Keeping with the communications received from the School District, Scouts BSA, the County health department and our Troop’s health and safety in mind, all Troop events and activities are canceled till end of Spring break – Apr 10th. We will be assessing the situation at the end of March and keep you informed of when we will resume as a Troop to have meetings and events.   Does this mean that the New Scout Campout is canceled? Yes, we will postpone this event until it is safe to have the campout and send out a communication accordingly.   What about Patrol meetings, Merit Badge sessions and Patrol Campouts? Keeping your safety in mind, it is recommended that you postpone your events/meetings until advised.   What about SM conferences, and BORs? These are postponed as of now to April 2020; please stay tuned for further communication on this.   What about the Mar 30th COH? This event is also canceled; the new date for the next COH will be announced.   The current leadership term is ending in April. Will this jeopardize my leadership term? No, your record is being kept track of on the website. Please track your activities on the leadership form and meet with your mentors for any questions.   What about Eagle projects that have been scheduled? Scouts who are working on their Eagle projects will be advised by their Eagle advisors on next steps and will continue to work under their guidance.   Can you please remind me of how to stay healthy and safe in this situation? The best ways for all Contra Costa residents to reduce their risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 are: Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds Cover coughs or sneezes with disposable tissue or the crook of an elbow Stay home from school or work when you are sick Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us. Thank you for listening, Yours in Scouting, Smitha Panchumarthy Daman Singh Ronnie Payne Shanthi Subramanian.

Manyu Kamran was inspired to make a shelf and help organize the Hayward Animal Shelter by his passion for animals. He has always loved animals and wanted to help those in need. The shelf Manyu was planning to make would be 5 feet tall, 6 feet wide, and 2 feet in depth. The project was split into two days, one for painting and sanding the shelf, and the other for construction.   Everything went well and the scouts worked efficiently. Manyu faced some challenges and he learned to be more prepared for any situation that may arise. There was also a third day where Manyu and a few other scouts from a different troop transported the shelf and helped organize their dog play area entirely. This shelter is underfunded and understaffed, and this project helped them stay organized. Overall, the project was a great success.  

Rohan’s Eagle Project was to build 4 slatted wooden benches that were going to be given to Meadow Homes Elementary School in Concord. He found out about the school since it was Coyote Creek’s sister school. The problem that they had was that they didn’t have benches for the students to sit on during lunch. He worked with the principal of the school to make sure his project went successfully. The only issue that Rohan had run into was a lack of older scouts to help him as he had numerous power tools that could only be operated by scouts who are 14 years of age or older. Overall the project went very smoothly. The instructions were clear, the work was done on time, and the benches turned out well. They were also later installed at the school by screwing them into the blacktop.

The wood badge program is a leadership program for adult leaders around the world. It was founded by Robert Baden-Powell himself back in 1919. The course itself attempts to make Scouters better leaders through different activities, such as listening and managing conflict. It is important for adult leaders to complete this training because it teaches advanced leadership skills while creating a commitment to the Scout movement. The wood badge also helps leaders learn how to do certain things, such as managing conflict, leading change, coaching & mentoring, leadership for different stages, project planning, and more. The benefits of completing the Wood Badge include a stronger troop, a fun experience, and a deeper understanding of Scouting. Adults in Troop 888 can now click here to register for Woodbadge. Weekend 1 Camp Herms Friday 09-18-2020 7:00 AM PT to Sunday 09-20-2020 5:00 PM PT Weekend 2 Camp Herms Saturday 10-10-2020 7:00 AM PT to Sunday 10-11-2020 5:00 PM PT Click here for more information about Woodbadge in our district.

Thank you for visiting Troop 888. Here is the slide deck we used at our meeting. Download here  

Troop 888 is organizing a picture day 10/21/2019 – thank you Clarissa Adas Please come in Class A. Here is a link to pre-order your photos https://preorder.groupphotographers.com/#/wo/701971

Scoutbook is the BSA’s online unit management tool and helps Scouts, parents and leaders track advancement and milestone achievements along the Scouting trail. As of January 1, 2019, Scoutbook subscriptions are free to all scouting units. Units that already use Scoutbook won’t be charged when they renew their subscription on or after Sept. 1, 2018. See the FAQs about this change. Scoutbook user guides are available at: http://bit.ly/scoutbook Are you a Scout or a Parent of a scout? Try out the Scouting Mobile App for Individual Advancement tracking. This free app is available for both iPhone and Android devices. Search for “Scouting BSA” in the Apple App Store or Google Play and download today!

JOTA/JOTI 2019: Jamboree on the Air / Jamboree on the Internet Jamboree-on-the-Air Room: Bishop Ranch, Salon F Date: Saturday, October 19, 2019; Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Place: PACIFICON, San Ramon Marriott, 2600 Bishop Drive, San Ramon, CA Cost: $10 includes JOTA patch and general admission into the Pacificon Scouting activities for Cub Scout and Boy Scouts (ONLY for Youth in full uniform or adult leader accompanying Scouts in full uniform). Kit building has additional cost (see below). Registration: Registration required at: http://www.mdscbsa.org/ For Boy Scouts & Venturers: Plan to spend about 1-2 hours for a docent-led tour of the event, including listening (and possibly talking) to Ham Radio operators around the country and world. We will also have computers for the JOTI online communications. Come any time between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.