October has been an exciting month! We were blessed to have good weather at both the Cub-O-Ree and the Knoebels camping trip. And speaking of Cub-O-Ree, we had another year with a great gateway and a fun activity for the Cub Scouts. Thank you to everyone who came out to make sure the Cub Scouts have a good time. Many hands make light work.

Knoebels was also a great trip. The wooden coasters were a thrill. Many of the scouts brought their Hammocks, and we settled once and for all how to attach the tent elastic to the wishbone!

This tent wishbone is a perfect example of what my Scoutmaster's Minutes this month have focused on: history and passing down knowledge. The troop has a tremendous amount of collective experience. But, passing down this knowledge is something I think we have to work on.

So, I'll take this as another chance to say that I am starting a wiki on our website to document these things. If there is something you know about scout skills or how the Troop does something, send me an email with a some of that wisdom. I've already started articles on: the 3-pot cleaning system, our monster boxes, and the trailer. So, I challenge each scout and leader to think of one thing that we do well and write about it! Even if it's only a couple of sentences, we can start small and before too long, we'll have a formidable compendium of Troop 152 know-how.

At our November trip we'll have a relaxing weekend at Delmont. We will return Saturday morning to distribute Scouting for Food bags, but spend the rest of the morning and all afternoon exploring Delmont.

Dinner Saturday night will start our return to tent-partner cooking with an instructional demonstration of gourmet foil packed dinners. The campfire will burn late into the night with old camp stories and of course our traditional fire-roasted Peeps.

As summer turns to Fall, we entering a time of new beginnings for the Troop. Justin Gartner will be serving as Senior Patrol Leader with the support of the rest of youth leadership team. I am also stepping in as Scoutmaster. So first, I would like to thank Dave Gartner for his tremendous dedication guiding the Troop for the last two years. I hope that I can live up to his example.

September was a time for recognizing our achievements at Family Night. Coming off of a busy summer camp, you all earned a slew of merit badges and awards. So, give yourselves a pat on the back and start planning the next leg in your Scouting journey.

We have a lot to look forward to in October. Cub-O-Ree is a few weeks away, and we have a great gateway and activity planned. That's good, because we have the Bradbury Cup to defend! The theme is "Western", and we encourage everyone to dress the part. So, bring your spurs and ten gallon hat, partner.

Later in the month, we'll be going to Knoebels and camping at Hickory Run State Park. This is a perfect opportunity for a fun, relaxing trip in the cool October weather. Fall is my favorite time for camping, and it doesn't get much better than eating a deep fried oreo in line for a wild ride on a wooden coaster.

So sign up early and often!

We'll be camping at Hickory Run State Park and visiting Knoebels. Hold on to your hat, because the wooden coasters are a wild ride and the fair food is a delicious.