- Character Development
- Citizenship Training
- Mental and Physical Fitness
Volume III Issue 5 FEBRUARY 2002
please visit us at www.oocities.org/troop287
A NATION owes its success, not so much to its strength in
armaments, as to the amount of character in its citizens."
"For a man to be successful in life, character is more
essential than erudition."
So character is of first value whether for a nation or
for the individual. But if character is to make a man's career
for him, it ought to be developed in him before he starts out;
while he is still a boy and receptive. Character cannot be
drilled into a boy. The germ of it is already in him, and needs
to be drawn out and expanded. How?
Character is very generally the result of environment or
surroundings. For example, take two small boys, twins if you
like. Teach them the same lessons in school, but give them
entirely different surroundings, companions, and homes outside
the school. Put one under a kindly, encouraging mother, among
clean and straight playfellows, where he is trusted on his honour
to carry out rules of life and so on. On the other hand, take
the second boy and let him loaf in a filthy home, among foul-
mouthed, thieving, discontented companions. Is he likely to grow
up with the same amount of character as his twin?
There are thousands of boys being wasted daily through
being left to become characterless, and therefore, useless wast-
ers, a misery to themselves and an eyesore and a danger to the
nation.
They could be saved if only the right surroundings or
environment were given to them at the receptive time of their
placed on quite so low a level (for there are wasters in every
class of life), but who would be all the better men and more
valuable to the country and more satisfactory to themselves if
they could be persuaded, at the right age, to develop their
characters.
Here, then, lies the most important object in the Boy
Scout training-to educate; not to instruct, mind you, but to
educate, that is, to draw out the boy to learn for himself, of
his own desire, the things that tend to build up character in
him.
AIDS TO SCOUTMASTERSHIP
A Guidebook For Scoutmasters
On The Theory of Scout Training
LORD BADEN-POWELL OF GILWELL
Themes: February- Athletics
March – Cinematography
April – Horsmemanship
2/ 4/02 First Aid Meet 3/ 4/02 Meeting/BOR
2/11/02 Meeting 3/11/02 PLC/Meeting
2/18/02 PLC/BOR/Meeting 3/18/02 Meeting/BOR
4 2/25/02 Meeting 3/25/02 Meeting
*Bring $3.00 for pizza and pop for PLC
BOR - Boards of Review
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Jan 25-27 Polar Bear – Rota Kiwan
(Tamaracks Cabin)
Feb 2 Pal and Me Fishing
Feb 3 Scout Sunday - CHUM
Feb 4 First Aid Meet
Feb 5 Round Table/OA Lodge Mtg
Feb 6 Scouts in Government
Feb 9/10 Strikes for Scouting
Feb 10 Committee Meeting
Feb 11 Troop Elections
Feb 16/17 YMCA Lock-In
Mar 2 New Scout Orientation
Mar 5 Roundtable/OA Lodge Mtg
Mar 9 Court of Honor
Mar 10 Committee Meeting
Mar 22-24 Campout – Camp Tamarack
Jones, MI
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
Jeff Osterman, Will McQuitty, David Kinnich, Matt Rafferty.
All scout profits earned from Popcorn Sales and other fund-raisers will be tracked on a new Troop Buck Balance Sheet. See Mr. Hayden for more details.
WINTER COURT OF HONOR
Big Banquet, Good Music, Door Prizes Plan on attending. Look for more info soon. Needed Parent (preferably Dad’s since we are honoring Mom’s) Volunteers. Call Lorri Harris
345-4309
A Celebration of Moms. This year’s
Court of Honor scheduled for March 9th, 2002 will be in honor of our Mom’s.
All moms will receive special awards.
STRIKES FOR SCOUTING
Hosted by the OA at Airway Lanes
Feb 10 at 1 am until 8 am.
Cost $10.00 per person
Those Scouts that collect $50.00 in pledges Bowl for Free.
For more info see Colin Triplett.
YMCA LOCK-IN
Maple Street YMCA Lock-In
February 16-17 Overnight
Exact times to be determined.
Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming Pool
(limited time), Racquet Ball, Movies,
Tennis (extra fee) and much more.
SUMMER CAMP COORDINATOR
Needed – New Summer Camp Coordinator – Jim Chodl has done a great job for 2 years in a row. It is now time for someone else to pitch-in.
Jim is offering his experience and advice. See Mr. Hayden if you are
Interested.
February 2, 2002 at the Cub
Admin Bldg at Rota-Kiwan.
Cost $2.50 +2 cans of soup – chicken noodle or beef noodle. 1 can for lunch and the other donated to Loaves and Fishes. Bring your own Ice-Fishing Gear. Adults must have Fishing License
SCOUTS IN GOVERNMENT
Wed, Feb 6th, from 12:30 to 3:30
20-25 Scouts will be selected throughout the District to meet local and state politicians and participate in a Mock City Commission Meeting.
To apply submit a one-page Essay to
El Rico Hurley at the Scout Service Center by January 18th. The theme is
“One Voice – One Difference”
the essay should address – “what I can do to make a difference in my community”
For more info see Mr. Ekola
TROOP ELECTIONS
All essays for SPL are due to Mr. Ekola by January 28th. All other Troop positions should have essays written by February 11th. Elections are Feb 11th.
PERMISSION SLIPS
To reduce costs and avoid picketing by the Sierra Club – permission slips will be emailed prior to events. A small number of hard copy permission slips will be available at Troop Meetings.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
Please contact: Scoutmaster- Tim Ekola
home 616-329-2430 e-mail t_ekola@hotmail.com
"An individual step in character training is to put responsibility on the individual."
Lord Baden-Powell