Mountainside Scout Troop 177 News
Over the summer, our Mountainside Scout Troop 177 had a summer packed with adventurous activities and outdoor fun. The Troop began the summer season by observing Memorial Day and planting flags to honor our nation at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield. The Troop also participated in the Memorial Day parade in town, decorating the route with flags, marching in the parade, and participating in the ceremonies.
In June, our Troop held our Court of Honor, the ceremony where our Scouts formally received their badges, awards, and advanced to the next rank. In total, 24 Scouts advanced to the next rank, 20 merit badges were earned, and two Scouts received national outdoor awards.
Additionally in June, our Troop traveled to Gettysburg, PA. Part of our Troop visited the Gettysburg Museum, while the Venture Crew went on a long hike covering 10 miles. Our Troop also toured the historic barn and farm on which we set up camp.
In July, a Venture Crew of seven Scouts and three adult leaders braved the Alander Mountain trail, South Taconic Trail, and a little bit of the Appalachian Trail in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. The Crew started the first day in pouring rain and storms, climbing up mountain trails that had turned into rivers and resting in a historic cabin at the top. The second day was one of the longest days the Crew had ever seen. They climbed up and down mountains in the pouring rain and even had to hike through water up to their ankles for hundreds of feet. On the final day, the Crew’s efforts were rewarded with an easy hike to Mount Everett in the Mount Washington State Forest. They were greeted by picturesque views and slept in a gorgeous campsite in a pine forest near a flowing waterfall. One Scout noted, “The journey was not easy, but that’s not why we do it. We make these treks for the challenge, to prove we can overcome, and that’s exactly what we did at Taconic 23.”
Also in July, 18 Scouts and six adult leaders camped for six days at a Boy Scout camp in the Catskills of New York State. This camp offers a variety of different merit badge programs, with 13 Scouts in our Troop notably participating in the Cooking merit badge, making up almost the entire class. The Scouts camped alongside three other Troops. The Troop earned our third camp-wide award, The Baden-Powell Award. Most notable was our campsite gateway – a revolving door in the middle of our campsite path.
We look forward to more activities in the Fall of 2023 and Winter of 2024. If you have an interest in Scouting, please get in touch with Jeff Healy at jeffhealy8@gmail.com.
Courtesy photos
