Holly Springs, NC
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!
Every 6 months our troop transitions positions of responsibility. However, to hold one of these positions scouts are required to attend one Troop Leader Training campout every year. This program teaches scouts how to be an effective leader and role model for others, and scouts are taught these skills at business levels. The weather held up until Sunday when the scouts build frames to hold up their whole patrol. Big thanks to the Scoutmaster of Troop 320 for hosting the event!
A favored camping spot among the Troop, the Pamlico Sound is located in the largest estuary in North Carolina. Here the scouts can go kayaking, small boat sailing, canoeing, and stand up paddle boarding. The scouts chose to do the kayaking merit badge and once that was done we kayaked down the Sound to see an old duck hunting hideout! Scouts also learned the Safety Afloat rules and how to perform water rescues.
Don’t let the name scare you, the BSA swim test is just a way to make sure all scouts are safe when doing aquatic adventures. It consist of swimming a total of 100 meters, with varying strokes. Scouts always have a blast, cheering and supporting one another!
Every 6 months, our Troop changes positions of responsibilities. Scouts can chose to run for any position so long as they are eligible, and will present a speech on why they should be elected. After the speeches are done, voting takes place and the new leaders are decided upon. The leadership positions are a great chance for scouts to experience and learn how to be an effective leader, in a safe environment. We usually also have a short celebration afterwards!
The campsites at Agape are wonderful for troops hosting events, campouts, and merit badges, so we decided to have a second campout there. Scouts went fishing (unsuccessfully due to the current of the river), hiking around agape, played gagaball, and much more! We did another service project where we ended up weeding Agapes butterfly garden.
Troop 2019 held their first campout together after Covid-19 at Camp Agape, which proved to be the perfect campsite for such occasions. Scouts were taught and learned the Wilderness Survival merit badge (while still practicing social distancing), and slept under the stars for a night. Everyone was reminded the importance of choosing a good camping spot as well as keeping their tents closed, especially when it’s raining!
Our Troop’s first Virtual Campout was very successful and productive, so we decided to host another. Scouts completed requirements, set up camp, and competed in competitions online over Zoom. A competition was held over the meetings between the two Patrols, that was judged by the Scout Masters. The Patrol that scored the most points won (Lemur Patrol), and the competitions included things such as making your own spirit stick, fort building, and cooking competitions!
Scouts looked forward to an exciting campout at the Camporee, and were very disappointed when things were canceled because of Covid-19. However, they didn’t let that stop them from camping! Troop 2019 did a virtual campout, with scouts camping in their backyard, garage, or wherever they were able to. Campsites, requirements, contests, and cooking were all presented over Zoom meetings. This provided scouts with a good learning experience on how to adapt to new settings while still accomplishing tasks.
