Hi all

It was a great week at Camp Mattatuck and we all had a
lot of fun! A huge thanks to all of the leaders that
were up there for the week, to Pat M for running the
troop, and a special thank you to Mr. Lukens for all of the
hard work he does to make the week a success.

I spoke to the camp director last night and he told me that
after reviewing the results of Saturday’s water
carnival we were declared the winner. They will get a
first place award to us and it will be presented to
the troop.

Believe it or not we kick off the regular weekly
meetings next Thursday – remember that Class A
uniforms are required. I am looking forward to a
terrific year and lots of fun.

Yours in Scouting
Dave

***NO meeting this Thursday night.***

A note about Merit Badges at camp:

Mr. Redline will be sitting down with each scout
individually on Sunday Afternoon to discuss the merit
badges you are taking. At this time you will receive
your Blue Cards. After dinner Sunday, scouts will
sign up for their merit badges with the counselors.

Scouts should know what they are planning on taking by
the time they get to camp. You can find the list of
merit badges offered on the troop website:

http://www.troop5middlebury.org/Forms/2008-01MeritBadgeTimes.pdf

In addition to the merit badges listed, Fly Fishing
will again be offered at 1:00 pm.

If you are planning on taking Basketry or Leatherwork,
there is an additional cost to pay for supplies.
-Basketry is $8.00
-Leatherwork is $4.25

Please note that not all merit badges can be completed
in a week at camp. Be sure to check the requirements
for the badge at www.meritbadge,com.

Jeff Lukens
Assistant Scoutmaster
———
jeff@troop5middlebury.org

Any questions, e-mail me at jeff@troop5middlebury.org

See you Sunday!

Jeff Lukens
Assistant Scoutmaster

FYI – There is a Troop meeting this Thursday night at
the church – August 7th @ 7 PM

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

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 Jeff Lukens, Assistant Scoutmaster:

Hi Troop 5,

If you or your son is attending Camp Mattatuck with Troop 5 this summer, a current medical form is needed.

Medical forms are considered current if the Physicians Exam was with in the last 3 years (from August 16, 2008) for those under 40, and within the last year for adults 40 and over.

EVERYONE must fill out a new page 1 of the medical form (the parental permission and medical history side) each year.

If your son will be taking medication at camp, the “Authorization for the Administration of Medication by Camp Personnel” form must be filled out and signed by your physician (CT state law).

Both the Medical Form and the Authorization form are on the troop website for your convienence. You can find them under the forms tab.

All forms are due to Jeff Lukens by the July 24th Summer Camp Parents meeting. You can turn in your forms at anytime before then.

If you have questions about what is needed for you or your son, please contact me -
jeff@troop5middlebury.org

Jeff Lukens, Assistant Scoutmaster

Payments not received by Thursday will be subject to a
$30 late fee.

No scout from Troop 5 should stay home from camp for
financial reasons, there are many sources of
campership money available to us. If you did not
submit a request for a campership, please speak to me.
All discussions will be held in confidence.

Yours in Scouting,

Jeff Lukens, Assistant Scoutmaster
jeff@troop5middlebury.org

COMMITTEE MEETING:

There will be a Troop 5 committee meeting next
Thursday, May 29th at 7 PM at the church. All are
welcome.

NICK MARCUCCI EAGLE CEREMONY JUNE 8TH @ 3 PM:

***Please RSVP to committeechair@troop5middlebury.org

Nope – but it is time to get your payments in for Summer Camp!

Your payment for Summer camp is due to Jeff Lukens by May 22nd. You can bring it to this week’s Troop Meeting, next week’s meeting, or mail it to him (email him for the address)

Your payment amount is listed on the forms that were distributed in early April. If you lost this packet of information, please email Jeff at jeff@troop5middlebury.org for your payment amount.

Please make checks payable to “Troop 5″

NO SCOUT in Troop 5 should stay home from camp for financial reasons. There are many sources of campership funding available to us. If you applied for a BSA Campership, you should have received a notice from the Council. If you have not been notified please let Jeff know. No additional payments should be made until after you have received notification of your campership. At that point, talk to Jeff if additional funding is needed.

Our goal is to have all of our troop members attend summer camp with the troop. It is a week filled with fun activities and presents opportunities for growth and advancement. Talk to any of the boys who have gone in past years — they will tell you how much fun it is.

You can also see a video of what a week of camp is like here (it’s in two parts due to length):

You might recognize some of the pictures and voices in the video too! New Scouts and Parents should take a look to see what a great time camp is.

Attention parents of new scouts: Studies show that scouts who attend summer camp with their troop their first year in scouting stay in scouts longer and have a more positive overall scouting experience. Talk to me, Mr. Romano, or Mr. Curry if you have any questions about summer camp.

Jeff
———
jeff@troop5middlebury.org