Dear Parents and Friends of Scouting:

The best things in life are simple. The most useful tool I picked up in my Scouters training is a simple slogan, “Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan.” With this in mind, I feel honored and enthusiastic about serving as Troop Committee Chair. I also feel privileged to work with the other volunteers, who so graciously donate their valuable time to making sure your Scouts have the best Scouting experience possible.

The planning of weekly Troop activities begins with the Patrol Leaders Council. The boys determine what merit badges they want to go after, how the meetings will be organized to accomplish that goal, and the outdoor activities needed to put knowledge into action. Larry and Dave provide oversight to this process and then bring the plan to the Troop Committee.

The Troop Committee is responsible for approving the plan and providing the support to get it done. The Committee is the liaison between the Chartering Organization (The Lake Grove Lions Club) and the Troop. It also ensures that the Troop complies with all the requirements of the BSA Program and the Council. The Committee plans and carries out fundraising activities to get the needed resources. It is responsible that the Scouts have the gear needed for safe and hassle-free outings, it coordinates parent volunteers for fundraising, for transportation, and for Boards of Review. In short, the Committee is charged with giving the Scouts all they need to “work their plan.”

It is a lot of work and my goal is to spread it out evenly. You all have ideas that can benefit the Troop. Standing together, we are our greatest resource. >From a more practical standpoint, having all the work done by just a few parents or volunteers quickly leads to “burnout,” and this does not serve the Scouts well at all. The bulb sale was brought up in our last meeting and illustrates this point perfectly. It was well intentioned, but too many parents – myself included, I am ashamed to say – stood on the sidelines hoping someone else would run with the ball.

Larry and Dave, Doug, Andi and Lynda, (just to mention a few) are doing a fantastic job and I congratulate them wholeheartedly. But I also have to ask the question, how much more could be accomplished with all our help in “planning the work and working the plan.” This Troop is capable of great things and who would doubt that we could give any better gift to our Scouts.

Our next Troop Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 10 at 7:30 at my house (5055 SW Dawn). Anyone is welcome to attend, though I am not asking for that. What I do ask is that you call me or any of the other Committee members and voice your concerns, ask questions, and share your ideas. I also ask that when we call you asking for help – which we will be doing – you step up to the plate and say “Yes.” After all, we are all here to serve the Scouts.

Charlie was kind enough to volunteer to put out a monthly newsletter. We decided the newsletter should be our forum. We want you to know what we are doing and we need to know what you want us to be doing. Your input is always welcome. You can reach me at 620-5306 or by E-mail at biggmac@teleport.com.

Thank you for an opportunity to serve.
Bruce McDonald
Troop Committee Chair

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Page created Tuesday, January 26, 1999 10:25:27 PM