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Archive for February, 2008

James Frederick Christopherson

Posted by tim_hedge on February 26th, 2008 filed in Eagles, 2005 Eagles






Biography

    James joined Cub Scouts while a second-grader at Walter Hays Elementary.  His Den was more like a co-op with multiple Den Mothers looking after at least a dozen boys.  After reaching his Weblos rank, James took a year off before joining Troop 57 as a 12-year old.  He advanced quickly and held the positions of Patrol Leader and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader.  He was elected to Senior Patrol Leader in June 2002.  He was nominated by his fellow scouts to be one of the new members in the re-vitalized Order of the Arrow program.  James was also appointed by Bob Cory to the rank of Junior Assistant Scoutmaster.  His favorite camping experiences include rock-climbing at Bear Valley, kayaking in the Elkhorn Slough, three tours at Camp Oljato and his favorite — the annual ski-trip. Many boys in the troop and their families know James as a frequent umpire in Palo Alto Little League.  James has coached youth sports teams for many different organizations including the 8th grade Jordan Boys team, a NJB Boys team that went to the State Tournament in San Diego and even a Second grade girls’ team through the YMCA. 

    James was recently awarded the PA Weekly’s Scholarship for Community Service for his many contributions.  He has worked as a section editor for Paly’s award-winning school paper — the Campanile.  He plans to pursue his interests in Journalism and Sports Marketing at the University of Oregon in the Fall. 

Eagle Project

    James’ Eagle Project was painting two large maps on the blacktop at Beechwood School in Menlo Park. Beechwood serves low-income minority families from the surrounding communities.  One map was of the entire United States, neatly colored with several different colors.  The other map was of the entire world and also was neatly painted with several colors.  Overall, work crews as large as fifteen people completed the project in four days.  The labor that was required to complete the project included power washing, chalking out the borders from the stencil, and lots of painting.  The maps are used as an interactive part of the geography curriculum at Beechwood.

Christopher R.G. Reade

Posted by tim_hedge on February 26th, 2008 filed in Eagles, 2005 Eagles






Biography

Chris is a native of the Bay Area, and his family’s roots are here in Palo Alto and with Troop 57. His father, Evan, was a member of the Troop and his uncle, Ray Nasr, earned his Eagle with Troop 57 in 1978. However, Palo Alto and Troop 57 are not the only scouting experiences Chris has known.

His family is in the Foreign Service, so he has lived in many countries. Chris began scouting as a Tiger Cub in Tunisia! He returned to Arlington to finish Cub Scouts and joined Troop 638 in Virginia. Back in North Africa, Morocco, he advanced to Star with Troop 509 of the Transatlantic Council. Each summer he returned to the east coast and Troop 638 at scout camp in Goshen, Virginia, and he still proudly wears his Goshen patch on his uniform today.   Whether camping in wild bird preserves on the Atlantic coast, rock climbing and rappelling in the Atlas Mountains or trekking through the Sahara on Camels, Chris received a truly foreign flavor of scouting.  Perhaps one of Chris’s more memorable outdoor experiences while in Morocco was climbing Mount Toubkal which at nearly 14,000 feet measures up as the 2nd tallest mountain in Africa.

Chris’ life changed again when his family returned to Palo Alto, where he enrolled in Paly and joined Troop 57.  Some of his favorite scout trips include the whitewater rafting trip, the Joshua Tree/Lake Mead Spring Break trip, and of course, his summers at Camp Oljato.  During his entire 4 years in Troop 57, Chris was consistently one of the most active Scouts in the Troop.  He never missed a Memorial Day Observance in Golden Gate National Cemetery and played a role in many of the Troop’s major community service projects, including the Urban Ministry food service program and the rebuilding of this Fire Circle.

He developed his leadership skills first as a Den Chief, then Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader in Patrol 2, and finally when he was elected Senior Patrol Leader for the entire Troop. Whether as a Den Chief attending Cub Scout meetings or as Senior Patrol Leader, Chris’ distinctive leadership style had three primary characteristics - an infectious enthusiasm that rubbed off on all the other Scouts; a positive attitude toward any task, that motivated others to do their best; and a good-natured approach to his relations with other Scouts and to team building, so that he was recognized as a “natural leader” in the Troop.

At Paly, Chris was an honor student, wrote for the Campanile and Verde, played on the JV and Varsity Football teams, and competed in the hurdles for the Track Team. He is currently a freshman at U.C. San Diego, where he is a member of the Club Lacrosse Team and he is a leader on the University Activity and Spirit Committees and is a voting member of the Student Council. 

Eagle Project

Chris’ Eagle project is a free-standing awards kiosk and bulletin board which is used by the Paly track team for posting notices, schedules, race results and news. This structure acts as a communication tool for the Athletic Department and serves as a popular gathering spot for student athletes as they await their races and check results. Chris’ project was completed in the spring of 2005 and can be seen at Paly High’s Hod Ray Field, home of the Palo Alto Vikings.

Pinnacles Recap

Posted by troop_leadership on February 25th, 2008 filed in 2008 Winter




February 8-9, 2008
By Ryan Vertelney, Patrol 4 Scribe

This year at Pinnacles, we had a great turn out of Scouts with many first years and Webelos.  We all met at the Scout House at 8 am on February 8th to get ready to depart to Pinnacles. Once we got there, we set up our tents and prepared for the hikes. This year included the usual five-mile and ten-mile hikes. There were 12 Scouts and 6 adults on the five mile hike and 11 Scouts and 3 adults on the 10 mile hike. I participated on the 5 mile hike. On the five-mile hike we saw wild turkeys, deer, and other wild animals. The scenery was terrific and everyone enjoyed the hike. Following the hike, we went back to camp and had the first years cook our food. Patrol four’s menu included hot dogs, baked potatoes, and double stuffed Oreos for dessert. After dinner we played electric fruit, and shortly after Mr. Weller and several Scouts made some apple cobbler and chocolate cake in the Dutch ovens. They turned out delicious! After that was complete, most of the scouts went to sleep. In the morning, we woke up to our first years cooking our breakfast. Patrol 4 made bacon, oatmeal, and hot chocolate. After breakfast, we packed up our tents, performed a garbage pickup police line, and headed back for Palo Alto. The trip was a delight for everyone!

Troop 57 Foothills Park Habitat Maintenance Project

Posted by asm_group on February 21st, 2008 filed in Community Services, Announcement




Please join us in a Troop 57 volunteer work day at the Foothills Park on Sunday, 3/9.

 

 

 

We will assemble at Orchard Glen in Foothills Park at 9 AM, then take a short hike to the work area.  Park personnel will brief us on the targeted invasive species. We will remove the targeted plants, then hike back to the assembly area by noon. The event is worth three hours of service credit.

Scouts twelve years or older and their parents may participate.  Please print out the release form in this document, ask your parent to sign it and bring the signed form with you to the assembly point. To reduce traffic, please car pool with other scouts in your patrol.  Wear light colored long sleeves/pants and a cap to protect yourself from poison oak and ticks.  Uniforms are not required.  Bring some drinking water and garden gloves.

 

 

 

Directions to assembly point

 

 

Foothills Park is located about 7.5 miles/20 minutes from the Scout House.  The entrance is 2.7 miles west of Interstate 280 on

Page Mill Road

.  At the entrance gate, if you are asked, tell the Ranger that you are volunteering with the Friends of Foothills Park.  After you enter the park, stay left, drive past the lake, down the hill and take a left to get to the Orchard Glen area.  CN Pow from Troop 57 will meet you at Orchard Glen.

.  At the entrance gate, if you are asked, tell the Ranger that you are volunteering with the Friends of Foothills Park.  After you enter the park, stay left, drive past the lake, down the hill and take a left to get to the Orchard Glen area.  CN Pow from Troop 57 will meet you at Orchard Glen.

 

 

 

 

A map of Foothills Park can be found at

http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=8505

 

 

 

If you want to get directions from the web, use maps.google.  I heard that Mapblast will show the wrong route to the park.

 

 

 

 

 

Adult coordinator: CN Pow W 408-879-4859, H 650-948-8677 cn_pow@yahoo.com

 

 

Scout contact: Scott Alexander H 650-328-8958 C 650-388-6751 imscotta92@yahoo.com

 

 

     

Mt. Tamalpais Rim of the Bay Hike

Posted by asm_group on February 20th, 2008 filed in Outings, 2008 Spring




Come along on this great Rim of the Bay hike as we hike beautiful Mt. Tamalpais, in Marin County.  This “Rim of the Bay” hike will get you another patch to add to your collection.  More importantly, this 8.5 mile hike will provide great scenery and scout fellowship as we ascend one of the most beautiful peaks in the bay area.  While it’s a good hike for experienced scouts, it’s appropriate for all ages.  We will meet at the scout house at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 1st.  Wear appropriate hiking clothes and shoes.  Bring water, a sack lunch, and your 10 essentlals. 

Flyer

Tips for Snow Camping

Posted by tim_hedge on February 6th, 2008 filed in Uncategorized




    Snow Camping is by far one of the most fun and unique trips that we do in Troop 57. For all of you who are going this year, here are some hints and tips that should make your snow camping experience more enjoyable. 
    The first thing that you must do to make this trip fun, or any trip for that matter, is to pack the right gear.  Check out the packing list many days before you embark on the trip so that you have time to get new gear.  Even if you think that you have all of the gear on the list, double check and make sure that it is all in working condition.  This is one of the few trips that leaves a very small margin for error in your packing.  If you forget something like gloves, it will make your experience miserable.  Warm clothes are another essential.  This may seem fairly obvious, and it is, just DO NOT forget warm clothes.  I recommend many layers as well because, believe it or not, you will get sweaty and hot if you keep your warmest coat on all day.  I recommend t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, several fleeces (probably a light one  and a heavy one), and a rain jacket (or ski jacket).  Another thing that is really essential on this trip is having warm and dry socks and underwear.  Bring lots of it in case you get wet.  Also, make sure your clothes are not cotton.  Cotton is really bad for these kinds of outings because if it gets wet, it will not dry quickly.  Believe me it is not fun to wear wet clothes, especially if it’s cold outside.  Also, staying away from cotton will make it possible for you to pack fewer clothes, therefore lightening your load.  One thing that many people do not think to do is to pack all of your clothes in plastic bags.  This will save your life if your pack happens to get wet.  The final step before going on the trip is to attend the orientation meeting.  It will provide you with valuable safety tips.
    When you go on the trip there are several things that you must keep in mind.  First of all is the actual hike into the campsite.  When you get to the trail-head, an ASM will give you a pair of snowshoes.  These are essential for the hike in, and will save you lots of energy.  When you begin hiking, be mindful that you have snowshoes on and watch your step.  Also before you begin hiking, you will be given a sled for your backpack and other gear.  Make sure that your gear is strapped down with bungee cords and covered with a tarp to keep it dry.  Also make sure your heavy gear is on the bottom of the sled to improve stability and prevent your sled from tipping over.  Once you get to the campsite, find a good place for your tent.  Make sure that you set it up away from trees.  Trees frequently drop snow from their branches and you do not want this snow to be falling on your tent or your gear.  I made the mistake of setting up under a tree and my tent was constantly bombarded by snow.  After you find a good place for your tent, dig a trench around it.  The trench will prevent snow from accumulating on and around your tent, which in turn prevents your tent from caving in. 
    On these kinds of trips wetness is your worst enemy.  In snowy and cold conditions it is extremely difficult to dry anything.  Bring quick drying synthetic clothes and keep away from ponds and streams, unless you are getting water for drinking or cooking.  If you happen to get wet, change into dry clothes and get in your sleeping bag to warm up.  Another safety and health related thing you should always do is wear sunglasses and put on sunblock.  You would be surprised how quickly you can get sunburn in the snow.  Snow actually reflects the sun’s rays, making it easy to get burned.
    On the fun side of things, here are some ideas for things to do.  The most famous part of this trip is the snow cave building.  To build an good snow cave you have to make it strong and in a good location.  First of all you need deep snow, probably 6-8 feet deep is sufficient.  Next you need to actually build it.  Start with the entrance; dig down then forward.  Also make sure that the cave is stable enough so that someone can walk on top of it.  Another activity that is lots of fun is having a large scale snowball fight, but you already knew that didn’t you?  Anyway, the main purpose of this trip is to have fun, but always keep safety and health in mind as well.  Have a great time!