Historic Gettysburg!

The scouts had a tremendously good time exploring the new Gettysburg National Military Museum and Visitor Center, experiencing the newly preserved Cyclorama, the new film, "A New Birth of Freedom", narated by Morgan Freeman, experiencing the Rememberence Weekend Reenactor Parade, touring the Battlefield and walking past the candlit grave markers at the Gettysburg National Cemetery Evening Memorial.

This was a wonderful example of 'a game with a purpose' as the scouts had a blast and also saw and experienced American history up close and personal.

Camp Sequassen Webelos Weekend

The Camp Sequassen camping trip was an awesome weekend. The boys did a great job leading, teaching and working with the Webelos this weekend. Everyone had a fun time and helped make the trip a success. There are some terrific Webelos crossing over and joining us in the Spring and the boys will have many more leadership opportunities.

Camp Sikorsky

Several Troop 137 Scouts participated in Camp Sikorsky, a kind of camporee with many other Troops from around the state, complemented with the added benefit of earning two merit badges each. The scouts visited aviation labs, massive flight simulators, attended an ethics forum, an emergency preparedness session and got to see lots of cool helicopters up close and personal. This included jumping into Black Hawks and seeing the entire helicopter manufacturing/assembly process. The boys also heard from an Eagle Scout that built upon his scouting experience to become a top surgeon and leader in the US Army including responsibility for over 3000 troops and all hospital and medical activities in Iraq. They saw and learned things very few scouts, or even adults, ever get to experience. A close up look at some of the fastest and most powerful birds in the sky!

High Banks Housatonic Rafting Trip

We had an awesome first trip to kick off the 2008-09 Boy Scout outing season. Everyone had a blast rafting on the Housatonic River, shooting the rapids and of course splashing each other on the way down. Troop 137 Scouts rescued canoers they found stranded in the middle of the rapids. They helped them get back to safety and recover their equipment down stream - great job! This only added to the fun and excitement of the day.

Yawgoog!

Sunday, August 3 - Arrival Day

Unload and setup camp. Putting up the dining canopy turned into a team-building activity as the adults and boys tried to determine how the "erector set" went together. An opening night fire at the campsite after the work was completed allowed the boys to relax before the busy week kicked off in the morning.

Monday, August 4 - First Day

Various orientation activities, a photo shoot and the mandatory swim test took up the morning and early afternoon. For the first time in the 25 years Troop 137 has attended Camp Yawgoog all the boys passed the swim test on the first try!

Merit badge classes began in the afternoon. Let's see how many we can earn. After a long first day, the troop was entertained by Camp Sandy Beach staff at the Friendship Campfire.


Tuesday, August 5

The boys had a busy day cranking out merit badge activities and enjoying free time to swim and or take out a boat. A group even took out a war canoe and raced around the lake. After dinner each night, there was a competitive event, such as the three-legged race...



Wednesday, August 6

This was our mandatory rain day. A little dampness in the morning quickly passed so the rest of the week could be clear. What more can we ask?


Thursday, August 7

After breakfast, we ordered lunch to go and picked it up just before our 5-mile hike around the Pond!







Friday, August 8

Pizza Lunch! We collected all the soda money and went out and bought pizza so we could skip the dining hall meal for once. Did you know cardboard pizza boxes makes for a great fire starter?

As the boys neared completion of the their merit badges, they spent some time around the campfire talking about their favorite activities for the week and made recommendations to the others for next year.










Saturday, August 9

The boys spent the morning putting the final touches on their merit badges and collecting blue cards.

The Saturday afternoon swim meet pitted the various Sandy Beach troops against each other in different events. Troop 137, being a younger group this year, did an excellent job of standing up to the other troops and even managed coming in third place in the relay race!

The Saturday Night Show included singing, skits and a reflection on the activity-filled week.

Sunday, August 10

After church and a quick breakfast, a Court of Honor was held at the campsite where the boys were awarded the 51 merit badges they earned during the week! Great job guys!

This was followed by a Camp Yawgoog Parade and closing ceremonies where all the boys from the entire Camp march in formation past the camp leaders, various dignitaries and all the parents.

What a great week!

Block Island Bike Trip June 20-22, 2008

The Block Island bike trip was an awesome outing to cap off the scout year and kickstart summer. Many scouts just finished their last exam and last day of school. Others got to leave school a little early on their next to last day. The troop started off with a beautiful ferry ride from Point Judith, RI. A few snacks and a couple video games on the boat and the North Lighthouse was in sight. The ferry docked and the scouts backpacked or rode bikes upto the campsite. Tents were up and camp was made in no time. The troop headed down to Aldo's for some delicious pizza and a fun time together. There was excitement and anticipation in the island air. Dave T. won a Nintendo DS system for Conner from the game machine. That was a major surprise which got everyone excited and then everyone had to give it a try. We hit the island candy shop and headed back to camp to start a fire.

Saturday was an excellent day full of activities and fun. We started with bike rentals and set off on the road in search of breakfast. Chris had a small accident coming down the hill from the airport, but was thankfully okay. The island staff was amazing and had paramedics, an ambulance and police on site before he could say, "I'm alright, really".










We all headed to Ernie's for a tasty breakfast, got on our bikes to start our whirlwind tour of the island. First, up to the very top of the island to the North Lighthouse. We walked along the shore and found many interesting rocks and stuff. A few boys took off their shoes and got in the water. Next, on to the Labyrinth, then the gorgeous main beach pavilion. The water was refreshing and much time was spent enjoying the sand, salt water and this special time together. A vicious sand castle challenge sparked and the boys got building. Once a large whole was dug, it only made sense for someone to jump in it. David M. got buried up to his head.

Next, everyone rode through town and headed to the South Lighthouse. The ocean views were spectacular. The huge stairs at the bluffs led us down to the waterfront. This was the favorite stop for many scouts. They enjoyed exploring the tidal pools and finding many sea stars, spider crabs and other sea life. Some boys mixed the natural clay from the bluffs with the water and got creative with clay sculpting. It was a wonderful visit and if it weren't for the notion of going for food, we might not have ever left.

Dinner was right by the beach at the famous Ballard's restaurant. Mmmm... clam chowder, sea food, pasta and more tasted so good after such a busy and full day riding and playing. After a wonderful dinner, some scouts headed for ice cream, others the candy store and all ended back at the campfire for s'mores. Talk around the fire recalled the beautiful places we visited that day.

Sunday morning came quickly and the camp was broken down swiftly. Once packed, the troop rode back down to our new favorite breakfast stop, Ernie's. Afterwards, the local shops were visited and a little more time on the bikes was enjoyed. A small group pushed their legs for a loop around the Southwest part of the island and a short visit to Rodman's Hollow, a large wooded area with the ocean in the background. Everyone enjoyed the ferry back to Point Judith were people took the opportunity to relax, reflect, enjoy the views and spend a little more time together before heading in different directions for summer, or at least until summer camp.

Hidden Valley Earth Day Observance Cleanup

Kudos to all the boys who came today to help New Fairfield Parks and Rec. Dept. prepare for the annual Earth Day Celebration event at Hidden Valley Nature Center on Gillotti Road. The boys cleared excess leaves, fallen branches and overgrown brush from the trails that run through the Nature Center connecting the High School/Middle School with Meeting Hill House School and Rita Drive. Troop 137 has a long-running tradition of keeping Hidden Valley’s trails open, which also helps the boys with community service time, rank projects and even an Eagle Project! For more details on the Earth Day Event, Hidden Valley, and Troop 137’s support of the Nature Center, please click here.