Boy Scouts visit Philadelphia
Submitted by Caren Villarreal
Approximately 30 Boy Scouts from Troop 80 in Cranford visited Philadelphia for their annual overnight History Trip. The Scouts visited several sites of historical significance, including the National Constitution Center, the Betsy Ross House, and the Museum of the American Revolution. They participated in an all-day seminar at the National Constitution Center in which they met with members of local and federal law enforcement, including an FBI agent, to learn about the Constitutional rights and freedoms of Americans. They also took a mock citizenship test to determine if they had what it takes to become a naturalized citizen as well as participated in a mock trial of the Three Little Pigs v. The Big Bad Wolf.
However, the most fun came at night when the scouts participated in a ghost tour around Philadelphia’s Historic District. According to 6th grade scout Matthew Surmay, “I enjoyed the ghost tour the most. We were walking around in the dark and we looked at old graveyards.”
Scouts who participated in the trip ranged from from 6th grade to 12th grade and had the opportunity to earn three important Merit Badges which are critical to their Pathway to Eagle journey. More importantly, they had fun, bonded and shared in learning some of the important history of our country.
