Scouts have a great weekend on the South Shore

"Making marshmallows in the rain!" Domenic M.

"Ola’s bacon." -Finn K.

"Making dams (in the dirt to collect rainwater).” – Dominic L.

--Some of the Scouts' best memories of the trip

"They adapted with tarp setup and the campfire. Kids did a lot of advancement work and cooked a heck of a good meal." -Scoutmaster Jim McLaughlin reflecting on the Scouts' persevering through the rainy weekend

As is quickly becoming tradition, the Scouts of Troop 513 persevered through a rainy weekend and made many memories. When the Patrol Leaders’ Council planned the year’s activities, they surely imagined that a mid-Spring bike trip would be a sunny day filled with exploring Myles Standish State Forest. Still, the Scout were prepared for any conditions and made the most of their weekend.

The Troop met at the usual meeting spot (the Stoneham Arena parking lot) on Friday night. Despite the sunny evening, the weather report for the weekend was gloomy. Mr. McLaughlin made the difficult call to cancel the bicycle ride, turning the weekend into a general camping trip. Once we confirmed that all Scouts attending the trip were present, the caravan headed down to Camp Squanto in Plymouth, MA.  

The caravan arrived with some daylight left and set up camp as night fell. The Scouts displayed teamwork and helpfulness in setting up their tents and the kitchen areas, while the leaders provided guidance on how to set up the tarps. Camp was finished by approximately 8:30 PM, and the Scouts enjoyed a cracker barrel before lights out. 

Morning arrived cloudy but temperate. The rain was not supposed to arrive until mid-morning, so some of the scouts went out for a short morning ride to explore the camp. They returned in time for breakfast. Afterwards, we spent the day playing games in the campsite (football, Uno, and Mafia) and working on Scout skills. Several scouts completed requirements for Second Class and First Class, including cooking and identifying plants. Mr. McElhiney showed the scouts how to use backpacking stoves, and Mr. McLaughlin amazed the Scouts with his ability to tell the time by the sun, even on a cloudy day! 

The rain came in waves but didn’t dampen their spirits. Later in the afternoon, the Troop visited the camp’s museum and got to operate the model train. Then it was back to the campsite for more games and discussion of the upcoming Troop elections, scheduled for a few weeks after the trip. As darkness fell, the Scouts packed up the kitchen area to ensure an easy departure the next morning.

Mr. Pawle takes Ola, Dominic, and Jake out for a ride

Dawn brought a beautiful, sunny day, the best weather of the whole trip. The troop packed up their remaining gear in the sunshine and then headed to the cars for the trip home. On the way out of the State Forest, the caravan passed through a road race! Drivers were very anxious, having to avoid the runners as they passed through, but everyone made it unscathed. After a stop at Dunkin’ for some well-deserved coffee and breakfast, we were on our way home. Another Troop 513 camping trip in the books!

Mr. McLaughlin shows Ola how to tell time

If you are interested in join Scouting in Stoneham, go to StonehamScouting.org to find out more information or reach out to recruiting@stonehamscouting.org for more information. We welcome young people from K-12 to join either Cub Pack 540 or Scout Troop 513.