Today the scouts held preliminary elections for Troop positions.  I’m happy to announce that Bryan P. has accepted the Senior Patrol leader position - thanks go to Matt G. for his troop leadership over the last year - and to Thomas S. for stepping in as SPL for Yawgoog. We will be updating the site to reflect the new troop assignments & patrols as soon as the info is available.

Update: this is a repeat of last years information, with the date and times changed to protect the innocent.

The troop will meet at church Saturday morning at 6:15 sharp! , raft, camp overnight and return Sunday. We will be leaving the parking lot at 6:30am - so make sure you are there or you may get left behind!  Every scout going on the trip must have a parent or a committee approved guardian with them.  Guardians / Adults: let Jill or Kathy know what your lunch choice is - Turkey, Ham & Cheese or PB+J.

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 @ 40 people.  It is also a good idea to organize into paddling teams of 6 per raft.

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.  I included the location of the liability form [here], we would like every scout + parent to fill it out ahead of time and bring it with you to save time.

Once checked in:

• Rent wet suits, if recommended - wet suits may be recommended depending on the water temperature; last year they recommended wetsuit jackets.  Wetsuits are available for rental; $7 jacket: $7 pants; $6 boots
• Get fitted for life jackets
• Pick up lunch - a group leader will pick up lunches and hand out to the group; lunch includes a sandwich, snack, and drink
• Use the rest rooms, once you are on the bus there are no facilities
• Proceed to bus pick 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).  Bus ride is approx 1/2 hour.

What to bring whitewater rafting:

• Old sneakers
• Bathing suit or shorts
• Eyeglass straps
• Suntan lotion
• Hat/visor
• Light windbreaker (no hood)
• Driver’s license for wet suit rental

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 have been pre-purchased, they will be picked up before getting on the shuttle bus; water proof containers are provided for the raft

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, 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!

Our planned path was deemed too icy to pass from our trusty park ranger, so we braved the elements and took the long way around - complete with equipment. The main camping sites were closed for the season, so we hiked on, expecting to find a flat spit of land where we would be able to set basecamp and then continue hiking from there.

Alas, flat ground was nowhere to be found, so we improvised - we set camp on a frozen marsh: cold, but big enough to hold our troop. This made for difficult sleeping conditions (hard to keep warm sleeping on an ice cube) and an interesting late night / early morning wake up call - the cracking sound of ice!

Morning came, and everyone was ready to head back safely to warmer climates. We passed some interesting ice flows and traversed a rock + ice + water laden path back down to the cars. All in all - the hike was enjoyable, but we don’t think we will be sleeping on any frozen ice anytime soon again. 

Pictures from the hike can be found here.

While we won’t be doing any skiing, we will be using a sled and competing against other troops in various map and location challenges. According to the District Website:

the sled should be loaded with whatever would be needed to treat hypothermia and frostbite, plus a compass, dry wood, magnesium fire starter, supplies needed to build a shelter, and lunch!

A detailed schedule isn’t available yet, but here is an outline of the weekends activities.

• tasks: Leaf raking, brush cleaning, weeding, mulching
• wear work boots, clothes. gloves
• bring rake, spade, etc.

With the new, there are traditions that scouting is built upon. One of these traditions is the Boy Scout uniform. Of late, the troop has been somewhat lax on following this method, and over the next few meetings each patrol will tighten up this requirement (pun intended) to bring the troop up to standards.

What’s the point? Scout uniforms are an important part of the Boy Scouts of America program and one of the methods of scouting. Each boy gets to be part of a group demonstrated by their uniform and each group has a personal sense of identity. The scout uniform is also a display case for a scout’s individual accomplishments and recognitions. We wear the uniform to associate ourselves with the principles to which we are committed - character development, citizenship training, and physical and mental fitness. The uniform is not intended to hide our individuality, but it is a way we give each other strength and support.

The Scouting movement is built on positive values. As we wear the uniform, we stand together and encourage each other to live by those principles. Boys and adults alike should take pride in belonging to this program and wear the uniform correctly.

Over the next few meetings, each patrol will review what is the required dress code, and it is expected that each scout come prepared to each meeting / outing with the proper attire. As Troop Leaders, we are here to help out, so if there are any concerns come talk to us and we’ll be happy to help.

Update: this is a repeat of last years information, with the date and times updated.

The troop will meet at church Saturday morning at 5:45 sharp! , raft, camp overnight and return Sunday. We will be leaving the parking lot at 6:00am - so make sure you are there or you may get left behind!  Every scout going on the trip must have a parent or a committee approved guardian with them.  Guardians / Adults: let Jill or Kathy know what your lunch choice is - Turkey, Ham & Cheese or PB+J.

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 @ 60 people.  It is also a good idea to organize into paddling teams of 6 per raft.

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.  I included the location of the liability form [here], fill it out ahead of time and bring it with you to save time.

Once checked in:

• Rent wet suits, if recommended - wet suits may be recommended depending on the water temperature; last year they recommended wetsuit jackets.  Wetsuits are available for rental; $7 jacket: $7 pants; $6 boots
• Get fitted for life jackets
• Pick up lunch - a group leader will pick up lunches and hand out to the group; lunch includes a sandwich, snack, and drink
• Use the rest rooms, once you are on the bus there are no facilities
• Proceed to bus pick 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).  Bus ride is approx 1/2 hour.

What to bring whitewater rafting:

• Old sneakers
• Bathing suit or shorts
• Eyeglass straps
• Suntan lotion
• Hat/visor
• Light windbreaker (no hood)
• Driver’s license for wet suit rental

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 have been pre-purchased, they will be picked up before getting on the shuttle bus; water proof containers are provided for the raft

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, 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!

The Battleship even celebrated its 65^th birthday while we were aboard. The scavenger hunt was exciting, and to make it a little more interesting, Scoutmaster Bill Ingram offered ice cream to the winners. The Alligator Patrol won by a hair, and promptly ordered up some double dip ice cream soda floats (cha-ching!!). The best part of the trip was that no one ended up in Sickbay!

Throw in a bunch of exotic cars on the ferry, plus getting home in time to celebrate Mother’s Day, and it all adds up to a perfect weekend outing.