Page 40 - Final Annual Report 2020

Sherborn Boy Scouts - Troop 1
Annual Report - 2020

A. Troop Programs and Activities:

As with every organization in the country, the Covid-19 pandemic challenged every function and activity of Troop
1 in 2020. Our Scoutmaster, Doug Peterson, and all of our adult leaders worked tirelessly to adapt and modify our
program to retain Scouts and preserve the leadership, outdoors, and fun activities as much as possible. This effort
was critical in the lives of our young Scouts who also experienced virtual classrooms at school and other
restrictions that were extremely frustrating and discouraging. It often meant that we could not conduct in-person
activities at all; but adapting is a leadership lesson to the extreme . . . so, for example, the boys organized a virtual
campout chatting via Zoom.
Despite the pandemic, Sherborn continues to enjoy an active and engaged Boy Scout Troop with the support of
Pilgrim Church, our Chartered Organization, and the Sherborn community at large. Our Scouts performed many
civic duties including participating in Town events like a virtual Memorial Day parade and leading many Eagle
projects entailing community service work. We now have 5 Scouts who have attained the rank of Eagle Scout in
the past 18 months, including: Andrew Guillette, Joey Scrimshaw-Hall, Oren Wiemeyer, Pierce Gregory, and
Logan Lancaster. Bradley Peterson and Jack Worcester have also recently submitted Eagle Rank applications and
are awaiting an Eagle Board of Review. We hope to hold an in-person Eagle Court of Honor in the near future, but
we may need resort to a virtual one.

The following are highlights of our Troop’s monthly activities for 2020:
• January – Troop 1 attended the Mayflower Council Freeze-Out Campout at Camp Resolute. They excelled
st
rd
in the Freeze-Out events, collecting 1 place finishes in Cross the Creek and 2 Man Cross Cut Saw, a 3 place
finish in Fire Starting, and winning the Klondike Derby Sled Race (out of more than 30 Troops competing!).
• February The Troop continued working on advancements. Younger Scouts received a primer on the merit
badge process, and senior Scouts conducted leadership position check-in’s with Scout Leaders. Scouts worked
on several of the requirements of the Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge, including discussing the
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Amendments to the Constitution, and the principles of our
government.
• March – Scouts worked on the Scholarship Merit Badge and were encouraged to bring a copy of their latest
report card. Requirement of the MB is that a Scout shows improvement in a particular class from one
marking period to another. Town cleanup was discussed as an opportunity for Scouts to help our community
and to get service hours. The Troop continued working on rank advancements. Star and Life Scouts
attended a meeting to hear our Eagle Scout Rank Advancement Chair, Dr. Theresa Shanahan, explain the
process. Finally, Joey Scrimshaw-Hall and Oren Weimeyer passed their Eagle Boards of Review and
achieved the Rank of Eagle Scout. Congratulations to both Scouts on their extremely worthwhile
achievement.

• April – Scouts joined a Zoom Town meeting focused on Coronavirus Protocol and later interviewed Town
Select Board member, Jeff Waldron, with help from Greg Kennan, for the Citizenship in the Community
merit badge. In our first Virtual Scout meeting, Scouts met to discuss how to apply the Scout Oath and Law
within virtual meetings for both Scouts and school. They also worked on some merit badges and rank
advancements.

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