anywhere at any time. The portion we still have to finish is the hands on portion. I am waiting to hear back from the park as to what is going on over there the next few weekends. As soon as I know we can set up a few times to do the hands on stuff.
The Back to Basics camp-out
On the last weekend of June we will be having a Back to Basics camp-out at Good Templar Park. This camp out will be a good way for all scouts to be able to bone up on the skills that they have not had a chance to practice or have lost entirely over the past few months. Camping just like riding a bike requires constant practice and if we fall out of practice the best thing that can be done is get right back on and start pedaling hard. I will have more info on it Monday evening.
Just so you know
We all know that nothing is going to be perfect at this time. There will be worries and problems come up over the next months. I just want to let everyone know that Joyce and I will be doing everything we can to get the troop back to normal.
Writing this weekly summary is like writing a new chapter in a book. In a sense you have the outline of the story but don't necessarily know where it's going to take you. Not in living memory has this country, state or Troop been through anything like what we have just experienced. Most of what we do over these coming weeks will be like learning to walk again. Starting off small taking little steps and seeing how things work. I don't expect everyone to be ready to jump in feet first . I know there will be a lot of hesitation and caution in doing anything or going any place. We will be continuing to use the online platforms for the foreseeable future and especially when we hold our PLC and committee meetings. Now that we have started to use them I don't think they will ever go away. Whether you attend the meetings in person for the first few weeks or not we will do everything we can to keep you in the loop and make sure you know what's going on.
Where and when is Monday's meeting?
We will be holding our summer meetings over at Good Templar Park back by the kitchen building. The park is located at
528 East Side Dr, Geneva, IL 60134
Just in case you have forgotten or if you have never been there before. You will enter through the main gates and follow the path to the far building with the green roof. We will be starting at 6:30 so get there a few minutes early. Please remember to bring your choice of face covering or mask to the meeting as well as a camp chair if you have one.
Monday meeting 6 - 1 (from last weeks S.M.S)
National BSA and Three Fires Council has recommended that troops meet outside, in smaller groups and with proper precautions. As I have said in the past the inherent blessing of Boy Scouts is smaller groups working together.
With the state of Illinois opening up again at the end of the month we have the ability to resume in person meetings. Good Templar Park has been Troop Ones' summer home for more than a decade. With the good weather upon us and since people having been cooped up inside for a while our next few months should be a breath of fresh air doing fun things together enjoying a nice warm breeze.
Good news about the virus
A bit of good news from the CDC
On Wednesday (the 20th) the CDC released An updated report that concluded that the virus does not spread easily on surfaces. New findings show that the primary way of transmission is person to person contact and not surface to person. That means if we're camping the chances of you contracting the virus just because you have touched something somebody else may have touched is diminished.
**From the CDC website**
"The primary and most important mode of transmission for COVID-19 is through close contact from person-to-person. Based on data from lab studies on COVID-19 and what we know about similar respiratory diseases, it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this isn’t thought to be the main way the virus spreads."
Here is the link to the CDC and their press releases
On Monday June 1st we are starting up IN PERSON meetings again. It will be a special 2 hour meeting at Good Templar Park from 6 o'clock to 8 o'clock there will be a lot to talk about and do. There are 3 major topics to cover.
With this past weekend's nonstop rain I'm now fairly happy that I still have troop ones canoes in my backyard. Rather than using the car to go places this past weekend I could have just rowed my self there. For this week's message I'll step right into it and start off right at the beginning. That seems always a really good place to start.
