"It’s nice to see that when the community needs help, Troop 1201 is there.  Today, scouts from our troop helped to set up tables, chairs and awnings for the Gilbert Community Center Health Fair.  The Fair provided the West Fullerton community needed information on city and county services."   -- ASM Cliff

The permit said 12, so our baker’s dozen hit the San Bernardino Peak trail for our 3rd backpack of the season. Somewhere between intermediate and beginner-plus; the trail was a little steeper than we remembered, and a little longer to those of us with backpacks as opposed to the “day hikers” – but we made it to our campsite, and found water!  The weather was very cooperative for daytime, our toes were a little colder than we anticipated for night but we had fantastic jambalaya for dinner, great friends and shared camping time.  Thanks to Mr. Georgieff , van Ahlers and Ahia for getting out boys on another great outing. – Scoutmaster Adams

"It’s not often a weekend comes together so beautifully as this past one did for the First Year backpack to Bear Creek.  Although the barometer was dropping, the rain stayed away providing a cool trek back to our camp.  Marshall and Mike did a terrific job of teaching our new scouts the ropes.  The boys learned a lot and had fun climbing the rocks, playing in the nearby stream, and doing all the camp jobs that are part of backpacking.  I was very proud of our boys who showed a lot of scout spirit this weekend."  -- ASM Cliff

Wet, roaring, relaxing and hysterically funny – all descriptive of our whitewater adventure to upper Kern River where 10 scouts and 7 adults grabbed a quick overnight camp followed by a day of rafting and then kayaking.  Along with our numerous trips down the rapids – we took time out for all of us to learn how to steer, power, flip, recover, climb into and give directions necessary to successfully raft or kayak in whitewater conditions.  Some of us received river-worthy names (eagle, bear, little mouse, platypus & spotted hyena), some of us performed real river rescues of unsuspecting passengers (who actually takes a blackberry on the river without protection?),  and almost all of us honed our dive/slide techniques on makeshift waterslides.  We had the BEST river guides teaching, feeding and entertaining us throughout the day. By the final rapid run  we looked like pros – especially as we recovered from the carnage of massive kayak wipeouts and successfully got everybody back into boats and onto shore!  Thanks to Mrs Ley and the River Queens for  a great trip; a definite repeat for the Troop. – Scoutmaster Adams

And 1201 has another Eagle Scout! – Eric P successfully completed his Eagle Board of Review after having completed all of his other requirements with about 24-hrs to spare.  Eric has experienced scouting in its fullest – from Tigers thru cubs to complete his AOL.  Bridging to 1201 in 2002, he has been a patrol leader, Asst Sr Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader and Jr Asst Scoutmaster.  He has camped, hiked, biked, backpacked and canoed not only in our local area, but Philmont and Switzerland, has attended World Jamboree and will shortly be heading to Kilimanjaro.  Eric has been on 6 spring break canoe trips – probably the most by a single scout or adult (at least undisputed as I type this).  Eric’s enthusiasm, sense of adventure, and respect for nature and others is noticeable and contagious – he truly is deserving of this high honor that he has earned.  We congratulate him and wish him well as he heads off for his next great adventure!  Scoutmaster Adams

A crew of troop 1201 members worked hard to get the new troop shed in order. Scott Hayes lead the project with planning and carpentry skills to install new cabinets and shelving in preparation for the troop to move all of it's gear out of rental storage and back to our charter church building.

After successfully completing his Eagle BOR last night, Kevin S is our latest Eagle Scout.  Kevin began his scout career as a Tiger cub and continue through cubs and earned his AOL.  He bridged to the Troop in 2002 and has camped, hiked, biked, backpacked and canoed his way thru scouts all the while giving leadership and service to our Troop and the community.  Kevin credits scouts with giving him many unique experiences and teaching him the value of tenacity.  Congratulations to a very deserving Scout! – Mr. Adams, Scoutmaster

At COH last week we recognized the accomplishments of many of our young men; we awarded 50 merit badges and 32 rank advancements.  In addition we also recognized some outstanding service that several of our young men have put forth, for during the three months the Troop has had four service days, two eagle projects and fourteen different outing.

For having attended the most outings we awarded The Golden Jeep to Sean P.
For having worked the most service hours we awarded The Golden Pliers to Sean M.
We had a tie for having attended the most service projects we awarded The Golden Workglove to Parker A and Chris R.

Congratulations to all of our scouts – and these guys in particular for setting a fine example of scout spirit in action!
Scoutmaster Adams

Scout-O-Rama went very well this year. Once again, Troop 1201 was hosting our canoe event. The last few years we have not been able to use our canoes at Scout-O-Rama since no suitable pond has been available. The new site this year was a winner with good parking and plenty of shade. We even won an award!

Weather was great for the fun shoot at Firestone Scout Reservation. Fun shoot meant they could work on improving their target grouping for the Rifle Shooting Merit Badge  or, they could blast away at other targets. We had plastic bottles, cans, lemons and even stuffed toys to shoot at. Mr. Romberger along with 3 other NRA certified Range Masters did a excellent job instructing and keeping everyone safe.   ASM  Mr. Wood

Troop 1201 worked hard at First Prebyterian Church, helping get the building and grounds back into shape after a major remodeling project. We are very thankful to the church which serves as our Charter organization and provides us a place to meet and store our gear. Mr. Ahia, Troop 1201 Chaplain

Troop 1201 returned to Devil’s Canyon to start off the backpacking season and was not disappointed.  Thirteen Scouts and seven Scouters participated this year.  The scouts enjoyed jumping into a watering hole off  a large boulder in the creek, ate heartily, and had a late night game of capture the flag with glo-sticks!  All returned tired, but safely, yet  Zac A. gave us a scare with his slip down a steep part of the trail (a la Goonies).  Shout out to Parker A. who did a great job as YAK.
Mr. Georgieff, ASM.

"The 2009 Los Amigos District Camporee was held April 24th – 26th.  Troop 1201 fielded four patrols, two first year and two scout patrols.  There were a total of 49 patrols in the weekend competition.  Troop 1201 won 1st and 2nd place in the scout skit competition and were honored with performing their skits at the campfire ceremony Saturday night.  Not to be outdone, Mr. Allen cooked up the winning fair to take home the coveted Golden Spoon award.  The boys had a lot of fun, the weather was sublime, and we won’t mention the punk rock concert across the lake."  – ASM Cliff

Spinach with strawberries, bananas. Chicken Kiev, rice-chili-cheese casserole, steamed squash. Apple turnovers with ice cream and carmel. Mr. Allen cooked up the winning fair to take home the coveted Golden Spoon award.

Outing summary:  A group of 11 hiked 11 miles and over 3000 feet up Mount Wilson in preparation for the Kilimanjaro Excursion this Summer.  The hike started on a residential street in Sierra Madre, but soon turned into a dirt trail.  The further up the mountain we got, the less maintained the trail was.  That made for a more enjoyable wilderness experience.  We hiked along a stream, had lunch at a campsite that was over 100 years old under the shade of a 1500 year old tree, and saw some incredible views out over the LA basin.  The weather was fine for hiking since it was cooler at the higher elevations.  Everyone finished tired but satisfied after a great workout. ASM Steve.

Eric P installed guard rails at the park for his Eagle Project.

"Another successful Troop 1201 Colorado River canoe trip began with two days of great weather and fair winds as the boys literally sailed down the river (thanks to our 20' tarp). The winds changed, requiring two 26+ mile paddling days, separated by a windblown layover day at 4-S and finishing with 2 nights safely at Squaw Lake, our final destination. The boys performed admirably and a good time was had by all. A special thanks to those who purchased and packed our food supplies. The boys enjoyed cooking and especially eating, while burning very little of it! Quite impressive!" -ASM Eck

"Be prepared.  That’s the Boy Scout motto and today that’s just what our Troop 1201 scouts did; they became more prepared for Camporee next month.  The weather this year was a perfect 80-degrees with a nice breeze most of the day.  Citizenship, Menu Planning, Knots, Patrol Method, Skits, Map  & Compass, Fire Building, Height & Distance, Pioneering, First Aid, Team Building, and the Kim’s Game.  Keep practicing scouts and be sure you’re prepared.  Good luck to all of you!"  -- ASM Cliff

“District Dinner this year was nicely done.  The Outdoor Education Center (OEC) in Irvine looks wonderful; destine to be a truly great resource.  Everyone should be proud of Troop 1201 as we were very well represented.  Dr. Steve Herbets was awarded the District Award of Merit!  Irene and Scott took Committee Chair of the Year and Assistant Scoutmaster of the Year, respectively.  Also, our five well deserved Extra Mile honorees were well represented.  It’s nice to see that Troop 1201 continues to be blessed with such talented, motivated leaders.  Clearly we’ve got something special going on."  – ASM Cliff

"Twenty-one scouts, mostly first year’s, ventured out into the Mohave Desert this weekend to enjoy some interesting geography and for many their first camping experience with the Troop.  The boys exercised the tenth point of the scout law as they descended into the depths of the lava tubes.  Our veteran scouts did a fine job  introducing our new members to the patrol method.  The weather cooperated beautifully providing mild temperatures, desert wildflowers, manageable winds and a relatively lush green pallor to a normally harsh landscape.  We look forward to many more great adventures with a terrific group of new scouts."  -- ASM Cliff van Ahlers

Bridging of PAck 1223 on 3/1/09. Please Welcome our new scouts, Chris H., Cameron W., Noah U., Garrett M. – Cheryl Foster.

The troop welcomed three bridging Webelos II scouts from Pack 1232.  A few members of the Troop with our new scouts; Jack G, Spenser H, Max M.  Welcome new scouts – ASM van Ahlers.

Over 30 scouts and nearly a dozen leaders attended Scout Sunday services at First Presbyterian Church.  In addition to greeting and passing out bulletins as people arrived for worship, many scouts participated in the service by leading responses, reading scripture, or offering prayer.  SPL William gave a great minute for mission highlighting what scouting has to offer a youth and ended it by asking anybody to stand that had ever been in scouts, and then closed by recognizing any Eagle Scouts in the audience. There were several Eagle Scouts in the congregation in addition to Pastor McColl and his father, Bill McColl.  Our Scouts were very impressive in action, word and presence.  Another successful event in which the adult leaders went home proud of the young men of our Troop. - Scoutmaster Adams

Front row - L to R: Jackson B, Kyle W, Cole A, Vladi M, Kyle H, Michael T, Max H.

- Scoutmaster Adams

Death Valley was a short and highly unusual trip this year due to the rainstorm that came in early Saturday Morning.  The spattering of showers that they normally receive turned into a down pour that created 6 foot wide streams in the middle of our camp and forced us to retreat back to Fullerton.  In true scout fashion, the group that arrived on Saturday helped break down the camp that Mr. Hayes and Mr. McDowell set up on Friday night and pack up our gear in the rain.  For most of the scouts it ended up being a long day in the car, with a few stops to play in the snow that we encountered as we left Death Valley, making this group some of the few that will be able to say they were in Death Valley when it snowed.  We hope for a drier trip next year! - ASM Scott Hayes

16 Youth Leaders committed their evening to learning more about the structure and running of a successful troop, the duties and responsibilities of their new leadership role and how to be the best leader that they can be for your Troop.  It was a fun filled evening complete with pizza, planning, candy, goal setting and games.  I am excited to see these new leaders begin to implement their plans.  I would like to extend a special thanks to ASMs Ahia, Allen, Georgieff, & Wood for leading small groups and helping out.  The evening gave me a great opportunity to have fun with this group and learn a little more about them (and for them to size me up a little, too!)  Check out the I Love Scouts t-shirts the new leadership team will be wearing for class B attire - NICE! - Scoutmaster Adams

"Troop 1201 hosted 6 Webelos on a 4 mile round trip hike to Sturtevant Falls.  We enjoyed great weather, had a nice lunch at the falls, managed six stream crossings and survived a killer up hill hike at the end." – Assistant Scoutmaster Steve

Keven S. is working hard on his Eagle project. He is installing benches at the Hunt Branch Library.

Skyline Trail Hike from Rio Hondo College to Fullerton Road. Attended by Ethan C. (6 miles); Rachel C. (6 miles); David A. (11 miles); David A. (11 miles) ; and Rett R. (11 miles)

December can be a great time to visit Joshua Tree National Park. The rocks are always the big attraction for the scouts but this year was memorable in that we experienced a brief snow shower Saturday evening. The gusty winds Saturday claimed a few tents but Sunday turned to be quite calm and brisk with morning temperatures in the 20F range. Big thanks to Mrs. Vaughn and Mr. Kovach for creating a challenging orienteering course that many scouts completed Saturday. And no Troop 1201 outing is complete without a hike: This hike was up Mt. Ryan, 1000ft elevation gain over 5 mi. round trip. Going up was nice but coming down the wind tried to snatch a couple scouts.

Most of all, I was grateful how all the scouts behaved in the inclement weather. “It builds Character” someone once said and that is true for all who endured Joshua Tree 2008.

Mr. Allen, Tour Leader

“Troop 1201 tackled the summit of Mt. Baden Powell this weekend (el 9400’).  This was a challenging 8-mile day hike with nearly a 3000’ elevation gain.  The boys did an outstanding job on this hike.  As we climbed the north side of the mountain we had no idea that to the south in Orange County there were some very serious brush fires burning.  Once on the summit we could clearly see the devastation taking place back home despite the beautiful weather on the peak.  Billowing smoke thousands of feet into the air marked the two distinct fires.  Thankfully, we got home safely and none of our scouts homes were involved."  – Scoutmaster Cliff

Daniel joined the troop when he was 10 1/2 in 2001.  With Troop 1201, he has been able to experience all that scouting has to offer.  During his tenure with the troop, he has taken canoes down the Colorado river, hiked through Zion Narrows, backpacked across the Grand Canyon, had an awesome adventure in Switzerland and attended both national and world scout jamborees.  Daniel is very grateful for Troop 1201 to have given him all the great opportunities to go places in the outdoors he could hardly have imagined when he was just 10 years old.  Daniel has been active in the troop the entire 8 years, holding the SPL position twice, as well as JASM and many other positions.  Daniel has missed only a handful of the Monday meetings over his tenure as a scout.  Now, almost 8 years after starting, Daniel is ready to join the ranks of adults as an assistant scoutmaster and continue on the great adventure that is scouting!  Good luck for your future Daniel, and thanks for coming along for the ride!