When Ritika Putta was elected Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) of Scouts BSA Troop 220, she knew that there would be challenges, but she never expected what was to come.
Putta, who will be a sophomore at American High School in Fremont this fall, joined Troop 220 on February 1, 2019, the first day the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) opened all programs to girls, including the flagship Boy Scout program, renamed as Scouts BSA. Over the next year, Troop 220 grew from the original 30 to more than 50 girls.
“I never expected that I would have to lead the troop during a worldwide pandemic,”
After a year as Scouts, they felt ready and threw themselves into the process, enthusiastically planning the next six months of cam ping, me, and service. Then Covid-19 and the shelter-in-place orders changed everything. “I never expected that I would have to lead the troop during a worldwide pandemic,” Putta recalls. “At first, my heart dropped.” But then she and her team got to work to bring the troop online. They ran classes in Scouting skills,set up opportunities for advancement, and even organized a virtual campfire. The more experienced Scouts taught and guided th their journeys on the Scouting trail. Putta beamed as she talked about the troop coming together. “The girls pulled through and took advantage of this situation: We have grown as Scouts and made unbreakable bonds. I am so proud of this troop filled with amazing, hardworking girls that won’t let anything stop us – even a pandemic.”
I am so proud of this troop filled with amazing, hardworking girls that won’t let anything stop us – even a pandemic.”
Scouts promise to “do a good turn daily” and to “be helpful to other people at all times.” Over the past year, the troop performed service projects such as removing invasive plants, painting murals at schools, and rehabilitating an educational display at Coyote Hills Park. Unfortunately, social distancing requirements made group service projects almost impossible.
Zoe Bell, an incoming freshman at California School for the Deaf has been an active Scout since she joined Troop 220 in March 2019. Zoe knew that now was a time when the community needed to come together. She wanted the Troop to step up, but like the other Scouts, she wasn’t sure where to begin.
Then, Bell learned about a desperately needed service from her grandfather Robert McCall, an engineer at Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale. Lockheed Martin employees were donating their time at the Sunnyvale Innovation Garage to create personal protection equipment for health care workers, first responders, and medical offices or service providers, at no cost to the recipient. The funding for the equipment and materials is provided by Lockheed Martin Space, while the labor is provided by volunteers led by Lockheed Martin employees.
“I really enjoyed seeing the teamwork and hard work put into this project.”
The equipment they needed help with is a visor, which consists of two pieces: the clear plastic shield, which covers the entire face, and a molded plastic headband, which holds the shield in place. When the headbands first come out of the mold, they have burrs on many edges, which need to be sanded or filed off, or they could scratch the users. Deburring the headbands is a manual and time-consuming process.
McCall gave Bell a sample to practice on and asked her if the Troop would be interested. Bell jumped at the opportunity and engaged Putta and the other leaders to organize the Troop for the volunteer effort.
“I knew this project would take a lot of planning, safety precautions, and motivation,” Bell said. Scouts had to figure out how to safely distribute and collect headbands, make sure deburring was done properly, and ensure headbands were sanitized between steps. Bell set up a schedule where Scouts could drive by and either take headbands that needed to be worked on or drop off ones they had finished. Older Scouts sanitized and inspected headbands before getting them ready to return tothe Innovation Garage. In the first two weeks, the Troop processed over 200 headbands.
“I am always inspired by the great youth in Scouting and the service they provide to their communities…”
Bell was thrilled at how the troop responded. “I really enjoyed seeing the teamwork and hard work put into this project.” Other Troops in the Tri City area have joined in the effort, and together they are gearing up to process 500 head bands per week.
John C. Fenoglio, Golden Gate Area Council Scout Executive, is not surprised by the hard work of these Scouts. “I am always inspired by the great youth in Scouting and the service they provide to their communities. These Scouts are carrying on the tradition of helping other people at all times, even in these difficult conditions, and it gives me confidence in the future of our country.”
Health centers and first responders who are interested in acquiring PPE face shield protection visors can contact Keith E Rogers or Ron Aditya .