The Scouts and Families of Troop 131 were extremely saddened by the passing of our LOOOOONG Time Scoutmaster/ Assistant Scoutmaster Will Rodger. He was instrumental in building up Troop 131 to the great program we enjoy today and was a wealth of Scouting knowledge which we all benefited from, especially the endless number of Troop 131 scouts he impacted. He will be greatly missed.
As you may know, this weekend was our “Winter Camping Trip”. This was one of Will’s great quests- to build quinzees in the snow. Alas, we were often foiled by the weather, as was this year’s attempt to participate in IceFest. But, as always, the Scouts adapted and overcame, and did one of Will’s next great loves- an orienteering camp out at Prince William Forest. Will has led or participated in this trip too many times to count, and it was on this trip that he made huge impressions on Scouts and parents alike as he displayed his skill, teaching abilities, and patience (which was often needed for this particular endeavor).
As a small tribute to Will and the amazing impact that he had on our Scouts, they wanted to do something for him. So instead of doing the course that the NPS provides, Sean opted to make a new route and lead the Scouts on a course that spelled out “WILL” – we decided that spelling out Scoutmaster Rodger might lead us into the next state 🙂
You can see by the photos, all the Scouts participated, and as a true testament to Will’s skill as an instructor, the path they actually took (which you can see on the phone Sean is holding) is right on track to the mapped out version.
Rest in peace Scoutmaster Will, your leadership will be sorely missed, but your impact lives on alive and thriving in your Scouts.
