Typically the Troop’s December camping trip is a shorter camping trip, just overnight, and is usually focused on Advancements and the monthly theme. This year’s trip was a busy one with three major tasks that someh0w were all accomplished in a flurry of non-stop activity in just two short days. First off, the Troop had to shift our camping location, and one of our Scouters offered his spacious backyard area for the Troop to camp in. During the pandemic, we used to camp in his “back 40” further away from the house, so the older Scouts were familiar with the landscape. It was a cold night on Friday, but luckily Mr. Jerry had plenty of scrap wood that needed burning – instant warmth from a fire!
On Saturday morning, after breaking down camp, the Troop journeyed to our meeting site, St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, where we laid out all the equipment from our Troop and Troop 771, in preparation for our merger in 2026. The Scouts and Scouters set up all the equipment from tents to stoves, and combined the gear into a cohesive working set. We cleared out and/or organized all our supplies and paperwork/books in our storage room, and we eliminated anything we didn’t need, was broken, or was extremely outdated. The Pack inherited several tents for family camping from Troop 771, and we were able to better organize the basement storage room to efficiently use the space provided.
Earlier in the year, the Troop worked on the Automotive Maintenance merit badge, but the requirement to visit a maintenance shop kept getting cancelled or postponed due to availability of a shop. One of our Scout Parents arranged for the Troop to complete this requirement at Admiral Tire and Auto Center in Edgewater on Saturday afternoon. The Scouts and some Scouters journeyed to the shop where they learned how to change a tire, change oil, and see how an automotive maintenance shop works. While they were gone, the remaining Scouters worked on the equipment consolidation. The Scouts returned around dinner for pizza and a movie before parents picked them up and took them home for a well-deserved nap!
