Monthly Archives: April 2020
A Big Thank-You!
Saying thank you is important, both to you as well as to all of our Scouting volunteers. Without this support Scouting would not thrive in our communities or across our nation.
It is also important to recognize and thank all of the first responders and medical professionals who are working tirelessly on our behalf so that we can all return to the things we love and appreciate.
We look forward to seeing you soon on the Scouting trail!
Scouting From Home
The Patriots’ Path Council website has a new page specifically designed to help Scouts and their units navigate these challenging times. Please be sure to check out our new “Scouting From Home” web page. You can find it at the following link: https://ppcbsa.org/programs/scoutingfromhome/
On this page we will be uploading useful tips and documents to help provide Scouting opportunities and activities from the comfort of your own home.
Cub Scout packs will find fun adventures for each cub rank and Scouts BSA troops will find online merit badge class opportunities. Please share this page with your units and let them know that Scouting continues, even while we are stuck at home!
Eagle Scout Recognition and Reunion Dinner
The 2021 Eagle Scout Recognition and Reunion Dinner will be held Wednesday, January 6, 2021, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Hanover Marriott, 1401 Route 10 East, Whippany, New Jersey.
The dinner will honor the 2020 Eagle Scout Class and the 2021 Eagle Hall of Fame inductees.
Formal invitations with complete details will be sent out in November 2020.
For more information, contact Jennifer Volz at 973-765-9322, ext. 249, or [email protected].
Do a Good Turn Daily
During this time many Scouts and leaders are doing “Good Turns.”
Whether it is helping a sibling with school work, helping a neighbor, checking on family and friends or donating items or time, share your pictures with us so we can share the “Good Turns” with our Scouting family.
Email photos to Linda Cummings, community service chairperson, at [email protected]
Community Service Opportunities Still Available
During this difficult time many people are looking for ways to help. As Scouts and Scout families, we want to do a good turn. Many ways that we have traditionally helped are not possible right now, but you can still help while following the safe Scout guidelines as well as local and national guidelines.
Food Banks: Many food banks are not accepting drop-offs, but they are accepting online donations, and some are accepting delivered groceries. When restrictions have lifted many food banks will be depleted and looking for donations. You could tentatively plan and notify your unit that you will be collecting at the first in-person den meeting, pack meeting or troop meeting.
Helping Elderly Neighbors: You can call to check on your neighbors or talk to them from a safe distance. If they need groceries and your family can help, it would help keep them safer since they are at a high-risk group. You could even set up an online account and have food delivered to them since many may not have computers. With permission you could do some yard clean-up.
Be Kind: Delivery drivers are making sure that items that we order are being delivered. Consider leaving them some goodies to take when making a delivery to your house and a thank-you note.
A few years ago, the Kindness Rocks Project was a viral trend where people, commonly children, painted rocks and put them out in the community. You could surprise a neighbor by leaving a painted rock in their yard.
If Scouts have younger cousins or friends, they could help with homework or read a book to them via FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, etc. Everyone must follow BSA youth protection and BSA social media guidelines.
If you have any ideas on how to help or hear of any family or community outreach program needing help, please contact Linda Cummings, PPC community service committee chairperson, at [email protected].
If you are doing any service, please send Linda pictures so she can share them with our Scouting family. Pictures cannot include any Scouts’ names
Use BSA Neckerchief to Help Stop Spread of Virus
The CDC recommends the use of cloth face coverings in community settings to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 based on the following reasoning:
- There is a growing body of evidence that people who are infected can spread the virus before they develop symptoms or in the absence of symptoms.
- Wearing a cloth face covering may help prevent the spread of the virus by people who are infected and do not know it.
In addition to the CDC recommendation, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that he is now requiring all employees and shoppers at the essential businesses still open in New Jersey to wear face coverings until further notice to help fight the coronavirus outbreak.
We would like to take this opportunity to encourage all our members to use the BSA neckerchief for this purpose. You can demonstrate Scout preparedness and pride while satisfying the requirement.
Flintlocks and MACC Work Together to Build Quonset Hut
The Flintlocks and the Mount Allamuchy Construction Corps (MACC) worked together to build a Quonset hut storage building at Mt. Allamuchy Scout Reservation last year. The building is used to store the ATVs owned by the council, and for winter storage of the camp’s tent boxes and cots. It is located at Camp Somers near the parade field.
Pictured from left are George Van Dyke, Chris Kennett and Frank Wallace after working on the Quonset hut at Camp Somers.
The dimensions of the Quonset hut are 24 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 18 feet high. MACC put together the metal frame in the fall of 2018. The Flintlocks started working on this project at Allamuchy on Wednesdays starting in April 2019, and finished the project in August 2019.
The story goes that someone ordered a metal Quonset hut kit for his residential backyard, but, after it was delivered, he discovered that it was not allowed by his town building zoning. Since he could not use it, and could not return it, he donated it to the Boy Scouts of America, Patriot’s Path Council. It sat unused at Allamuchy for over a decade. In 2018 Chris Szymczak and Russ Jenkins, who are members of both the Flintlocks and the MACC, and Flintlocks Frank Wallace, George Van Dyke, Al Thomas and Harold Bork decided that it should finally be built.
Examining the kit, they found a stack of 56 steel parts and four buckets containing over 6,000 nuts and bolts, but no instructions! (Real men don’t need to read the instructions anyway). The building is made up of eight steel arches, each of which is assembled by bolting together seven curved steel segments. Chris Szymczak is an engineer and helped to design and organize the construction. Chris, Frank and Russ went to MASR on the regular MACC weekend to instruct the MACC volunteers how to assemble the frame. The MACC assembled the massive metal frame over two weekends in October and November 2018. Then, working from April through August 2019, the Flintlocks constructed the front wall, back wall, doors, windows, trim, fixtures and lofts.
They decided to put sliding barn doors on the front and back to make easy access for the ATVs. There are two windows above the doors both front and back for some natural illumination. The front and back walls were made out of pressure treated decking, so they should last in the weather for many years. An electrical junction box was placed on a pole nearby because the Flintlocks plan to install inside lighting next year.
First the guys built inside framing to reinforce the metal structure. One difficult part was installing the beams, which were 24 feet long and weighing 300 pounds each. The Flintlocks constructed the beams by layering 2 x 8s with plywood then 2x6s underneath, and bolting the three layers together. The beams needed to be slightly cambered so that when loaded, they would settle down straight. Al Thomas brought his farm jack that can lift heavy objects up to 12 feet, which was used to lift the 300-pound beams into place.
The MACC spent two weekends working on the Quonset hut: October 20, 2018, and November 3, 2018. MACC members who participated included President Carl Zipper, Rachel Adams, Ryan Gallagher, James Hitchings, Russ Jenkins, Doug Jenkins (and his young son Andy Jenkins), Sean Johnson, Emily Locke, Matt McGuinness, Patrick McGuinness, Tom Mauriello, Sam Minetti, Tom Peterson, Brendan Stokes (and his dog Moose) and Chris Szymczak
The Flintlocks working on the project were Harold Bork, Chris Kennett, Russ Jenkins, Randy Johnson, Ed Sharpless, Chris Szymczak, Al Thomas, George Van Dyke and Frank Wallace. MACC guys coming on Wednesdays were Barry Bird, Leo Redmond and Tom Mollica. The volunteers came up to the camp on Wednesdays from April through August to complete this project.
The Quonset Hut is a big improvement to the camp, and will provide storage for many years to come. This is a good example of how the volunteer organizations work together to help the Patriot’s Path Council, Boy Scouts of America, offer outstanding outdoor experiences.
The Flintlocks are a 501c3 with 27 retired Scouters and meet every Thursday at Camp Winnebago. We are currently closed due to the COVID-19 virus shutdown. Check the Facebook Page “Flintlocks” for updates, or contact Flintlocks Secretary Dr. D. Michael Hart at [email protected].
MACC is a co-ed group of MASR staff alumni and other friends of the camp ages 18 and up who volunteer one weekend a month at the Allamuchy Scout Reservation. For info contact MACC President Carl Zipper at [email protected].
Wood framing was used to reinforce the metal structure of the hut.
The Quonset hut at Camp Somers begins to take shape.
The two windows above the sliding barn doors help bring in natural light.
Flintlocks Review Year, Elect New Officers
Treasurer Jack Trainor balances the books.
Last year the group completed 13 major projects at Camp Winnebago; 14 more major projects at Mt. Allamuchy Scout Reservation, including obtaining a grant and building the STEM lab trailer; sent a team to Sabattis for a work week and completed 3 projects there; completed projects to help the summer day camps and Scout shops; and made 780 Pinewood Derby cars for special needs children. The Flintlocks volunteered 5,616 hours, representing 936 man-days of work in 2019.
In addition to building and maintaining the camps, the Flintlocks volunteered in many council programs including Nobel Cause, University of Scouting, Electives Extravaganza, Cubelos (both spring and fall), Grandparent and Cub Day, Cub Wood Tools Day, LEDR Day and Toys for Tots toy collections.
Awards included the following: Silver Beavers were presented to John Trainer III, Joseph Schott and John Koneski, and in 2020, Frank Wallace. More than half of the Flintlocks have Silver Beaver Awards. Trailblazer Awards were presented to Bob Germinder in 2019 and Michael Hart in 2020. John Kazazis and Michael Hart each received their veterans awards for 10 and 20 years respectively.
The following Flintlocks were elected to office for the coming year: John Koneski for president; George Van Dyke for vice president; Jack Trainor for treasurer; and Dr. D. Michael Hart for secretary. Trustees elected were Frank Wallace, Bob Pysher, Ted Marquardt and Bob Germinder.
The Flintlocks are a 501c3 and are dedicated to helping the Patriot’s Path Council, but they also like to have fun. Currently they have 27 retired Scouters. They meet every Thursday at Camp Winnebago, in the first building on the right. Guests are always welcome. The Flintlocks are currently shut down for the current coronavirus emergency; watch the Facebook Page “Flintlocks” to see when they open again.
Pictured from left in the front row are President John Koneski, Secretary Dr. D. Michael Hart and Vice President George Van Dyke. Pictured from left in the back row are trustees Ted Marquardt, Bob Pysher Frank Wallace and Bob Germinder. Not pictured is Treasurer Jack Trainor.
Pictured from left in the front row are Jeff Huppert, Randy Johnson, John Koneski, Joe Schott and Bob Carlson.
Pictured from left in the back row are Bill Debiec, Frank Wallace, Bob Pysher, Chuck Hoeckele, Ted Marquardt, Jim Van Haasteren, Bob Germinder, John Kazazis, George Van Dyke, Chris Kennett, Bob Silbernagel and Peter Aivars.
