TimmBacher

Partnering with other troops - Today - June 19th, Troop 1040 leaves for Lithuania. This is the result of much work, much planning. Keep us in your prayers as our 5 boys and 2 adults go forth across the world. If anyone is still interested in partnering with a scout troop, please email me directly, and we can discuss the oppertunity. yis Timm Bacher Scoutmaster 1040

re - how do you partner Yes it is a good start to begin with your council. The thing I must say is don't give up if you don't get the help you are looking for. We just went ahead and worked our way through the system. Contacts are always available. If one doesn't work, try the next. If you work, you can make it happen. Sooo Troop 1040 is planning an international trip to Lithuania on June 18-July 6th 2003. This trip is a BIG trip for us. The boys have been working hard, and have solved many problems. Many problems still exist. Its going to be a great trip. If anyone has questions, I would be open to email discussions of them Timm Bacher (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Scouting is alive and well in Pilviskiai Lithuania!! If you recall the movie Red October, the captain recall of his boyhood days of living near Vilinus Lithuania. 10 years ago Lithuania ended its Soviet Occupation (their words) with a declaration of independence, and a revolution. Blood was shed, but independence was gained. With that came religious freedom, and also from the west, help in re-establishing the churches that were there before WWII and the Soivet Occupation. First United Methodist Church Green Bay has a partner church in Pilviskiai Lithuania. And the Boy Scout Troop 1040 at FUMC-GB has helped establish a Scout Troop at the Pilviskiai UMC. Scouting in LT (Lithuania) is as much of the rest of the world, and is co-ed. Our troop helped in finding leadership, working out the details with "Lietuvos Skautija" (Lithuanian Scouting". We learned many things from the Lithuanians, including "KAS YRA?" (What's up) (Pronounced kas yee ra). Funds are very tight in LT, and 1040 has been supporting the Pilviskiai Scout troop. I (Scoutmaster 1040) visited Pilviskiai last summer, and then again in November, when plane tickets dropped to $450. Pen pal letters have passed back and forth, and now internet email, and even internet Instant Messaging. It is very interesting to see what our boys think LT must be like, and what its really like (Yes Bobby they do have cars). There are many differences between LT culture and US culture. (Yes Tadas ((a 13yo boy)), as is shown on American cinema many people from the US actually do not take their shoes off when they come in to their house in the US). There have been fantasy thoughts of having a high adventure trip to LT in 2003. I have posed it to the boys as a possibility that THEY could do if they put it together. There would have to be much work in putting this together. I am sitting back to see what happens. There is not much to do in the smaller towns of LT. Depression, bleakness, and the problems that accompany those situations are big problems. Scouting provides not only a future solution those problems, but provides a direct solution as well. Timm Bacher (This message has been edited by a staff member.)