Many of the events Troop 150 had planned for March 2020 were largely impacted by the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus). An Eagle Scout project and Merit Badge Jamboree were postponed, our monthly campout was cancelled, and our PLC and last troop meeting of the month were held virtually.
The first troop meeting this month did occur as planned because it was before the COVID-19 virus imposed a high risk to the general public. During this meeting, five OA candidates were voted upon by their fellow Scouts to decide who would be best fit for Scouting’s national honor society. The results of these votes were given later in the month.
On March 14 and 15, an Eagle Scout Project took place. For the first day, Scouts constructed two cabinets with shelves. After both had been put together, they were painted. The structure of two looms were also put together on the first day.
On the second day, Scouts added the strings to the looms. After a couple of small adjustments, the looms and cabinets were complete! They were then transferred to Belvedere Elementary School, where the cabinet would store balls & toys and where the looms would provide a fun activity for the kids, both young and old.
This Eagle Scout Project was a grand success, and it is very unfortunate that these constructions will not be able to be put into use this school year. Nevertheless, it is in hopes that the leader of this project will achieve the Eagle Scout rank soon.
The next troop event, a troop meeting on March 16, was cancelled out of an abundance of caution. The ‘Military Through the Ages’ campout was also cancelled for the same reason.
On March 23, Troop 150 held our first ever virtual PLC meeting. After finding out that Google Hangouts had a video-call limit of ten participants (even though they said they would allow up to 150 due to the current situation), a Zoom call was created and the meeting went on from there. In the end, everything worked out for the better!
A week later, we held our first ever virtual troop meeting. This meeting was also hosted by Zoom, and it was very successful, just like the virtual PLC. During this meeting we played a Scout skills Kahoot! and catched up with patrol-mates. Troop 150’s new Scouts were also introduced!
An update from Philmont Crew 727-W: This month our crew had our fourth Philmont meeting. This meeting, held at Mason District on March 15, consisted of learning how to properly navigate and orient a map + compass, selecting a t-shirt color, and other small things.
Throughout the entire month of March, updates on Troop 150’s operational status have been given. The most recent updates, along with a case tally, may be found at covid-19.troop150va.org.
Scouting Stuff to Work on at Home:
- Work on rank requirements and merit badges
- Work on your job duties for your troop leadership position
- Our council is offering virtual Merit Badge classes
- 30 day Scouting Challenge
- Community Service
Troop 150 is closely monitor guidelines and laws of the federal government, Commonwealth of Virginia, Fairfax County, Fairfax County Public Schools, National Capital Area Council, BSA, and the Annandale United Methodist Church (in relation to meetings) and making changes to our plans based on guidance from these governments or organizations.
