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

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

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, April 10, 2018
• Distribution Date: Wednesday, April 18, 2018 (Pickup between 3:30PM and 5:45PM)

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

Troop 103 Wins the District’s Dr. Joseph H. Riley Award

     Dr. Joseph H. Riley’s interest in Scouting began during the 1920s when he joined the Scouting program of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Hanover and later Troop 3 (now Troop 103, Battlefield District).  In 1931, he became a member of Troop 78, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Gettysburg.  He was a role model for the youth and adults of Troop 78 and the Scouting community at large as he served as Chartered Partner Representative (now titled Charter Organizational Representative) for the Scouting units of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, as well as served concurrently on the former Black Walnut District Committee in numerous responsible positions: Health and Safety Committee and the District Awards Committee.  Dr. Riley was involved in Scouting for over 75 years.

     In November of 1991, the former Black Walnut District established an award for Scouting excellence in honor of Dr. Riley’s long and dedicated service to Scouting and the youth of the Gettysburg area.  The Dr. Joseph H. Riley Award is presented annually at the district recognition dinner to the Scout Troop or Venturing Crew determined to be truly outstanding by the district awards committee.

     In order to be eligible for consideration for the Dr. Joseph H. Riley Award, units must first qualify as a Silver or Gold Unit in the Journey to Excellence and submit an application request of consideration.  Additional items reviewed by the awards committee include but are not limited to: information about the unit; year-round program opportunities offered; community service; participation in council/district activities; number of registered; trained leaders; and number of youth.  These are only examples of activities that may be used. The committee will be looking for how well or how much the person works in the unit, helpfulness, the unsung hero (goes above and beyond), number of years of experience, and all outstanding service within the unit and community (may include district and council, but not necessary).

The Troop’s Highlights Included: 

Troop/Crew Status:

     Number of registered Scouts:      17     (Charter of Dec 2016)
Number of new registered Scouts:       9          (September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017)
Number of registered Adult leaders:     19    (Charter of Dec 2016))  
Number of new registered Adult leaders:      0       (September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017)
Number of Patrols (Troop):      3        
Meetings held this year (September 1 to August 31)    Unit:    33    Patrol:     33      PLC:    12  
Number of Boy Scouts serving as Den Chiefs:      0   
Number of Webelos crossed over into the Troop:      3      

Number of Total Advancements this Year (September 1 to August 31)
 Troop:                                                                                                Crew:
 Tenderfoot:                                       Life:                                         Bronze Award:                 
 2nd Class:       1                                 Eagle:     1                               Silver Award:                 
 1st Class:     1                                    Palms:   Bronze:                      Gold Award:                 
 Star:                                                                  Silver:                       Ranger:                  
                                                                           Gold:                        Other (Trust, Quest, etc.):                 

Note:  14 scouts earned a total of 58 merit badges during the period.

Attended a BSA summer camp:    X     yes              no  Where: Rodney Scout Reservation, Maryland
Number attended:      7 scouts and 3 adults     

Also Attended Sea Base:   6 Scouts from Troop 103 and 1 from another Troop.  4 Adults

Also Attended Philmont: 2 Scouts from our Troop

Qualified as a Silver or Gold Level Unit in the Journey to Excellence:                silver      X      gold

            NOTE: Troop 103 has earned GOLD status for three consecutive years

Chartered Organization Representative (COR)
  a. How many times in a year does your COR contact the Unit?         2        
  b. How many times in a year does the Unit contact the COR?     12+     

1. Is the charter presented to the Chartering Organization?      Yes        

Unit Commissioner (UC)
  a. How many times in a year does your UC contact the Unit?      Ongoing (as UC is member of Unit)
  b. How many times in a year does the Unit contact the UC?     Ongoing (as UC is member of Unit)                               

Unit Leaders

Unit activities for the year:

1. Community Service:
   Troop 103 scouts assisted in the following activities and events during the period of September 1, 2016 through August 31, 2017:

• provided cleanup services at the local parish’s fall Yard Sale events (Sep 16)
• provided the “haunting” at the Cub Pack 103’s Annual Haunted Trail event (Oct 16)       
• provided clean-up services with the local parish’s annual Christmas Bazaar (Nov 16)
• provided logistical support (set-up)of local parish’s annual Christmas overflow mass (Dec 16)
• assisted the Holy Name Society with the process of announcing an upcoming event (Mar 17)
• conducted preparation oversight to annual Easter mass overflow environment (Apr 17)
• provided service support during the Hanover Historical Society’s monthly Summer Lawn Concert Series at the Warehime-Myers Mansion serving ice cream to the public(May-Sep 17).
• assisted local school with moving furniture to new location (Jun 17)
• engaged in a 20-hour environmental improvement project during the week of Summer Camp at Rodney Scout Reservation (Jul 17)

2. District and Council (Camporall, Klondike, Popcorn Sales, Friends of Scouting, etc.):

• Council Popcorn Sale (Sep-Nov 16)
• Participated in the Council Winter Klondike Camporee @ Tuckahoe (Feb 17)
• District Friends of Scouting presentation during Winter Court of Honor evening (Feb 17)
• Full contingent of scouts and adults to fill boat at week-long Florida’s Seabase Program (Jun 17)
• Out-of- Council week-long summer camp @ DEL-MAR-VA’s Rodney Scout Reservation (Jul 17)
• One scout participated in a day-trip visiting the National Jamboree (Jul 17)
• Committee members participated in monthly District Roundtable meetings (year-round)

3. Unit (Campouts, Field Trips, Fundraisers, etc.):

• Weekend camping south of Gettysburg and visiting the WWII Living History event (Sep 16)
• Camping at Pinchot State Park and visiting the Indian Echo Caverns (Oct 16)
• Annual Planning Weekend Campout south of Gettysburg and included ghost tour & 5-mile hike (Nov 16)
• Conducted various (monthly) sub sales during the months of January to June 2017
• Evening Bowling Activity (Jan 17)
• Weekend Camping including SkyZone Activity, Cooking, and Hiking Appalachian Trail (Mar 17)
• Annual Flower Sale Fundraiser (Apr 17)
• Participated in a day trip to local gun range for training in proper handling and use of firearms by council certified instructor (Apr 17)
• Weekend camping of fishing and hiking (May 17)

4. Other Unit Activities:

• 5 adult leaders participated in a two-day training on Wilderness Skills and First Aid certification
• Participated in the Hanover Memorial Day Parade (May 17)
• Conducted four formal Court-Of-Honor ceremonies to recognize scout achievement and advancement
• Began planning for 100^th Anniversary Celebration in June 2018 (Jun 17)

Please visit the Troop website at http://www.bsatroop103.org/  to learn more about our program and witness the excitement enjoyed by our youth members in our gallery.

Tonight’s Troop meeting has been cancelled because of snow.

A copy or photo of your Sub Sale Orders that were due tonight can be emailed to rzinn@zinnware.com

There will be no foil wrap gathering tonight.  Other volunteers will cut the flower foil wrap for this weekend.

On Saturday, Scouts should report to the church promptly at 8AM to help setup tables and process flowers.

BSA Troop 103 Scouts, Parents & Committee:

Please join us next Saturday in Washington DC for Smithsonian – A Day at the Museums.  Itinerary, Packing List and Permission Slip are attached.  Please RSVP so we can ensure adequate seating.  Thank you,

– Jeff

Troop 103 scouts attend the Skyzone Trampoline Park.

Click here to view photos of the event.

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, March 20, 2018
• Distribution Date: Wednesday, March 28, 2018 (Pickup between 3:30PM and 5:45PM)

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

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, February 13, 2018
• Distribution Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 (Pickup between 3:30PM and 5:45PM)

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

Troop 103 has earned GOLD status for three consecutive years. “Scouting’s Journey to Excellence” 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 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 2017, 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
3. Long-Term Camping Participation (70% participation rate)
4. Service Projects:  The Troop Participated in over 18 Service projects that benefited the community without any financial benefit to the Troop or scouts.
5. 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.
6. Leadership and Family Engagement.  Troop 103’s leadership is made up of 20 adult leaders with well over 400 years of combined experience.  It includes a Scoutmaster and his 4 Assistant Scoutmasters.   The Troop is fully supported by 15 additional committee members.
7. 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. 

Scouts are challenged to defeat and escape from a room at Escape Confusion located at downtown Hanover.

When: Monday 1/15/2018 at 7pm
The various rooms are carefully crafted with unique themes and each puzzle is designed to fit the experience and enhance your escape. You’ll have just 60 minutes and once you’re in there, you’ll see how fast the clock can tick! What do you think? Do you have what it takes?
Can you Escape Confusion?

• Permissions Slip

This is the first sub-sale of the season. Wrap up selling subs now and 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, January 16, 2018
• Distribution Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 (Pickup between 3:30PM and 5:45PM)

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

The Exchange Club of Hanover, Pennsylvania presented Mathew Nawn, our Senior Patrol Leader with the “Young Citizenship Award” for the First Quarter of the School Year. Matthew appears to the right in the attached photo along with another student in the Hanover Public School District. More information about the Exchange Club and youth awards/scholarships may be found at http://www.hanoverexchangeclub.com/index.html.

The Exchange’s Young Citizenship Award rewards worthwhile, hard working youths at the middle school level. This program is designed to honor pre-high school students who daily demonstrate good citizenship both at school and at home. It does not necessarily seek to salute star scholastic or athletic performers. Instead, it singles out and encourages young people who, although they may not be at the head of their class, are hones, hard-working, helpful and fair. Students are selected by their teachers and are given an application to submit for the award.

Click Here!

The 2018 Calendar is now available on our Troop’s website.

Christmas caroling at Hanover Hall is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, December 12, 2017. Please meet at Hanover Hall (267 Frederick Street) at 6:30 pm. We will be caroling with Pack 103 and should be finished by 8 pm. Parents & siblings are invited!