Holly Springs, NC
It’s that time of year! Every year in order for scouts to participate in aquatic activities they must pass the BSA Swim Test. Don’t let the name scare you, the test is only a safety precaution to make sure everyone is safe and enjoys themselves in aquatic activities! Scouts also got the bonus of completing Second Class requirements 5b, 5c, and 5d, where they learn the various ways to perform rescues on someone in the water!
Post Test!
Every year Troop 2019 goes on a backpacking trip to give scouts the opportunity to see what it’s like. Our favorite location is Raven Rock, were scouts will hike into the campsite then go to explore the nearby river! Over the 3 day (2 night) backpacking trip the scouts hiked a total of 20 miles, some with and some without their backpacks. This was a first experience for many scouts and a great practice for those going to Philmont this summer!
In April we had a lot of new scouts join our troop, and decided to host a Trail to First Class campout! At this campout we teach the basic skills of scouting and complete most of the requirements through First Class. In the morning we did requirement stations, then in the afternoon we played games, went on a hike, and closed with a great campfire ceremony, led by one of the scouts for the Communications merit badge!
Scouts practicing!
This event was held for scouts who have achieved the rank of first class and have gotten at least 15 camping nights. After they do this they must be chosen by their peers as representatives of what a scout should be. On this campout candidates kept a silence, ate small amounts of food, and performed service work. Our scouts helped to build benches, dig out ditches, and pick up garbage from around the camp.
In March our troop decided to offer scouts with a different experience, varying from our usual campouts. Managed by one of our Life Scouts, we did a horseback ridding experience at Horses for Hope! Scouts learned how to care for the horses, properly clean the tools, and how to saddle them up! They also got to go for a trail ride through the woods! A big thank you to Horses for Hope for making this possible!!
Troop 2019 was invited to join in a virtual campout hosted by Venture Crew 75. The scouts had the opportunity to earn anywhere from 3-5 camping nights (depending on whether or not they slept outside during the week) and had an introduction into several merit badges. Scouts could start the First aid merit badge, Fire safety merit badge, and several others! The online lessons were fun and interactive, finishing off with a Campfire in the evening, led by one of the scouts (for the Communication’s merit badge)!
This month our Troop held our final Court of Honor for the year 2020. At this ceremony we recognized all Scouts for their handwork and dedication in achieving all their awards. There were a total of 35 merit badges earned by 16 different scouts, and although it is fewer than our previous ceremony, we still congratulate all our scouts. We also announced our Troop’s very first Eagle Scout!! After the ceremony, our Troop met up at Ting Park and viewed all the decorated Christmas trees (one of which our Troop decorated at our last meeting)!
Our now Eagle Scout, Sydney, did her project for the Holly Springs Food Cupboard. Below is a paragraph written by Sydney about her Eagle project and experience.
My Eagle project was rebuilding the west garden fence for the Holly Springs Food Cupboard. Our troop loves to do service projects that help our community and we frequently work with the HSFC to help them serve our community. One of the things that the Food Cupboard needed was a new fence built around their garden. They have their garden where they grow fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution amongst the community. The HSFC does so much for this community and it feels amazing to help them, knowing that they can serve others.
In November of 2020 our Troop hosted a campout and invited Weeblos to come and learn about Scouts BSA. Here the Troop participated in a Bridging ceremony from which Weeblos joined our Troop. Afterwards we did many scouting activities, learned how to tie Waggles, and played games!
Our Troop’s second Eagle Scout, Kara, did her Eagle Project for Camp Agape! Below is a paragraph written by Kara about her Eagle experience!
