William (Bill) B. Vernon, a Troop 17 Eagle Scout & Pack 13 Alumnus, received the  Angle Tree Good Scout Award at an awards breakfast held in his honor on April 5.

Mr. Vernon has shown that the time-honored tradition of "once an Eagle, always an Eagle" rings true by exhibiting the Scout spirit throughout his life.  

Mr. Vernon served as a Massachusetts state legislator from Mansfield, elected to represent the First Bristol District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1982.  He served for nine years, and then became director for Intergovernmental Affairs at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.  He then became executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party from 1994 to 1997.

He also serves as the state director of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, a small-business advocacy group.   In 1989, he became a director of Mansfield Bank and was elected chairman of the board at the bank in 2004, and he has also served on the board of directors of the Kennedy Donovan Center in Foxboro.

Congratulations, Mr. Vernon on your award.  You truly show what it means to be a Good Scout, and Troop 17 is proud of your accomplishments.

A Sun Chronicle article about Mr. Vernon was published on March 19.

Troop 17's own Eagle Scout Josh Lampron was featured in the April issue of Boy's Life magazine for his incredible accomplishments.  Check out the article at the Boy's Life site or in your own copy of Boy's Life.

This Monday, April 9th is a Court of Honor where Scouts will be recognized for their achievements since the last Court of Honor.  All Scouts will also be receiving the new Troop neckerchiefs which were designed and voted on by the Scouts.  All Scouts will also be receiving the Gold Journey to Excellence patch which indicates we were a top unit last year for the program the Scouts put together.  

 All parents and siblings are encouraged to attend-Scouts benefit hugely from your attendance. 

The Troop Committee had voted for parents to now receive a small pin that corresponds with the rank advancement your Scout earns.  There will be refreshments after the meeting.

At the Court of Honor, we will be having a Friends of Scouting (FOS) presentation. FOS is a program  to support the Scouting program in the Annawon Council.

The annual Friends of Scouting presentation is another way parents and families can support the Scouting program in an effort to offset the cost of providing Scouting to their son and others in the Annawon Council.  The cost to Annawon Council is greater than the $15 fee the Pack pays to the Council for each Scout per year.  The actual Council cost per Scout is approximately $300 which covers: the Scout Reach program (allows Scouts in financially-challenged communities to be in Scouting), 600 volunteer leader training, Camp Norse equipment/repairs/insurance, support & professional staff, and leader recognition to name some areas.  The Council also continues to fund raise at all levels, but as we know in non-profit agencies, every bit helps.  There are many Companies that offer match giving which will be discussed at the meeting.  Friends of Scouting is each unit's further opportunity to continue to help support our Council beyond the annual $15 fee which also helps us to provide young people with experiences that prepare them to meet challenges and conquer them.  Scouting is a guiding light in our Council which supports more than 2,500 participants with diverse backgrounds to lead them to a responsible and rewarding adulthood." 

The PLC voted to have a contest between Patrols to see who could bring in the most food items for the Mansfield Food Pantry as part of Troop 17's Scouting for Food Drive.  Scouts are asked to bring in food items on Monday, April 9th. 
Food items that the Food Pantry suggests are: canned fruit, cereal, fruit juice, canned meats, coffee  & tea.  As the PLC voted, the Patrol who raises the most food by weight that  evening, will be able to pick a dessert that the adults will cook for them on the next camping trip-Treasure Valley.  I wonder who will win.

An Eagle Court of Honor was held on March 31 for Troop 17's newest Eagle Scout, Dave E. 
See some photos from the event on the Troop's Eagle Roll of Honor page.

Five Scouts (Nick C., Ethan H., Evan G., Tim M. and Jack M.) completed National Youth Leadership Training (a.k.a., NYLT) at Camp Norse this weekend.

Way to go, guys!  We appreciate your commitment, and can't wait to see you share your new skills with the Troop.

NYLT is a seven day (one Saturday and two full weekends). 

The NYLT course centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what he  must KNOW, and what he must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO. The skills come alive during the week as the patrol goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership.

If you would like to know more about how you can take NYLT, please talk to any past participants or to Mr. Ham.  More information can be found at the BSA NYLT site or at this Wiki site.