Scouts and parents from Troop 534 “Hey!”

Scouts, parents, and leaders from Troop 534 “Hey!” gathered at Lake Shore Drive for our second Lincoln Trail Practice Hike on Saturday, April 4, 2015.

The day’s distance: Seven miles. Over the next few weeks we will build up to the 18-mile Lincoln Trail challenge!

If you’re a member of the Troop, be sure to come on out to prepare for the Lincoln Trail. Group practice, in the form of the scheduled practice hikes, is one of the best ways to get ready.

Route (blue dots) for the 1st practice hike.

The first practice hike for the Lincoln Trail will begin at 8:00am on Saturday, March 28, 2015. We will meet in the parking lot at 39th and Lake Shore Drive.

We will follow the same path as last year’s first hike:

• Start: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Turnaround: Shedd Acquarium
• End: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Round-trip distance = 6.2 miles.
• Estimated Completion time: 11am, depending on the slowest hiker.
• Please arrive before 8am. We will spend ten minutes stretching, and we will hit the trail immediately after that.

What to Bring: Be Prepared

What should Scouts bring for the hike? As always, remember the Scout Motto: Be Prepared. For the short practice hikes, be sure to bring:

• Water.
• Energy bars.
• Hiking boots.
• Wool socks.
• Rain poncho.

See you on Saturday!

Scoutmaster Banks with returning Eagles: Collins, Woods, and Love.

Three relatively recent (2008-2009) Eagle Scouts paid a surprise visit to Troop 534 “Hey!” on Monday evening. The returning Eagles are Darnell Collins, Kendall Woods, and Stuart Love.

Scoutmaster Banks and the entire troop family were happy to greet the returning Eagles. We look forward to seeing them again. Perhaps in uniform!

Tickets are $10.00 in advance, $12.00 at the door.

For more details, fill out the contact form. Scoutmaster Emeritus Robert T. Sublette, Sr will get back to you. We look forward to seeing you!

If you’re serious about getting it done, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.

~Michael “Doc” Norton

The next Troop 534 “Hey!” Merit Badge Session will begin at 8:00am on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at St. Mark UMC, 8441 South St. Lawrence Ave in Chicago, IL.

Please see Ms. Karyn Aguirre at one of the Troop’s Monday night meetings for details.

Members of Troop 534 with OpenROV

Scouts prep for OpenROV launch. Umbrella helps reduce screen glare.

Scouts pilot OpenROV.

What the Group Learned

Science is all about learning from experiments, whether the experiments are successful or not. Here are a few things learned during today’s water venture:

• The OpenROV thrusters can handle themselves very well, even in choppy water.
• You never know how the lake might behave. Dress warm and wear waterproof boots.
• If the lake is choppy on the surface, the water is probably kicking up silt down below. Underwater visibility might be limited.

Next Time

The scouts are planning another tour, perhaps in a calmer body of water. Stay tuned for more updates about Boy Scout Troop 534 and OpenROV!

Powerful quote: Self driving cars don’t need to be perfect. They just need to drive better than us.

An unmanned arial vehicle (UAV) is a flying robot. Some people call them drones. Accenture, the global consulting firm, has prepared a 12-page report describing opportunities that involve UAVs.

Title of the report: It’s Time for Flying Robots. Worthwhile reading for anyone interested in science, engineering, or business.

Warning: The video contains some profanity and adult subjects. Worth watching.

The first practice hike for the Lincoln Trail will begin at 8:00am on Saturday, March 29, 2014.

We will follow the same path as last year’s first hike:

• Start: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Turnaround: Shedd Acquarium
• End: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Distance = 6.6 miles.
• Estimated Completion time: 11am, depending on the pace of the slowest Scout

Please arrive before 8am. We will spend ten minutes stretching, and we will hit the trail immediately after that.

What should Scouts bring for the hike? As always, remember the Scout Motto: Be Prepared. For the short practice hikes, be sure to bring:

• Water.
• Energy bars.
• Hiking boots.
• Wool socks.
• Rain poncho.

The ride consists of about fifty riders and will begin in Alton, Illinois on July 17th and end at Chicago Public Safety Headquarters on July 21st. This annual ride is the largest fundraising event for Illinois Concerns of Police Survivors.

Note: The two police officers in the photograph are mothers of Troop 534 “Hey!”

The parade took place in the Gold Star Memorial Park located near Lake Michigan at McFetridge Dr. The park is a tribute to fallen and injured Chicago Police Department officers.

The park includes a marble wall with names of the fallen, called the “Sacrifice Space” & names of the injured called “Living Sacrifice”.

The parade is done annually to honor fallen police officers from:

• Illinois State Police
• Cook County Sheriff’s Police
• Chicago Police Department

The officers march as a sign of unity for the comfort & solidarity of the surviving family members who come to view the march. This is your true “Band of Brotherhood”. The officers wear a black band across their star as a sign of & paying respect to a fallen officer and a blue ribbon is given to each participant to wear as tribute. All officer, dedicate their lives to serving and protecting the state, county, city and citizens of Illinois.

“If every mom in the world knew how awesome they were, every problem in the world would be fixed.” ~Kid President

Summary: Griffin and McGee wanted to learn how to build web apps, but they couldn’t find adequate resources. The duo turned their frustration into a successful business.

Remaining videos can be found at Built in Chicago.

Tradition is our strength, forged over decades of self-sacrifice, of commitment to others and a greater cause.

Tradition is our accumulated experience.

Tradition is success and failure and how we handle both. It is time tested values and morals and ethics that define us.

Tradition is who we are and what we stand for.

Tradition is our future’s foundation.

Well said, University of Michigan. And thank you Edward T. Hightower (Troop 534 Eagle in 1979, Michigan MBA in 1995) for sharing this quote.

• Sat, April 13, 2013 at 8am (11.0 miles, turnaround at Navy Pier)
• Sat, April 20, 2013 at 8am (6.6 miles, turnaround at Shedd Aquarium)

Every hike starts at 39th Street and Lake Shore Drive. We begin stretching promptly at 8am, and we start hiking immeditely after that.

See you there!

The first practice hike for the Lincoln Trail will begin at 8:00am on Saturday, March 30, 2013.

• Start: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Turnaround: Shedd Acquarium
• End: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Distance = 6.6 miles.
• Estimated Completion time: 11am, depending on the pace of the slowest Scout

Please arrive before 8am. We will spend ten minutes stretching, and we will hit the trail immediately after that.

Congratulations Eagle Scout Gully, and to your family as well!

The video was shared by Edward Hightower, Founder and Managing Director of Motoring Ventures. Hightower earned the rank of Eagle in Troop 534 “Hey!” in 1979. He holds a B. S. in General Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Mr. Hightower visits Chicago from time to time. Scouts who plan to pursue a career in the automotive industry should make it a point to meet him.