WELLESLEY, MA—BOY SCOUT TROOP 185

Leadership and Cooperation

Developing leadership and cooperation are some of our goals. Wellesley Boy Scout Troop 185 is a boy-run troop, because that is the best way to teach leadership. That means, our boys plan the program, run the activities and follow the patrol method to the best of their ability. Each patrol is an important part of our troop and leadership and cooperation are learned starting at the patrol level.

Meetings

We meet on Monday nights from 7:30 to 9:00 PM, from September through June. Troop meetings are held at Saint John's Church in Wellesley. For details, see the News section below or the detailed schedule of this year's meetings. For more information regarding attending a meeting or joining the Troop contact John Fortini at johnfortini@troop185wellesley.com

Merit Badges

Many merit badges requirements have been updated effective 1/1/06: see USScouts.org for a list of changes. A few more badges were updated effective 1/1/08. You can find a lot of information on merit badges at MeritBadge.com.

These are the merit badges we are currently working on (last updated November 10, 2009). Some of these are actively in progress, some are finishing up, and some are about to begin. If you have any questions—especially if you have missed (or will miss) a meeting but want to work on the badge—then click on the Merit Badge Counselor's name to send an e-mail.

• Mr. Horan: Camping
• Ms. King: Environmental Science
• Mr. Fisher: First Aid
• Mr. Galente: Communications
• Mr. Groux: Personal Fitness

News

• Monday, 3/29: The troop meeting is canceled because this is the first night of Passover.
• Wednesdays and Thursdays, 2/25–4/14: Swimming at Babson College. We will meet at the Babson College swimming pool on the following evenings:
  • 2/25 (Second- and First-Class Requirements)
  • 3/10 (Swimming Merit Badge)
  • 3/31 (Swimming Merit Badge)
  • 4/8 (Swimming Merit Badge)
  • 4/14 (Swimming Merit Badge)
  If you want to work on the Lifesaving Merit Badge, you should come all five nights. If you want to do the Mile Swim, come any night and bring someone to count your laps.
  All sessions are from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Arrive by 6:45, so that you can start swimming at 7.
  Register and pay in advance. There is more information on the registration form.
• Monday, 4/26: Summer camp permission slips and payment are due: $325 payable to Troop 185. (This is the Early Bird deadline. The price goes up by $30 after today.)
• Friday–Sunday, 4/30–5/2: Fishing Derby at Camp resolute in Bolton. The permission slip and payment are due Monday, 4/12. This handout includes the permission slip, FAQ, equipment list, and rules for the Derby.
• Parents: Please fill out the Parent Interest Survey.
  Scouts and Parents: Please fill out the Trip Interest Form.
  If you have any problems with these forms, please ask the webmaster for help.
• Saturday–Monday, 5/29–31: Family trip to the AMC Mizpah Springs hut. Registration is limited: first come, first served! Register no later than Thursdays, April 15. There is more information on the registration form.
• Friday–Sunday, 6/18–20: Kayaking trip in Brunswick, ME. Space is limited to 50, and the deadline to register is Friday, 5/28. See the permission slip and the liablility release (required by the kayaking company).
• Monday, 6/21: Summer Camp Meeting: medical form and permission slips due. If your son will need prescription medicine while at camp, also fill out the medication release form.
  Important: The medical form must be filled out and signed by a doctor. No attachments are allowed! If you have already submitted the form for the Jamboree, then you do not have to do it again.
• Sunday–Friday, 7/4-9: Summer Camp at Camp Resolute in Bolton, MA. Payment is due ($325 payable to Troop 185) by 4/26. (This is the Early Bird deadline. The price goes up by $30 after 4/26.)
• Sign up for the Knox Trail Council's monthly e-mail newsletter for Scout leaders and parents.
• See the troop's policy on cell phones, announced 9/23/08.
• The troop's schedule is now available as a Google calendar. Let me know how you like it: webmaster@troop185wellesley.org .
  
  • Try clicking the tabs for week-at-a-time or month-at-a-time views.
  • You can also view the calendar in its own window in your web browser.
  • Finally, you can copy this URL into Outlook (on Windows) or iCal (on a Mac) or Mozilla Sunbird (various platforms) and import the troop's events into your own calendar. Set it to update daily or weekly, and you will automatically stay current. If, like me, you synchronize your computer's calendar with a portable device, then you will always have the troop's schedule handy!