What an amazing celebration of the many accomplishments these young men have made since January! Thank you to all the family members who came to our Court of Honor–the room was packed, and it’s wonderful to see so much support for Troop 60 and Scouting.

Last night we recognized 14 Scouts, who completed 1 Eagle project, earned 6 rank advancements, finished 59 merit badges, and received 7 special awards since January:

Alex was recognized for winning the TFC Best in his Patrol award from camp and completing merit badges; Austin was recognized for completing his OA ordeal and merit badges; Caleb was recognized for earning his Life rank advancement and completing merit badges; Cody was recognized for winning the TFC Best in his Patrol award from camp and completing merit badges; Gabe was recognized for earning merit badges; Griffin was recognized for earning merit badges; Jacob was recognized for completing his OA ordeal and merit badges; JP was recognized for completing his Eagle project, earning Life rank advancement, and completing merit badges; John was recognized for earning Life rank advancement and merit badges; Koda was recognized for earning merit badges; Noah was recognized for earning merit badges; Sawyer was recognized for earning Second Class rank advancement and completing merit badges; Seth was recognized for earning Scout rank and completing merit badges; and Stephen was recognized for earning Star rank advancement, earning merit badges, and for wrangling for a second week at summer camp!

We have had a busy six months! We won three awards at the Iditarod campout in January, backpacked and camped overnight in Kisatchie in February, had a lock-in adventure at the Southern Stone Climbing Gym in March, hiked 8 miles of the Backbone Trail in April, and spent 6 nights camping at Garland Scout Ranch in June. Our Troop also logged more than 60 hours of community service since January, which is indicative of how these youth embody the “help other people at all times” aspect of the Scout Oath.

We will return to regular meetings on August 16th, when the Scouts will plan their year, and we have a mandatory Parent Meeting on August 30th. Please mark your calendars!

Have a lovely summer break.

11 Troop 60 Scouts spent the week at Kinsey Scout Ranch in Stonewall, earning merit badges ranging from Aviation to Welding and nearly everything in between! It was a busy week of swimming,climbing, sailing, camping, cooking, archery, rifle and shotgun shooting, ATV safety courses, first aid, mammal studies, space exploration, and general excitement. One Scout had a birthday, two Scouts held their Scoutmaster conferences, one sat a Board of Review, and two adult leaders were beaded for completing their Wood Badge service projects during camp too. Whew!

We will be celebrating all the Troop accomplishments, including their camp advancements, at our Court of Honor on Thursday, June 28th. Please sign up with our CoH Coordinator to contribute to our celebratory feast and remember that family members are welcome!

Last night, Scouts reviewed knots with ASM Nyle and then broke into patrols for a knot-tying competition! It was a close call, but with the fastest time of 5 minutes 30 seconds and after calculating points and deductions, a win for the PENGUINS! Congrats all.

JP would also like to thank all the Scouts who came out this week to help him with his Eagle Project, which is now complete and looks amazing:

Congrats JP for another step toward Eagle!

We won’t have a meeting next Thursday (June 21st) because we will be at Summer Camp. Our next meeting is our COURT OF HONOR celebration on June 28th and then we break until mid-August.

Bright and early Monday morning, in the sultry hot summer weather Natchitoches is known for, JP began his leadership and service Eagle project.

The Eagle Project is an important opportunity for a Life Scout to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of the community or organization other than the BSA. The Eagle Project is the culmination of ALL of the Scout’s leadership training and experience in Scouting. JP designed improvements to St. Anthony’s Church outdoor area, and the work is underway.

Work continues through the rest of the week, so all Troop 60 Scouts are encouraged to attend and help!

At the June 7th meeting, Troop 60 Scouts finished up the last of the Environmental Science merit badge requirements. JP led the Troop through the steps of an environmental impact statement using his Eagle project as a model idea, and Caleb gave a presentation about the role of Boy Scouts in environmental history and sustainability. (If you missed a meeting, check Scoutbook and previous weeks’ updates for what you missed and visit with our Advancement Chair.)

Announcements:

JP is beginning his Eagle Project installation on Monday at 8:00 am at St. Anthony’s on 5th St and invites all available Scouts to help. Bring a shovel, gloves, and water!

Scouts attending summer camp can find the packing list and other information in our Forms and Files link above, as well as the Medical Form if theirs needs to be updated before camp. More information will come by email to campers.

Next week is our last regular meeting of the year. After Camp we will celebrate all the Scouts accomplishments since January at our June 28th Court of Honor! Amanda is organizing celebratory contributions of food and drinks, so please sign up with her.

Thanks for all you do in support of Troop 60!

BEES!!!!! Tonight Troop 60 continued on their journey through the Environmental Science badge by learning about pollination and bees. They learned about beekeeping and how bees help the environment through pollination. They also learned about career options in the world of Environmental Science.

Next week, we will be completing our Environmental Science badge by revisiting the two plotted areas on the church grounds to see any ecosystem changes and creating an environmental impact plan for a given construction plan. This will come in handy for our Scouts because we have two currently working on their Eagle Scout Projects. Keep up the great work, Scouts!