Based at Glenview Community Church, Troop & Crew 156 has served its community for more than 50 years. As one of the largest and most active Boy Scout units in Northeast Illinois, T-156 has a proud tradition of excellence. In the past five years the Troop has produced 20 Eagle Scouts.
This is a "boy led" Troop with emphasis on developing leadership ability and other other important life skills and values. The patrol method is an important part of the program and outdoor adventures, service projects and special events are scheduled year-round. It's not uncommon to have as many as three different activities the boys can choose from each month. Troop 156 is also proud of it's diverse culture with many different races and religions represented.
In addition to the traditional Boy Scout Troop, there is also a Venturing Crew for high school age men and women. Many of the "V-crew's" activities involve high adventure skills such as rock climbing or wilderness camping.
Currently Mr. Paul Bauerschmidt serves as Scoutmaster, supported by a team of 35 trained adult volunteers serving as Committee Members and Assistant Scoutmasters. Mr. Mark Demsky is the unit's Committee Chair.
Spring is coming! Eventually. We tend to think of Spring as being all about daffodils and forsythia, soothing temperatures and sunny days. In actuality, Spring can be changeable – one day warm and sunny, the next cold and rainy.
OK, so what does all of this have to do with the Troop’s outdoor activities? Well, there is a first-rate opportunity coming up for you to roll the dice when it comes to Spring weather. On the weekend of March 13-15th, the Troop will camp at Starved Rock.
First, let me share a few words about Starved Rock. Starved Rock State Park is located in Oglesby, IL, about two hours southwest of Glenview. According to Google, “It’s known for its steep sandstone canyons formed by glacial meltwater. Several, including the St. Louis, French and Wildcat canyons, have waterfalls. A wooded trail leads to Lover’s Leap Overlook, with views of the river and Starved Rock Dam. Park wildlife includes white-tailed deer, bald eagles and migratory birds." Having been there myself, it makes for some pretty good hiking and camping.
As Scoutmaster Bauerschmidt likes to say: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only being unprepared for bad weather.” The corollary to this statement, of course, is that the changeable Spring weather is no excuse for taking a pass on what will be an el primo campout. Besides, it just might be warm and sunny . . . with no mosquitos. In other words, is this really something that you want to miss?
As always, now is the time to get the campout on your calendar and to be sure that you turn your registration form in on time.
A REMINDER
There has been a lot communicated about the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy over the past week. I am not going to add anything here. However, our Troop is highly dependent upon adults who have completed Youth Protection Training. The training is mandatory for all registered adult leaders as well as adults who participate in Troop trips. In fact, it is not a bad idea for any adult with a Scout in the Troop to complete the training. It will give you first-hand knowledge of how the BSA works to protect our boys. To get started, go to my.scouting.org, log-in and then click on the large youth protection training icon found on the right-hand side of the page to access the training.
QUESTION TIME
Tenderfoot Scout: The two things that I cook best are meatloaf and upside down cake.
Assistant Scoutmaster: Which one is this?
BY DEFINITION
Canteen: (1) Often supplanted by a “Nalgene” here in the 21st century. (2) Lightweight, plastic vessel used to carry water. (3) A critical piece of equipment on a campout or hike. (4) Fairly useless when empty. As in: The Second-Class Scout was pleased with himself for remembering is Nalgene for the hike. It was only when everyone stopped for a water break that he discovered that his pleasure was misplaced – he had forgotten to fill his Nalgene.
Over the weekend of March 13-15, Troop 156 will venture forth to hike the bluffs and canyons of Starved Rock State Park, a spectacular geologic treasure on the Illinois River less than 2 hours from Glenview. Depending on the amounts of snow or rain prior to the trip, numerous waterfalls in the canyons should be flowing, with at least one hiking trail (LaSalle Canyon) allowing hikers to explore along the trail behind the waterfall.
Of special interest is that during winter months, bald eagles flock to Starved Rock in search of food. If the river is frozen, even higher numbers of eagles can be found at the park as they migrate from Canada and the Great Lake states, since the park overlooks the Starved Rock Lock and Dam. The turbulent water under the dam keeps the water open year round so bald eagles can always find food. Learn more about Bald Eagles here: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Documents/EagleFactFinder.pdf.
Scouts attending the Starved Rock Campout will be sleeping in tents, so must come prepared with warm clothes and warm sleeping gear for the colder overnight temperatures. A 20 degree sleeping bag or warmer is a must. Participants will review strategies for staying warm in colder temps at the camper's meeting the week prior to the campout.
The flyer and registration form is attached. Registration and payment is due by March 5th. Questions? Please contact Scoutmaster Bauerschmidt at paul@bauerschmidt.com.
Have you been paying attention? February is first aid month for Troop 156. As a Scout, you have the opportunity to learn a broad range of skills, but I believe that none are more important than first aid. I mean, what could be more important than the knowledge of what to do if you are bleeding or a friend has stopped breathing. That’s right, this can be real life or death stuff.
And, yes, if you are an older Scout, I know that you have had the opportunity to participate in first aid month in prior years. Some of this may be repetitious, but I have both a question and a suggestion for you.
First, question. Do you really know your first aid? Could you use your skills effectively in an emergency when the pressure is on? In other words, do you REALLY know first aid?
Second, a suggestion. In my view, there is no better way to learn something than to teach it. So, if you know your first aid skills, I would like to encourage you to jump right in and share those skills with others.
QUESTION TIME
Q: What should you do if you have 44 frogs on your back windshield?
A: Turn on the rear-window defrogger.
BY DEFINITION
Wall (no, not that wall): (1) A critical vertical element of a building. (2) May or may not be structural. (3) Often fabricated out of two-by-fours and drywall. (4) Not meant to be climbed. As in: The Scout had so much energy that he was nearly climbing the wall with excitement in anticipation of the campout. But then it was time to go. He laced up his boots and headed out the door with his gear.
Especially for our new Scouts and families, here is an opportunity to see Troop 156 in action over the past year. All of these links, along with links to other Troop activities dating back to 2008, can be found on the Troop website. (Our webmaster, Doug Morgan, will be sending all new families temporary login credentials and instructions on accessing the website beyond the weekly eBlast.) Simply click on "Photos" on the left sidebar and you'll find links to all of the photo albums. The first link "Archived Photos" covers Troop activities from 2008 through the first half of 2018.
Our monthly Scoutmaster Breakfasts for both February and March have been rescheduled due to conflicts with the monthly campouts. Instead, we will hold a single meeting on Saturday, February 22nd, from 7:15 - 8:30 am in Room 32 at GCC, planning for meetings and activies through the next Scoutmaster Breakfast in early April.
Scoutmaster Breakfasts are open to not only our registered Troop leaders, but to any and all parents willing to get involved in supporting our youth leaders in providing a quality program. Please consider attending.
Leaders take turns bringing in the breakfast food and beverages, with this month's chef being Mark Warnsman.
Troop 156 sent two Patrols of intrepid Scouts to the Council Klondike Derby this year where they had a grand time in the outdoors while they competed at various stations throughout Camp Crown. While neither team placed in the the top three in this year's competition (they placed a very respectable 4th and 8th out of 36 Patrols), we are sure that they both learned more about teamwork and what they could do better next year.
While the boys were having their adventures, a well-oiled team of adult Troop leaders ran a multi-faceted orienteering station. Patrols had to find compass bearings, complete a pace course to measure the distance between two points, identify common map symbols, and orient a map, before trying to sway the Station Mayor (Mike Lynch) into giving them bonus points for Scout Spirit. We heard many rousing choruses of songs the Scouts had written (and also some not so rousing) and a bit of interpretive Yeti dancing (you don't even want to know...).
