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!
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)!
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!
