On Monday February 22, 2010, the Livingston Town Council honored the Livingston Boy Scouts on the occasion of the Boy Scout Centennial.

Oliver is a 12th grade student at Seton Hall Prep. He is on high honor roll and became a member of the National Honor Society in eleventh grade.  Oliver is finalizing his college choices for this fall, he will major in pre-dental or biology. He plans to attend dental school after his undergraduate studies.

Oliver has been in scouting since he became a Tiger Cub in 1998. He earned all of the Webelo activity pins and the Arrow of Light.  Oliver crossed over into Troop 16 in Livingston in 2003. He has been an active Troop member and is currently serving as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster.

Oliver became a member of Lenapehoking Lodge IX in April 2004. He has been a very active Brother, serving the Lodge in a variety of roles including, Ceremony Team Chairman, Chapter Chief, Lodge Treasurer, Vice Chief of Inductions and Lodge Chief. Oliver is a Vigil Honor member and a recipient of the Founder’s Award. Oliver has provided service at every Ordeal weekend since April 2004 and has attended each Section Conclave since his induction into the lodge. He attended the National Leadership Seminar and has represented our Lodge during two National Order of the Arrow Conferences, in Michigan State University and Indiana University.

Oliver attended National Youth Leadership Training in August 2006. He demonstrated leadership and enthusiasm as a participant and was asked to become a member of the youth staff for the following year’s course. Oliver has been a valued youth staff member for the past three courses, last summer serving as an assistant senior patrol leader. Oliver has also served as one of the youth staff members for Woodbadge Courses NEII 160 and 180. Oliver was a staff member for the council’s Trainers EDGE course in 2009.   

Oliver’s scouting experiences have been many. He has spent more than 150 nights camping and has enjoyed a canoe trek at Floodwood as well as a voyage at Florida Sea Base. Oliver attended the National Jamboree in the summer of 2005 and traveled to London to visit the World Jamboree in 2007. 

From the very beginning of Oliver’s scouting career he has been blessed with the highest quality of youth and adult mentors. As a young scout Oliver has looked up to many older scouts in Troop 16, Lenapehoking Lodge IX and NYLT staff members. Oliver would also like to recognize the many adult leaders who have taken time to help him succeed.

Livingston Boy Scouts Celebrate Centennial of Scouting
West Essex Tribune Article - February 10, 2010
http://www.livingstonnavigator.com/profiles/blogs/livingston-boy-scouts


Photos taken by Livingston Boy Scout Troop 16

Livingston NJ Boy Scout Troop 16 attended the Orange Mountains District Klondike Derby on Jan. 30, 2010 at Camp Lewis.

This year we had the Shark and Lightning patrol in the Klondike Derby.

The Shark patrol won best-in-town award for orienteering in YUKON city

It was cold, around 8F degree, and we needed to frequently retreat back to the meeting-hall cabin to survive the freezing cold; however, our spirit was high and everyone had fun.

During the NJ Teacher’s Convention weekend Nov. 6 to 8, 2009, Livingston Boy Scout Troop 16 held their Annual   Historical Hike and Camping Weekend.  On Friday, the troop went to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J.  and watched  the  4D movie “The Plant Earth”.  The Scouts viewed the shark and hippo tanks, birds of prey areas and many interactive aquatic life displays.  Lunch was in the Aquarium Cafeteria overlooking the Delaware River and Philadelphia.

The Scouts then traveled to Boy Scout Camp Delmont in Marlborough Township, Pennsylvania where they cabin camped Friday and Saturday nights.

On Saturday the Scouts travelled to Philadelphia to walk the 10 mile “Philadelphia Bicentennial Trail of Freedom”.  The trail begins at the Visitor’s Center where the Scouts viewed the film “Independence”,   a film which explained  the history which led to the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence.  During the hike, the Scouts visited the Liberty Bell, guided tours of Independence Hall, Congress Hall, Old City Hall and Quakers Friends Meeting House.  The original final draft of the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation were both on display at Independence  Hall  for a limited time.   Carpenters  Hall,  The First Bank of the United States, Betsy Ross House, Christ Church Burial Ground where many signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried, Old St. Mary’s Church built in 1763 and many other historical churches, homes, banks, parks and moments were viewed during our walk.  To finish off the day, the Troop 16 Scouts ate dinner at the Hard Rock Café in Philly.

Previous  years’  Historical Trips were visits to  Washington, D.C., Boston, Gettysburg,  Baltimore Inter Harbor  and Valley Forge.

    Troop 16, B.S.A., which is chartered by St. Philomena’s Church, recently held a Court of Honor to award Robert D. Newbery the Eagle Scout rank, the highest advancement rank in Boy Scouting. Robert joins his father, Bob, and brother, Rich, in reaching this accomplishment. Currently, Robert is a senior at Livingston High School.

Robert joined Pack 16, B.S.A. as a Tiger Cub while attending first grade at Hillside Elementary School. He progressed through the Cub Scout program.  As a Webelos Scout, Robert received Cub Scout’s highest award, the Arrow of Light. While a Cub Scout, Robert attended summer resident camp with Pack 16 at Camp Glen Grey and Camp Lewis as well as attending day camp at Camp Yaw Paw and Camp Somers.

As a member of Troop 16, Robert was awarded the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star and Life before completing the 21 merit badges and leadership requirements for the rank of Eagle Scout.  The Eagle Rank also required Robert to plan and carry out a complex service project showing leadership of a project that benefits the community.  His service project was to support the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter with the help of Troop 16 and others.  Robert attended summer resident camp with Troop 16 at Ockanickon Scout Reservation and Camp Turrell.  For the past four years, Robert has been a staff member at Winnebago Scout Reservation where he has been part of the shooting sports program, the Dan Beard/first year camper program as well as a camp ranger. 

Robert has participated in trips with Troop 16 to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston as well as having camped at many locations throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. He participated in National Youth Leadership Training.  During one spring vacation, Robert traveled to Florida to attend the Boy Scouts High Adventure Sea Base in Islamorada, Florida where he lived onboard a 41’ sail boat with 5 other Scouts handling all of the daily tasks between them. They sailed from the Sea Base to Key West and back to Islamorada. In addition, Robert attended Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico where he hiked for 10 days covering over 70 miles. He also attended the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Virginia. Robert was a youth staff member for a cluster Wood Badge course run by Northern New Jersey Council, B.S.A. and Patriots’ Path Council, B.S.A. which is a course for adult volunteers involved in Scouting where the participants learn leadership and team-building skills.

In order to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, Robert had to progress through the Boy Scout ranks from Tenderfoot to Eagle. He also had to earn a minimum of 21 merit badges including the following required merit badges: First Aid; Citizenship in the Community; Citizenship in the Nation; Citizenship in the World; Communications; Environmental Science; Personal Fitness; Camping; Family Life; Personal Management; Lifesaving; and Swimming. In addition, Robert had to serve in a troop leadership position, which for Robert included Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Quartermaster and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader.

He had to plan, develop, and give leadership to a service project for a community organization. Robert’s Eagle Project was an in support of the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter. In addition to collecting food, toys and other items needed by the animals, with the generosity of local residents, Robert was able to provide a stainless steel veterinary examination table for the Animal Shelter. Finally, Robert had to take part in a Scoutmaster conference and successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review.

Robert now is an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 16, B.S.A..

Livingston Boy Scout Troop 16 participated in the Patriot’s Path Council Centennial Jamboree celebrating  the  100 year anniversary  of American Scouting .  The Jamboree was held at Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta N.J. on October 2 – 4, 2009.  The Jamboree included over 4,000 scouts from the area.  Program area themes included Disability Awareness,  Buckskin Games, Conservation-Nature,  Physical Fitness, Exhibits, Skill-o-Rama, and Service to Community.  Some of the activities included Crossman rifle, archery, knife & tomahawk throwing, bullwhip cracking, mountain boarding, row boating, rappelling,   Picatinny Arsenal M-1 Tank crushing cars,  Helicopter rides, emergency service organizations,  the  United States Armed Forces,  and many hobby orientated  organizations, totaling over 160 program areas.   The Saturday Night Show included entertainment by a live band, laser light show, skits, songs and large screen video about scouting.

Livingston Troop 16 walked the “The Old New York Historical Trail” in lower Manhattan on September 26, 2009.  “The Old New York Historical Trail” is a very popular walking tour rich in the history of New York and the entire country.  Some areas included on the tour are The South Street Seaport Museum, Fraunces  Tavern, Washington Square in Greenwich Village, Castle Clinton  and the Battery Park Area  which overlooks Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor, Wall Street-the financial capital of the world, Chinatown & Little Italy, Federal Hall-site of Washington’s Inauguration, Trinity Church and graveyard, St. Paul’s Chapel. The scouts also were invited by Phoenix Constructors JV to view from their on-site office the Ground Zero Site and were given a photographic overview of the reconstruction of the World Trade Center  site.

Direct link to article at www.scouting.org:
http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/PicatinnyCommand_BSA_EagleGoldCmdr.pdf

On July 5, 2009, 16 Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 16 and one provisional Scout from West Caldwell and three adult Scouters left Livingston for a week at Camp Turrell in Cuddlesbackville, NY. The resulting experiences earned the 17 Scouts, who range in age from 11 to 16 years old, a total of 58 merit badges.

The merit badges that the boys worked on were in a number of different areas including Outdoor Skills, Nature, Handicrafts, Aquatics, Field Sports and Shooting Sports.  

In the Outdoor Skills area, the boys worked on skills that earned them Camping, Cooking, Wilderness Survival, and Pioneering merit badges. In the Nature category the scouts earned merit badges in Nature, Bird Study, Astronomy, Environmental Science, Fish & Wildlife Conservation, Geology, Mammal Study, Soil & Water Conservation and Weather.

Their week also involved work on handicrafts, which earned them badges in Indian Lore, Basketry, Art and Sculpture. At the camp’s waterfront area, the boys earned merit badges in Swimming, Lifesaving, and Rowing.

They earned badges in Sports, Athletics, and Personal Fitness in the Field Sports area, and in the Shooting Sports area the boys earned badges in Archery, Rifle and Shotgun. They also worked on the merit badges of First Aid and Citizenship in the World.

In addition to working on individual advancements, the boys participated in a wide variety of Troop activities as well, including serving as color guard one morning, for which they raised the flag over the parade grounds prior to breakfast. 

The Troop earned the Patton Bowell Award this year at camp, which is presented to Scout Troops that participate in many camp wide events, show the use of various scouting skills throughout the week, and build a gateway for their campsite by lashing branches and logs together. For a service project the boys decided to volunteer as a Troop and help clean the kitchen after the traditional Friday night barbeque rib dinner.

Additionally, the Troop competed in the Iron Man Contest that tests the boys on physical endurance as well as Scouting skills such as knot tying and fire building. The Troop took third place.

Finally the older scouts had the opportunity to experience scuba diving in the camp lake.