Patrol Leader Council for Jan-Jun 2009

I met with the incoming SPL Zach Donaldson last Sunday and we have confirmed the new PLC. Serving the term of January to June 2009 are:

Senior Patrol Leader - Zach Donaldson
Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders - Michael Scholtens and Waring Hills
Quartermaster - Reynolds Adams
Scribe - Michael Hall
Historian - Gage Underkoffler
Librarian - David Hall
Chaplain's Aide - Dillon Schaaf
Instructor - Wythe Crisler
Bugler - Graham Schertz
Troop Guide - Zach Bradley
OA Rep - Boyce Campsen

Patrol Leaders
Eagle - Doug Ward
Snake - TBA
Scorpion - Austin Tortorici
Lightning - Luke DesJardins
Gator - Cameron Epperson
Frog - Bryan Cole

New leader training for the entire PLC will be 03 January 2009 and our first PLC is on 05 January. Look for details from ASM Donaldson in the near future. Congratulations to our new PLC and I look forward to you doing your best for Troop 20 in the new year!!!

December Eagles

Two more Eagle Scouts have joined the 2008 flock. This evening Matthew Jones and James Brooks successfully passed their Eagle boards of review. Both completed paths that started at Tiger Cub.

I hope to see many more of our scouts after consistent effort over the years. Those who do not grow weary will reap the rewards of persistent work and commitment.

December Court of Honor

Tomorrow night is our last Court of Honor for 2008. Assignments are:

Frogs bring desserts.
Gators bring cookies. Conduct closing ceremony.
Snakes bring paper products (napkins, plates). Provide color guard.
Scorpions bring drinks.
Lightning bring chips. Conduct opening ceremony.
Eagles bring drinks.

Program begins at 7 PM, scouts should assemble at 6:15.

See y'all there

Troop elections night

Congratulations to our newly elected senior patrol leader (SPL) and patrol leaders (PL)!!! After very brief speeches and a close election, Life scout Zach Donaldson won election over Star scout Waring Hills last night as our new SPL. New patrol leaders elected were:
Doug Ward - Eagle PL, Bryan Cole - Frog PL, Cameron Epperson - Gator PL and Luke DesJardins - Lightning PL. The Scorpion and Snake PLs will be announced after they have completed their election recounts, very contested...New leader training for our PLC will take place on 03 January, 2009, put it on your calendars...

Many thanks to Kate Kiel on a successful "Families Helping Families" service effort by the scouts and their parents. The troop was very generous in their donations and the scouts did a great job in wrapping their gifts. Thanks to all of you for giving to those less fortunate!!!

PLC 17 November, Election of SPL is coming and possible December camping trip

The Patrol Leaders Council convened at 7 PM on Monday, 17 November. Meetings for 24 November and 01 December were planned. The next boards of review are 17 November and 01 December. Court of Honor is 08 December.

The troop will listen to SPL nominations/speeches on 24 November and will elect the new SPL and Patrol Leaders on 01 December. Scouts interested in those positions make your preparations. The Scoutmaster is also accepting requests to serve on the next PLC, please fill in a form at the scout hut if you are interested.

Our outdoor event in December will be a camping trip to upstate SC (05-07 December), unless numbers don't support it and then we will default to a cycling event probably at Botany Bay, Edisto Island, SC, on 06 December. Read below for camping trip preliminary details...

We will be camping on Dr. Aiken's property near Table Rock, SC. Cost will be approx. $30-33 and we will leave on Friday after school and return Sunday around 2-3 PM. Please contact your patrol leader or SPL Michael Scholtens if you are interested in going.

M&C

Flock of Eagles

Congratulations to Alex Young!!! Last week he passed his eagle board of review and has joined the largest Eagle class in Troop 20 history. Our other Eagles this year, so far (more to come), are:

Bobby Roland
Michael Scholtens
Will Altman
Scotty Fournier
Austin McCullough
Zach Bradley
Wythe Crisler

Etiwan camporee

This weekend's Etiwan district camporee was a great success due to Dan Miklancic's outstanding work in planning and executing the event. The scouts and adult leaders of Troops 11, 59, 502, 20 and Pack 9 all learned quite a bit more than expected due to his hard work. Have any of you ever heard of a "spanish windlass?"

Our scouts had a great time! Acting SPL Wythe Crisler and ASPL Michael Hall did a great job in running the bridge building event and our combined patrol of Gators/Frogs did many amazing feats of building on the fields of the old Santee Gun Club, now Santee Coastal Reserve
(for background on the old Santee Gun Club cut and paste this link www.lowcountryinstitute.org/Documents/MNArticles/A21-yankee%20hunters-C%20Heritage.pdf ). We survived threats of bad weather, a few hungry mosquitos and only had some wind on Friday night and a little rain Satuday evening.

PLC tomorrow as we plan for the rest of November, election for SPL and PLC leadership requests will be coming up soon...

M&C

The Scoutmaster becomes a Blogger!!!

Scouts and Parents,

I decided to finally go to the dark side and become a blogger. This should be a way to keep everyone informed and encourage give and take amongst scouts and parents.

It will be an addition to our website and allow me to quickly post my daily look (or at least weekly) look at the troop. I will also be encouraging our patrol leaders to do their own blogs to improve patrol communication. If anyone has any questions or concerns please email or call me.

I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Happy Scout Blogging,

Mr. Hills aka Master and Commander

**There is a story behind master and commander, the movie with Russell Crowe came out just about the time I had agree to be the Troop 20 scoutmaster. My wife claims I took the job since combined with my Navy officer title, she would have to call me "Master and Commander." Of course I didn't let her tale keep me from taking on the task, as Admiral Lord Nelson exclaimed upon seeing weevils in his food, "I had to choose the lesser of the weevils."