Troop 5, Middlebury, CT

From Steven Zembruski:

Hello Troop 5

PLEASE RSVP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

I need to get an estimate count for my ceremony. Thank
you again for your quick response.

Steven Zembruski

P.S. The ceremony will be at the Middlebury
Congregational Church and the reception will be at
Meadowview Park.

Reminder from Steven Zembruski, Assistant Scoutmaster:

FIRST AID MERIT BADGE CLASS:

We will be having the next class Tues July 29th again
at the Middlebury Public Library from 6-8 P.M.  Thank you again, everyone.
Steven Zembruski

Hello Troop 5,

EAGLE CEREMONY:

We have an Eagle Ceremony for Steven Zembruski next
Sunday, August 3rd at 3 PM!!! The Zembruski’s mailed
the invitations today, so you should be getting yours
soon. Please RSVP with number attending ASAP.

***If you can help with setup or cleanup, please
e-mail Tefta Bushka

FIRST AID MERIT BADGE CLASS:

We will be having the next class Tues July 29th again
at the Middlebury Public Library from 6-8 P.M.  Thank you again, everyone.
Steven Zembruski

From Chris Way, Merit Badge Counselor:

I will be doing a visit to a federal facility (Hop
Brook Dam) on Aug 2 at 10:00 a.m. — will meet at the
Hop Brook Lake project office/damsite at 4 Straits
Turnpike, 1 mile south of the park entrance.

This will run from 10 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.. They should
bring a bag lunch and drink.

This will fulfill requirement #’s 1, 2c, and 4 for the
Citizenship and the Nation Badge.

All scouts MUST have their signed blue cards to
recieve credit.

Scouts should RSVP  so I know how
many scouts to expect. I do not need another adult, as
I will have an adult ranger staff member(s) from Hop
Brook Lake.

FROM SPL PAT M.:

There will be a meeting on July 31st at which the
troop will decide what activities to attend at summer
camp. It will be at the Middlebury Congregational
Church from 7:00 p.m. till 8:30 p.m.

Thanks,

Pat M. SPL

CURRENT TROOP 5 SUMMER SCHEDULE:

July 17th – NO MEETING
July 24th – 7 PM: Summer Camp Parent meeting with
Asst. Scoutmaster Jeff Lukens/Scouts have a regular
meeting – Middlebury Congregational Church
July 31st – Troop meeting 7-8:30 – Troop decides
summer camp activities
August 7 – Troop meeting 7-8:30
August 10-16 Summer Camp

We have the calendar back up and running.

Webmaster

***There is a meeting tonight Thursday, July 10th, at
the MRA from 6-8. Wear your swimsuit.***

From Jeff Lukens, Assistant Scoutmaster:

As we prepare to head off to Summer Camp at Camp
Mattatuck, I wanted to share an article I have with
all of you. This article has a lot of information on
how you, as parents, can do your part to help prevent
homesickness in your son while he is at camp.

More information on Homesickness will be discussed at
the July 24th Pre-Camp meeting. All Scouts who are
attending summer camp need to be at this meeting, as
they will be planning the activities for the week.
Parents need to be there to receive important
information about the week at camp.

The Pre-Camp meeting will be July 24th at 7pm at the
Middlebury Congregational Church.

See everyone at the July 24th pre-camp meeting,

Jeff Lukens
Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 5

*THE HOMESICK SCOUT
by Fr. Francis Schwartz. From the Canyon Camp Leaders
Guide, courtesy of the Blackhawk Area Council, BSA;
Rockford IL.

Homesickness is described psychologically as a
“manifestation of separation anxiety” or the
“unconscious defense mechanism called regression.” The
Camp Director and Scoutmaster describe it as the
longing for home.” Many a young camper would put it
more clearly as “that terrible feeling in the pit of
my stomach.” Regardless of how homesickness is
defined, it is, indeed experienced in varying degrees
by Scouts who come to camp.

What causes homesickness? It is a product of a happy
home life, and it occurs often in a child who misses
the warmth and security that comes from a good
relationship with family and friends. Homesickness is
also a problem for a child whose parents are anxious
about his welfare. A parent who will miss the child
while he is at camp or worries that the camping
experience will be unhappy often transmits this fear
to the Scout. In short, while at camp, the boy often
feels the anxiety of his parents and fulfills their
expectations that he will miss home and not enjoy camp
by becoming homesick.

Homesickness often produces regressive behavior in a
child. In order to cope with the situation he will
revert to behavior used at an earlier age to gain
attention. Sometimes a boy will cry easily, wet the
bed, or withdraw from others. When a boy who is
normally sociable and active suddenly becomes quiet,
alone and disinterested in what is happening around
him, this can be a sign of homesickness.

The treatment of homesickness is not simple. It
involves the active participation of the Scoutmaster,
troop members, camp staff, and often firm, but
understanding parents. When homesickness is detected,
the youth must be listened to and his feelings
understood. Often an understanding person, willing to
listen and empathize is all that is needed. Any
unusual behavior patterns that have developed, such as
bedwetting must be taken in stride and not be overly
emphasized. Next, the boy must be kept active and
interested in some phase of camp life. An effort must
be made to make the Scout part of the Troop and a part
of all the camp’s activities so that he can make
friends. If parents are contacted, they should do all
in their power to avoid promising the Scout may come
home, unless advised to do so by the Camp Director and
Scoutmaster. Once a Scout leaves a summer camp
experience because of homesickness, it is possible
that he might not ever return to Scouting.

Homesickness can be prevented. Parents are the best
preventers. Parents must not promise their child that,
if he doesn’t like it he can come home. This promise
sets the boy up for defeat. Parents must try to
transmit positive messages about camp, emphasizing
that his days at camp will be a worthwhile experience,
and that they are happy he is going. If a child wishes
to take something special with him that reminds him of
home, such as a pillow, blanket or toy, he should be
encouraged to do so. This special object will be a
reminder of and link to home. Do not tell a Scout to
telephone if he needs anything. Such advise could be
contrary to the camp policy against indiscriminate use
of phones. When a Scout is ready to leave for camp,
avoid a dramatic departure scene.

While the boy is at camp, letters can provide a bond
with home during separation. The tone of the letter
and its contents have a great effect on the production
of homesickness. The letters should be conversational
about events at home and ask questions about the
Scouts experience at camp. They should never contain
such lines as “We all miss you very much; we love you
so.” “Your dog hasn’t eaten since you left.” “We
served your favorite meal last night, too bad you
could not be with us to eat it.” Items that may cause
jealousy should also be avoided like “Yesterday, we
bought your brother a new bike”. Campers sometimes
break into tears after reading such well-intentioned
letters from home.

Homesickness is a common occurrence, and if faced with
understanding and care is just another step in the
process of growing up. Parents, members of the Troop,
and the Camp Staff should all be aware of its causes,
means of prevention, and above all, its cure. The cure
is simply a great deal of understanding, and
willingness to help another person deal with his
feelings while getting involved in the Scouting
Program.

From Steven Zembruski:

Thank You to all who responded. We will have the class
tomarrow Tuesday 7/8 at the Middlebury Public library
from 6-7:30 P.M. Please bring a pencil and some paper
to write on, i am also planning on meeting outside.
There is no age restriction for the class but keep in
mind it is Eagle Required and can be challenging. I do
need at least one more adult with me at all times so
we can follow BSA Pollicy. Thank you again and please
do not hesitate to E-Mail me with any questions.

Steven Zembruski

From Steven Zembruski

We will start the First Aid Merit Badge Class this
Tues 7/8 at the Middlebury Public Library at 6:00 P.M.
If any adults could attend this merit badge class it
would be most helpful since we need two adults at all
times. The class will be split into 2-3 classes
depending on progress. Please let me know if you son
could attend this class ASAP via email

Thank you again!

Steven Zembruski