Submitted by Vishal Agnihotri
Hard work has never been this much fun. The Scouts of Troop 368 had been hard at work during the summer, earning a total of 232 merit badges among themselves. They were just getting warmed up for the new school year. Within the first 10 weeks of the school year, the Scouts have gone canoeing, visited the attractions of Washington DC, committed their time to three community service projects in town and launched an official STEM program within their Troop.
The school year started with a canoe trip down Delaware at the Ten Mile River in New York where the Scouts camped and cooked next to the river. Over NJEA weekend, under the watchful supervision of the adult leaders of the Troop, 30 Scouts visited the many educational museums and historical monuments of the nation’s capital, including the Capitol building, the Washington Monument, the American History Museum, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the National Archives and the International Spy Museum. They attended workshops on what it took to become a spy at the Spy Museum and saw the original Declaration of Independence at the National Archives; the Scouts had a full schedule.
The Scouts walked all the way to all the attractions and some of them even packed in a History of Scouting hike.
Under the leadership of Scoutmaster Joe Allegra and several other dedicated Adult Scout leaders, Troop 368 has made a consistent commitment of giving back to its community. Although community service hours are essential for rank advancement, these projects achieve much more by engaging the young boys in something productive and purposeful. Scouts learn the humble responsibility of giving back and doing so with respect, which in turn helps build up their character and integrity. Adult Scout leaders not only mentor the Scouts, but also set an example themselves by volunteering their own time and energy to the next generation of young men. The Troop kicked off the year by cleaning up the town on September 26th, they even invited family and friends to join in the cleanup. Troop 368 volunteered to give back to its host school, Mountain Park School. For several hours on a crisp October afternoon this year, Scouts raked and bagged leaves and blew away debris to make the school tidier and safer for its students. In November, Scouts helped serve breakfast at the Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast at the Little Flower Church.
Currently about 20 of the Troop Scouts are preparing for a High Adventure trip to the Grand Canyon in the summer of 2016. They have begun fundraising for this week long trip and have started preparing themselves physically for the grueling hikes and rafting in the Canyon. A handful of the senior Scouts are working towards their Eagle Rank and as is common with Eagle Projects, their projects will touch and improve parks, trails, churches, schools and other community facilities.
These young men and boys are giving back to their communities, building deep friendships with each other, learning valuable leadership skills and having fun while doing it. At the December campout, Scouts will be building their own fire without matches! A Winterfest is planned for mid-January and in another upcoming challenge at the end of January called the Klondike Derby, Scouts will race sleds, a test of skill and strength, through the Watchung Reservation. If you would like to know more about the Boy Scouts Troop 368, please feel free to reach out to email: scoutmaster@bhtroop368.com
(above) Scouts on Delaware canoe trip where they camped and cooked along New York’s Ten Mile River
