BY CAMI KOONS
Local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops have turned to virtual meetings and badges while social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Boy Scouts in Eudora can’t meet in person right now, but Scoutmaster Jim Lord said his troop, Troop 64, has continued its Monday meetings over Zoom. Lord said at the meetings they still try to teach new skills, then play a game together and plan for future events.
“It’s been a way for them to see each other and interact with each other,” Lord said.
The Heart of America Council, which advises the Boy Scouts of Kansas and Missouri, started an online Scouts program in mid-March. Lord said with the online program, his Scouts can earn merit badges from their homes. Some of the badges include skills in animation, music, American Heritage and family life.
“It’s actually been a lot of individual work,” Lord said.
According to the Heart of America website, to complete a badge, Scouts have to watch a video, complete a worksheet about the skill and then connect with a counselor to show comprehension of the skill.
In addition to online merit badges, Lord said the Scouts have continued service projects and helped at various Eudora and Lawrence food drives.
To make up for missed in-person activities, the troop also had a virtual campout, where the boys sent pictures of their tents pitched in the backyard. Lord said Scouts were encouraged to employ their camping and wilderness knowledge as much as possible.
“You had the camping spirit still without being in the wilderness,” Lord said.
Girl Scout Troop 2746, led by Elizabeth Durkin, used its funds to keep the Scouts entertained during the stay-at-home order. Durkin said each of her first-grade Daisies got a subscription to Highlights magazine. The troop also ordered rock kits for each girl to paint rocks with inspirational messages and scatter around town. Most recently, the girls did a virtual cooking class with Meagan Cox of Mae’s Meals.
Durkin said each girl was sent a kit, prepared by Cox, with a personalized apron and the ingredients needed for the recipe. Cox then led the girls through the recipe for taco sticks. Durkin said she enjoyed seeing the girls ask Cox questions about her profession and cooking in general.
In the coming weeks, Durkin hopes to get the girls on an app or website allowing them to play games with one another.
“We’ve been trying to keep some activities for the girls going,” Durkin said.
Some troops have been less active, not wanting to overload Scouts with school work and Scout activities. Kari Mack, co-leader of fourth-grade Troop 1408, said her troop hasn’t met or planned any activities since the start of social distancing and stay-at-home orders. Mack said she and troop leader Michele Hunt, who are both teachers, have been navigating online learning and haven’t wanted to overload their troop or themselves with another Zoom call.
“Both of us have been kind of crazy with just trying to navigate online learning and do all of that,” Mack said. “The kids have lots of Zoom meetings and we don’t want to overwhelm them.”
The two met earlier this week and decided to start leading virtual meetings in May as school winds down. Mack said they are planning a virtual movie night for the girls. Along with activities, she said the Scouts can still earn badges online from their homes.
Mack said one of her Scouts has already earned her Census badge online. Other badges available for the Girl Scouts include coding, money management, good neighbor and more depending on age group.
Reach reporter Cami Koons at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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