Lynnfield BSA Troop 48 Enjoys Recent Campout Adventures

On October 15-17, Troop 48 attended the Great Eastern District Fall Camporee at Nobscot Scout Reservation in Sudbury MA. Scout Troops from around the region participated. The theme of the weekend was Sasquatch Hunter: Bigfoot’s Revenge. Activities included tracking 101, observation skills in the outdoors, wilderness shelter building, and Manhunt. Troop 48 celebrated Saturday night by making chili over a camp stove, cooking cornbread in a Dutch oven using coals from the fire, and hosting the other Scout Troops for a bonfire with entertaining Scout skits.

Three weeks later on November 6-8, Troop 48 travelled to T.L. Storer Scout Reservation in Barnstead New Hampshire for a “Paul Bunyan” lumberjack weekend. Logging activities including chopping down trees, splitting firewood, and clearing brush. In addition, the hard work served a community service need. All the wood the Scouts chopped was donated to an elderly woman who lived near the Scout reservation to help her heat her home this winter. Logging is hard labor but it was gratifying to the Scouts to know it would help a person in need.

The Scouts also learned about the purpose of different types of axes and saws, as well as how to use each tool safely. When the sun went down, the temperatures plunged to the low 20s. Fortunately, the Scouts had geared up with “mummy” style sleeping bags. The Scouts are quickly developing their skills for building and lighting campfires on very cold mornings.

The Scouts are working on earning merit badges and achieving ranks that lead up to Eagle Scout, which is earned by only 3% of all who participate in Scouting. Lynnfield has a long, distinguished history of Scouts reaching Eagle Rank, with 130 Eagle Scouts in Lynnfield since 1956.

This fall, Troop 48 welcomed its newest class of Scouts, which includes the following 6th graders: Alan Curley, Camden Anderson, Evan Carty, Michael Cieslewicz, Nicholas Heintz, and William Biggar.

Troop 48 meets weekly on Thursday evenings at 7pm downstairs at the Centre Congregation Church in Lynnfield. The Troop follows all COVID-19 safety protocols including masking during Troop meetings at the Church, sleeping one Scout per tent, and social distancing. Adventures in the coming months include a rock climbing day at a local indoor climbing gym, and a Klondike Derby polar camp out with snow and cold based competitions and activities in mid-February. In addition, the Scouts are gearing up for a high adventure one week canoe trip to take place next summer in northern Maine.

The Troop offers Scouts a rewarding mix of outdoor adventure, group and independent learning about leadership, independence, and maturity, as well is having a lot of fun and engaging in community service. Scouts BSA welcomes new members from ages 11 through 18. Anyone interested may contact Troop 48 Scout Leader Jim Squadrito at jsquadrito@gmail.com.