The Catholic Committee on Scouting will award our Scoutmaster, Mr. Paul Liszewski, with the St. George Medal. The medal is awarded for significant and outstanding contributions to the spiritual development of Catholic boys through Scouting.
The award will be presented by Bishop Dale Melczek at a ceremony on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at 2:00 PM in St. Michael's Church in Schererville, Indiana (directions). All are welcome to attend as Mr. Liszewski receives this high recognition.
Congratulations and thanks to Mr. Liszewski for bringing this honor to our troop and parish.
St. George is the patron saint of Boy Scouting.
The Scouting Sites page has been updated, and "broken" links have been removed. Check the page out for some interesting material.
The Photo Gallery has been rebuilt and old and new galleries have been added to it.
Two new files have been added to the Resource's Miscellaneous Files section: The 12 Steps from Life to Eagle and General Rules of Conduct, Bylaws, and Camping Policy.
Our Order of the Arrow Chapter's monthly meeting is Thursday, March 6, at 6:45 PM at the First United Methodist Church (18420 Burnham Avenue, next to TF South High School).
Among other items, the following will be discussed:
- The Chapter's annual "One Day of Service" project.
- The status of OA troop elections as well as planning for the Callout Ceremony at the Scoutapalazoo in May.
- Ceremonialists for the Callout Ceremony and the June Fellowship.
The Troop Leadership Conference (TLC) that was scheduled for Tuesday, November 27, has been moved to Thursday, November 29. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM as usual.
A generic permission slip (PDF) can be downloaded in the Miscellaneous Files section.
For fear of gang-related activities at a funeral service at Burns Kish Funeral Home, the Fish Fry has been cancelled. It is unknown at this time whether or not it will be rescheduled.
We're planning on doing a clean-up at the Scout Garage on September 22nd. The plan is to clean up the “growth” around the garage and to re-organize the garage after the summer activities. We would meet at about 9:00 AM and end with a steak lunch for all. Please let Mr. Liszewski know if you’re interested in attending.
The Troop's on-line calendar is in the process of being updated to reflect the new 2007-2008 Council calendar.
The District Camporee is on the weekend of May 18-20 at Camp Topenebee. As part of the Camporee, our Order of the Arrow Chapter will be having a call-out ceremony of all newly-elected ordeal members, so they ask for a good show of Chapter members.
Additionally, please let the Chapter Supervisor, Mr. Podsiadlik, know as soon as possible if you're interested in helping with the following:
- Being part of the call-out ceremony
- Helping to coordinate the Saturday night campfire (build and extinguish the fire) as well as the campfire program
Because of the snowy weather conditions, St. Thomas More has cancelled all activities for February 6th. Therefore, there will be no February 6th Troop meeting.
The Knights of Columbus have requested that the Boy Scouts help clean tables at the Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, January 28. This will take place in the morning at the STM Gym, following the Masses.
Time slots still need to be filled. Time spent at this event counts as service hours, which are needed for rank advancement.
Our Senior Patrol Leader, "Scuba" Steve, passed his Eagle Scout Board of Review on Thursday, December 21, making him Troop 542's lone Eagle for 2006. Congratulations!
Finally, after years, Scoutmaster Emeritus Mr. Liszewski has been formally recognized for his accomplishment as a young man: attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. While Mr. Liszewski passed his Eagle Board of Review as a scout, thereby becoming an Eagle, he never had an Eagle Court of Honor.
After the regular Court of Honor on Tuesday, December 19, the Troop surprised him with one. Tony Liszewski administered the Eagle Charge and Oath to his dad, and Mrs. Liszewski pinned the Eagle Medal on his shirt. Mr. Liszewski's old scout uniform - with his 45 merit badges - and congratulatory letters were even on display.
Thanks and congratulations to Mr. Liszewski!
Congratulations to all of the scouts who earned ranks and merit badges at our Christmas Court of Honor. And special congratulations to Stephen C. Taylor, who was awarded the 2006 Jonathan Rich Spirit of Scouting Award.
Sign up for important announcements with the Troop's new E-mail List. Simply use the form at right, then check your e-mail to confirm your address. You may add multiple addresses if you wish. This new feature will allow the Troop to relax to an extent the use of phone trees to communicate changes in dates, etc.
If you experience any problems with this new feature, please e-mail the Webmaster.
The mission of the Troop 542 Web site is to provide our scouts and scouters with accurate and timely information on upcoming events and to enrich their knowledge of scouting. Now you can contribute using the new form!
Upload photos for the (up to 5 separately or an unlimited number if contained within a 'Zip' file) or any other files or corrections (incorrect dates, etc.) for our site (note that all uploaded files and corrections are reviewed before being posted).
The page can be accessed at the right of the main navigation. Scouting Sites now resides underneath Resources.
If you feel that a scout in Troop 542 has displayed the true spirit of scouting in his everyday life by exemplifying the Scout Oath, Law, and Motto, please feel free to nominate him using this nomination form for the 2006 Jonathan Rich Spirit of Scouting Award.
Please submit the form to Mr. Paul Liszewski, Scoutmaster Emeritus, by the end of October. A panel will then be arranged to determine this year's recipient.
Here are the results of September 6's Troop elections:
- Senior Patrol Leader: Steve ("Scuba") Taylor
- Patrol Leader, Voyagers: Robert Gorman
- Patrol Leader, Vipers: Scott Kucharski
- Patrol Leader, Frogs: Joey Matz
- Patrol Leader, Moose: Zachary Scriff
- Patrol Leader, Dragons: Everett Senetar
- Patrol Leader, Wolverines: Michael Peters
Here are the appointments made by Steve Taylor, the new Senior Patrol Leader:
- Assistant Senior Patrol Leader: Eric Secviar
- Bugler: Patrick O'Shea
- Chaplain's Aide: Zack Scriff
- Historian: Danny Kretz
- Librarian: Michael Pukoszek
- Quartermaster: Andrew Senetar
- Scribe: Jim Taylor
These scouts will hold their offices for six months.
Troop 542's site has undergone some color changes in its design, and various pages across the site have been better-organized. The Photo Gallery has grown, too, with pictures from the 2006-trip to Patterson Air Museum and the 2005-trip to the Boundary Waters. Also, more computer backgrounds have been added.
At the time of this posting, there are still four spots available for the 8:00 - 11:30 AM class. The class will be held at Munster Fire Station #2, located at 550 Fisher Street, this Saturday, September 9th. Those interested must contact Mr. Kurt Matz, Committee Chairman, at kmatz@542scouts.org.
Congratulations to the scouts who were recognized at the July 18th Court of Honor, including Kevin Trottman, who was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout.
Andrew Senetar and James Taylor graduated from National Youth Leadership Training at Camp Betz on Thursday, June 22, 2006, after a one-week course. They are among the first to complete the new program and, as such, received a limited-issue patch. Congratulations, Jim and Andrew!
Take the Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat training on-line at the BSA's official Web site. A "qualified supervisor" will guide you through the course. See www.scouting.org/pubs/aquatics/index2.html.
The Troop Meeting was originally scheduled for Monday, May 15, but has now been moved to the normal time of Tuesday, May 16 at 7:00 PM in the STM Cornerstone Center. Popcorn money is due at this meeting.
John-Michael Mulesa was awarded the Eagle Scout rank at his Court of Honor on Sunday, May 7th. Congratulations to him! He now soars high with the Eagles.
The March-April issue (PDF) of the Calumet Council's Scouter newsletter featured a picture of Troop 542 as the rightful victors of the Klondike Derby's sled race on page 21, but it named the wrong troop as the winner; and it wasn't just any troop - it was Troop 533! Oh, no!
A correction has been made on page 16 of the May-June issue.
Steve Gorman's Eagle Scout project was pictured in a Times newspaper article dated Thursday, April 20th, 2006 in the Great Outdoors section. Steve supervised the construction of the Native Indian rock garden located in front of Gibson Wood's main building last year.
An excerpt (GIF) with the picture is available.
This is a reminder that popcorn orders are due at the April 18th Troop Meeting, which is at 7:00 PM in the STM Cafeteria.
The Carmelite Fathers are very greatful to the scouts and scouters who were Honor Guards for the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Holy Saturday. The Fathers, as well as pilgrims, were very impressed with the reverence and professionalism that was demonstrated. At the large Easter Vigil Mass, the Carmelites thanked the scouts for their service.
Pictures of the event are now available on-line in the Photo Gallery.
The Fathers of the Carmelite Monastery (on Ridge Road) would like two scouts or scouters from the troop present at all times during Adoration this Holy Saturday (April 15th), which will take place in the Carmelite's Chapel between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
If you are interested in offering your service for a period of time, please call Jimmy Taylor or e-mail the Webmaster with questions or to schedule a slot(s). Your help will count as service hours towards rank advancement.
Scoutmaster Mr. Gorman's new e-mail address is scoutmaster@542scouts.org and Committee Chairman Mr. Matz's is kmatz@542scouts.org.
Frank was awarded the Eagle Scout rank at his Court of Honor on Sunday, April 2nd. He now soars with the Eagles.
As good boy scouts, we try to keep an eye out for dangerous plants and creatures. Well, the most dangerous spider in the United States is the Brown Recluse Spider. This creepy-crawler likes the darkness, such as attics and storage sheds or places that may not be frequented by humans or light. The effects of its bite are gruesome, even deadly; the bitten area's skin dies. It is even recommended that you leave a light on for thirty minutes before working in an attic. Here are real pictures of the bite's progressive effects (note that some pictures may be...unsettling):
The Troop Leaders' Conference, scheduled for March 28th at Aurelio's Pizza Parlor, has been cancelled.
Troop 542 has a brand-new Web site. Some of the new features include a new Calendar and Photo Gallery, a more-organized Downloads area, a revamped design, and more.
We hope that you enjoy the latest version of Troop 542's Web site. If you have ideas, we'd love to hear them; please send your suggestions to the webmaster.