2026-03-22 This Week: Troop Meeting, OA Elections, Personal Management/Fitness Merit Badge Class, ILST & Hike/Backpacking Merit Badge Class, Summer Camp – Olmsted & Lenhok’sin, Public Speaking Merit Badge, One month Look Ahead

Troop 131,

What a glorious weekend for a hike! Thank you to the 14 scouts and 10 adults that came out on Saturday for the Old Rag 10 miler!  A big thank you to Mr. Grocki for planning and organizing the activity.  While some of us are a little sore (like your Scoutmaster) it was a good day for all.  I was very impressed and happy to see so many scouts helping other scouts and adults during the day.  This was especially evident during the bouldering section with each person passing their pack to the next person as we climbed.  This was very difficult terrain to navigate, and everyone did an amazing job.

Thank you to Mrs. and Mr. Devlin for hosting the Committee Meeting last Thursday.  We covered a lot of ground, and I am grateful that we have so many active adults in the troop. We cannot do it without your support!

TROOP MEETING AND OA ELECTIONS

We will have a Troop meeting at 7:30PM this Monday at Immanuel Church on the Hill! Your leadership team will have a good plan!

During the meeting we will also hold Order of the Arrow Elections.

For the troop to hold a valid election we need to meet the following attendance requirements and rules:

·        At least ½ the troop must attend – in our case I believe this is about 24 scouts.

·        To be elected to the Order – an eligible scout must receive ½ the votes of those in attendance.

·        For example, if 24 scouts attend, then an eligible scout must receive 12 votes.

·        Only scouts vote, adults are not eligible to vote even if they are in the OA.

·        All scouts can vote, both those that are currently in the OA and those that are not.

·        Scouts may vote for as many or as few candidates as they like.

·        A scout may vote for themselves.

·        The election will be administered by current OA scouts OUTSIDE of our troop.

·        Current OA members may wear their OA sashes on election day.

·        The order of the arrow is Scouts BSA Honor Society. Scouts should vote for candidates that feel they embody the best spirit of scouting and those scouts who follow the scout oath and law.

For a Scout to be eligible for the order of the arrow they must:

·        Embody the spirit of scouting.

·        Be the rank of First Class and above on election day.

·        Have camping experience (15 nights total with a minimum of 5 long-term consecutive nights such as summer camp/high adventure experience within past 24 months).

Mr. Dalton compiled a list of scouts who are eligible, see below.

Thank you, Mr. Dalton, for coordinating the election again this year!

Based on the above criteria the following scouts are eligible OA candidates this year:

• Francis Gress
• John Grocki
• Andrew Gross
• Thomas Grocki
• Jack Norris
• George Pica
• Talis Saulski
• Ozzie Springer
• Teddy Texiera-Moffat

If you would like to remove yourself from the election list, then please reach out to Mr. Dalton

If you feel that you are qualified and were inadvertently left off this list, then please reach out to Mr. Dalton and he can review the requirements with you.

PERSONAL MANAGEMENT & PERSONAL FITNESS MERIT BADGE

All,

My sincere apologies for taking so long to finally put this together and send out the notice.  As I have been promising over the past several months, I will be holding a Personal Management Merit Badge course over the next serval weeks.  Because I feel that incorporating personal financial management (finical fitness) and physical fitness as a fundamental aspect of one’s life for long-term happiness and success (and because they both require multiple weeks of performing and reporting on at-home tasks and routines), I also have decide to teach the Personal Fitness Merit Badge along as a dual course. 

As mentioned, each both of these merit Badges require significant at-home activities and tasks that will take several weeks to complete.  During this time, I will periodically hold classes during Troop meetings to cover the academic portions of requirements for one or both or the Merit Badges.  I will announce in advance when those classes will be held.

We will start at this Monday’s Troop meeting (March 16), where I will cover the requirements for each of the Merit Badges, the format/process we will be using, and a basic schedule look ahead.  

If you would like to sign up to take these Merit Badge classes, please email me (or parents email me) at: psaulski@gmail.com

Your in Scouting 

Paul Saulski 

TRAINING DOUBLE HEADER – ILST & Hiking/Backpacking Merit Badge Class

Please mark your calendars for Saturday April 11^th. We will hold a training and teaching doubleheader!

First, Mr. Farmer will once again teach the Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST).  We STRONGLY encourage all scouts in leadership positions (if you have a round patch on your left sleeve- then you are in a leadership position- SPL, ASPL, PL, APL, Quartermaster, Scribe, etc …) to attend. Even if you are not in a leadership position, then you are welcome to attend.  ILST is a prerequisite for National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), also something I encourage scouts to consider taking.

https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/resources/nylt/

Second, Mr. Grocki and I will teach a Backpacking and Hiking Merit Badge Class.  The Philmont training schedule was designed to fulfill the physical requirements of both merit badges, however, there is some classroom work required.  This class will cover these requirements. I will provide blue cards for the scouts that sign up.

Both sessions will take place at Immanuel Church on the Hill, and each is approximately 2 hours in length. We will send out the exact time schedule later, but one will likely be in the late morning and second after lunch and in the early afternoon.

SUMMER CAMP- OLMSTED

Hello all,

Ready to have a blast this summer at Goshen?  Then fill out our Goshen registration form!

If you want to have the best chance of getting your first choice in merit badges, you need to be registered (via the form) and paid (pay camp fees to the troop treasurer) by March 28.

The form has plenty of information about logistics and allows campers to choose all their merit badge sessions, etc., but if you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time at summercamp@t131.org. If you are in need of a campership to help pay for Goshen registration, there’s still time — please apply here. 

Thanks!
Mike Gruss and Meghan Hoyer

SUMMER CAMP – LENHOK’SIN TRAIL TREK

What is better than summer camp?  Two summer camps! For those that just cannot get enough or those scouts going to Philmont and who want a final training session, this is your opportunity to go on a 5-day trek through the mountains of Western Virginia. It is a good way to test yourself and maximize backpacking experiences!

Who: Scouts in the troop over 13 (by 9/1/2026)

What: Lenhok’sin Trail Trek

When: Goshen Week 4 (7/12-7/18)

Where: Goshen Scout Reservation – Camp Baird

Why: Philmont Training and we LOVE Backpacking

Cost: $675 or $645 by 4/15 (early bird)

NOTES:

MAX of 12 SCOUTS- so sign up early

Please use the link below to indicate your interest in attending:

https://forms.gle/eEKjdBT95nm5G8xZ6

Here is a link to Goshen Website if you would like more information:

https://www.gotogoshen.org/camps-programs/lenhoksin-high-adventure/

Thanks,

Chris Grocki

Outings Coordinator

Boy Scout Troop 131

PUBLIC SPEAKING MERIT BADGE

All those that started the Public Speaking Merit Badge, Mr. Green and Mr. Gross have agreed to help you complete the final requirements.  Please see them at one of the future meetings and talk to them about what you completed and what you have left!  They will help you get to the finish line.

SCHEDULE: One Month(ish) Look Ahead

Monday, March 23^rd – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM (OA Elections) – Immanuel Church on the Hill

Monday, March 30^th – NO Troop Meeting – Spring Break

Monday, April 6^th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM (No School ACPS) – Immanuel Church on the Hill

Friday, April 10^th -12^th – OA Ordeal 4 Mile Run Chapter, Outdoor Lab Arlington

Saturday, April 11^th – Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST) – Immanuel Church on the Hill

Saturday, April 11^th – Backpacking and Hiking Merit Badge Class – Immanuel Church on the Hill

Monday, April 13^th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM (BoR) (PLC 6:45) – Immanuel Church on the Hill

Friday April 17^th -19^th – Backpacking Trip- TBD

Monday, April 20^th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill (Public Speaking)

Friday April 24^th – 26^th – OA Spring Ordeal/Fellowship – Camp Snyder

Saturday April 25^th – T131 Fundraiser/Carwash – Immanuel Church on the Hill

Monday, April 27^th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill

Saturday May 2^nd – Day Trip – 21st Annual NCAC Scout Orienteering Meet – Prince William Forest

Monday, May 4^th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill

Saturday May 9^th – Day Hike – 20 Miles Jones Point to Mount Vernon (round trip)- Alexandria/Fairfax

Monday, May 11^th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM (BoR) (PLC 6:45) – Immanuel Church on the Hill

Friday May 15^th -17^th – OA Conclave – Rodney Scout Reservation