BSA Troop 67’s New Camping Gear
Submitted by Meghan Terry
In 2020, Summit’s Boy Scout Troop 67 was honored to receive a grant in the amount of $2,426 from The Summit Foundation to cover the purchase of new camping equipment. While the equipment has not yet been used on an overnight campout (due to COVID-related restrictions on unit camping), the Scouts were able to test it all out and get themselves organized for an anticipated return to unit camping during summer 2021.
Purchases funded by The Summit Foundation grant included 8 tents, 2 cooking stoves, and 4 sets of cookware. In order to ensure that the Scout program remains accessible to all who are interested, Troop 67 maintains a gear closet at St. Teresa’s Church, which charters the Troop. For prospective or new Scouts, having the proper equipment for backpacking and/or camping can be an obstacle for participation. Proper equipment such as tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, and cooking stoves are not only necessary to make a trek enjoyable, but also safe. These are high-cost items and many boys likely do not have them when they first join or may not be able to afford them. Troop 67 maintains an inventory of these critical items so that all boys are able to participate. However, these items are frequently used and need to be replaced periodically to ensure proper functionality.
One of the goals of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is to help boys develop into strong, principled young men. The boys learn leadership, team building, outdoor skills, life skills, such as first aid, and the value and benefit of community service. These experiences and skills are developed through regular weekly meetings and monthly treks (day and overnight backpacking and camping) that the boys undertake with trained, uniformed adult leadership. In 2020 and in the first half of 2021, the trek program has been modified to include only day hikes and activities such as horseback riding and climbing, etc. Community Service activities, such as the annual food collection for St. Teresa’s food pantry, brown bag sandwich assembly for SHIP, and toiletry/food collection for Bonds of Courage were able to be executed as planned with Covid-specific safety modifications. Troop treks in recent years have included a bicycle tour of Gettysburg, ice climbing in the Shawangunk Mountains, river rafting, and many more adventures.
The Summit Foundation has been active in the local community for more than 50 years, and has granted support to the Troop 67 scouts many times over the years. In the past 10 years alone, the Summit Foundation has invested $8.6 million dollars in philanthropic support to the local community via grants, scholarships, and donor-advised distributions. Other 2020 grants from The Summit Foundation support local programming such as Sage Eldercare’s Meals on Wheels Program, the Sustain Summit program supporting downtown small businesses impacted by the pandemic, and a lengthy list of other community-based organizations in the local area.
