This month troop 137 went to Ockanickon scout reservation for our annual thanksgiving trip. We stayed at a cabin on the scout reservation with some scouts sleeping inside and others outside in their tents. Early on Saturday, after making breakfast, the troop had the opportunity to go to the rifle range and shoot. We had a lot of fun shooting at a multitude of targets with our rifles. After that we went back to camp and all the patrols made a great lunch. Later in the day some of the troop went down to the rang again this time to shoot shotguns. This was a great time shooting at clay pigeons and some people ended up being really good at it. Finally, to end off the day all the patrols got our recipes for the thanksgiving feast. Each patrol was responsible for a side dish and a dessert cooked either on the stoves or in dutch ovens while the leaders made the turkey. Finally, after a long time cooking we headed inside to enjoy the meal we made. On Sunday we swiftly packed up our gear, loaded it in the trailers, and headed back home. 

-Eli

This month troop 137 went to the coast guard academy at Cape May New Jersey. We got the privilege of eating in the mess hall there and camping directly on campus. We had a lot of fun touring the boats around the academy and spending time at the beach.

Later in the day we went to the beach front and learned some history of the area learning about events in WW2 that took place there. We also learned about the history of the beach itself and how it went from a sand shipping plant to the modern beach it is today. Finally, to end off the day we went to the town of Cape May and walked around the beach and went shopping in the mall. 

On Sunday we got breakfast and left camp early to go to the nature center to look around. Then we got to go to an Air Force Museum and see real planes used in WW2. Finally, we ended off the trip by getting lunch at a great restaurant called Lobster House a great end to a great trip.

-Eli

This year, the troop went out to Camp Minsi for summer camp. Our scouts earned a lot of merit badges together, while also having fun along the way. The troop participated in events such as whitewater rafting and the war canoe, and we all had a lot of fun on the water. Many of us also joined in on the mudhike, which got us very dirty. The camp also had many other activities for the scouts, such as fishing, swimming, and boating on the huge lake. There was also open shoot, and scouts enjoyed slushies and gaga at the trading post. Overall, the weather was great, except for a night of rain. The scouts also enjoyed amazing meals each day together in a the mess hall. This year’s summer camp was a lot of fun and the scouts are looking forward to the next!

Thanks,

Noah

It was a beautiful day and there was a steady stream of traffic for our busy crew all morning. Thank you for all the snack donations for the hungry and thirsty boys!

With all of the generous support of our local community and families we raised over $1200 for the troop in one morning of work. It’s always nice to chat with our customers and find out that many of them were Scouts or had children that were involved in Scouting. The experiences of Scouting make a lifelong impression on so many people and they were happy to support our boys. -Mrs. Kearns

Our scouts had a very fun time at Frances Slocum State Park this month. On Friday, the troop was greeted with a very rainy welcome as we set up the canopies and our tents. This rain continued into Saturday morning, where most of the troop gathered for a morning hike throughout the state park. During the afternoon, our scouts had some free time to enjoy the campsite. Some of us went fishing, some of us hiked around more, and someone of us worked on requirements in our scout book. Saturday night, though, was the highlight of our trip. All 5 patrols competed in an iron chef competition where we had to create a dinner and desert using apples as the secret ingredient. The competition was very fun and really challenged our cooking skills as we found creative ways to work apples into a dinner and a desert meal. Our troop also exhibited really effective communication and cleaning skills on this trip. On Sunday morning, the troop packed up quickly to make for an early exit back home. Overall, this trip was a fun experience for all of our scouts, especially for the younger scouts who have done a great job adapting to our troop. -Noah

Scouts from Troop 137, along with some Cub Scouts from Pack 137, teamed up this morning for our annual stream clean-up in partnership with the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy. Together, they collected an impressive 18 bags of trash - including one very heavy bag of mulch (note to future selves: work smarter, not harder!). The infamous buried carpet remains undefeated for another year, but spirits stayed high. It was a little muddy, but the weather held out and everyone had a great time making a positive impact on our local environment.  -Mr. Shenko

This month Troop 137 went to Ockanickon scout reservation. We had a blast, the crossovers earned their Totin Chip and Firem'n Chit. We had a lot of fun activities, shooting .22s, (Thanks Mr Graves!) huge bonfires, and founding Doritos rock. Crossovers enjoyed swinging an axe for the first time. The crossovers thank the older scouts for teaching us how to put up and down canopies, cooking methods, and clean up methods. Saturday at 5:30 - 7:00 The trading post had free mini slushies! The best way to end a super warm day. 

-Colin

Troop 137’s food drive at Landis Supermarket was a big success. People were very kind with their donations to help the Shepherd’s Shelf. My fellow scouts in Troop 137 passed out lists that had food items the Shepherd’s Shelf needed for people in the community that are less fortunate. Everyone combined for a total of 12 shopping carts of food items, plus additional cash donations. Overall, we had a good time and got items for people that needed it.

Thank You,

Blake

On Saturday, March 15th we went to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to work on three merit badges - Citizenship in the Nation, American Heritage and Law. There were five of us who attended and there were troops from PA and NJ there. We started the morning by holding a mock trial. The trial involved the three little pigs vs the Big Bad Wolf. The trial had lawyers, a judge, jury, defendant, plaintiffs and witnesses. The trial was very fun and entertaining. After that we got to meet various people in law enforcement including an FBI agent, a Philadelphia Police Officer and a lawyer. Next we were able to tour the museum and we went across the street to see the Liberty Bell.

After the programs, we had to do a lot of questions virtually with the merit badge counselors. The questions included research I had to do on my own and with my parents. This took a while to complete, but was worth it.

The program allowed me to get the needed requirements to earn merit badges I would not have normally had the opportunity to achieve. Overall this was a fun and good experience for me which I would recommend to others.

- Garrett 

Troop 137 was represented by a contingent of seven scouts and led by Mr. Williams as we competed in the General Nash First Aid Meet.  We were tested in several scenarios that presented numerous medical scenarios we may come across during scouting events.  The event finished with a demonstration of how to use an AED.  -Mr. Shenko  

This year Troop 137 had another successful Klondike trip. On Friday night the troop arrived at Camp Hart. Most scouts slept in the cabin and some slept in the Adirondacks. The cabin was very cold on the first night because the heating system was broken. On Saturday, the troop participated in the Klondike competition. The scouts had a fun day with some snow on the ground. At the end of the competition, our sleds won 1st, 2nd, and the Teamwork award in the Warriors divison. Additionally, we won 3rd in the Braves division. In the sled race, our troop won 2nd and 3rd. During the competition, scouts prepared their own lunches with dehydrated meals. For dinner, the leaders cook delicious chili for the whole troop. On Sunday the scouts cleaned up and quickly went home. As for the weather, the trip was very cold, especially on the first night. This was a fun trip for the scouts and Klondike was very memorable experience.

-Noah

This year for Troop 137’s January camping trip we went to Shawnee Ski Resort for the weekend. We arrived at the cabin on a cold friday night through the snow all the way up to Ressica falls scout Reservation. We stayed in what is usually the health lodge and it included multiple rooms with bunks for the scouts to sleep in. The cabin also had electricity and heat which made it a rather nice experience. Cooking meals was also much easier this weekend seeing as we had access to an indoor kitchen with an oven and microwave. On Saturday we left in the morning for the mountain. That day a few scouts were able to take lessons from instructors at the mountain, learning how to ski or snowboard respectively. The day was filled with fun on the mountain and we were able to experience the variety of trails Shawnee had to offer from greens to blacks there was a trail for everyone. The weather was a bit on the colder side but otherwise it was great conditions for skiing with snow covering the whole mountain. After a long day of skiing we winded down in the cabin and enjoyed some downtime before the next day. Overall Shawnee offered a pleasantly enjoyable day for the troop and was a memorable trip.

Thanks,

Cole