Saturday May 5th was the 7th annual sporting clays shoot to support the Housatonic Council. Troop 28 had seven participants, four adults and three scouts. Participating were, Kyle Young, Ian Tyler, Carl Leonzi III, Brian Young, Carl Leonzi Jr., Mike Koller and Dan Tyler.

This was a fabulous event that started with a great breakfast, then a safety briefing and then onto the clays course which had fifteen stations. May of the stations were challenging and totaled about 100 clays. Some clays went away, some went across, some came at you, some scooted across the ground and some went straight up in the air. It was a tremendous amount of fun!

After the shoot, lunch was served and then the raffles and auctions started with many prizes to be won. Overall, the event raised a large amount of money to help council and the best part was the scouts shot for FREE!!!

Scores were only kept for fun and bragging rights and when Mr. Uhrynowski asked who won, Mr. Koller responded appropriately with, "EVERYONE!"

A great day and I look forward to the next one and hope we can get more scouts participating next year.

Mr. T.

12 HIKED IN AND 12 HIKED OUT!

  
I just want to say how proud I am of everyone.  It was a rainy, muddier than usual West Point Camporee and everyone made it.  All the adults were especially impressed with Luke B., Harrison, and Nick.  These 3 boys represented the younger scouts in the troop and never complained.  Hiking in and hiking out they kept pace or rather the adults kept pace with them and at the end of the trip I looked at Luke and asked him if he had a good time and he had a big grin on his face and he said it was awesome. 

 

 

 

 

A big shout out to Mr. Balog  (aka Big Bird) who missed last years Camporee due to some medical issues but was able to make it this year.  Glad you were able to make it.

 

 

 

 

 

 



After being named 2017 volunteer group of the year, we went after another big pile in 2018.

We found:

 

Large Metal Desk

4 tires 

1 rim which actually had wooden spokes

Toilet

Hot water tank

Mattress

Back car seat

Part of a dock

Track for packages

 

Look forward to another big pile for next year.

 

Cold!
Cold!
Cold!
Cold!
Cold!

Detour to Joe's favorite doughnut Shop

 
Another GREAT day of skiing at Catamount Scout Day!

 

 It was an early cold morning as everyone started to make their way up to Black Rock State Park for the annual Klondike Derby.  Some of us made a pit stop at Mr. Welsh's secret donut shop and were not disappointed.  Upon arrival it was nice to see Mr. Balog out and about.  While some of us helped Mr. Tyler set up our snow shoe relay station the others helped set up the stove to get the coffee started as well as the hot water for the hot chocolate.  Our three patrols headed out for the opening ceremony while Mr. Tyler gave the adults a lesson on how to put the snow shoes on.  Soon we had our first victims I mean patrol and we explained to the patrols on how to put the snow shoes on and they were off and running and sometimes falling.  Glad to say that no one was hurt except maybe some pride.  One patrol had a notable pair of home made shoes that looked like Big Foot's foot prints.  Before you knew it it was time for lunch and Mr. Walsh took time out of his budding acting career to make a delicious pasta with two types of sauces.  After the patrols filled their bellies it was time to finish up the last couple of stations.  By 2:00 stations were closed and everyone helped clean up our area so as to make a quick exit after the closing ceremony.  At the closing ceremony I am proud to say that all the patrols did well.  The Questless Questers came in 1st, The Cannon Patrol came in 5th, and the Minutemen came in 7th place.  By 3:00 we were all on our way home to where Mr. U. took a much needed nap.  A special thanks to all who helped especially the Balog's for bringing firewood, Mr. Walsh for cooking, and Mr. Tyler for bringing the sleds and everything else for the station.


   

Bright and early Saturday morning about 40 of us met at the Scout Hut and headed out for West Point.  As we neared our destination we descended from the mountains down to a fog covered Hudson River where the majestic West Point campus came into view.  After parking and hopping onto a bus we were brought to the parade field where we could explore the Cadet Club's booths.  The scouts were able to check out the science club as well as sit in a Humvee and toss dummy grenades.  There was sumo wrestling and scouts could even see an Army sailboat but that confused me for I thought the Navy brought the Army to the fight.  Anyway, we climbed the bleachers in front of the parade field and were faced with a major quandary.  Do we sit on the wet bleachers or do we stand.  Ultimately we sat hoping the day would warm up to dry our wet pants.  The Army band played flawlessly as the cadets marched in full uniform onto the parade ground.  It was quite a sight to see hopefully inspiring our troop to march with a little more precision.  The Army drill team marched with their rifles and were equally as impressive.  If that wasn't enough the Army parachute team jumped out of a helicopter at 4,500 feet and landed right in front of us.  We then headed for a VIP tour of the campus. After grabbing a quick bite to eat we head up by bus to the top of a mountain to the Army football field.  Mr. Tyler got us great seats right in the sun to warm us up.  The Army parachute team brought the game balls and landed right in the stadium.  It was quiet a sight to see all of the cadets in uniform in the stands cheering on Army as they destroyed Morgan State 60 - 3.  I think the 2 best plays Morgan State had were when they recovered 2 punts that they had made.  After the 3rd quarter was over we decided to make our way down to the parking lot to start tailgating.  We had steak, buffalo burgers, kielbasa, baked beans, clam chowder, sausage and peppers, mac and cheese and various deserts including my favorite rice krispie treats.  The only thing that was missing were the Tums.  The scouts threw the old pig skin around till they couldn't see any more and we all headed out at 5:00 to make our way home.  The weather was beautiful who would have know that it would be snowing in less than 12 hours.  A special thanks to Mr. Tyler for getting the tickets and arranging such a great day.

 This past Saturday, Nov 5th, about 17 of us went up to Camp Strang to shoot shotguns.  It was a brisk 32 degrees when we got up there which is perfect for shooting and we had the whole camporee field to ourselves.  After getting the launcher from Mr. Costa and setting up the safety rope we were ready to shoot.  Mr. Koller and Mr. Leonzi were our Range Instructors and Mr. Young was our Range Safety Officer.  We shoot about 20 rounds before the launcher broke and Mr. Young and Mr. Koller had to pull a MacGyver and find a way to fix it.  Once it was fixed we were back in business and everyone took several turns shooting even Matt Balcerzak's sister shoot off a few rounds.  At around 12:00 we broke for lunch on some pretty rickety picnic tables, note future Beaver Weekend Project.  We started up shooting again around 1:00.  In the beginning we had shooters shooting every other target, then we had the opposite shooter shooting cleanup, and then by the end it was who could hit the target first.  We had scout vs scout, scout vs father, and we even had husband vs wife where Mr. and Mrs. Balcerzak were shooting against each other.  I was really surprised on how good the scouts shot.  I would have to say Joe LaRue and Kevin Demaine stood out as the best shooters with Carl and Brendon coming in a close second.  We wrapped up a little after 2:00, cleaned up the range and we were gone by 2:15.  In all we shot around 1,000 rounds, had a lot of fun on a beautiful fall day, and managed to carve a few pumpkins Troop 28 style.  A special thanks to Mr. Koller, Mr Leonzi, and Mr. Young for arranging the event.

Two Patrols in top 5, including 1st Place!!!

What a crazy weekend! We had over 40 participants at the camporee. Weather was rainy and raw as we set up Friday afternoon, but we were set up and ready before it was dark. There were a lot of new scouts up with us for their very first camporee so there was a little learning curve about how things work, but they got up to speed quickly with the help of the older scouts.

Saturday morning arrived and the sun came out! A quick breakfast and off to stations at 9:00. We had 4 patrols compete in the camporee, The Bigfoot Hunters lead by Kyle Young, The Flaming Yons lead by Ian Tyler, Joe LaRue and Charlie O'Brien with the help of Isaac Seyer who jumped patrols (a true joint effort since Ian was very much under the weather),  The Knights of the Holy Hand Grenade/Spartans lead by Kevin Demaine and "That" Patrol lead by Kenneth Walsh.

The theme was Lewis and Clark for this Camporee. Stations included atlatl throwing, Indian lore, building a self supporting bridge, starting a fire with a bow and spindle, canoeing, orienteering, a log hoist using lashings and knots, a tomahawk throw and shooting .22s and black powder at the range. Patrols were also expected to cook dinner in a Dutch oven for extra points. Our troop ran the shooting range and had the scouts shoot the .22s at targets for points and then the scouts had the opportunity to shoot a real black powder flintlock similar to what the Lewis and Clark expedition used. Mike Koller and Carl Leonzi ran the .22s and Dan Tyler and Dan Costa ran the black powder. The range ran smoothly with the help of Bob Balog, Don Demaine, Paul Uhrynowski and Brian Young. (It takes a lot of people to run a station like this and thank you to all who helped out, it is very appreciated.)

With morning and afternoon stations complete, the patrols got back to camp to start dinner. The Bigfoot Hunters cooked a meatloaf, The Flaming Yons made sausage lasagna, The Knights also made lasagna and That Patrol made quesadillas. It all looked great, but the meatloaf was truly spectacular. The adults had pasta with their choice of white sauce with chicken or red sauce with beef. Most had some of each. Thank you Brian and Carl for the delicious meals over the weekend.

With the meals done, everyone put on their Class A uniforms for religious services and the campfire. As we headed out, the rain really started to come down again. With even heavier weather in the forecast, the Activities Committee decided to cancel the campfire for safety reasons, so we all headed back to camp for some dessert. The rain was really coming down. The Bigfoot Hunters' dump cake was ruined because the lid leaked and water and ash got in so the Flaming Yons shared theirs until it ran out. I think everyone got a taste if they wanted it. There were two additional dump cakes that made their way out, made by the adults which were further shared with all.  

With the campfire cancelled the Order of the Arrow Tap Out was postponed until Closing Ceremonies Sunday morning. Unfortunately the one scout in Troop 28 who was being selected to join at this time was going home because he was really sick and he would miss the ceremony. Thanks to Don Demaine, the Order of the Arrow leaders were notified and they promptly came to our campsite and tapped out Ian Tyler right there before he made his way home. An exceptional act of kindness that was greatly appreciated.

With everyone tired and the rain still coming down, everyone hit their tents for a good nights sleep. Right before it was time to get up in the morning, the rain stopped. The Sun came out and started to warm the cool morning. Breakfast, clean up and striking the campsite all came in order with due diligence and was done before closing ceremonies. As the patrol rankings were announced and ribbons were being handed out, "The Bigfoot Hunters" were awarded 5th Place! Further rankings were announced and "The Flaming Yons" were awarded 1st Place! The 1st Place patrol is given the honors of lowering and folding the flag at closing ceremonies. The wind picked up and made it a little difficult and it took a really long time to fold the flag. (Something we should practice more often at the troop perhaps?) It was great effort by all the scouts in all our patrols this weekend and the competition was so close, the difference between 1st and 5th was only 2 points. Congratulations to everyone who participated.

But wait, there was one more award to be handed out. That was the Scoutmaster's Spoon Award which was awarded to the patrol that over the weekend did the most with their meals in terms of creativity and taste. And the award goes to... "The Bigfoot Hunters" whose meatloaf was truly one of the best tasting things our scouts have made in recent memory.

Packed up and ready, one last tour of the campsite to make sure we left no trace behind and home to hot showers and some clean sheets. 

Thanks to all the scouts and parents who attended and helped out this weekend. Special thanks to Sue and Bob Balog for their help in camp and at the station and thanks for bringing their magic van. Whenever anything was needed, it magically appeared out of their van. Amazing!

Wait, is that a KAZOO I hear?????

 

A few of us headed up Friday night for Beaver Weekend.  The OA unveiled the first ever Paugassett lodge belt buckle and Mr. Demaine was the first to open the package and put on his shinny new belt buckle.  The weather held up as our new Ordeal candidates Ian and Mr. Tyler prepared to spend the night alone in the woods.  After a refreshing nights sleep, the rest of us slept in the training center, we prepared to help get camp ready for the summer.  Mr. Tyler was a good trooper, even with a twisted ankle and a broken toe, he worked hard all day driving around his truck delivering a 100 or more tents and mattresses to the various campsites. 

Ian, Kenny, Joe LaRue, Kyle, and Kevin worked hard helping to set up all of the tents and putting the mattresses on the bunks.  Mr. Demaine, being one of the few people in camp who still knows the lost art of driving a stick shift, was tasked with mowing the Brown Sea field as well as part of the camporee field.  The rest of us went to work on fixing up Chesapeake.  Mr. Young painted the inside of the leaders lean-to that hasn't been painted since the 1960's.  Mr. Uhrynowski remembers some of the graffiti that was painted inside it from when he was a scout.  Someone wrote "Rush" which he thinks someone did when "Rush" was big in the 1970's.  Mr. Balog and Mr. Uhrynowski weed-wacked, blew leaves, and cut down a bunch of saplings around the tents to freshen up the place as well as allow more airflow through the campsite.  Mr. Uhrynowski was having too much fun with Mr. Balogs metal brush cutting blade on his weed-wacker and thought he may cut down half the forest.  They also leveled out all 22 platforms in Chesapeake so they are as straight as an arrow.  One adult who came into Chesapeake cut down a dead tree and said "Wow!  This is a really nice campsite."  That made us feel really good but knowing our Scouts will have a nice camp site for the summer is what it is all about. 

After a hard days work and badly needed shower we all put on our Class A's on for a special ceremony to welcome our new brothers Ian and Mr. Tyler into the OA.  Congrats to both of them. 

We then sat down in the dinning hall for a hearty roast beef, green beans, and mashed potato dinner and finished the night off with an ice cream sundae.

In the morning we had a quick Lodge meeting and then the newest lodge flap went on sale.  There was a special edition run of only 50 black border flaps that went really quick.  There were slim pickings at the end where Mr. Demaine and Mr. Uhrynowski split the last 11 flaps left.

We all left shortly there after and were home by 11:30.  Thank you to all who helped get Camp Strang and more importantly Chesapeake ready for summer camp.

Ten scouts and adult leaders met up at the Scout Hut Friday afternoon to go to the 54th Annual West Point Invitational Camporee which hosts 6500 scouts from as far away as California for the two day event. We loaded up three vehicles and were at West Point by 2:45. Our scouts had decided that for this camporee we would hike into the camporee with all of our gear and food for the weekend as a "Lightfighter" unit. One of our group opted for the bus due to a knee injury and the rest of us set out on the trail at 3:15. The beginning of the hike was rocky and much steeper than anticipated. There were a lot of other troops on the trail with us as we slowly made our way up the slope. As the trail started to level off, there was a side trial up to Bull Hill. Most of our group dropped our packs and took the detour to the top of the mountain for a stunning view of the surrounding area.

Back down to the main trail, we put our packs on for the rest of the hike to the camporee. They were starting to feel a little heavy at that point. At about a mile to camp, the rain started. A slow stead rain developed as we made our way down the trail and into the camporee site. Our adult leader who had taken the bus had already secured our campsite by the time we came off the trail. A nice level, dry space that was just enough room for our tents and a small rain fly that was just big enough to keep us kind of dry as the rain continued. We proceeded to set up our camp. With camp set up, we cooked our backpacking dinner. Mostly dehydrated meals where we just had to add boiling water and wait a few minutes for it to be ready. Not the best tasting dinner, but filling. Everyone was pretty tired and damp and we wrapped up the night as everyone made it to their tents to try to get some sleep.
 
At 5:00am the rain stopped. 6:00am reveille. 6:15am our cadet sponsor, Noah, arrives at camp to lead the scouts on some early morning PT. Calisthenics, push ups and a quick run around the camp to start the day. Luckily the ground was not saturated so not too much mud. 

 

After PT, Breakfast and the Scouts assembled on the parade grounds where they witnessed a parachute drop and a helicopter fly-in for the opening ceremonies. Very exciting!   

 

The sun started to peek through and the weather turned into a beautiful Saturday as the scouts made their way to the morning stations. There were a lot of competitive and static display stations to choose from as they made their way around Lake Frederick and the competition. The scouts participated in many of the stations and were one of the best times in the Zodiac challenge which had them paddling an inflatable Zodiac around the Lake. They did so well they were awarded some of the highly sought after "Hat Brass" as a reward for their efforts.

 

 

There was a break mid-day for lunch and then back to stations for the afternoon.

 

 

 


At about 5:15 most of the scouts made their way back to our campsite and we ate another delicious meal of dehydrated food, except A.J., who lugged in a can of clam chowder for himself.

After a little rest, everyone prepared for the bonfire and believe me when I say, nobody does a bonfire like West Point! The flames soared to 40 feet high as D.J. Extreme had all the scouts jumping up and down to the loudest bass I have ever heard. Some of the adult leaders actually made it on stage to embarrass ourselves a little bit. What the heck, it's all fun at the bonfire.

 

 

 

After the bonfire, everyone was pretty tired and we hit the tents to try to get some sleep. At 5:00am the rain started back up again. At 5:30 everyone was up. We all ate a quick breakfast and decided to skip the closing ceremonies in favor of packing up and hitting the trail back out. We were on the trail by 7:15. Again, the first part of the trail was very long and steep and many of us struggled up the incline, but we all made it up and we were done by 9:15 and off the trail. Wet and tired, we loaded the cars back up and were on the road. Back to the Scout Hut by 11:15 and home for a hot shower and a comfy mattress.

Special thanks to the adult leaders who helped make this event possible, pictured are Mr. T., Mr. W. & Mr. D. 

 


It was a cold and wet April morning as we all met up at Camp Strang, luckily the range is covered. We met up and promptly started the shoot at 10:00 and were done by 1:00. Everyone had a chance to shoot a lot of rounds at various targets on the range. By 1:30, the rifles were cleaned and we were leaving. Good thing we didn't camp out as it was a nasty night in Goshen. 

Thank you to Mr. Koller and Mr. Norton for being our Range Safety officers for the day which permitted us to have the Troop Shoot. 

 


It started off as a beautiful, brisk morning as we all met at the commuter parking lot and we were off. A short drive up Route 8, cutting over to Route 69 via 6 East and we were there.

There was a good mix of newer and older scouts as well as scouts who are attending the West Point Camporee who used this hike as a shakedown for that weekend event by carrying full packs. 14 scouts, 2 siblings and 11 adults set off on the figure 8 trail. Needless to say, with so many people on this hike and carrying various loads, the group got stretched out and separated. The lead group, missed one of the turns and followed one of the trails much farther than needed. Realizing their error and equipped with GPS, they hiked up a dirt road and got back on the trail. The middle group, followed the trail as expected and the trailing group started the second leg of the figure eight in the other direction. Ha! Thank goodness it was a figure eight and we all met in the middle of it and had lunch.

Even though it was a little chaotic, it was a nice day and everyone ended up hiking between 5.4 and 6 miles. It sure was nice to get the heavy packs off at the end of the hike.

Thank you Maurice and Matt for organizing the event. Might go back again, but without the pack this time.

 

 

 

On Sunday March 13th, 12 new scouts joined our troop from Pack 24 and Pack 28.

  

We welcome Anthony Martinez, Eddie Balog and Michael Alberici who joined from Pack 24.

 

We also welcome Angelo Piscreta, Ari Papadimitriou, Harrison Garrett, Jackson Jones, Liam O'Brien, Luke Barrozo, Luke Uhrynowski, Peter Whaley, Ryan Welsh from Pack 28.

Also recently joining us are Nicholas Cebrik and Ben Tessier from Pack 27, Mike and Reino Sawan who are new to scouting and Joe LaRue who joins us from Troop 19.

We welcome them to our troop and wish them much success in their scouting careers.

It was another beautiful day as we headed up to Catamount early Saturday morning. Some people caravanned up while others made their way on their own. We were there in a quick hour and a half. Everyone was suited up and while some got their rentals and lesson vouchers, others went straight to the slopes. 

We had a total of 20 people make the trip to Hillsdale, NY and while most were skiing, some just came for the camaraderie and to man the tables for the group.

 

This was one of the toughest ski seasons in a long time with the warm weather and all the rain, but the staff at Catamount did a fine job grooming the trails for a great day of skiing. 

I think everyone had a great time and I know I was happy to get a few runs in to finish off the ski season. Look forward to skiing at Catamount again next year.

ANOTHER 12 HOURS OF ELECTRONIC BLISS !!!!

Pizza

Games

Snacks

Drinks

Camaraderie

Sleep Deprivation

Another great trip! 10 scouts and 5 adult leaders set out Friday and headed for Vermont. A quick stop at McDonalds on the way and we were at Burr and Burton Academy in no time. A quick unloading and we were set up in the gym. There were not a lot of troops there this year so it was easy to get some shut-eye.

6:00 a.m. wakeup call and we were to breakfast by 6:30. Eggs, Sausage, Hot Cakes with VT maple syrup, Juice, Milk. Mmmmm....

After breakfast everyone was dressed and we were off to the mountain. Some scouts headed right to the slopes while others got their equipment. Conditions on the mountain were not great because of the warm weather and rain, but there was plenty of mountain to be skied. Typical New England skiing conditions. It was a beautiful day.

At 4:00 we wrapped up and headed back to B&B Academy for a Ziti and meatball dinner. Everyone was a little jealous that Matt Fama was able to procure 8 meatballs and 2 ice cream sandwiches from the ladies serving dinner. (Must be the innocent smile he flashed at them.)

Back to the gym after dinner for a Warren Miller ski movie. Most everyone was asleep before it ended.

6:00 a.m. wakeup on Sunday. Breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, French Toast with syrup, English muffins, juice, milk. Packed up all our stuff into the vehicles and off to the mountain for the 8:30 open. Everyone went right on the slopes although the scouts made it there faster than the adult leaders. Skiing conditions on Sunday were much better than on Saturday. The Bromley crew had been working hard overnight to groom the mountain and address some of the icy spots. Conditions were very good considering the recent weather.

We wrapped up on the mountain about 12:30 and got on the road. A stop in Bennington for a quick lunch at Subway and we were home by 5:00, just in time to catch the Super Bowl.
 
Another fun trip for Troop 28. Special thank you to Mr. Fama, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Young for transporting scouts and equipment. Without the help of volunteers like them it would be difficult to hold these events.

Yours In Scouting - 

Mr. Tyler

  

2016 Klondike Derby - Congratulations Two Patrols in top 10, 1st & 6th !!!!!

 


It may have been the warmest Klondike Derby in recent memory. Warm, sunny, dry, not windy.... felt more like the Spring Camporee (hmmmm.....well maybe better than a typical Spring Camporee?)

Everyone arrived early and helped with setup which was done quickly. Mr. Koller brought the washing machine tub to test out as our fire pit which was lit first thing to take the morning chill off.

Troop 28 had two patrols set out for the morning stations, "The Bigfoot Hunters" lead by Kyle Young and "The Flaming Yons" lead by Ian Tyler. Both patrols were a mix of kids from the patrols. Since it was rescheduled, some people who were supposed to attend could not because of sickness or schedule conflicts while others jumped in at the last minute including two brand new scouts.

While the scouts went on to compete at the stations, the adults were busy at camp. Mr. Leonzi and Mr. Young worked on a delicious lunch for the group with some help from Mr. Koller who also tended the troop's fire. Mr. Balcerzak, Mr. Demaine and Mr. Walsh helped me run the Troop 28 station which was a Snowball Launch (there was no snow so we launched tennis balls at targets set out in the field.)

The patrols made it through the stations quickly as there was no snow to slow them down. Both our patrols were done by lunch time. Most of the other patrols were also done quickly so the Events Committee decided to wrap up an hour earlier than scheduled. When the numbers were tallied, the results were announced: "The Bigfoot Hunters" came in an impressive 6th place overall and "The Flaming Yons" came in tied for 1st place on points, another patrol was awarded the 1st place ribbon based on a tie breaker of time sawing the logs. 

Looking at the results of last several Camporees and Klondikes, Troop 28 is a troop to be reckoned with! 

Thanks you to everyone who attended and helped out to make this a great Klondike Derby.

Mr. Tyler

 
 

So it was a dark and stormy night..... but the Force was surely with us as we packed in to the BTX theater for the first showing of Star Wars VII. It was so rainy and the line was so long, the theater let everyone into the theater early to keep them out of the rain. Good for the folks who got there early so they could pick out some prime seats at the sold out show. Everyone actually managed to get a seat even if they showed up later. As the lights began to dim, a slight murmur of the Happy Birthday song could be heard and then everyone joined in to wish our scout Ian Tyler and happy birthday much to his embarrassment.

The show started with the BTX screen shining in the dark and the dolby surround sound blasting our eardrums. Fantastic!

No spoilers here, just we had a great night and it was nice to get together before the holidays for a fun indoor activity. 

Can't wait for Star Wars VIII.

It was another beautiful day up at Camp Strang as many of the Troop 28 scouts and parents took part in the Fall Troop Shotgun Shoot. Both 12 and 20 gauge shotguns were provided and we put the camp's new trap thrower to good use. A lot of clays were shattered by an ever improving batch of shooters from our troop.

Thanks once again to Mr. Leonzi and Mr. Koller for setting up and running another excellent day for the troop. 

Another brisk Autumn day as we met at the Scout Hut at 6:00 a.m. In the cars and off we went. Quick stop for some coffee and down the Merritt we were there by 8:00. Everyone made it through security and we parked on Buffalo Soldier Field as a group. A quick bite to eat and we were on the bus to the Plain for the Cadet Review. 

 
The cadets made their way out onto the field and paraded in grand form. After the review, the scouts buddied up and were off. Some participated in the Scout Day activities on Daly Field which included Sumo wrestling, potato cannons, robotics, etc. Other scouts made their way up to Michie Stadium to participate in Black Night Ally, which has lots of vendors and activities to participate in.

Soon it was time for the game to start. Army and Tulane took the field, the Army team leading with the French flag to show respect for the events in Paris the night before. A moment of silence was also held before the game to show respect.

It was a hard fought game with a lot of lead changes and some trick plays being thrown into the mix to keep it exciting. 

 
Company I-3 Ice Men (formerly the Polar Bears) cheer on the "Brave Old Army Team."
 

Even with the support of the Corp of Cadets, Tulane came out on top. Army tied the game with a minute and a half left which unfortunately was just enough time for Tulane to get the ball into field goal position and kick a 3 pointer with 6 seconds left on the clock. 34-31 - Tulane. 

Another nice day at West Point with a lot of good company and a great tailgate following the game. Thanks to all who helped and thanks to all who brought food to share.

Both Patrols in Top 10 Including 1st Place!!! 




It was a little overcast and blustery as the troop trailer and scouts arrived up at Camp Strang Friday night. It was shaping up to be a COLD weekend. The campsite was quickly set up and everyone enjoyed a hot bowl of chicken soup to take the chill off.

 


We were joined this weekend by 12 scouts and about 6 adults leaders from Pack 28. We welcome them and look forward to doing more events with them in the future.

We had two patrols participating in the Camporee, The Bigfoot Hunters and The Flaming Yons (say it quick and you'll get the joke. Their cheer is "Great Steak....") The Bigfoot Hunters were lead by Patrol Leader Kyle Young and Assistant Patrol Leader Kevin Demaine. The patrol was filled out with A.J. Corcino, Matt Marty and John McFadden who was at his first Camporee.

 

The Flaming Yons were lead by Mike Koller as Patrol Leader and Ian Tyler as Assistant Patrol Leader. Gabe Aponte, David Keith, Brendon Stuart and Chase Wade filled out the patrol.

It was cold as the scouts set off to do morning stations that were all based on the 10 Essentials. At lunch, both patrols came back to the campsite reporting that they felt they were doing well at the stations and having fun. After lunch, they went back out and finished the remainder of their stations. It was cold and the wind was blowing, but at least there was no rain.

When stations were done, everyone came back to the campsite for a hot meal and a little down time around a roaring fire. Church services followed and then the Camporee camp fire at the amphitheater.

All the while the temperature continued to drop. No one seemed to mind too much as hot snacks and drinks kept everyone warm. Sunday morning was a brisk 22 degrees at 6:00. Oh well, getting up and moving around and some hot food will help. After breakfast, most of the camp was broken down before the closing ceremonies. 

When the time came to announce how well the patrols did in the competition, The Flaming Yons came in 9th place out of 37 patrols and as the remaining places were announce anticipation built to see how our other patrol would fare. Then it came time to announce the top patrol at camporee and The Bigfoot Hunters were awarded 1st place. Quite an accomplishment for sure!

 

Congratulations to all the scouts who participated in the Camporee, great job! 

Thank you also to all the adults who helped out over the weekend, Rob Balcerzak, Don Demaine, Mike Koller, Carl Leonzi, Ray Stuart and Brian Young.  

By the way, our guests from Pack 28 took home 1st place amongst the cub scout packs. Congratulations to them as the progress along their scouting path.

Dan Tyler - ASM 

 

On a cold and rainy Saturday morning, 3 scouts and 2 scout leaders set off for a wonderful hike to Bear Mountain and Sages Ravine on the Connecticut Massachusetts border. The weather cleared and Matthew Balcerzak, Isaac Seyer and Kyle Young spent the day hiking this beautiful stretch of the Appalachian Trail with Mr. Donini and Mr. Fama.

 

 

 
Most of us met up at the Scouthut Saturday morning for the first campout of the scout year. A little after nine, we hit the road for the 25 minute ride. Into the park and around the bend to Youth Campsite Number 3. The gates were locked, but with a jiggle it was open. Down the short driveway and we were in the parking lot which opened up into a beautiful large campsite that overlooked Lake Zoar.

 

The tents were soon set up keeping in mind there would be some rain coming. Higher ground was the call. The Camp kitchen and the EZ-Ups were set up by the fire ring and the picnic tables and the tents were spread out in the campsite.

Lunch was the first order of business once the camp was set up. Then campout was a typical "Do Nothing" campout. Some scouts worked on some requirements while others went fishing in the lake and others went on the great hiking trails in the park. The adults started making dinner early as it would take a long time to cook. Prime Rib over an open fire with potatoes and roasted corn on the cob. The scouts did not pay much attention to it until it started smelling really good. Then they all want to try it. We let them have a little while their own dinner was being prepared. Mmmm...Fajitas. After dinner desert was apple dump cake with a scoop of Cool Whip.

Just as dinner was finishing up, the rain came in and drove everyone into their tents. It came down heavy at times but all the tents were dry except the scoutmaster's (should have closed the vent.) The rain stopped just as day broke. Perfect. Breakfast was quick and easy and then everyone spent a few minutes relaxing before starting to pack up which was quick. We wrapped up and brought the trailer back to the Scouthut.

A nice little campout. Looking forward to the rest of the scout year.

The trip started with a meet up at the Scout Hut at about 2:45 and when we were done organizing and loading troop gear we were on the road by 3:15. Traffic was not bad and we were at our campsite near Lake George and checked in by 7:00. We quickly set up tents and the scouts were ready to explore the many amenities offered by the campsite or get some rest for the early wakeup call in the morning.

Saturday morning was an early start and we were up at 6:45. On with the swimsuits and rashers and the water-shoes and we were on the road to get some breakfast before the rafting started. Our group of 13 kind of overwhelmed Bill's breakfast place in Warrensburg, but they were happy to see us and did their best to get the food out to us as quickly as they could. We were all happy with the breakfast and we were on the road for the 40 minute drive to Whitewater Challengers in North River. We got there right on time and checked in, got our PFDs, helmets and paddles and we loaded up the bus to head up to the Indian River 3 miles north of where it connects to the Hudson.

The damn release was at 10:00 and we entered the Indian River and rode the water bubble down through some Class III rapids to where the Indian River meets up with the Hudson. The water was moving pretty fast and there was a lot of action, but our guides Colin and Jake did a great job coordinating the efforts in our two boats. More Class III and a couple of Class IV rapids provided great excitement for our group as we made our way down the river.

 

Surrounded by high cliffs with Cedar trees clinging to the face it was a beautiful sight.

 

A quick stop for a snack on the river, the peanut butter, granola and honey wraps were surprisingly good and filling and exactly what we needed to continue our journey. 

We continued down the river and encountered many more Class III and a couple Class IV rapids along the way. 

 

The water flattened out for the final stretch of the river and we finished up our 17 mile trip with a quick bite to eat at the rafting center. We said thank you to our guides and headed back down the road to our campsites where most of us enjoyed a hot shower and a change into some dry clothes. (More pictures are available on the Scoutlander website under the "New Photo Gallery" link on the left side of the page.)

Everyone was still a little hungry so we headed into town for some pizza at Marco Polo's. Another small eatery that our group overwhelmed when we showed up. We got our pizzas and some drinks and everyone ate their fill. We brought the leftovers with us and headed back to camp where the scouts were welcome to take part in the activities at the campsite. There were a lot of people at the campsite and most of the scouts opted for an early night's sleep. 

Sunday morning we got up a little later and broke down camp. We left Lake George Escape Campgrounds and headed into town for breakfast. This time we tried New Way Lunch in Warrensburg. After a short wait, our group was seated and breakfast was served. A very clean and well run establishment, everyone enjoyed their breakfast. We finished up and headed back to Whitewater Challengers for their Aerial Zip Course.

Our guide Patrick showed up and we were quickly harnessed and we headed up the hill to the first obstacle. After a safety briefing, we were onto the course. One of our members decided to sit it out as he was not comfortable with it, but the rest of us were off. It was a fun course that included many obstacles and zip-lines. (Pictures will follow.) It was a challenge for many of us, but was great fun. Isaac decided to run the course to try to get on the leader board for shortest times through the course. He hit the course like a monkey and flew through the obstacles. He touched down from the final zip-line at just over 6 minutes through the course. A very impressive time and just short of making the leader board, but a very nice effort. 

When we were done with the aerial zip-course, we got some delicious sandwiches from Izzy's in North Creek and we all hit the road. A bit of traffic on the NY State Thruway but we were home about 7:00.

I don't know about everyone else, but I slept well Sunday night. 

It was a fun trip and I look forward to the next adventure with Troop 28.





  

 
It was a beautiful day up at Camp Strang as 10 scouts took to shooting trap on the lower camporee field. Starting at 9:00 and ending at 2:00, every scout and adult had plenty of opportunity to hit some clay pigeons. As the day progressed, everyone was shooting better with a little practice under their belt.

Special thanks to Mr. Koller and Mr. Leonzi for setting up and running a great event.

 


On Monday May 25, 2015, 11 scouts and 2 adult leaders met to march in the Derby-Shelton Memorial Day Parade. It was a beautiful day as the troop marched the route from Shelton to Derby. The troop flag was carried the entire way by A.J. Corcino and the American flag was carried most of the way by Matthew Marty and then finished up by Ian Tyler. Other scouts marching were Kyle, Young, Chase Wade, Michael Koller, Tyler Hudson, Gabe Aponte, Charlie O'Brien and Johnny Wood. The scouts were escorted by adult leaders Brian Young and Dan Tyler. It was a nice parade and a great way for the troop to show their respect to this country's veterans. 

Two Patrols in the top 10!!!

 

The weather forecast was spotty when we arrived Friday afternoon. It cooperated enough that we didn't get wet setting up. There was a little rain overnight Friday into Saturday morning, but it soon cleared up.

The weekend started Friday night with a round of Happy Birthday to Matthew Balcerzak who decided to celebrate the special day with his friends in the troop with some delicious cookies sent up to commemorate the occasion. 
 
We had a really strong showing for this camporee with 22 scouts and 9 adults in attendance. It was a good mix of some experienced scouters along with some first timers which was advantageous because we threw some challenges at them this weekend besides the normal Camporee challenges at the stations. Scouts were asked to cook some meals for the troop and some meals as a patrol. They were also challenged to cook in ways they were not accustomed too; the Dutch ovens were dusted off for some lasagna and tasty foil pack breakfasts were put right on the coals in the morning. It was different and not without incident, but no one went hungry.

The patrols organized themselves Saturday morning after opening ceremonies and were off to the stations. The Forbidden Knights were led by Isaac Seyer, The Arrowheads were led by Charlie Chagnon and the Black Knight were led by Brendon Stuart. The morning stations were done early to accommodate the dedication of the new Bassett building at camp. Our troop was represented at the ceremonies by SPL David Keith, ASPL Gabe Aponte and past SPL Alex Norton while the rest of the troop ate lunch. Then it was onto afternoon stations. After the stations were complete, some of the scouts headed to the lake for some fishing with Adam catching the largest fish (about a 4 lb. Largemouth Bass.)
 
Most of the scouts cooked dinner in the Dutch ovens. Mmmm....Lasagna! Dinner was followed by evening services and the Scout Campfire with one of our patrols getting up on stage for the first time in a very long time.

Back to the campsite for a hollow log fire courtesy of Mr. Demaine and some games by lantern light, then it was off to the tents following the long day.

Sunday morning was a beautiful sight as we ate breakfast, broke down the campsite and attended closing ceremonies. The Black Knights came in 9th place and the Arrow Heads came in 8th. A really fine showing for our troop! 

All the adult leaders are really proud of the scouts for their efforts over the weekend.
 
Special thanks to Mr. Young and Mr. Leonzi for the fine meals they provided the adults the entire weekend. Also, special thanks to Mr. Corcino for taking pictures which will be posted soon, Mr. Walsh for pulling the trailer up to camp and Mr. Koller for bringing it back to the Scout Hut. 

Looking forward to the next event.

YIS -

Mr. Tyler

 

The Nicholdale camp out was a rather typical T-28 "do nothing" camp out. After bringing the equipment to the campsite and setting up tents, the troop settled into various activities. Many of the new scouts worked on requirements and getting their Totin' Chip and their Firem'n Chit. Some of the older scouts helped the younger scouts with their requirements. After the evening meal, the scouts took it upon themselves to play the final episode of the Hunger Games that will be played by Troop 28.

The weather was beautiful and it was a good night for sleeping. About 4:00am the coyotes were talking to each other around our camp area, but none came into camp. Sunday we packed up the camp and hauled all the equipment back to the parking lot a little earlier than expected and parents were notified and scouts were picked up to complete the campout.

 

 



It was a beautiful start to the day. Meeting up at the Scout Hut and on the road a little after 7:00. Maurice in his shiny black Mustang said "I'll meet you up there" and was off. (He was probably on the slopes skiing before the rest of us even made it out of Shelton.) After and easy hour and a half ride, the rest of us made it up there.

We unloaded the cars, picked up our tickets and rentals and lesson vouchers and we all hit the slopes.

A.J. and Michael hit some runs with Gary. A.J. put on quite the show, catching some air and into the safety net, but everyone was fine and the people in line who witnessed it gave a cheer. First aid kit was not needed.

Colleen hit the beginner slope for her Snowboard lesson. After an hour and a half of exhausting work on the snowboard, a quick break and she she switched over to her skis and hit the slopes for some fun.  

 

Brian tagged along with Kayla and Maranda who were brilliant.

Ian and Charlie took off for the lift as did Kenny, Kyle, David and Matthew.

 

Big Ken and I went out for a few runs and some laughs as did Andy.

Thanks to Jean and Rob for manning the table.

The sun was shining and conditions were great. (Sorry, no big group picture on this one, conditions were so good no one wanted to take the time out to pause for a picture.) 

Special thanks to Fast Eddie Horowitz and the rest of the Catamount employees who made this another great 1 day ski trip to Catamount. Look forward to doing it again next year.

Troop 28 took part in a 10 mile hike along the Naugatuck State Forest on Sunday September 14, 2014. The weather was spectacular, cool enough to make it a brisk hike beginning to end. The hike did not go without some mishaps which included a confrontation with a ground bee hive along the trail path which resulted in numerous stings to several of the scouts and adults. Our SPL would also take a  fall which would required minor attention from several scouts first aid kits. Once we arrived at the Beacon Cap 770’, lunch did not go without the surprise by Mr. Fama with a package of orange frosting double stuffed Oreo’s and Mr. Young’s brownies. Nothing seemed to slow down the 8 scouts 1 sibling and 6 adults and we returned to the base camp right on schedule.  Upon return the day was not complete without Nancy Aponte getting stung yet again prior to leaving for the day. For some of the scouts this was there start to completion of the Hiking Merit Badge. Good Luck!

*Note: Yellow Jackets can and will be very aggressive this time of year.

Group and scout photo is at Beacon’s Cap.

Boy Scout Troop 28 visits Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

During the week of August 10 to August 17, 2014 Boy Scout Troop 28 visited Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks located in northwest Wyoming.  

In Grand Teton NP, the group rode the tramway to the top of Jackson Hole ski resort, rafted down the Snake River, hiked around Jackson Lake and marveled at the peaks in the Teton Range.

In Yellowstone NP, the group visited the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower-Roosevelt and the Old Faithful sections of the park.  The group saw geysers, fumaroles, mud pots, hot springs and learned about the geology that creates these hydrothermal features.  Also, the group learned about the great fire of 1988 including the benefits that fire brings to the park.

During the trip the group saw elk, mule deer, bison, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, eagles, ravens, river otters and many other types of animals.  Elk passed through the group’s campsite one day and howling wolves were heard that night.

Another highlight of the trip was a high adventure hike to the top of Mount Washburn (elevation 10,243 feet) which has a 360 degree view of the entire park.  The return trip down the mountain was delayed by a rain storm which brought high winds and lowered the temperature by 30 degrees.

August 8th-11th, 2014

We just returned from the whitewater rafting/biking trip and everyone had a great time.

We started off meeting at the Scout Hut, loaded the cars and on the road Friday afternoon. We hit some traffic getting out to Pennsylvania on Route 84, but managed to work our way down some back roads through the Delaware Water Gap to Route 80 and we were moving again. We arrived at our destination with just enough light left to easily set up our base camp.

Saturday morning we were up and off to a buffet breakfast and then on to the rafting. Saturday's raft was an easy paddle down the lower part of the Lehigh River Gorge with class I & II rapids. There was lots of opportunity to splash (or soak, thank you Mr. Stuart) the other rafts and dip into the cool waters of the Lehigh for a swim. Brendon Stuart took some great video with the Go Pro camera attached to his helmet.There were lots of smiles all around as we soaked up the fun in the beautiful weather. When we were done, back to home base for a BBQ chicken dinner and a nice camp fire.