Despite this time of COVID-19 constraints, Troop 1889 Scouts and Scouters figured out a way to safely conduct its first in-person Troop event on August 24th – an outdoor Court of Honor! The Troop held their CoH safely in the picnic pavilion at Richland Baptist Church, Troop 1889’s Sponsoring Organization. As Baden-Powell, the Founder of Scouting said: “Don’t give up because you do not find everything you need made to order at your hand, but take what you have, use your wits and make the most of it.” And this is exactly what Troop 1889 Scouts did!
This picture captures a very “2020” Scouting event with all Scouts safely positioned along with Scoutmaster James Maxfield and Assistant Scoutmasters Amanda Howard and Jorge Roca.
The motivation to find a way to safely gather to celebrate Scouting accomplishments was very strong because, since the last time the Troop had been able to meet in-person, all of Troop 1889’s Scouts had advanced in rank! All six new Scouts (Bobby, Jake, Jackson, Alex, David, and Matthew) who had crossed over into the Troop in February earned their Scout ranks, three Scouts earned Second Class rank (Tyler, Benny, and James), and two Scouts completed all the requirements for becoming First Class Scouts (Daniel and Wesley).
Scouts Benny & James teamed up to be the CoH Emcees and the Scoutmaster, James Maxfield, and Senior Patrol Leader, Daniel, also presented Troop 1889’s Scouts with all the Merit Badges they had earned during on-line summer camps – another great example of finding ways to take advantage of other BSA learning opportunities during this challenging time.
Congratulations to a Troop of Scouts who exemplify Baden-Powell’s message on persevering: “When things look bad, just smile and sing to yourself, as the thrush sings: ‘Stick to it, stick to it, stick to it’, and you will come through all right. A very great step to success is to be able to stand disappointments.” There is no stopping cheerful and determined Scouts like these from Troop 1889 – SCOUT ON!
