2013 Summer Camp

For the summer of 2013 the troop returned to our council summer camp at Camp Noyo.

Camp Noyo is unique among summer camps in that the primary way to travel to the camp is via the Skunk Train out of Ft. Bragg, CA.  Unfortunately just a few short months before camp was to start, there was a cave in on one of the tunnels on the tracks!  There was a 15 ton boulder sitting on the tracks that couldn't be easily removed.  To compound the problem, all of the Skunk Trains were in Ft. Bragg at the time, so they were all stuck there!  The train was functionally shut down.

The camp reassured the troops that they were open for business despite the problem with the the train and so the troop held on to it's plans to attend the camp.  As take off date approached though, the method of arrive continued to be opaque.  The plan changed from taking the train from Ft. Bragg as originally planned, to taking the train from Willits (the other end of the line), to having to drive in.

In the end, the tunnel was not cleared and the train was not running and so the troop had to drive in.  While most of the boys were disappointed that they would not get the train ride everyone was looking forward to, the drive in was a fun adventure itself!

After arriving, the troop set up and settled down to the routine of summer camp.  This camp's routine was slightly different from many others.  One difference is that the boys bring their own tents instead of having them provided by the camp.   This was good and bad.  Good in that they boys had tents that they were familiar with, but bad that they didn't have the room that most summer camp cabin tents have.

The biggest difference though, is that everyone cooks in their own campsites for the entire week.  This is difficult, but the boys seem to love it!  This year the recipes really seemed to work and the boys did a great job of feeding themselves and the leaders.

The camp also did a great job of providing program for the boys and everyone had a great week.  Especially fun was the evening competitions.  The SPL's chose water activities and the troops competed in canoe tug of war, canoe sinking contests, and kayak balancing contests.

There was one hick-up in the week though.  The camp forgot to send out the shooting sports permission forms and with no phone or internet at the camp, it took several days for the forms to get signed!  This was soon enough for most of the archery merit badge participants, but too late for many of the rifle participants.

On the last night of camp, the troops were treated to a presentation of The Princess Bride by the camp staff!  They did a great job.

The troop returned at the end of the week, tired but pleased with our week in the woods.

Participants:  John-Robert, Zack, Andrew W., Brian, Adam, Owen, Eric, James, Angelo, Andres, Bryce, Devon, Matt, Donte, Payton, Joey, Clayton, Jeff

Leaders:  Mr. Baier, Mr. St. John, Mr. Valdelomar, Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Christensen

Lessons Learned:  The drive into Noyo is really neat!  It is weird having not train noise!  Noyo is still the best small camp around.

David Eagle Project

On June 29th, the troop converged on their meeting location, Northwest Preparatory School to help David with his Eagle Project.  The troop painted fences, created several planter boxes, cleaned out the existing planter boxes and collected trash from the school grounds.

The challenge for this event wasn't the work so much as the elements.  The day turned out to be the hottest of the year!  As the mercury spiked, the troop tried to stay cool while completing the work.  Thanks for Mrs. Lara for opening her classroom as an air conditioned haven!

The troop was especially happy to be helping the school where we have met for many years.

Now on to Eagle for David!

Participants:  Lots and lots

Leaders: Lots and Lots

Lessons learned: Air conditioning is great!  Bring old clothes for painting projects!

50 Mile Bike Ride

The last requirement for the Cycling Merit Badge is to complete a 50 mile bike ride.  This is the ride that everyone has been working up to!

Speaking of everyone, the entire troop started the merit badge, but as the rides got longer and tougher, fewer and fewer of the boys continued with the program.  Their excuses were varied.  Boys that had Hiking or Swimming under their belt didn't feel a need to add cycling to their list when it wouldn't count as an Eagle required merit badge.  Others didn't feel their bikes were up to the task.  Still others thought that they weren't up to the task.  Whatever the reason, only the hardiest cyclers came out to finish the merit badge.  

Hardy they needed to be as the ride took place on the hottest day of the year!  Temperatures were in the high 90's by the end of the ride!  Because of this, they ride started an hour early, getting under way just after 6:00AM.  The route also had to be changed.  Instead of starting in hot, hot, Cloverdale and riding south to Howarth Park, the route started and ended at Howarth Park, went down and back up the Joe Rodota Trail and then north to Healdsburg and back.  

While the group was riding the trail, they were shadowed by Mr. Keelty with a cooler full of cold drinks and water.  What a godsend he was too!  He was able to supply the boys with cool water at each rest stop and when they needed it most in the last blazing hot leg of the journey.  

In the end, all but one of the boys who started, finished.  All the boys enjoyed a BBQ at Howarth Park afterwards to replenish the calories lost on the trail.  

At the next meeting, the Scoutmasters Minute was about doing something Epic.  Each of us has a chance to do something epic in their scout careers and this was certainly one of those epic events.  

What will your epic event be?

Participants: Payton, Gerrit, Owen, Brian, Bryce, Devon, Andres

Leaders:  Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Brisgel

Lessons Learned:  Old Redwood Highway is a great route for biking, but not very scenic.  After a long ride, chocolate milk is fantastic!  Do the paperwork right after the rides.

2013 Cache Creek Backpacking

Enough of this car camping already!  It's time to strap everything on our backs and head off into the wilderness!

And that's exactly what we did!

The troop tackled the Cache Creek Wilderness in Lake County and explored the Redbud Trail.

First though, the group had to stop overnight at Clearlake State Park.  The troop took off from Santa Rosa and crossed the Mayacamas Mountains skirting the slope of Mt. St. Helena (which we will visit next winter).  After a quick stop in Lower Lake, the troop made it to the State Park and set up camp.  Clear Lake Sate Park is a lovely spot that we will have to come back some time and explore more thoroughly.  It has several group campsites, lots of family campsites, cabins and a swimming beach!

The next morning the boys packed up and headed for the wilderness.  Just a short trip outside Clearlake Oaks on Highway 20, the troop pulled off at the Redbud Trailhead and strapped their packs on and took off up the trail.  Several hours and miles later, they arrived at Baton Flat beside one of the forks of Cache Creek.  The trail continues for another 4 miles to Wilson Valley, but the creek was running high and was impassable.  So, everyone stopped for the night and made camp.

This was true back country camping.  There were no pit toilets or bear boxes, so the troop set up their latrine and bear bag station.

They also set about pumping enough water to get by and this proved to be a problem.  One of the three pumps the troop brought was broken.  Then there was so much sediment in the water, that the other two pumps started packing up and barely worked by the time the troop left!  The group walked out with only a half of a water bottle apiece, but it was enough.

Meanwhile, the troop explored the valley, played with the lizards, and prepared their freeze dried foods.

It was truly remote!  The whole day we only saw a handful of other living beings and certainly no one from the afternoon on.  Only a whisper of traffic noise from over the ridge let you know that there was anyone within a hundred miles of you.

In the morning, the troop reversed it's course, headed back up the trail and back to civilization.  We will have to come back in the fall when the creek is low and take the trail all the way to Wilson Valley.

Participants: Brian, Andreas, Bryce, Gerrit, Owen, James, Angelo

Leaders: Mr. Bell, Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Valdelomar

Lessons Learned:  Clear Lake SP is a beautiful park!  We have to come back.  The creek is high in Spring.  We will have to come back in Fall and do the whole trail.  Make sure to check the maintenance on the water filters and bring a bucket and cheese cloth to siphon from.

2013 USS Hornet Overnight

As our big trip of the year, the scouts went down to Alameda and boarded the USS Hornet for an educational overnight.  The boys got to sleep in the racks in the Torpedo Room, eat in the Enlisted Mess, and see much of the ship.

Of special note was the guided tour of the ship.  in the past we have had a guided tour and when the ship is packed a self guided tour.  With the smaller groups in the middle of spring, the troop got a guided tour or the ship.

The tour included the usual parts of the ship- the bridge, the nav, the flight deck, the hangar, the brig, the catapult rooms, the engine room, and the work spaces.

However, the guide for the troop was a former Chief Petty Officer of the Watch who took the boys into a rarely visited part of the ship - the radio room where secret communications were decoded!  This section was so secret that our guide didn't even know about it's existence when he was a sailor for numerous years aboard the ship!

After the dinner and tour, the scouts were given the choice of attending an informational movie or a presentation of ghost stories!  Then it was off to bed except for two of the leaders who (luckily) drew the first fire watch of the night and only had to stay up a little late.

The next day the scouts were given the privilege of performing the morning flag ceremony!

After morning flags the boys loaded their gear, hit the gift shop, took a ride on the flight simulator, took one last tour around the flight deck and then headed back to Santa Rosa.

Participants: Clayton, Matt, Johnny, Eric, James, Jordan, Joey, Owen, Bryce, John-Robert, Adam

Leaders: Mr. Franceschi, Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Baier, Mrs. Baier, Mr. Christensen

Lessons Learned:  Follow the directions to the tunnel to Alameda!  Only 2 leaders need to pull one night shift.

2013 Canoeing Trip

The troop wrapped up its all Lake Sonoma month with a float trip to the Broken Bridge group campsite.  It has been some time since the troop did a water based outing and it's about time!  Aquatic outings are a core part of any scouting experience.  Every summer camp has a waterfront and it's always well attended. Who doesn't like rowing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing and swimming?  Boy Scouts don't have to wait till summer to enjoy this fun though.  They can plan an outing any time during the year, and so we did.  This year we tried to make our trip late enough in the spring to insure good weather but early enough to avoid the crush of boaters that lay siege to Lake Sonoma all summer.  We were successful (by one day)!

First off, we have to thank a bunch of people for making this outing happen.  There were a lot of moving parts!  We had to borrow four of the canoes from the Coast Guard Training Center.  The Keelty family brought their family canoe and transported three of the canoes we used.  Mr. Bell brought his motorboat and camped with the group even though his son was staffing the OA Ordeal at Camp Navarro. The Latrells and the Lococos drove up and back.  Finally Mr. Frazee and Ms. Lara went as additional adult leaders which allowed the troop to split the group for the trips to and from the campsite.  As I said, a lot of moving parts.

The outing started well with the group forming up and loading in good order and the trip to the lake held no surprises.  Then the real work began.  The canoes, life jackets, paddles and troop camping gear all had to be unloaded and then reloaded into Mr. Bell's boat when it was floated.  Then several of the leaders ran the motorboat to the site, unloaded the gear and ran back.  When the motorboat was back, everyone embarked and took off.  Predictably, the motorboat beat the canoes by a large margin even after taking several detours.

When everyone was together, the troop set up its camp and then had the afternoon to enjoy the water.  Mr. Bell gave several rides to groups of leaders and scouts while the canoes were busy on the water the whole afternoon.  The lake was fairly peaceful too.  This early in the season, there were only a handful of fishermen, a sailboat and a pair of wake boarders.

When the groups returned to camp there was an edible surprise for everyone.  At the New Scout Outing three weeks earlier, the Army unit at the other group campsite donated a case of MRE's for the scouts to try out.  Each tenting pair got to share one of the meals.  The reactions were everything from "Yummy" to "Nasty" depending on which meal they picked.  Then the real dinner commenced.  Afterwards, we had one of the best campfires of the year.

The next morning we were awoken at dawn by about a dozen bass boats streaking across the lake on the way to their favorite fishing holes.  The troop woke, packed and had breakfast.  With such an early start, we had time for a little training.  the senior scouts all picked a tree in camp and trained the junior scouts on the native plants in their area.

Then the canoe contingent took off while the boat contingent loaded the troop gear.  Despite the head start, the motorboat beat the canoes back by a large margin.  When they did arrive, the canoe crew unloaded the boat and sent it back for the rest of the troop.  We loaded everything and left.

On the way out, we began to realize how lucky we had been on our scheduling.  The warm weekend temperatures had brought the ski boats out!  While we only had a few boats to share the lake with on Saturday, as we drove out on Sunday, we were passed by a nonstop stream of boaters heading to the lake!

Participants:  Brian B. Andrew, Angelo, Andreas, Sean, Ben, Donte, Devon, Jeff, John-Robert, Owen, Joseph, Bryce, Carl

Leaders: Mr. Bell, Ms. Lara, Mr. Frazee, Mr. Polkinghorn

Lessons Learned:  Everyone loves water outings.  The outhouses at the camp are dark.  Falcons Nest campsite has a well marked trail to it while Broken Bridge does not.  MRE's can be great, or not.  Everyone wants to canoe and swim.  Early spring is fishing season.

Stirling Eagle Project

This last Sunday the troop gathered together at Analy High School to complete a eagle project for Stirling.

The troop assembled a composting system for the school to use in conjunction with their gardening, viticulture, farming and general campus clean-up activities.

Arriving at the site, the project didn't look very promising. The area was a junk heap piled with pallets, scrap wood, and overrun with weeds.  The troop dug right in and cleaned the site down to the bare earth.  Then assembly began in earnest.  Over the course of the day the compost bins came together and by the time we left, the first bay had been filled with green waste and manure to begin the process to convert it to rich compost.

In between steps of the process, the troop also cleaned the trash out of the lower parking lot.

Good job Troop 134 and great job Stirling coordinating this event!  We look forward to your Eagle Court of Honor!

Participants: Owen, Angelo, David, Joey, Jeff, Devon, Stirling, Adam, Bryce, Bryan L., Marcus, Joseph L.,

Leaders: Mr. Seitz, Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Bell, Mr. Franceschi, Ms. Lococo, Ms. O'Brien, Mr. Lara, Mr. Lara, Ms. Lara

Lessons Learned: There are a lot of projects to be done at this (and any) school.  Put signs out at the street.

2013 Camporee

After missing it for a year, camporee is back and back at Lake Sonoma!  As always it is just the best event on the schedule.  It may be the windiest too...

This years camporee was just like the ones before it.  Lot's of scout games, lot's of scout fun and a great campfire.  It's also a great time to reconnect with the other troops in the area which we may not see again till next Camporee.

The troop hadn't quiet gotten its preparations together by the time we had arrived, so Friday night was spent making patrol flags and Saturday morning in coloring in the merit badge medallions for the gateway.  Also on Friday night, our new troop T-shirts arrived!

The Scouts competed in a variety of scout skills including astronomy, fire building, obstacle course, pioneering, first aid, shooting sports, theater and many, many more.

In between, Troop 134 brought our our famous tug-of-war rope for some lunch time fun.

After the dust had settled (but before the wind picked it up again).  Everyone attended campfire for skits and handing out the ribbons.  Troop 134 brought some ribbons home for all their troubles too!

Afterwards, the troop returned to the campsite to share some dutch oven cobbler with the Webelos from Pack 134 who came to visit.

After surviving a windy night in the field, we packed up and headed back to town very satisfied.

Of note: one of our senior scouts, Marcus, was one of the OA members staffing the event!

Participants: Jeff, Eric, Owen, Matt, Donte, Devon, Daniel, James, Bryce, Adam, David, Brian, Joey, Zack, John, Andrew P., Andrew S., Ben, Gerrit

Leaders: Mr. Perez, Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Franceschi, Mr. Baier, Mr. Bell, Mr. Morris

Lessons Learned:  Don't bring weak tents to Lake Sonoma, prepare more ahead of time, Bring the BIG rope!

2013 New Scout Outing

Troop 134 paid it's annual pilgramage to the Lake Sonoma group campsites for yet another New Scout Outing.  This is a chance for our newly bridged scouts to get their first night in the field, find out why all the rest of the scouts talk so much about "The Rock," and get some of their first aid requirements signed off.

It's also a chance for our Star Scouts to do their EDGE training requirement and get that out of the way so they can make their way to Life Scout.  This year was more of a free for all as we only had one Star Scout at the camp out, so the whole troop took part (and did it well).

The outing turned out to be two outings, one good and one that met with some challenges.  The first day was wonderful.  After starting off damp, it cleared off to be a fantastic day.  The new scouts worked on their Second and First Class first aid achievements in between games of cards and magic with the older scouts.  Then after dinner the group went on a sunset hike and returned for the evening campfire and a troop dump cake!

In the night though, it rained and so packing up on Sunday was muddy and soggy and the new scouts had trouble with their breakfast.  Everyone survived, but it wasn't nearly as fun as the day before.  The highlight of the morning was a visit from members of a local Army unit who were testing equipment in the other group campsite. They brought a package of MRE's for the scouts to try out!

The group ended the trip by visiting the fish hatchery and viewing the enormous steelhead that were resident in the stream leading up to it.

Participants: Andrew S., Carl, Joseph, Zack, Clayton, Daniel, Eric, John, Joey, Gerrit, Bryce, Owen, Matt, Jeff, James

Leaders:   Mr. Baier, Mr. Morris, Mr. Frazee, Mr. Polkinghorn, Ms. Lara, Ms. Christensen, Mr. Franceschi

Lessons Learned:  Make sure that the new scouts have easy food to cook!  The fish sorting is at 10:40 sharp!

Pack 134 Bridging

This last Thursday, Troop 134 welcomed the last of it's new members of the season at the Pack 134 Bridging ceremony.  Pack 134 has members of the Order of the Arrow do the bridging ceremony and our very own OA rep Marcus was among the participants!  They did their usual superb job telling the story of Akalea and the Webelos tribe and the story of the Arrow of Light.

Then the boys were announced, advanced to the OA Archer who shot an arrow into the target, retrieved the arrow, shook the hands of the Cub Scout leaders, crossed the Pack bridge with the 12 points of the Scout Law engraved into it and then was received by their new troops.

This was also a graduation of sorts for two of the Boy Scouts.  For David and Matt, the dens that they were serving as Den Chief for were graduating, so it was the end of the line for them as well.

Now on to the adventure that is Boy Scouts!

Lessons Learned:  The OA Bridging ceremony is still the best around!

Participants: David, Matt, Bryce, Owen

Leaders:  Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Brisgel, Mr. Simmons, Mr. Bell

Mission Peak Backpacking Overnight

The Troop has hiked Mission Peak many times before.  After all, it's a Rim of the Bay hike!  So, we do it every two to three years no matter what.  This time was different.  This time we decided to backpack the peak!

On our last visit to the peak we noticed that there was a campground listed on the map and made a point to stay there the next time we assaulted the mountain.  Now, all of the Rimrovers peaks are tough climbs and Mission Peak is no exception.  It is 2000 feet of climbing in 3 miles of distance.  The day hike version of the climb can be all a new scout can handle.  Adding a full backpack to the mix would mean that this would be one of the toughest outings, if not THE toughest outing of the year!

The trip down was done in the standard Troop 134 fashion.  We missed the exit for Highway 37 for the third time in a row and had to backtrack.  On arrival to the Stanford Road parking lot, we found that the reports that parking was scarce were 100% accurate!  In a lucky stroke, by the time we finished unloading the backpacks, all three troop vehicles had found a parking spot.

After a brief break to refill water bottles, we started up the trail.  By lunch, we realized that the trail we had taken was the wrong one!  This wasn't a disaster.  There are two trails to the top and we had taken the left fork and not the right.  In end, we found that this might have been a better route.  It was slightly longer, so it wasn't quite so steep which was good as a couple of the scouts and a couple of the leaders were lagging behind the main group.  The gentler slope may have helped them.

Upon reaching the Eagle Springs Backpack Camp, we discovered that the drinking water listed on the map is marked at the pump as being untreated! Luckily, We had a filter pump for just such a chance, but it meant pumping all of the water we would use for the day.

It was while we were pumping water for the first time, we were approached by some hikers.  One of their party had collapsed on the trail.  We quizzed them and found that they had called 911 and were doing CPR. We told them that they were doing everything right and we really couldn't do anymore to help than they were doing already.  A short time later, the paramedics and ambulance arrived and transported the victim.  It really sank home the reason we practice first-aid!

As evening approached the Troop hiked the last half mile to the peak and watched the sun go down.  With the wind getting chill, we retreated to camp and our tents.  After the difficult hike, and with dark coming early, I didn't have to tell the scouts to go to bed.  They were already there.

The next morning, we rose early and started down the trail we were supposed to have taken the previous day.  It was magical.  The fog had moved in and we were walking into then clouds!  We did find the old advice that going down is harder than hiking up was true!  Most of the boys were also happy that we didn't have to hike up the steeper trail we took down the hill. Hiking down was bad enough!  Everyone made it back to the vehicles though and we turned north and headed home.  Mission (Peak) accomplished!

Lessons Learned: Stanford Road Parking is Drinking Water is listed on the map but is untreated.  The Horse Heaven / Peak Meadow trails are less traveled but steep.

Participants: Owen, Donte, Bryce, Gerrit, Brian, Joey, Joseph, Ben, Stirling, Angelo

Leaders: Ms. Lara, Mr. Lococo, Mr. Valdelomar, Mr. Seitz, Mr. Polkinghorn

Pack 333 Bridging

Troop 134 attended the Pack 333 Bridging Ceremony on Wednesday.

Several Scouts were on hand to welcome three new Boy Scouts into the Troop.

Welcome to our new troop members!

Lessons Learned:  Pack 333 is a great Pack!

Participants:  Zack, James, John-Robert, Marcus, Andrew

Leaders:  Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Bell

Scouting for Food

Troop 134 did it's signature event again this year manning the drop off for the Districts Scouting for Food event. and manning the hot dog BBQ!

The Troop sorted two and a half TONS of food that were delivered to the drop off.  There was so much food delivered this year, that the Food Bank had to send their truck back to get more bins.  Well done Pomo District!

In addition, this year, the Troop collected several hundred pounds of food to contribute to the total.

In addition to the regular troop members, we were joined by two of the Webelos that are bridging to the pack!

Lessons Learned:  Confirm with the older scouts if they will indeed be going to the event

Participants:  Johnny, John-Robert, Zack, Jordan, Owen, Payton, Bryce, Brian, Matt

Leaders: Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Laird

Orienteering Day / Knife, Axe and Saw

A bunch of outstanding requirements were signed off by the boys under First Class and one by a boy looking to make Life Scout.  Mr. Lococo held his annual Orienteering Day.  This has become a requirement for the Troop as the last two summer camps we attended did not include an orienteering course as a part of their Trail to First Class Program.  As a result, we had a number of boys who had this requirement outstanding and in some cases, was the only requirement holding up their advancement.

The group practiced their map and compass skills and then spent the next hour zig zagging over the grounds of Northwest Preparatory School following one of the four one mile courses.

After finishing the course, the group covered measuring heights and widths of objects and then moved to the second half of the program. One of our Star Scouts, needed to train junior scouts on a second or first class scout skill to advance to Life Scout, so Ben ran a Knife, Saw and Axe clinic after the orienteering was finished.  The boys learned how to safely handle and use knives, axes and saws.  Then they took the products of their efforts and built several different types of fires.  On a future outing, we will have to see if any of them will actually light.

Seeing as we had two Scoutmaster Conferences right after the event, I think we can call this one a great success!

Lessons Learned:  We need a bigger site for this.  Mr. Lococo's compass is 2 degrees off!

Participants: Ben, Joseph, Payton, Brian, Adam, Eric

Leaders: Mr. Lococo, Mr. Morris, Mr. Polkinghorn

Forestville 30 Mile Ride

The Troop completed the last of its 25 mile rides for the Cycling Merit Badge by repeating the 30 Mile ride to Forestville and back they did the previous Spring.  The reward at the mid point was a stop at Carr's Drive In for one of the best greasy burgers and fries in all of West County.

This was a beautiful ride starting at Olive Park in downtown Santa Rosa and then taking the Joe Redoda Trail along Highway 12 to Sebastopol where the group cut over to the West County Trail to tour through the forests and vineyards of Sebastopol, Graton and Forestville.  The first leg of the journey concluded with the fearsome final hill in Forestville which a few of the boys actually conquered this year.

After a delicious lunch, the group remounted their bikes and headed back down the trails to finish where they started at Olive Park. The twist on this leg of the journey was the group had to make it there in two hours.  This was to simulate the pace needed to complete the 50 mile ride in June in the required 8 hours.  The Troop made it just in time!

Next up, the final 50 Mile ride in June!

Lessons Learned: The boys will need to take more practice rides to build up their stamina to complete the 50 Miler in June.

Participants: Bryce, Owen, Gerrit, Payton, Johnny, Devon, Jordan

Leaders:  Mr. Polkinghorn and Mr. Polkinghorn (Sr.)

Triple Eagle Court of Honor

On January 30th, the Troop held what may be it's first ever Triple Eagle Court of Honor.  The court was held to recognize Adrian, Austin and Wesley for their accomplishment in achieving scouting's highest rank!  A fun and moving ceremony was presided over by Adrian's younger brother Ben.

Highlights of the ceremony included a fantastic retrospective video by Mr. Swam and a selection of dutch oven cobblers cooked by Mr. Franceschi!

Thanks to the families of the three young men for organizing a fabulous ceremony.

Participants:  Adrian, Austin, Wesley and pretty much the whole Troop!

Leaders:  Pretty much all of them!

First Aid Merit Badge

Mr. Morris held a First Aid Merit Badge session on the last two weekends of January.  What could be better than doing first aid in an actual fire station?  The participants learned basic first aid and CPR, and taught a first aid skill to the class.

Participants: Payton, Devon, Matt, Brian, Andrew, Johnny, Jeff, Jordan

Leaders:  Mr. Morris, Mr. Brisgel, Ms. Brisgel, Mr. Perez, Ms. Perez

West County 25 Mile Ride

The troop completed ride 5 of 7 for the Cycling Merit Badge by riding 25 miles through the picturesque vineyards and oak forests of West County.  In weather just touching the freezing point, the group started at the Scoutmasters house which conveniently sits on just about all of the West County cycling routes.   The troop then pedaled north towards the Sonoma County Airport, up through Windsor, west to Eastside road and then down to Riverfront Park.

At Riverfront, a BBQ lunch was waiting for the boys!

After recharging their batteries over lunch, the crew took to the road again, and dodging traffic, traveled south back to the Scoutmasters house.  With 25 miles in the books, the group collapsed into a heap!

Route

One more 25 mile ride and then the big 50 mile ride to go!

Participants:  Brian, Danny, Owen, Payton, Bryce, Devon

Adult Leaders:  Mr. Bell, Mr. Chidister, Mr. Polkinghorn

Lessons Learned:  Don't do a ride on a wine weekend, or a plan to finish it before noon.  Never try your new bike out first on a long ride!

Northwest Community Park Service Project

The Troop performed a service project for the Santa Rosa City Parks Department.  The dog run at Northwest Community Park was showing signs of overuse.  Heavy use from the neighborhood dogs had churned the turf into a muddy mess.  The Troop was tasked with spreading mulch over the damaged areas of the run so they would be protected from further damage.  In between runs from the dump truck, the Troop took time out to collect trash across the park.

Lessons Learned:  Spreading mulch is fun!  There are many Eagle Project possibilities at all of the local, regional, state and national parks.

Participants: Bryan, Brian, Joseph, Ben, Donte, Devon, Owen, Bryce, Matt, Joey, Adam

Leaders:  Mr. Lococo, Ms. Lococo, Mr. Polkinghorn, Mr. Brisgel, Mr. Franceschi,  Ms. Lara, Mr. Lara, Mr. Griffin