Biking into a new troop year

Troop 50 kicked off the start of a new troop year on Saturday, Aug. 15 with an afternoon of mountain biking at Chewacla State Park, followed by the end-of-the-summer court of honor.

Some of Troop 50's "mountain pedalers" on the trail

Chewacla State Park offers beginner to advanced riders more than 15 miles of first-class, single track mountain biking trails that zig-zag through the park, thanks to the park's partnership with CAMP — Central Alabama Mountain Pedalers.

The mountain-biking experience includes everything from switchbacks, rocky terrain, bridges, inclined and elevated ramps, a wooden wall ride, and a newly developed BMX trail — and Scouts, leaders, and parents sampled most of them. Those enjoying the biking challenges divided into two groups and set out for the trails. By the end of the ride, the groups had each logged between three and four miles of mountain-biking.

Scouts and leaders enjoy a pit stop during the afternoon of biking — some continued on to more
challenging trails, while most made the break a permanent pit stop for the day!

As biking wound down, more Scouts, leaders, and parents began arriving for the late-afternoon court of honor. Nearly 80 Scouts, leaders, and parents had gathered by the time the court of honor was called to order and the subsequent line formed at the buffet featuring the culinary skills of troop families and the grilling expertise of Assistant Scoutmaster Jason Smith.

Court of honor masters of ceremonies included (right to left) Senior Patrol Leader Louie,
patrol leaders Nicky and Creighton, and Scoutmaster Andrew Baird

The troop's youth leadership served as masters of ceremonies, which included Senior Patrol Leader Louie, Carnivorous Pandas Patrol Leader Nicky, Outdoorsmen Patrol Leader Creighton, and Scoutmaster Andrew Baird. Together, they presented 75 merit badges and 11 rank advancements — the majority the result of the troop's summer camp experience at Camp Sequoyah, but which also included Scouts' efforts to complete a number or merit badges that either were partially completed or achieved through their one-on-one efforts with merit badge counselors.

Scouts gather in appreciation of the Auburn Rotary Club's ongoing support.

The troop concluded its court of honor by helping its chartered organization, the Auburn Rotary Club, celebrate its annual Rotary Day - conducted the day before - by paying tribute to Rotary's support of Troop 50. In addition to its annual financial support, the Rotary Club also awarded the troop a recent one-time grant to purchase new tents.

Members of the troop's Patrol Leaders' Council show off their efforts
setting up our new troop tents for the first time.

At the troop's Patrol Leaders' Council meeting the Monday evening following the court of honor, the troop's youth leaders familiarized themselves with the new tents purchased with community grant funds from the Auburn Rotary Club.

Following the court of honor, as a "thank you" to Chewacla State Park for hosting its afternoon events, the troop conducted a service project by picking up litter around the beach pavilion.

View additional photos from the afternoon on the troop's online photo album.

A pair of projects prosper at Pick

Norman Rockwell's "Eagle Scout Project," 1978

Pick Elementary School, which hosts one of three third through fifth grade groupings in Auburn City Schools, continues to benefit from the planning, service, and leadership efforts of Troop 50 Scouts through a pair of Eagle Scout leadership service projects that began concurrently this weekend with the help of Troop 50 Scouts and leaders, parents, and friends. Last summer, Life Scout Davis completed work trailblazing a nearly 800-foot trail that ended alongside the creek running through the school's property, where he also created an outdoor classroom area featuring a table and four benches he and volunteers constructed. The current pair of projects focus on expanding outdoor teaching sites on the school's campus.

Andrew checks the final measurements of the base of his creek-side observation deck.

When complete, the observation deck will provide
students a safe place to learn from teachers who often
use islands in the creek from which to teach or conduct
demonstrations.

Andrew's project will create an creek-side observation deck and teaching area in close proximity to outdoor classroom Davis created last summer. The observation deck will give students studying a variety of environmental and biological science topics the opportunity to learn through witnessing academic material in a natural setting. The deck also will feature fencing alongside the creek, which has a steep drop off of more than five feet, thereby making the entire area safer and more student-friendly. Andrew's project was approved by the Saugahatchee District Eagle Advancement Committee in March 2015. While Chartered Organization Representative Michael Tullier is serving as his Eagle project coach, Scoutmaster Andrew Baird is consulting on the construction elements of the project.

• see more photos from Andrew's project

Robert, assisted by fellow Scout Joe, ensures the foundation row of retaining wall bricks for one of his
raised planters is level, after digging out the area and using a layer of paver base.

With the first two raised planters completed in
the background, work begins on the second bed
in the foreground.

Robert's project involves constructing two large raised planters/flower boxes for the initial benefit of the schools' third-grade science teachers. The raised planters will give students enhanced opportunities to participate in and witness the plant growth cycle first-hand. The planters will allow students to prepare the soil, plant seeds, and study and record the growth of the plants. In preparing for his project, Robert researched various building materials, eventually deciding to use retaining-wall bricks, as well as how to create a suitable and well-draining soil bed. Robert's project was approved by the Saugahatchee District Eagle Advancement Committee in June 2015. Chartered Organization Representative Michael Tullier is serving as his Eagle project coach.

• see more photos from Robert's project

Eagle Scout leadership service projects require that Scouts do more than just perform service. Before projects even can begin, Scouts must complete an Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook that

• summarizes the project and its benefits to those for whom the project is planned
• provides the Scout the opportunity to self-assess his leadership readiness and perceived challenges, as well as outline how he will recruit volunteers
• itemizes the materials, supplies, tools, permits and permissions required for the project
• after pricing the materials and supplies required for the project, details estimated project costs and the sources for those funds
• outlines the Scout's plan for addressing logistics and safety issues

Once the workbook is completed, the Scout must obtain signed approval from his scoutmaster, troop committee chair, and the authorized representative of the beneficiary of the project. With those approvals and before receiving the district's approval, the Scout then provides the completed workbook to the district's Eagle Advancement Committee along with participating in an in-personal presentation and question-and-answer session with a three-person panel representing the committee.

With the district's approval, the Scout then is directly involved in procuring materials and supplies, as well as securing the necessary help from peers and guidance from adult leaders to complete the project according to his timeline. A summary of his completed project is submitted to the Eagle Review Board along with his candidacy packet for the rank of Eagle Scout once he has completed all other requirements for the Eagle Scout rank. The Scout must complete all advancement and project work before his 18th birthday. 

Andrew and Robert, like Davis, are founding members of Troop 50 and rising seniors at Auburn High School. Andrew is a two-time senior patrol leader (including the troop's current immediate past senior patrol leader) and currently serves as assistant senior patrol leader in addition to previous responsibilities as a two-term patrol leader and one-term quartermaster. He recently was selected as the troop's inaugural James J. Baird Honor Scout Award recipient. Robert has previously served the troop as an assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, and troop guide.

All three of the troop's projects benefiting Pick Elementary have been under the supervision of physical education teacher Chuck Cooper, who was the Scouts' PE teacher while they were kindergartners at Auburn Early Education Center, and later as first through fifth graders at nearby Cary Woods Elementary School. Pick Elementary School Principal Debbie Brooks also was the Scouts' assistant principal and principal while they attended Cary Woods Elementary.

The troop's online photo album offers additional photos from Andrew and Robert's July 11 and 12 work days, as well as subsequent progress as they work to complete their projects before the start of the 2015-16 academic year in August.

Expressing thanks and reporting success

On July 8, Scouts and leaders made the troop's annual "state-of-the-troop" presentation to the Auburn Rotary Club, which is the troop's charter organization. In addition to having the opportunity to express appreciation for and outline how the troop has benefited from Rotary Club's annual funding allocation, this presentation also allowed the troop to thank Rotarians for its recent $600 community needs grant allocation to purchase new, much-needed tents.

Representatives of the troop presenting at the July 8 Auburn Rotary Club meeting included:
(front row, L to R) Troop Committee Chair Rob Stanford, Senior Patrol Leader Louie,
Assistant Senior Patrol Leader Andrew; (back row, L to R) Scoutmaster Andrew Baird; and
Chartered Organization Representative and Auburn Rotary Club President-Elect Michael Tullier.
Pictured with the group is Auburn Rotary Club President Brad Wilson.

Inaugural James J. Baird Jr. Honor Scout Award recipient Andrew with
members of Jim Baird's family: wife Jean Baird, daughter Mary Baird,
and nephew and troop scoutmaster Andrew Baird. The award was
 presented at the troop's June 1 court of honor.

In addition to providing a troop overview and highlighting recent troop service projects, activities and outings, Scoutmaster Andrew Baird noted the creation of the James J. Baird Jr. Honor Scout Award, named in memory of his uncle and past Auburn Rotary Club President and Rotary District 6880 Assistant Governor Jim Baird. Inaugural award recipient Andrew shared with Rotarians about his upcoming Eagle Scout leadership service project, which he will begin this weekend.

Troop Committee Chair Rob Stanford discussed the troop committee's administrative oversight and how adult and youth leadership is structured. He introduced Senior Patrol Leader Louie who shared about his favorite recent troop activities in addition to his own familial connections to Rotary International.

Assistant Scoutmaster Wes Williams and son Creighton,
recently elected as one of the troop's new patrol leaders,
also attending the Rotary Club meeting.

Chartered Organization Representative Michael Tullier, who also serves in the capacity of one of the troop's assistant scoutmasters as well as president-elect of the Auburn Rotary Club, explained to Rotarians the club's "ownership" of the troop and charged them with engaging with the troop by supporting its fundraisers, volunteering as Eagle Scout service project mentors, consultants, and volunteers or as troop leaders, as well as sharing their vocational and personal expertise as merit badge counselors. More than 130 opportunities exist through the merit badge program that allow those with knowledge, skills or talents they have acquired through their educational, career, or hobby endeavors as merit badge counselors. Rotarians with an interest in any of these opportunities can contact Michael Tullier for more information. Tullier also chairs the club's Scouting Committee, and and fellow Rotarian and Assistant Scoutmaster Bryan Herrit serve on the committee as well.

The Auburn Rotary Club expresses appreciation to its weekly program speakers by placing a book in their honor on the shelves of the Auburn Public Library. Chris Warren, director of the library and secretary of the Auburn Rotary Club, selects a book germane to the speaker or the topic. To recognize the troop's presentation, he selected How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk. The book, commonly referred to as the "parenting bible," and the authors, who have been called "the Dr. Spock of this generation," offer fresh insights, suggestions and time-tested methods to solving common problems and building foundations for communicating with today's youth.

Troop 50 was one of 15 Lee County nonprofit organizations receiving grants totaling nearly $34,000
in charitable support from the Auburn Rotary Club through its 2015 Community Needs Grant Program.

Scoutmaster Baird accepts an Auburn Rotary community
needs grant from Club President Brad Wilson and
Community Grants Allocation Committee Chair Allison Moore.

At the Auburn Rotary Club's July 1 meeting, the club awarded nearly $34,000 in grants to 15 community-based organizations — including Troop 50, which received a $600 grant to purchase tents. The new tents will not only replace some aging tents, but will accommodate the need for additional tents resulting from growth during the past couple of years. This grant support results from the Rotary Club's year-round fundraising efforts, which includes its annual Rotary Riches fundraising initiative.

In Memory of a Fine Man

      Troop 50 celebrated the life and contributions of a leader, Scout parent, and friend as we said farewell to John Cottier, who passed away unexpectedly last week. Professor Cottier was a well respected and beloved archaeologist at the university, a Vietnam veteran, an Eagle Scout, and a dedicated Scouting volunteer. He will be missed by all who knew him.

John points out various archaeological sites to the Scouts at the
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park in April 2014.

      John grew up in Auburn, earned his Eagle rank in 1957 with Troop 11, and graduated from Auburn University in 1964. He received his masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Alabama and the University of Missouri, respectively. Called by the U.S. Army to serve in Vietnam during the late 1960s, he attained the rank of Captain in the armor branch and was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in combat. With a humility typical of John, he never revealed, even to his family, how he earned his medal.

      In his professional career, John accomplished a great deal. As an associate professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work; he was a dedicated teacher and researcher. His field school in archaeology trained many students over the years and his research covered many Alabama historical sites such as Fort Mitchell, the Ebert Canebrake Site, and the Old Federal Road. One of the many tributes to John and his work came from one of his colleagues, Jessica Crawford, the Southeastern Region Director of the Archaeological Conservancy. The article is found online at the Archeological Conservancy website. Another great tribute to John was published in the student newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman.

Troop 50 Scouts and leaders line up prior to the service for Dr. Cottier.

      As a Scouter, John was a dedicated volunteer. He served as a Cub Scout den leader for both of his sons. As a den leader with Pack 29, he started as a Tiger Cub leader and followed his den through their Wolf, Bear, and Webelo years. Several current Troop 50 Scouts found their own dedication to Scouting under John's tutelage. Upon transitioning to Troop 50, John registered as an assistant scoutmaster but health concerns kept him from participating as fully as he would have liked. Still, he was a hard worker and always looking to contribute in any way that he could. A number of the photos in our online photo gallery were taken by John and just three weeks ago, he met the boys upon the troop's return from Camp Sequoyah with a big "Welcome Home" sign. On Monday, the Scouts returned the honor as we lined up behind his family at the funeral service. Troop Committee Chairman, and former Pack 29 Cubmaster, Rob Stanford spoke eloquently about John's commitment to Scouting. He noted that the two things that best defined John were how humble he was, never seeking credit for his contributions, and how hard working he was. He was often the first to arrive at Scouting events and the last to leave. His hard work and humility will be missed in every endeavor of which he was a part.

             

Dr. John W. Cottier, 1940 - 2015

     

      Memorial donations for John may be made to the Forward in Faith Campaign at St. Michael's Catholic Church, 1100 North College Street, Auburn, AL 36830 or to the John W. Cottier Memorial Scholarship for Archaeology, Allocation code: 60001365, Gift processing, 317 South College Street, Auburn, AL 36849.