Backpacking - Great Hollow, New Fairfield, CT

The first weekend in December, the boys backpacked into New Fairfield’s own Great Hollow YMCA Wilderness School site. After a two mile backpack in from an adjacent NY park, the boys setup camp and spent the afternoon enjoying the lovely campsite overlooking waterfalls and playing some games in the woods. The challenge on this trip was keeping warm in conditions where the temperature dropped into the teens at night. The boys managed the cold very well and learned valuable lessons in packing appropriately for sub-freezing conditions.

Camporee - Civil War Reenactment, Redding, CT

November was the annual Scatacook District Camporee. This year the Scout Troops from throughout the Fairfield County area gathered at Hoyt Scout Reservation in Redding to participate in a Civil War reenactment. The program included a tour of different stations demonstrating how things were done in the time. Stations included Cooking, Medical, Camp Life, Weapons and Close Order Marching Drills. At the end of the day, the Reenactors put on a mock battle that was narrated so the boys could understand each step involved in fighting a Civil War battle. The Scatacook District committee volunteers delivered a truly outstanding program.

Camping - Putnam State Park, Redding, CT

October brought the annual Webelos trip where the older Cub Scouts, who are preparing to bridge over to Boy Scouts, are invited along on a trip to see what comes next in their Scouting career. This year, the event was held in Putnam State Park, site of the ‘1778-1779’ Winter Encampment for General Putnam’s Continental Army Troops in Redding. The Boy Scouts led their Cub studies through the ruins of the Revolutionary War self-guided walk, finishing in the museum where they could view many of the tools, weapons and artifacts of the time. After lunch, the Troop taught the Cub Scouts many of the skills needed to have a safe and fun camping experience, including setting up camp, fire building, first aid, knot tying and emergency shelter building. The evening campfire included a healthy (?) dose of smores! The Webelos parents also participate in this event to see the many benefits of continuing with the Scouting program.

Camping - People's State Park, Barkhamsted, CT

In September, Troop 137 visited People’s State Park in Barkhamsted, CT. This unheralded gem of a park located near Torrington has many interesting hiking trails. After setting up camp in a beautiful spot under the pines, the boys set off to hike through the woods and see what interesting discoveries lie before them. And the trail did not disappoint as they suddenly came upon a rocky overlook with scenic views with hawks gliding down the valley. After the hike, the older boys set up an orienteering course around the campsite to teach the younger boys how to follow a compass course. Additional skills development included things like knots, saw and axe safety, and first aid. The newest boys in the Troop collected many requirements for rank advancement with the aide of the older boys who used this opportunity to practice their leadership skills.

Special Program - Sikorsky

At the end of September, several of the older scouts enjoyed a weekend at Sikorsky in Milford, CT where they got a rare look at the history and future of helicopters and learned about the inventor of the helicopter. They saw Black Hawks and other aircraft in various stages of development, flight simulator labs, heard from some interesting speakers and earned some merit badges.