|
updated 11/30/2011
updated 11/30/2011
National Scout
Jamboree July 2013
updated 7/01/2011
|
|
The Archive Page is comprised of previous postings on the home page. They are in no particular order. As the postings are pulled off the home page they are posted here.
ALL SCOUTS AND PARENTS – Annual Trial to Eagle meeting notice:
Just a reminder that this Wednesday's Round Table Feb 1 at 7:30 at North Hunterdon HS Cafeteria will be Trail to Eagle presentation with Mr Smith going over the new lengthy Eagle workbook. Both older scouts & parents are encouraged to attend.
Here is the link to the new book. It might be best if you have a copy with you.
http://www.scouting.org/
filestore/pdf/512-927.pdf
The 100th Valley Forge Encampment
Valley Forge National Historic Park
February 17-19, 2012
"The Longest Continuous Scouting Event in the World"
Honoring General George Washington
Troop 112 will be joining approximately 2000 scouts on President's
Weekend at Valley Forge National Historic Park. Historic demonstrations
include: Rifles & Skirmishing, Revolutionary War Medical Treatment,
The Leadership of General George Washington, Artillery, Music of the
Revolution, Calvary and more...
Sign up by January 31st!!! See Mr. Armstrong at any troop meeting for additional details.
YCSR Shotgun Station Dedicated to Mr. Torok
 See Photo Album for additional pictures.The
Troop 112 sponsored shotgun shooting station was dedicated Saturday
afternoon to former Scoutmaster Bob Torok. “Mr. T.” as he is known to
many of his former scouts was honored for his years of service from 1978
to 2008 as Scoutmaster and mentor for Troop 112. Mr T perpetuated the
112 tradition for over 20 years after son Bob achieved the rank of
Eagle. Along with the help of then Committee Chair John Castner, the
small troop continued to support local boys in the scouting traditions
and was responsible for many other Eagle achievements and thriving
through the troop’s 50th anniversary in 2008. In addition to
the guest of honor the ceremony was attended many of Bob’s scouting
colleagues and YCSR volunteer workers. Troop 112 scouts and parents
arrived earlier for fall clean-up and to prepare for the ceremony.
Immediately following the dedication, the guest of honor stepped up and
took a ceremonial first shot at a clay bird, and promptly turned it into
a cloud of dust to the cheers of the crowd. All were invited to shoot
and share refreshments at the new station. The station is now officially
open for qualified scouts to shoot and/or earn merit badges. Contact
Rangemaster Kauza or Mr. (Greg) Smith for details.
Shotgun Range Grand Opening!!
For many
years a new shotgun shooting station at Yard’s Creek Scout Reservation
was just a dream. After countless hours of planning, material gathering
and many hours of volunteer labor, Troop 112 is very proud to announce
their Grand Opening Ceremony on Saturday December 3 at 2:00.
Refreshments will be served. Preceding the ceremony at 12:00 noon will
be a scout service opportunity to rake/blow leaves at the site. Please
bring rakes/blowers gloves and eye protection. For those qualified
individuals who wish to take a ceremonial shot, please remember ear
protection.
Schedule of troop events for this Saturday December 3:
The weather forecast is for a beautiful autumn day in area! Come to all or any of these events you can, all family members are invited!
- 9:00AM Roadside Cleanup – Meet at LDW
school parking lot. A brief walk/hike and litter patrol clean-up lasts
about 1 hour total. Bags and safety vests are provided, bring your
favorite work gloves. This is a great fund raiser for the troop, all you
need to do is take a walk with us.
- 12:00NOON Yards Creek Scout
Reservation (Blairstown NJ) Fall clean-up – Meet in upper parking lot.
Bring leaf blowers, rakes, eye and ear protection. We’ll clean up the
shooting ranges before the opening ceremony.
- 2:00
Yards Creek Scout Reservation (Blairstown NJ) Shotgun Range
Dedication/Grand opening. A brief ceremony will be followed by
refreshments and a chance to take a ceremonial shot on our new ranges.
All activities should be concluded by 3:00PM
IT’S DERBY TIME!!!
This year’s Klondike Derby is scheduled for January 27, 28 & 29 at Yard’s Creek Scout Reservation and it’s shaping up to be a good one. Scouts will be challenged on two skill levels – one for more senior scouts – and one for newer scouts. A new twist: All materials for skill stations will need to be carried on the sleds this year! If scouts need to “borrow” any materials from the skills station, points will be deducted. T-112 has had excellent showings in the past few years and this year can be better still. Be Prepared! All patrols should have a sled in good working condition, materials gathered and meals planned at least one week before. If you haven’t already turned in your permission slip, do it as soon as possible. See Mr. Armstrong before registration closes. Mush!
Flood victims need our help!
Flemington Department store along with Carhart clothing is donating apparel to the flood victims of the past few weeks. On Friday eve 9/16 from 5PM until 8:PM the store will be organizing “stations” for Saturday and Sunday distribution. Troop 112 has been asked to help other troops and volunteers get these needed items distributed to victims. Please stop into Flemington Department store and see organizer Al Kosiarski (Al is a former Scout and runs the scout store section). The help is needed all weekend. All scouts and family members are invited to help.
This coming Tuesday, May 24, 2011
7:00 pm at the Alexandria Township Park
Mr. Brown will be working on
Orienteering and Plant Identification which is a
requirement for 2nd and 1st class. All Scouts needing
these for advancement please make an effort to attend.
Patrol tents to be used at the
State Police Camporee will be issued at the meeting on Tuesday 5/17.
Tent turn-in will be Tuesday 5/24. Canoe trip tents will be issued
at the 5/31 meeting with tent turn-in on June 7th. All Camporee patrol
tents must be returned for inspection on 5/24. No exceptions. Anyone
wishing a tent for both events will be required to have their tent
inspected on 5/24. See the Quartermaster (Alex W.) for sign out and
inspections on all equipment.
Troop 112 Canoe Trip
Upper Delaware Scenic River
Barryville, NY
June 3-5, 2011
We will camp Friday night on the banks of the
Delaware just north of Barryville, NY. Our outfitter and camp host will
shuttle us upstream to our starting point on Saturday morning with
canoes, paddles, and life preservers provided. We will spend the day
canoeing back downstream to our campsite. On Sunday, we will shuttle
our cars and gear down to Matamoras, PA and canoe downstream from the
campsite.
Due to the expected fast, high water conditions of the
Upper Delaware in Spring, only Scouts who have passed the BSA Swim
Test, and adults who are good swimmers, will be allowed to canoe. If
you haven’t already passed the BSA Swim Test, contact Dave Armstrong to
arrange a swim test at the Hunterdon County YMCA.
Sign-up by May 17, 2011!!!
Cost: $70 per person (check payable to Troop 112) at the time of sign-up
Contact: Dave Armstrong at any Troop meeting
Canoe Trip Postponed
Due to high water leading to
questionable safety conditions, the canoe trip has been postponed to
June 17-19. More details will be posted later Matt
Torrey will be working on his eagle project on Saturday May 7 from 12
noon to 3PM at Our Lady Of Victories Church in Kingwood. (Right off of
Route 12) Any scout interested in helping is welcome.
Yard’s Creek Shotgun Range Project Day April 9
There will be a great
opportunity for scouts and scouters alike to contribute their skills and
time to the ongoing range renovations at YCSR. On Saturday April 9 at
10:00AM, we’ll be working on the new shed and moving some construction
materials on site. Bring gloves and your scout spirit. Both experienced
shooters as well as new potential shooting candidates are encouraged to
attend. RSVP Mr. Kauza johnkauza@att.net
COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS OPPORTUNITY
When: Saturday April 2, 2011
Where: Alexandria First Presbyterian Church
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Why: Church Spring cleanup, stay for as little or as long as you wish. Please bring a rake and gloves
When: July 11 – 17, 2010
Where: Ten Mile River Scout Camp, Camp Keowa
Greater NY Council
See summer camp website www.tenmileriver.org for more information
Cost: $330 per Scout paid in full by May 18 (to receive early payment Discount)
$25 per scout deposit before March 23 (check payable Troop 112)
Deposit is not refundable but is transferable to another scout.
Medical Forms - All Scouts and adult leaders attending will need the BSA medical form completed.
Effective 2010, the new, all inclusive medical form must be completed. Your physical must be within one year of summer camp, no exceptions. Find the form online at camp website listed above.
Troop Summer Camp Contact:
See Jim Kiernan or Cynthia Kaufman at any Troop meeting.
2011 Troop dues are now past due! Invoices were distributed for $20 dues per scout/per active parent in January. If you haven’t paid please see Mr. Wozniewicz, Mr. Miller or Mr. Bavaro with your payment. Checks should be made payable to BSA Troop 112. Thank you to those who have already paid.
2011 Klondike numbers by the book:
22 = Number of T-112 attendees
18 = Inches of snow on the ground
10 = Feet of flame in Mr Hann’s latest creation
7 = Number of T-112 tents in camp
5 = First-timers that are now veteran Klondikers
4= Position T-112 finished overall
1= Bugler to play revelle and assembly
0 = Viking sled jockeys that finished the race….
Congratulations Mr.Bavaro on earning his Wood Badge
For more information on the Wood Badge training in the 21st century please see the following link.
For more information on the history of the Wood Badge please see the following link.
Adult Leaders attending Eagle Boards on Thursday!
Our Eagle Boards of Review are Thursday night at the Alex Preb Church on 519, we will start promptly at 7:30 Joe Ruiz and Will Britt are both on the docket.
Meetings resume January 4th.
Links to upcoming merit badge fairs
Upcoming Merit Badge Opportunities
Citizenship in the Nation Class
Any
Scout interested in earning this merit badge please contact Sandra
Matuska at sjdd2112@embarqmail.com Class will held Tuesday January
11th at the Alexandria Presbyterian church from 7pm-9pm. There are a
few spots available and is open to scouts with rank 1st class or higher.
More information to follow once we have our roster. There will be a
few pre-requisites prior to class.
First Aid for rank advancement
Scouts
wishing to work on first aid requirements for their rank advancement we
will have a class on Tuesday January 11th at the Alexandria
Presbyterian church. Please note this is NOT for the first Aid Merit
Badge but Rank requirements. Please email Sandra Matuska at
sjdd2112@embarqmail.com.
Klondike Cancelled for Friday January 28, 2011.
Due to difficult conditions at Round Valley Youth Center, Troop 112 WILL NOT BE spending Friday night at Klondike. Please meet in the lower parking lot between 7:30 to 8:00 AM tomorrow morning. At 8:00 AM the leaders will be taking the scouts up to the Klondike area. There will be no Troop activities tonight.
Klondike Derby to have plenty of snow! Scouts should carefully consider their choice of personal gear. Dry boots and extra pairs of warm socks will be a welcome addition as will be a fleece liner or blanket with sleeping bags. An extra pair of gloves and a weather resistant hat will help as well. Check the weather forecast and Be Prepared! This is going to be a fun and realistic Alaskan Klondike adventure! Equipment turn-in will be at the Tuesday February 8 troop meeting.
NOTICE TO ALL PATROL LEADERS AND SCOUTS
January 25th was the last meeting prior to Klondike.
Please review the Klondike Brochure for the Klondike Derby event and requirements.
Nick D. elected as Senior Patrol Leader
At the regular meeting on Tuesday October 19, Nick D. was elected to a six month term as Senior Patrol Leader effective immediately. Nick’s first official task included picking his Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and didn’t hesitate to choose Jesse S. as his partner. Upcoming meetings include Patrol alignment and Patrol Leader Elections. Congratulations to Nick and Jesse.
Eagle Project Season is here! There are several Eagle Scout Service projects currently under way. The Eagle candidates have worked long and hard to reach the physical portion of the projects. They now rely on fellow scouts (and families) to help them complete it. Projects are scheduled on the troop calendar. Feel free to stop by and stay an hour - or a day - at any project. Most projects involve some light to moderate work, bring your work clothes and get some exercise!
Welcome back scouts and parents!
We hope you are still enjoying the last days of summer vacation! It's back to school and back to Scout meetings soon. Our regular troop meetings will commence on Tuesday Sept 14 (the week after Labor Day). Committee will meet October 5. Troop 112 has been busy planning all summer and there are important announcements coming shortly - STAY TUNED!!!
IMPORTANT NEWS!!!
The first meeting of T-112 will be on Sept 14 and will be NOT BE AT LDW. Instead, we'll be MEETING AT CAMP TECUMSEH. The camp is located on Rt 625 (Mechlin Corner Rd), about midway between Rts 513 and 579. Proceed SLOWLY down the driveway (speed limit is 10 mph) about 1/4 mile until you reach the small bridge at the bottom of the hill. The meeting will at the Lodge. Bear right and continue up the hill to the large wooden structure at the top of the hill known as the "Tabernacle" building (This large new building is very visible across the lake to your right as you come down the driveway). Park in designated lots only, not on the grass. We will meet in the basement, use the outside entrance. Scouts and parents should report directly inside for further instructions, please do not wander the grounds. As always, our meetings start promptly at 7:30 and end approximately 8:45.
2011 HIGH ADVENTURE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!
We'll be fishing the Boundary Waters in Canada north of Minnesota in July 2011!! This is a seriously fun fishing oriented BSA National sponsored trip with canoes as our main transportation and casting to ravenous northern pike, tasty walleyes and frisky smallmouth as our goal. The trip will run Saturday to Saturday. As of now the camp has an opening for 2 crews for the week of July 3 - 9, we'll flyout to Thunder Bay Ontario on Sat July 2 where we'll overnight, then drive (about) 140 miles to base camp for Sunday check-in. On Monday we'll be transported about 20 miles away to a remote drop where we take 4 nights to paddle back to base while fishing along the way. We'll have many more trip details to share shortly. In the interim, find more info about Wilderness Canoe trips at Don Rogert Canoe Base at Atikokan ON at http://www.ntier.org/Atikokan.
html Be sure to click on "Before you arrive" then "Expedition Route Planning Guide" and read pages 1 -14 and 35 - 50.
Here's the fine print:
-
Scouts must be age 13 by September 1, 2011
-
Everyone must be BSA swim qualified
-
The estimated trip cost (including air) is about $1200 per person. We'll have a more accurate budget to share over the next few weeks/months.
Even finer print:
Troop 112 is Color Guard for Somerset Patriots
The Troop assembled as Color Guard on Thursday July 1 and proudly displayed the flags of the United States and Troop 112 for the Somerset Patriot's baseball game opening ceremony. Joining the Troop on the field were fellow Cubs, Brownie, Daisy and Girl Scouts from Alexandria Township. Total attendance topped 62 including family members for a beautiful night under the lights in Somerset Park. Troop 112 provided tickets for the scouts. Helping with sponsoring additional tickets was Epic Construction and the Sterbenz family. The Troop 112 Committee wishes to thank all participants and sponsors for a great night at the ballgame. Next up - Summer Camp!!
CLASS B Uniform Shirts are here!
The Class B uniform Tees will be distributed on Sunday July 11 at Ten Mile River camp check-in. Each attending scout will be provided with all shirts ordered, including adult and/or extras. Please come to the troop trailer at your arrival to camp. If you are not attending camp, please contact Mr. Bavaro to arrange for pick-up. For those scouts who have our 50th anniversary shirts, those are also acceptable Class B's, so bring them to camp as well. Thanks again to Zach S. and Mike M. for doing a great job designing our "52nd" year Class B logo. Time to go camping!
100th Anniversary of Scouting in America Celebration
17th National Scout Jamboree 2010
Due to limited interest in attending the National Scout Jamboree as a Troop, we have canceled our troop campsite and will not make plans to attend as a troop. Families are encouraged to consider this 100th Anniversary Celebration in their vacation plans this summer. If you are in the Washington DC/Virgina area, it'll be well worth a side trip for a day to walk the grounds. Expectations are for 40,000+ scouts to be in attendance!
I have distributed to those individuals still interested in attending the National Scout Jamboree with the “Day Visitor’s” instructions. This will be an historic event and the National Scout Jamboree is only held once every 4 years.
If your family vacation plans permit and have interest in a brief visit; please stop by as a visitor at Fort A.P. Hill and witness this incredible event!
Mr. Kollet will be staying at King’s Dominion Amusement Camping grounds during the week of July 26th, so if you have interest in camping during your visit, please contact him for more information.
Should you like more information on “Day Visitor’s” instructions they can be found at: http://www.bsajamboree.org/
Visitor.aspx
Hope you get a chance to visit the 17th National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill !
Scoutmaster Miller
Adult Leadership Training
Adult Leadership Training has been scheduled for Thursday evenings in October. More information will be available at Roundtable (1st Wednesday of the month 7:30 at Hunterdon North H.S. Rt 31) or by contacting Pahaquarra District Rep Mark Pettie at markpettie@yahoo.com or see Mark Vesper
Parents and adult leaders
Please consider completing the on line training courses. At a minimum we need leaders/parents to complete (or update) their youth protection training.
In order for a parent/scout leader to be listed on a Tour Permit application as the event leader, their Youth Protection Training must be completed and up to date. While this is one minimum council requirement, we also need parents who have hazardous weather training, safety afloat and various other courses available online.
The process is easy. Create an account on the My Scouting website:
and take a course. You will see how easy it is to complete the courses and make sure we have trained parents and leaders for our activities.
Troop 112 welcomes graduating Webelo's from Pack 114!!
On Sunday March 6, Pack 114 bridged 14 Webelo's to their next step in Scouting, as members of Troop 112. Congratulations to all of the Pack and family members on a job well done. Troop 112 is ready and looking forward to working with the new scouts and their families.
For new viewers to our site, you'll find this location as your up-to-date resource for calendar event information as well as other interests such as the latest T-112 news, popular links, equipment checklists, Eagle Scout resources, images of past events and more. (You may want to save it to your "Favorites" for future reference)
Our meetings start promptly at 7:30 and run until 8:45 every Tuesday at LDW. Every second Tuesday of the month is the Troop Committee meeting which is open to all parents. The Committee meets in the LDW library during the normal scout meeting. Upcoming shortly will be the annual parent orientation night where an informative Boy Scouting overview is presented by Scoutmaster Miller. Keep an eye on the calendar for the date, it's a great source of information about the Troop and what it can mean to you and your boy. See you all on Tuesday!
KLONDIKE 2010 UPDATE!!!
Troop 112, representing the country of Spain was on the podium in two separate events at the running of the chilly 2010 Klondike on January 29 - 31. Thirty six scouts and adult members of T-112 braved 2 chilly nights at the Round Valley Reservoir Youth Center to take a 3rd place overall in the scout skills competition and a 1st place in the cooking contest. Viking patrol members rallied to just 2 points short of a 2nd place finish after some well intended antics cost them a penalty that had them settle for a solid 3rd. Congratulations to the Vikings for showing great spirit and teamwork. Mr. "Chuckwagon" Britt and Mr. "Cookie" Rollins put their culinary skills to work in assisting in the on-site cooking of the award winning Paella and Breaded Pork Chops. All of the patrols worked hard in the sub 20 degree temperatures at all of the skill stations and were the class of the field with their homemade sleds. Patrols further demonstrated their skills and teamwork as cooking and cleaning chores were handled within each patrol, under the 112 "garage" tent. Chilly faces and cold hands were warmed with ample hot meals and the traditional T-112 blazing campfire. Although there was no official trebuchet contest this year, Cobra patrol leader Chris U. and his dad showed up with a brand new home-built flinger that tossed the frozen pumpkins about 100 feet. So accurate was Chris' "weapon of no destruction", he was hitting a cardboard box with the 5 lb pumpkin ammo in tight groups for almost every shot. Very cool Chris, nicely done.
The troop broke camp starting at dawn on Sunday. All gear was stowed and the campsite grounds scrubbed for "leave no trace" by 8:00AM. Great job to all scouts and adult scouters! We can't wait for next year!
Special thanks to Mrs. (Scoutmaster) Miller for her terrific job of sewing the flag of Spain, it was proudly displayed as the T-112 "country" flag throughout the event.
SUMMER CAMP UPDATE
Central NJ Council has decided to suspend any summer camping at KMSR while further repair research is being conducted. Troop 112 has decided to keep the same week (July 11 -17) and instead relocate our 2010 summer camping to Camp Keowa at Ten Mile River Scout Camps in New York State. This beautiful area is located about 30 minutes north of Port Jervis, just east of the Delaware River. We'll begin taking camp registrations shortly after the (January) Klondike. Stay tuned for more updates.
See the camping tab under News and Events for latest Klondike information
Troop 112 food bank drive continues to be successful. Thanks to help of 112 families as of the close of the Tuesday 12/15 holiday celebration, Mr. Slusser reports the troop has exceeded it's collection goal of 200 pounds of non-perishable food! The Clinton Food pantry located next to Rite Aid will be the recipient of your generosity. The troop has decided to continue our efforts in supporting the community past this effort, so please plan to bring a non-perishable item to our weekly meetings moving forward. Thanks to Mr. Slusser for coordinating this effort.
Webelos weekend update - On Saturday 12/12 Troop 112 welcomed 10 Webelos of Pack 114 Webelos and their parents for a chilly overnighter at Brunners. A mini-Klondike planned and staffed by senior scouts of T-112 had the Webelo's busy learning new skills most of the breezy afternoon. An ample lunch and even more hearty dinner prepared by monsieur Britt that included pot roasts, grilled chicken and ribs, steamed veggies, home made chicken soup, pasta with tomato sauce and three great dump cakes for dessert (apple, peach, cherry) was just the ticket for warming an otherwise chilly night. By dinner time the breeze had calmed and temps held in the lower 20's for most of the evening. After some "man-hunt" fun in the dark the boys joined the adults around the campfire and warmed up before hitting the tents. Sunday morning camp break-down was followed by a quick continental breakfast then final grounds clean-up. Special thanks to Cubmaster Matt Brown and the attending parents for their participation in a fun weekend. We even had three mom's hang in there for the overnighter in freezing temperatures! Way to go Mom's! We welcome Pack 114 Webelos and their families to our troop.
Troop dues and Order of the Arrow dues are now due. Troop dues notices were distributed at the December 1st meeting. Click to following links to download the OA dues notice.
Check the calendar on a regular basis for new entries.
Eagle Scout Candidates (especially current Life Scouts): Be sure to check the new forms and Eagle information under the "Trail to Eagle" tab. These forms provide 99.9% of the latest information you need to complete your Eagle requirements. For more info see Scoutmaster Miller or Mr.Britt.
Scoutmaster Miller and the Troop Committee would especially like to thank all of the parents and adult leaders for their generosity during this past year. The contribution of time is the most precious gift of all. Your contributions have provided the 112 boys yet another year of a richer scouting and life experience. Congratulations and best wishes to all.
Website – This site will be our main communication conduit moving forward. It will be updated at least weekly, typically mid-week to keep you informed of the latest Troop 112 news. Be sure to check out the Calendar and Links pages for up-to-date information. Be sure to stop by the Photo Album page for evidence, witnesses and surprising images of scouts working hard, doing chores and having a blast doing it.
- Seabase – The 16 member Seabase High Adventure Crew has returned from Munson Island in the Florida Keys with big grins, minimal damage, tan skin and a lot of great stories. BSA National really showed the crews how to enjoy themselves in a safe, educational Scouting format that was part summer camp and part (semi) tropical island adventure.
The crew flew to Fort Lauderdale FL on Thursday June 28 where they enjoyed the pool and vast quantities of pizza at the local Marriot. Friday morning had the crews packed up in three min-vans that brought them to a Florida City Alligator Park. The park experience included a wild airboat ride complete with a few drenching 360’s and some high-speed fun, not to mention some scary looking critters and a very manly snake handling demonstration by Captain Miller. Next the vans made a quick stopover into the Everglades National Park. After rummaging through the gift shop and museum the crew drove down to Brinton Environmental Center at mile marker 23.8 on Summerland Key for Seabase check-in and orientation where they spent their first night. After their last night’s rest in air-conditioning and real beds at the base, the crews loaded two Hawaiian style “war canoes” and paddled 5.5 miles out into the Atlantic to Munson Island. At Munson they found no buildings, plumbing or refrigeration of any kind (none- not even an ice cube). The campsites were just off the beach. Each was equipped with ground tents, a dinning fly, a picnic table and a “kitchen” consisting of a critter-proof cupboard, dish washing basins and a three-burner propane stove. Primitive but comfortable and clean, the sites were occupied more by the many local Keys deer and Vaca raccoons than by the crews. The critters were so accustom to humans, they frequently had to be “shooed” out of the camps. Michael K. (aka “The Chief”, or “Coconut chief”) became the official self-appointed deer and raccoon repellant enforcement officer. While some thought his methods might have been somewhat unorthodox, he was very effective at keeping the pests away. You’ll have to ask him or his island mates how he did it (hint: check out the pictures). Many crewmembers stayed out of camp at night and instead enjoyed the night breezes by sleeping right on the sandy beach under the incredible night sky. It was a great way to end the day and to begin a new one.
The scouts spent the majority of their time in and on the water with various activities. Snorkeling on reefs, fishing offshore for mahi-mahi (dolphin fish) or shark fishing at night on one of the floating docks in front of the camp was just some of the fun. Crystal clear Keys water made the snorkeling over Looe reef (Google it) an incredible adventure. Scouts spotted several barracuda, sea turtles, tarpon and large schools of colorful tropical reef fishes. On another day, the scouts fought mahi-mahi and brought them back for a great dinner of fresh grilled fillets over an open fire. Late one night after dinner, the scouts waded out to the dock and caught sharks up to five feet long! Still more adventure on Munson was a kayak ride through a mangrove lagoon, and later through a mangrove “maze” that eventually led to the infamous and posh Palm Island Resort (while you’re at it - Google this one too), just next to Munson Island. It was quite the juxtaposition: A group of loud, fun-loving, shower-less scouts in kayaks emerging from the thick mangroves onto the quiet lagoon of the rich and famous. The scout’s behavior was reportedly entirely appropriate for the circumstances and was yet another part of their adventure. A walking island tour by BSA guides or “Island mates” pointed out the local flora and fauna some of which have very unique qualities. One quickly understood by all was the notorious “Poisonwood” tree. This tree has an extremely potent form of Urushiol oil, the irritant found in poison ivy. The Poisonwood’s version however is systemic - it gets into the blood stream and can come out anywhere on the body with extreme symptoms. Interestingly, an antidote is found in the bark of the Gumbo Limbo tree, which can always be found within a close distance of the poisonwood.
In addition to a busy adventure schedule, scouts and adults participated in a service project to clean and protect the island from weather damage. Flotsam litter was collected and bagged for removal. Sargasso weed was raked from the surf up onto dry sand to create bordered beds to help slow erosion.
The last island day was Wednesday. The adventure continued as the scouts paddled their war canoes the 5.5 miles back to base for “transition” day. The day is named appropriately as the un-showered, unshaven and otherwise un-refrigerated scouts needed a little freshening up before rejoining civilization.
Transition day was capped off with a welcome back luau and some ball games against other island troops. The crew managed to pull off a sweet victory against friendly rival North Carolina troop (who’s average aged 16 year-old scouts handily beat our crew at just about everything, all week- just ask any crewmember about the flagpoles) when Kory M. (Mr. Flexible) managed an impossible dance underneath the limbo stick that only Kory could pull off. In your face, North Carolina…
Departure day started early with a quick breakfast at base, loading the mini vans, then taking the 23.8 mile trip down to Key West. The crew visited a pirate treasure museum and enjoyed the sights and tastes of Key West for the morning before boarding the vans and heading back up to Fort Lauderdale for the afternoon flight back to Newark. This was a great trip; we can’t wait for our next High Adventure.
|
|
Archive
