Troop 16 Attends Summer Camp at Camp Turrell
On July 5, 2009, 16 Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 16 and one provisional Scout from West Caldwell and three adult Scouters left Livingston for a week at Camp Turrell in Cuddlesbackville, NY. The resulting experiences earned the 17 Scouts, who range in age from 11 to 16 years old, a total of 58 merit badges.
Additionally, they received partial credit toward another 20 badges, and their three first-year Scouts finished most of the requirements for the Second and First Class Scout ranks. Other boys in the troop completed requirements to advance to the rank of Star.
The merit badges that the boys worked on were in a number of different areas including Outdoor Skills, Nature, Handicrafts, Aquatics, Field Sports and Shooting Sports.
In the Outdoor Skills area, the boys worked on skills that earned them Camping, Cooking, Wilderness Survival, and Pioneering merit badges. In the Nature category the scouts earned merit badges in Nature, Bird Study, Astronomy, Environmental Science, Fish & Wildlife Conservation, Geology, Mammal Study, Soil & Water Conservation and Weather.
Their week also involved work on handicrafts, which earned them badges in Indian Lore, Basketry, Art and Sculpture. At the camp’s waterfront area, the boys earned merit badges in Swimming, Lifesaving, and Rowing.
They earned badges in Sports, Athletics, and Personal Fitness in the Field Sports area, and in the Shooting Sports area the boys earned badges in Archery, Rifle and Shotgun. They also worked on the merit badges of First Aid and Citizenship in the World.
In addition to working on individual advancements, the boys participated in a wide variety of Troop activities as well, including serving as color guard one morning, for which they raised the flag over the parade grounds prior to breakfast.
The Troop earned the Patton Bowell Award this year at camp, which is presented to Scout Troops that participate in many camp wide events, show the use of various scouting skills throughout the week, and build a gateway for their campsite by lashing branches and logs together. For a service project the boys decided to volunteer as a Troop and help clean the kitchen after the traditional Friday night barbeque rib dinner.
Additionally, the Troop competed in the Iron Man Contest that tests the boys on physical endurance as well as Scouting skills such as knot tying and fire building. The Troop took third place.
Finally the older scouts had the opportunity to experience scuba diving in the camp lake.
