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WASHINGTON TRIP SUMMARY - Nov 2007
Hi All:
Troop 457 has returned from a great trip to Washington DC. It was a 420 miles ride down on Friday. It was a smooth ride until we hit the DC traffic near our campsite at Greenbelt Park but overall pretty easy. The campsite was great; complete with flush toilets and showers. It rained as we put up the shelters and tents but there was a lot of tree cover so we stayed pretty dry.
Saturday was cloudy and cold, about 45 degrees. The metro station was only about a mile from camp. We split into four patrols; the Dick Cheney patrol, Air Force 1 patrol, Lincoln patrol and the Secret Service patrol. We rode the metro to down town and spent the day in DC. Highlights included the Air and Space Museum, International Spy Museum, Museum of Natural History and all the various monuments. The Secret Service patrol took a tour of the Capitol. As it was Veterans Day weekend, there was a parade and many vets walking around. At the Vietnam Memorial they were reading the names aloud of the more than 58,000 who died. Did you know there is also a Boy Scouts Memorial near the White House? We rendezvoused back at camp in the evening and had a fine dinner prepared by Mr. Pickelhaupt and his crew. We exchanged stories of the day’s events and had a campfire.
Sunday dawned crisp and cold. It got down to about 32 degrees but the skies were clear. We put on our uniforms and took the metro to Arlington National Cemetery. The sun was out and the weather was perfect. After going through security, we proceeded to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We then witnessed one of the most moving experiences of our lives; the laying of a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as part of the Veterans Day ceremonies. There were many dignitaries present as well as four star generals and admirals. It was a thrill seeing the honor guards from the Marines, Army, Air Force and Navy appraoach the tomb as orders were barked out. The US Army band marched in and the Colors were presented. Vice President Dick Cheney then walked to the tomb and placed the wreath. We were only about 30 feet from the tomb and had a great view. The US Army band played the National Anthem and then a bugler played the somber “taps” as a cannon boomed in the distance; 21 times. It’s a scene I will never forget and I am quite sure the scouts will always remember it as well.
After the ceremony, we walked through the cemetery back to the visitor’s center. We visited President Kennedy’s grave and the Secret Service patrol even managed to get their pictures taken with real Secret Service Agents (who warned them not to post their pictures on the internet). The patrols then took off to view other sites. We all made it back to camp in the evening and after dinner had a spirited patrol competition compliments of Mr. Bucklaew who prepared a DC trivia booklet. It was neck and neck but the Secret Service patrol ultimately prevailed. We had a campfire and “Thorns and Roses” before turning in.
It rained hard Sunday night but we slept well. Mr. Turner had the foresight to recommend taking the shelters down before we went to bed so it was easy packing in the morning. We left camp at 8:00 am for the long ride home.
In summary, we had a fabulous trip. Thanks to all the adults who attended and in particular, Walt Sydoriak, Rick Pickelhaupt, Mike Bucklaew and Jim Turner. I would also like to acknowledge Paul Morales who did an excellent job as Senior Patrol Leader.
Yours in Scouting,
Bill Sullivan
Scoumaster
BOSTON TRIP SUMMARY - March 2007
Hi all:
The crew returned from our Boston trip late yesterday afternoon after a very exciting and successful trip. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and temperatures in the 50’s. We visited the Springfield Armory on the way down on Thursday. We stayed at Camp Sayre in Milton, MA. It was rough camping with heated cabins and bunks with mattresses. The flush toilets and showers in the adjacent council office weren’t too bad either. We rode the “T” to downtown Boston on Friday and hiked the Freedom Trail which was an all day affair. The highlight for most of the scouts was lunch at Quincy Market. I really enjoyed the USS Constitution.
On the way back we had one minor mishap when Mr. Grieshober missed the subway but he caught a later train and made friends with one of the “colorful” local characters along the way.
On Saturday we took the challenging 5.5 miles Bedford Trail hike to Concord. It was a rigorous hike and a little dicey in spots where we had to hike along the shoulder of a busy road. We also saw a awesome video presentation in the Minute Man visitor center which really clarified what happened that day on April 19, 1775 when the “shot heard round the world” took place. We all made it home safely after a 460 mile drive yesterday.
I would like to thank all the adults who went and helped out. It was truly a team effort. I would also like to acknowledge Tom Calandra for his leadership and Kyle Townsend for his excellent “Scouts Own” service.
For you new scouts who didn’t get to go, don’t worry, we have a big trip coming up next fall; how does Washington D.C. sound?
Yours in Scouting,
Bill Sullivan
Scoutmaster