Scouts, Scouters, and Parents:
As many of you have read from Mr. Bortner's Troop Committee Meeting minutes, effective last Thursday, the National Capital Area Council has cancelled all summer camps. This affects us because we had planned to go to Camp Bowman (part of NCAC's Goshen Scout Reservation) when the Cradle of Liberty Council cancelled the summer program for Ressica Falls. Our summer-camp Campmasters and other key adult leaders have a meeting tonight to explore options. Please remain patient as we work through this together.
Many of you are working merit badges during the isolation. Please continue to push requests to start to me or give me a call. I will grant permission via email and follow-up with an ink signature once we reconvene. I have had a few questions on Blue Cards for merit badge work. Attached is a .pdf version of the Blue Card you can use. If your MB counselor has given you something else, do not worry as we will transcribe to a Blue Card. When we start to meet back in person, we will dedicate a suitable amount of time just to process Blue Cards. If you need a MB counselor, please contact ASM Sue Straka at sue.straka@troop1396.org, as she also serves as our MB Coordinator.
Communication is key during this time. Note that you can reach every registered Scout and leader in the Troop by putting firstname.lastname@troop1396.org. This email address serves as a distribution list as it is affiliated with whatever email addresses the Scout and parent or adult leader wants to associate with it. For me and several other adult leaders, it forwards emails to both work and home email addresses. For Scouts, it has at least one parent's email address associated with it so we are compliant with BSA Youth Protection policy. Unless you have something that needs to go out to the whole Troop, please do not use the members@troop1396.org address (distribution list) as it goes to 250+ different email addresses associated with our 60+ Scouts, 55+ Scouters and many, many parents. If you do have email for the whole Troop, put this address in the Blind Courtesy Copy (Bcc) address column in an email so that responses go only to you and not the whole Troop. If you have any questions please contact me, Committee Chair Tom Bortner at tom.bortner@troop1396.org or ASM John Malich at john.malich@troop1396.org, as he also serves as our Troop Webmaster.
This week's Scoutmaster Minute:
Portions of the Commonwealth of Virginia are entering Phase 1 of reopening after social distancing measures due to COVID-19. Yet, Prince William County and other localities in Northern Virginia remain in Phase 0, as elected officials and medical experts report we have yet to hit our plateau with cases. Supporting that argument, current statistics show that the top-two Virginia zip codes for COVID-19 positive cases are here within Prince William County. This is frustrating because we have been in some semblance of social distancing for more than two months. Like a prisoner seeing his cellmate getting paroled, it is hard not to be envious of our neighbors to the south who are enjoying eased restrictions. Yet I ask you to not give up hope -- our time will come and soon enough we will emerge from this. Do not grow complacent -- continue to protect yourself, your family, and your community. Continue to pray for those who have been affected across the globe, pray for our Nation, and pray for a vaccine. Do not be despondent -- keep your faith that tomorrow will bring a better day. A positive outlook is infectious and serves to spread hope to others. A Scout is Cheerful; a Scout is Reverent.
Yours in Scouting,
Doug Henry
Scoutmaster, Troop 1396
Chartered by St. Matthew's Lutheran Church
doug.henry@troop1396.org