Members of Scout Troop 103 of Hanover, Pennsylvania thank, honor, mourn and remember all veterans who have served and died on Memorial Day. Scouts recognize the sacrifices made that insure the freedoms we enjoy for generations. The service given by veterans will never be forgotten. Scouts extend their prayers for family of those who served.

Troop 103’s very own Matthew Nawn represented Hanover High School on the BrainBusters quiz show that aired on WGAL Channel 8 this morning. The academic quiz show is presented by WellSpan Health and highlights the academic excellence of high school students throughout central Pennsylvania. This was not Matthew’s first appearance on the show with his fellow classmates as they made it to the shows Third Round.  Below are some photos of Matthew and his teammates.

Congratulations Matthew.

 The event for March has been cancelled.   We reevaluate this fundraiser again in April. 

Start selling subs now and save for Summer Camp and other weekend events.  

Subs and Sandwiches are made fresh by R&K Subs.

• Please make checks payable to: St. Joseph Boy Scout Troop 103 or Cub Pack 103.
• Order and Money Due Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2020
• Distribution Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2020 (Pickup at the Troop or Pack meeting between 6:30PM and 8:00PM)

FORMS

Use both forms below when selling.  One for Sandwiches and the other for Subs:

• Subs Form
• Sandwiches Form

AJ Dubs was awarded Troop 103’s Scout of the year at a recent Troop ceremony. 

 The Scouts earn points throughout the year for participation in various activities, and payment of dues. With an emphasis on “Character Counts” by the National Office, this other element is used to determine the Scout of the Year.

Here are some facts about AJ’s participation and achievement in 2019

• Attended the most and highest percentage of Troop Meetings 91%
• Participated in
  • 8 Troop Outings or activities (All of them)
  • 2 District Events (all on the schedule)
  • Attended a Council Summer Camp
  • Attended the World Scout Jamboree
• Earned 6 merit badges
• Achieved 2 Rank Advancements
• Participated in at least 3 Service activities this year

I am proud to announce that AJ Dubs is the 2019 winner of Troop 103’s Scout of the Year Award.

Both the Troop and Pack 103 will be participating in Scout Sunday of February 2, 2020 at the 9:00AM mass at St Joseph Church.  Father Morelli will be celebrating mass.   Please arrive 20 minutes early in full uniform and assemble in the Narthex.

Today we celebrate Super Scout Sunday.  St. Joseph’s Cub Pack and Boy Scout Troop have been proudly serving our parish, and community for 102 years.

Scouts pledge to timeless Oath and Laws.   Simple things like…

• Doing your best,
• Duty to God,
• And Laws like being Trustworthy, Helpful, Courteous and being Reverent to name a few.

All of these values are consistent with our Christian value system.
Scouting provides youth with opportunities to participate in fun activities.
Cub Scouts include youth from K through 5^th grade and are led by parents and leaders.
The Troop is for older scouts aged 11 through 17 and focuses on developing leadership skills. 

The older scouts plan monthly Outdoor Adventures like Sailing the Florida Keys, sleeping on aircraft carriers or submarines, aquatic activities at the beach, and learning and practicing wilderness survival skills.  We also participate in the week-long Summer Camp where boys can learn and experience independence and self-confidence.   

Scouting is about achievement and recognition through its carefully developed skills and advancement program.

Participation in Scouting is not an exclusive activity. 

Many of our scouts participate in other activities like Football, Basketball, Wrestling, Baseball and Band activities.  Many of those same scouts have gone on to become Eagle Scouts.  The highest achievement any Scout can earn.  

In fact, the Troop has over 86 Eagle Scouts

Scouting means leadership, achievement, service, character.
If you have kids or grandkids between the ages 5 to 17 who are spending too much time indoors…
We welcome them to join our award winning Cub Pack or Scout Troop. 
There are no prerequisites except for the desire for fun and adventure. 

Please see any adult leader in the Narthex after this mass for more information about our program and the activities that we offer.

The Troop and Pack thanks our sponsor, “Saint Joseph Holy Name Society” and YOU the parish for the spiritual and financial support you have given us over the years.

Click here to see the latest Troop Calendar.

Troop 103 has earned GOLD status for the “Scouting’s Journey to Excellence” Award.  The award is the BSA’s council performance recognition program designed to encourage and reward success and measure the performance of our units, districts, and councils. It is meant to encourage excellence in providing a quality program at all levels of the BSA.

The Troop has qualified for the Journey to Excellence Award each year since its inception and for many, many consecutive years prior with the Quality Unit Award that was replaced by the Journey to Excellence Award.

Troop 103 is proud of providing and offering an excellent Scouting Program that provides opportunities to our youth to experience the outdoors and grow both morally and physically into strong leaders of the future.   This scout led program is a partnership of both youth and adults.

In 2019, the Troop excelled in the following award objectives:

1. Planning and Budgeting:  The scouts plan activities for the entire year at a planning outing each year.  These plans are reviewed at PLC meeting throughout the year.  Our planning calendar is published on our website. 
2. Retention of scouts in the troop 100% according to Nation standards, but we did lose one scout in 2019.
3. Webelos–to-scout transition: We had two Webelos cross-over into the Troop.
4. Sort-Term Camping: The troop members participated in 9 overnight outings plus three other activities.
5. Long-Term Camping Participation (62% participation rate). Up from the prior year.
6. Advancement:  71% of our scouts advanced a rank this past year.  This is one area where we need improvement.
7. Service Projects:  The Troop Participated in at least 6 Service projects that benefited the community or parish without any financial benefit to the Troop or scouts.
8. Following the Patrol Method:  The troop has patrols, and each has a patrol leader.  Our Troop’s youth leadership includes a Senior Patrol Leader and his assistant, we have patrols that are led by a Patrol Leader.  The Troop also elects many other officers including the Scribe, Quartermaster, Librarian, etc..  The youth leadership (Patrol Leaders Council) meets each month.
9. Leadership and Family Engagement:  In addition to the Scoutmaster, the troop has 3 Assistant Scoutmasters, 7 Committee Members, and at least 5 other registered and supporting adults.  The Troop held 3 Courts of Honor for scouts this past year.  We present the annual Troop Calendar to parents each year outlining the plans of the troop for the upcoming year. 
10. Trained Adult Leaders: All adult leaders including all committee members are fully trained in their positions.  Two members of our leadership have also taken a week-long Wood-badge training.   Multiple members of the committee support the district in planning and executing district activities. 

Troop 103 participated in the weekend event celebrated the 100 years at Camp Conewago. The Battlefield District had their Spring Camporee with an Emergency Preparedness and First Aid theme.

Scouts attended 7 different topic stations throughout the day including, First Aid, Fire Responders, Drones and Emergency Services, History of Camp Conewago. The event was commemorated with a presentation from Andy Lawrence covering the historical fun times at Camp Conewago over the years and the importance of the Camp to youth over the last 100 years.

Here is a video of scenes at the camp. 

Scouts from Troop 103 watch the International Space Station streak across the sky at over 17,100 miles per hour on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 8:08PM.  The space station became visible at 41 degrees above the horizon looking west and crossed the sky in just 4 minutes until it disappeared to the east.    The space station orbits the earth every 92 minutes at an altitude of  about 250 miles above the earth.   

Around the time that we were watching, the Expedition 59 crew continued more brain and breath research aboard the International Space Station today. Along with a variety of other life science activities, the crew also filmed a virtual reality experience inside the station.

The next sighting is April 26 at 5:41AM for 3 minutes appearing 10° above S and disappearing 16° above the ESE.

• Schedule of Upcoming Sightings for the Hanover, PA area
• More information about the ISS on Wikipedia
• Updates on the NASA website

Scouts camped out at Camp Conewago and participated in the Gettysburg Escape Room.    The weekend also included a Conewago Creek rescue effort.

This year’s theme is “Off to the Races” featuring a Klondike Sled Race.   

• Click here to see photos of the event

Both the Troop and Pack 103 will be participating in Scout Sunday of February 3, 2019 at the 10:30AM mass at St Joseph Church.  Father Morelli will be celebrating mass.   Please arrive 20 minutes early in full uniform and assemble in the Narthex.

Click Here!

The 2019 Calendar is now available on our Troop’s website.

Troop 103 has earned GOLD status for the “Scouting’s Journey to Excellence” Award.  The award is the BSA’s council performance recognition program designed to encourage and reward success and measure the performance of our units, districts, and councils. It is meant to encourage excellence in providing a quality program at all levels of the BSA.

The Troop has qualified for the Journey to Excellence Award each year since its inception and for many, many consecutive years prior with the Quality Unit Award that was replaced by the Journey to Excellence Award.

Troop 103 is proud of providing and offering an excellent Scouting Program that provides opportunities to our youth to experience the outdoors and grow both morally and physically into strong leaders of the future.   This scout led program is a partnership of both youth and adults.

In 2018, the Troop excelled in the following award objectives:

1. Planning and Budgeting:  The scouts plan activities for the entire year at a planning outing each year.  Our planning calendar is published on our website. 
2. Retention of scouts in the troop (85%
3. Long-Term Camping Participation (60% participation rate)
4. Advancement:  80% of our scouts advanced a rank this past year including 2 scouts that earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
5. Service Projects:  The Troop Participated in at least 6 Service projects that benefited the community or parish without any financial benefit to the Troop or scouts.
6. Following the Patrol Method:  The troop has patrols, and each has a patrol leader.  Our Troop’s youth leadership includes a Senior Patrol Leader and his assistant, We have patrols that are led by a Patrol Leader.  The Troop also elects many other officers including the Scribe, Quartermaster, Librarian, etc..  The youth leadership (Patrol Leaders Council) meets each month.
7. Leadership and Family Engagement:  In addition to the Scoutmaster, the troop had 4 Assistant Scoutmasters, 10 Committee Members, and at least 7 other supporting adults.  The Troop held 2 Courts of Honor for scouts this past year.  We present the annual Troop Calendar to parents each year outlining the plans of the troop for the upcoming year. 
8. Trained Adult Leaders: All adult leaders including all committee members are fully trained in their positions.  Three members of our leadership have also taken a week-long Wood-badge training.   Multiple members of the committee support the district in planning and executing district activities. 

Despite receiving the GOLD status, the Troop can still improve in the following objective areas.

• Membership Growth:  Improve scout membership numbers.  Conduct Improved membership drives.  Better interact with the Webelos and the Cub Pack and retain more Webelos that cross-over to the Troop. 
• Short-Term Camping: Including more tent camping opportunities vs. cabin camping.

Here is the official Troop 103  – 2018 JTE Scorecard (PDF)

Troop 103 Scouts, Parents, Committee and Friends,

This evening (12/18/2018) Troop 103 Life Scout Brody Goulden was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, becoming Troop 103’s 86th Eagle Scout.

Brody’s Eagle Scout Service Project consisted of leading the community in planting an apple orchard at the historic Daniel Lady Farm in Gettysburg (see Brody’s Evening Sun interview video below).

The Daniel Lady Farm served as Major General Edward’s staging area for the Confederate attack on Culp’s Hill, which Troop 103 visited last weekend.  The Daniel Lady Farm also served as a Confederate field hospital.  The Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association, which owns and operates the Farm, is seeking to restore the Farm to its Civil War era appearance, and Brody’s Eagle Project furthers the restoration effort.  More information about the Daniel Lady Farm can be found at https://www.gbpa.org.

Brody is a junior at South Western High School.  His favorite academic subject is Ecology and he is very interested in nature, ecology and preserving the environment.  At his Eagle Board of Review, Brody shared that his easiest merit badge was Environmental Science, one of the more demanding merit badges.  Brody is also likes to help other people and the community at large.  His patience with the younger scouts in the troop is commendable.  He plans to attend college locally before pursuing a career in law enforcement in which he hopes to continue to help others.

Please join me in congratulating Brody and in thanking the Daniel Lady Farm, donors, family members, friends, leaders, scouts and others who helped make these accomplishments possible.  Please enjoy the attached photos of our proud Eagle Scout with equally-proud dad and other supportive members of Troop 103!  Thank you,

– Jeff

Jeffrey Rosenzweig, Scoutmaster

Photos from Camp Rodney 2018

Troop 103 Scouts, Parents, Committee and Friends,

This evening (8/21/2018) Troop 103 Life Scout Justin Henninger was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, becoming Troop 103’s 85th Eagle Scout.

Justin is a junior at South Western High School and plans to attend college to study psychology and business in pursuit of a career in entrepreneurship. Justin’s Eagle Scout Service Project consisted of renovating an unused kitchen/storage area at Olivia’s House, a grief and loss center for children. He supervised the removal of old cabinets and appliances and the installation of new cabinets and shelving. This provided needed storage and workspace. As a child, Justin benefitted from the services of Olivia’s House after the untimely loss of his father.

When asked at his Eagle Scout Board of Review about the most important lesson he had learned in scouting, Justin responded “hard work pays wonders”. Scouting provided Justin with the opportunities to sleep on a battleship, a submarine and an aircraft carrier, and Justin’s message to younger scouts is, “It’s worth it.”

Please join me in congratulating Justin and in thanking Olivia’s House, the many other donors (especially Justin’s fellow congregants at Hanover Church of the Brethren), family members, friends, leaders, scouts and others who helped make these accomplishments possible. Please enjoy the attached photo of our proud Eagle Scout with mom and other supportive members of Troop 103! Thank you,

– Jeff

Jeffrey Rosenzweig, Scoutmaster

Get an early start for sandwich reorders from past customers! Selling subs now will help you save for Summer Camp and other weekend events.

• Subs and Sandwiches are made fresh by Shultz’s Delicatessen
• Please make checks payable to: St. Joseph Boy Scout Troop 103
• Order and Money Due Date: Tuesday, May 8, 2018
• Distribution Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2018 (Pickup between 3:30PM and 5:45PM)

Click here for this month’s form: Sub Sale Form