So – you’re wondering what to expect at the summer camps? Best thing to do is – be prepared. Scouts going to Ockanickon should take a look at the ages & stages page to better understand what badges are appropriate to their level.  For scouts 13 and up, ‘Ock has some interesting rock climbing merit badges – take a look.

Yawgoog offers a lot as well.  They have a good merit badge page describing the badges offered at Yawgoog and what pre-requisites are needed (if any). Here (pdf) is the schedule showing location / times of each session.

If you are thinking of swimming / aquatic badges, Yawgoog is the place to get it at – the lake is great for swimming and boating activities.  Our campsite is Tuocs (scout spelled backwards) in the Three Point Camp.

Remember to get your class 3 health form in as soon as possible, and pack some warm clothes in case we get a cold night (it’s happened before – be prepared!).

Hi.  Many of you who were part of the troop 565 whitewater rafting outing may have gotten a chance to visit with me.

I want to go on the record that I had a wonderful time on every boat, really appreciate the attention and desire everyone exhibited to want me to be only on their boat, and want to dispell any rumors that I suffered any bodily harm at the hands of any youth scouts (that was my stunt double!).

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to a wonderful summer of adventure at Yawgoog and Ochanickon (who really can spell that camp anyway!)  and hope you are too.

Oh, and any adults out there who took pictures at the whitewater rafting event – send ‘em up on the site – I’m certain others would want to see.

In November, the scouts experienced their first high adventure rockclimbing outing.

In New York, the Shawgunks is the place to go for rock climbing.  At this outing, we had two certified rock climbing trainers from EMS to help direct the activities and keep everything safe.

Pictures from this event can be seen here.

Ah, Harriman.  This year, the weather was much warmer than last year, and the trail much smoother.  The Harriman outing is the first outing of the year that the entire troop must hike in several miles, backpack and all, and set camp – away from the noise and bustle of suburbia.

In addition, after setting camp we hiked around the area, enjoyed nature and watched the younger scouts eat way too many ramen noodles that anyone thought possible.

After everyone learned a valuable lesson from ChrisB about the importance of keeping your boots clean, we returned back to civilization, happy to see running water and working facilities again.

Additional pictures can be viewed here.

Troop 565 had its first high adventure outing last weekend – a 10 mile hike in the Catskills.  The Wittenberg-Cornell Slide is the Catskills’ most popular interior forest route, traversing the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area and providing our scouts with a scenic and memorable wilderness experience.

Pictures can be seen here.

The troop will meet at church Saturday morning at 5:30 sharp! We have a have a 9:00 am check-in time in PA and it is a 3 hour drive. The rafting company will not wait for anyone – so make sure you are there or you may get left behind!

Remember every scout going on the trip must have a parent or a committee approved guardian with them. We will be collecting the liability waivers ahead of time this year. You can download one here and hand it in completed at the troop meeting on June 1.

Lunch orders are due in by June 1.  Choices are as follows:

Sandwiches: Turkey, Ham and Cheese or PB&J
Drink: Coke, Sprite, or water.

Those of you who have not taken this trip with the troop be sure to ask anyone how much fun it is. Once you arrive at whitewater challengers you will be assigned a parking spot near the campsite. It will be best to arrive as a group; try to arrange car pooling before the trip. We are a large group of 45 people. It is also a good idea to organize into paddling teams of 6 per raft.

Here are a few tips to make the event enjoyable:

After parking do not unload any camping gear, proceed to the check in area prepared to raft.  The check in process is organized in stations.  It is a good idea to travel Saturday morning in your rafting clothes, there won’t be anyplace to change once you arrive.  Uniforms will not be worn anytime on this outing.

Our group leader will check-in to hand in liability forms and receive tickets to get on the bus, you will not be allowed on the bus without a ticket.

Once checked in:

• Rent wet suits, if recommended – wet suits may be recommended depending on the water temperature.  Cost: $7 jacket: $7 pants; $6 boots.  You need to leave your license as collateral.
• Get fitted for life jackets
• Pick up lunch from a group leader
• Use the rest rooms, once you are on the bus there are no facilities
• Proceed to bus pick up area
• Get on the bus with a ticket, your lunch and your 6 person paddling team (6 people per raft, scout and parent must raft together).

What to bring whitewater rafting:

• Old sneakers
• Bathing suit or shorts
• Eyeglass straps
• Suntan lotion
• Hat/visor
• Light windbreaker (no hood)

Tip: Nylon, polypro, wool blends and synthetics are best to wear under a wet suit. YOU WILL GET WET!

Do not bring:

• Alcohol
• Ice chest
• Rain suit/poncho
• Bare feet/sandals/flip flops
• Cotton clothing
• Expensive cameras (water proof disposable cameras are ok)
• Jewelry
• Wallet/valuables
• Towels
• Change of clothing in raft
• Keys
• Food – box lunches are enough, everything else gets wet.
• Rocket launchers – would be fun, but not scout authorized.

What to bring camping:

Scouts sleep with their patrols and use their patrol equipment which will be distributed the troop meeting before the trip.  Scouts will need to bring their own personal gear just like a regular camping outing, Refer to scout handbook for personal camping gear details.

Adults need to bring their own camping gear and personal items

Remember – All meals are included: box lunch on the river, dinner and breakfast Sunday morning.  Packing snacks for the campsite is a good idea!

Don’t forget to fill out a permission slip. They can be  downloaded from the website.

Dinner Friday night and lunch Sunday will be fast food on the  road.  Bring money to pay for your meals.

Pack a bag lunch for Saturday.

Wear your Class A uniform, don’t forget your scout socks if you  are wearing shorts.

Pack as you would for a weekend camping trip. New scouts refer  to your handbook for what personal gear to pack.

The following are some essential items for this trip:

• water bottle
• small day pack
• compass
• comfortable hiking shoes
• sunscreen
• hat
• Money for Scoutmaster Galley

(just checking!)

Our annual fund raiser has changed from a spaghetti dinner to a sandwich dinner will be a spaghetti dinner.  It will also be held at the Elks Lodge in Smithtown rather than the church – our troop is too big to all fit into the church now.

We still need to create baskets for the Chinese auction. Here is all the information needed for the Fund Raising Dinner.

Each Patrol needs to make 2 baskets filled with goodies. These baskets have a theme to them, here are some suggestions but feel free to make your own.

• BlockBuster/Movie Tickets/Popcorn
• Sports(5-11yrs old)
• Sports(12-adult)
• Coffee/Tea/2 Mugs
• Home Depot
• Beach Towels/Beach Ball/Sun Block
• Music
• Gardening
• Gourmet/Cheese/Crackers
• Gourmet foods/snacks
• Barbie Dolls
• Casino- Playing cards/poker chips
• Office Supplies
• Scouting Basket- Compass, knife, water bottle
• Cooking- utenils, pot holders, cutting board
• Seasoning and Spices
• Pets
• Beauty Basket(6-11)- Hair Clips, Nail polish
• Beauty Basket(12-adult)- Skin Care, Make-up