Scoutmaster Minute, 27 February 2024

As many of you know, this week we lost Ms. Ellie Pekala. A longtime member of Troop 1396's Committee, Ms. Ellie, as she was known to so many, was a fixture at Eagle Scout projects. Because she was so pleased with the impact of Scouts and Troop 1396 on her son Aaron, Ms. Ellie committed to bringing several dozen doughnuts to any Troop 1396 Eagle Project so the project would start off on the right foot. Now these were not any old doughnuts, these were the colossal Shoppers doughnuts. There is not even a Shoppers in Lake Ridge; the closest Shoppers is in Montclair. She would not only get up early in the morning to drive and pick these up, but she would deliver regardless of where the project was, which sometimes meant Fredericksburg or Mount Vernon, and have them there before the project was to start. As long as she was aware of the project, she was going to be there – you could count on it. She did not do this for recognition or fanfare; she did this out of love and devotion to a program that she found so instrumental in making a positive impact in the community and individual lives of Scouts who would go on to do great things. She remains an inspiration. We mourn the loss of Ms. Ellie, but we celebrate the lady and volunteer she was in life. At the end of the day, all we leave is our reputation and Ms. Ellie commanded a stellar one. May God grant solace to both her family and us as we reconcile her passing.

A Scout is Loyal.

Scoutmaster Minute -- 20 February 2024

You need sleep. We all need sleep. Sleep is necessary for living, but we consistently cut ourselves short. Yet, most people would say that they enjoy sleep. Lack of sleep is more detrimental to young people. Johns Hopkins pediatrician Dr. Michael Crocetti says that teens need 9 to 9.5 hours of sleep a night, an hour more than they did at 10 years old, because of a second developmental stage of cognitive maturation and to support growth spurts.

What causes lack of sleep? Often it is because we do not let ourselves shut down. Too much caffeine, particularly in the afternoon or evening, keeps the body from being able to sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that caffeine use is increasing among adolescents, and this is negatively influencing sleep and other behaviors. Another widely reported reason that we are not sleeping well is overexposure to electronics, to include right before bed. The brightness of our screens mimics the intensity of the light we see during the day and this suppresses melatonin and throws off our circadian rhythms.

What happens if we do not get enough sleep? Quite simply, we do not perform to 100%. Moreso, it affects our health by causing depression, an increased risk of obesity, and higher rates of accidents due to drowsiness. Sleep deprived people tend to have issues controlling mood swings and sometimes make poor decisions.

I encourage you to think about how much sleep you get and consider if that is enough. Take an honest look at caffeine consumption and electronics use and assess if that is negatively impacting your ability to get a good night's rest. It is hard to beat the feeling of waking up rested. Getting good sleep helps you operate at 100%.

I will keep myself physically strong and mentally awake.

Scoutmaster Minute -- 13 February 2024

In these days, but particularly in the winter, there are two words that no one wants to hear: infectious and contagious. Yet, I submit that "infectious" and "contagious" are not always a bad thing. For example, do you know someone that has an infectious smile? What about the person whose enthusiasm is contagious? Tonight we have voted on fellow Scouts for inclusion into the Order of the Arrow, Scouting's honor society. We have placed a vote for those who we think best exemplify living the Scout Oath and Law and carrying our cheerful service. May their example prove contagious within our Troop and help to infect all of us to continue to live a life according to the Scout Oath and Law.

A Scout is Cheerful.

Scoutmaster Minute -- 7 February 2024

It is an odd term – "fashionably late." It is weird because it is not fashionable to be late, at all. Be it a dinner party where the host or hostess has worked for hours to prepare an extravagant meal or an appointment where the other person has blocked precious time to meet with someone, time that could be spent with someone else. In some cases, being late is such an epidemic that hosts plan for delayed starts to their events.

Well, let's clear the air – it is not fashionable. It is rude. It is true that sometimes we cannot help being late because of a traffic accident or an emergency, but chronic lateness says one of two things. It is either a) I have poor self-discipline and cannot pre-plan my actions so I can arrive on time, or b) I do not care to arrive on time, because other people's time does not matter to me.

If you find that being late is becoming your modus operandi, I encourage you to examine why that is so and make changes to be on time. Promptness is the hallmark of the gentleman. It goes without saying that the label of the prompt arriver carries a much better reputation than that of the habitually late. Being on time shows that you have it together and that you care.

A Scout is Courteous.