May 27 Planning Meeting

Even though we're a almost a year away, planning has begun in earnest to create an exciting event for our boys to mark the 100th anniversary of Scouting in the Westchester-Putnam Council! The date for this event will be April 30, May 1 and May 2. The event is to initiate the 100th Anniversary of Scouting for the Boy Scouts so we plan to have events that look 100 years into Scouting's past, and 100 years into Scouting's FUTURE. It will have activities beginning on Friday evening at 8:00 PM and running late into the night, resuming the next morning at 6:00AM and continuing throughout the day. It will be open to both Boy Scouts and Venture Crews with all activities targeted for the two age groups.

At out last meeting we reviewed ideas for the "Scouting Future" programs, including the idea of getting manufacturers to show off their "latest and greatest" products, and possibly demo concept products that are "just over the horizon." Most of the "Scouting Future" events will be demonstration based. "Scouting Past" will be comprised of hands-on activities, many themed from obsolete scouting merit badges and challenges from "the good old days." Here's a hint: Grab any Handbook from before 1979... Everything from Semaphore signals (get out your flags) to setting up a 1940s era campsite (no nylon pop-ups here!) to traditional cooking techniques (put away the propane). Do you have ideas we could incorporate? Please contact us.

We also reviewed potential special event patch designs, and narrowed down the choice to two options. Both ideas emphasized the importance of the 100th anniversary, and also pay tribute to the Councils that once made up the modern Westchester-Putnam (Siwanoy, Bronx Valley, Yonkers, Hendirck Hudson, Fennimore Cooper, Washington Irving and Hutchinson River). We hope to narrow down and finalize our choice this summer and begin using the design this fall for promotional purposes. Do you have old council materials you'd be willing to share with us? Patches, flags, newsletters, we want to see it all. Please get in touch with us if you have materials to share!

One of the ideas we have been kicking around is a parade of uniforms, past and present. Break out your campaign hats! We'd like to represent each major change in the Boy Scout uniform. Folks are encouraged to wear their "vintage" duds and join in the fun. We're also going to need help recreating early uniforms from the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s from modern materials. If you think this is something you can help us with, please contact us.

Our next meeting will be June 24.

—The Centennial Camporee Planning Committee