Troop 227

February 2010 Newsletter

 

Introduction

 

Welcome to the seventy-fifth edition of our Troop 227 Newsletter. To learn more about Boy Scouts, please visit us at any troop activity, speak to a troop leader, or visit one of the following websites.

 

http://www.bsatroop227.org

http://www.mtcbsa.org

http://www.scouting.org

 

 

“The Lost Sea”

 

Eleven brave souls went subterranean on January 9th.  The three hour ride east to Sweetwater on the Crieve Hall Church van was very comfortable and scenic.  An inch or two of the snow of recent days was left in the fields beside Interstate 40.  The first amazing feat of the trip was traveling the whole way to Sweetwater without a single stop.  Our last bit of civilization before our spelunking adventure was a taste of the combination KFC/Taco Bell.  The boys were warned to beware the lingering effects of spices and beans as they ordered.  Unfortunately, all did not heed this sage advice and the rumblings of this revelry were heard late into the night in our cave dwelling. 

 

The beginning of the trip was an entrance through a gift shop into a long tube leading to the cave.   Our guide walked us through various points of interest in the cave describing how it was once a nuclear shelter in case of the worst during the Cuban missile crisis.  Long before Castro and JFK were around, the Cherokee Indians had used the cave as meeting grounds.  The cave and underground lake, second largest in the world, was found by a young boy some 50 years before his findings were verified by others.  He named the cave Lost Sea when it was opened for commercial activity years later.  Some derelicts had also used parts of the cave for moonshine stills.  We won’t dwell on them. 

 

Our tour led us to the underground lake which was at its highest level in some years.  We took a boat ride and trolled around the lake viewing the ceiling formations and spotlighting the stocked trout.  The fish are enormous specimens for their species because of the lack of predators and fishing in the cave.  The guide told us some of the workers have been allowed to fish in the past and caught some as large as 18 pounds.  After our boat ride the real fun began.

 

A one star crawling adventure began the night of learning to undulate our bodies through crevasses we would normally leave for critters.  As the ratings, given by the staff of tour guides, increased to five stars, the highest rating, it was clear that this adventure was not for claustrophobic individuals.  With only a couple of exceptions, all of us ventured through every level of difficulty.  There were no incidents to report except the staining of every visible body part and article of clothing we wore.  There were some real moments of hesitation and trepidation.  These were overcome and boys became men that night deep underground. 

 

When we exited the cave the next morning, we were greeted by a frigid temperature.  The low the night before was around 8 degrees on the surface.  We enjoyed the year ‘round cave temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit.  We all enjoyed getting away from the port-a-john smell from the night before and raided the bathroom at Hardees for clean accommodations and warm water.  After a suitable meat and biscuit breakfast, we held a worship service on the church van.  Every scout of age participated in our memorial to the Creator of the wonder we had just encountered.  Scott Burner, our tireless driver, drove us safely back home less than 24 hours after the adventure had started. All agreed this would be a trip we would always remember.

 

 

Boy Scout Day

Boy Scout Day celebrates the birthday of Scouting in America. It was on February 8th 1910 when William Dickson Boyce filed incorporation papers in the District of Columbia and created the Boy Scouts of America.  President William Howard Taft was named honorary president and Theodore Roosevelt became honorary vice president and the first chief Scout citizen.  Celebrate 100 Years of Scouting on Feb 8, 2010!

 

Just A Reminder

If the troop has not received your new medical form, please take a few minutes to provide us with this important information.  Parents are to complete Part A and Part C.  Part B is to be done by your health-care provider for those participating in scout activities longer than 72 hours (i.e. summer camp) or any high adventure activity.  http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34605_Letter.pdf

 

Upcoming Troop Events

 

-           Feb. 1st – Troop Meeting / Class A uniform

-           Feb. 5th – 6th Junior Leadership Training

-           Feb. 8th – Troop Meeting

-           Feb. 15th – Troop Meeting

-           Feb. 22nd - PLC meets @ Brentwood Shoneys 7PM

 

 

Troop Leader Contacts

 

Scoutmaster

 

Tommy Primm

 

Assistant Scoutmasters

 

Phillip Brackett

Bubba Ingram

 

 

Troop Committee

 

Randy Boyd

Mellie Brackett

Scott Burner

John Hammond, Chairman

Chris Paul

Andy Richter

Mike Vantrease

 

 

Charter Organization Rep

 

Ray Frizzell