Troop 88 Newsletter
Updates
If you want to be notified about updates, email me at [email protected]. I would like all your personnel e-mail address's so that we can inform you about important events and changes.
Patrick
Mount Washington
On June 23 a group of six older scouts and four leaders climbed to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Topping off at 6288 feet this mountain is the highest in the Northeast and is notorious for having the worst weather in the continental US. The hike to the top was a strenuous ten miles round trip hike with an altitude gain/loss of about 8000 feet. All day Friday was spent climbing to within 1000' of the summit and we spent the evening sleeping on the dining room floor of the Appalacian Mountain Clubs Lake of the Clouds Hut. We were up bright and early and reached the summit by about 10:30AM. After a few hours on top we headed back down the steep and stunning Tuckemans Ravine Trail. Saturday evening was spent at a nearby state park camp ground and we arrived back in Jersey at 7PM Sunday.
Everyone agreed that this was the most difficult and spectacular hike that the troop has done.
Whitewater Rafting
On May 20th, twenty three scouts, leaders, and parents braved 40 degree tempertures and rain to go whitewater rafting on the Leheigh River in Pennslyvania. The heavy rains during the weak provided bigger than normal rapids, and thanks to the speed of the river we completed the twelve miles one hour early. In spite of the weather, water fights broke out between the rafts and a few scouts even went in the river (which at 58 degrees was warmer than the air). Everyone rented wet suits and the new scouts found out that you can have a good time in rough weather as long as you dress for it (Be Prepared).
After free hotdogs and hot chocolate we returned to the bus and arrived back in Hopatcong at 3:30PM.
West Point Camporee
On April 7th - 9th Troop 88 joined several thousand other scouts in the West Point Camporee. We arrived late Friday night and setup camp in the dark. On Saturday the scouts participated in a full day of challenging activities provided by the West Point Cadets.
The troop was well motivated for the activities. Joe Suplicki low crawled through a muddy creek with the cadets while Patrick Campbell did pushups in the same goo. The weather all day Saturday was summer like, but that changed right after evening services when a storm moved in from the west. Threats of high winds and winter weather caused over half of the participating units to evacuate Saturday night. We stuck it out and were greeted by three inches of snow and tempertures in the twenties when we woke up on Sunday. All activties on Sunday were cancelled due to the weather, so we broke camp, and after a brief stop at Dunkin Donuts, headed home.
The scouts had a great time at this event and special kudos to our Junior Leaders for the great job they did preparing the troop for the events, motivating them during the events and taking charge during the severe weather on Sunday to insure a quick evacuation.
Wayne Rockwall
On February 5 eighteen scouts and leaders went to the New Jersey Rockwall Gym in Wayne, NJ. The Rockwall Gym is setup to simulate rock climbing. Twenty five foot walls of various difficulties are used to teach how to rock climb and for experienced climbers to work out and perfect their techniques.
The climbing was alot of fun, although the more difficult climbs proved to be quite a challenge. There were some spectacular falls, but each scout was roped to an experienced belayer who's job it is to lock the rope if the climber falls. A merit badge is offered by the gym; it requires six hours of training and cost $60.00.
Gettysburg
On November 19-22 Fifteen scouts and leaders went on a bike/camping trip to Gettysburg Battlefield. We arrived at the camp late Friday night, set up our tents, and went to sleep. Saturday morning we went to the battlefield. We biked the southern portion by Devils Den and Little Round Top where some of the heaviest fighting of the second day of the battle took place. We then biked to the town, where there was a parade by hundreds of re-enactors to commemorate the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. The parade was great, and in spite of the on and off rain we enjoyed the experience. In the evening we eat at Picketts Charge Buffet, where we all charged the food line with gusto. After another night at the camp, we returned to Hopatcong on Sunday afternoon.
Feed The Hungry
On November 13th, 1999, several scouts from our Troop assisted our Knights of Columbus sponsor organization with the collection of money for an in town food bank. Each scout who participated stood outside local establishments with Knights of Columbus members and explained to potential donors that monies collected would be used to buy food and stock our town food bank. The boys spent 3 hours on a cool Saturday morning helping people who have no where to go and have become dependent on the food bank. Their efforts were greatly appreciated by those in need and also by the Knights who have called upon Troop 88 several times to assist them with community affairs.
Backpacking Sunfish Pond
On October 23-24 11 Scouts and 4 leaders from Troop 88 backpacked to Sunfish Pond in the Worthington State Park. This trip was planned as a short overnight hike to give some of the younger scouts a chance to try backpacking. The weekend was a bit chilly, but there were beautiful fall colors and great views across the Delaware. The young scouts did a good job in the first experience carring fully loaded packs up a mountain.
Knights of Columbus
On October -24 11 Scouts and 4 leader assisted the Knights of Columbus at St. Jude's with a spagetti dinner for senior citizens. The Scouts acted as bus boys and servers during the event. The people at the dinner were quite appreciative of the help that the scouts provided.
The scouts who attended this event had just returned from a backpacking trip, and after a quick shower and change they joined the Knights in this worthy project. This kind of service is indictative of their adherence to the second part of the Scout Oath " To help other people at all times".
Bike Trip
On September 25 Scouts from Troop 88 took a 20 mile bike ride on the Paulinskill and Sussex Branch Trails.
We started where the Paulinskill Trail crosses Rte 519 near Newton and headed north toward the intersection of the Sussex Branch Trail. We followed the trail past Lafayette Village to the outskirts of Branchville. We headed back at this point, and after a lunch stop at the village we returned to our starting point.
The Paulinskill and Sussex Branch bike trails were created using the old railroad lines that ran through northwest New Jersey. These trails total over 50 miles in distance and are quite scenic.
After free hotdogs and hot chocolate we returned to the bus and arrived back in Hopatcong at 3:30PM.
West Point Camporee
On April 7th - 9th Troop 88 joined several thousand other scouts in the West Point Camporee. We arrived late Friday night and setup camp in the dark. On Saturday the scouts participated in a full day of challenging activities provided by the West Point Cadets.
The troop was well motivated for the activities. Joe Suplicki low crawled through a muddy creek with the cadets while Patrick Campbell did pushups in the same goo. The weather all day Saturday was summer like, but that changed right after evening services when a storm moved in from the west. Threats of high winds and winter weather caused over half of the participating units to evacuate Saturday night. We stuck it out and were greeted by three inches of snow and tempertures in the twenties when we woke up on Sunday. All activties on Sunday were cancelled due to the weather, so we broke camp, and after a brief stop at Dunkin Donuts, headed home.
The scouts had a great time at this event and special kudos to our Junior Leaders for the great job they did preparing the troop for the events, motivating them during the events and taking charge during the severe weather on Sunday to insure a quick evacuation.
Wayne Rockwall
On February 5 eighteen scouts and leaders went to the New Jersey Rockwall Gym in Wayne, NJ. The Rockwall Gym is setup to simulate rock climbing. Twenty five foot walls of various difficulties are used to teach how to rock climb and for experienced climbers to work out and perfect their techniques.
The climbing was alot of fun, although the more difficult climbs proved to be quite a challenge. There were some spectacular falls, but each scout was roped to an experienced belayer who's job it is to lock the rope if the climber falls. A merit badge is offered by the gym; it requires six hours of training and cost $60.00.
Gettysburg
On November 19-22 Fifteen scouts and leaders went on a bike/camping trip to Gettysburg Battlefield. We arrived at the camp late Friday night, set up our tents, and went to sleep. Saturday morning we went to the battlefield. We biked the southern portion by Devils Den and Little Round Top where some of the heaviest fighting of the second day of the battle took place. We then biked to the town, where there was a parade by hundreds of re-enactors to commemorate the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. The parade was great, and in spite of the on and off rain we enjoyed the experience. In the evening we eat at Picketts Charge Buffet, where we all charged the food line with gusto. After another night at the camp, we returned to Hopatcong on Sunday afternoon.
Feed The Hungry
On November 13th, 1999, several scouts from our Troop assisted our Knights of Columbus sponsor organization with the collection of money for an in town food bank. Each scout who participated stood outside local establishments with Knights of Columbus members and explained to potential donors that monies collected would be used to buy food and stock our town food bank. The boys spent 3 hours on a cool Saturday morning helping people who have no where to go and have become dependent on the food bank. Their efforts were greatly appreciated by those in need and also by the Knights who have called upon Troop 88 several times to assist them with community affairs.
Backpacking Sunfish Pond
On October 23-24 11 Scouts and 4 leaders from Troop 88 backpacked to Sunfish Pond in the Worthington State Park. This trip was planned as a short overnight hike to give some of the younger scouts a chance to try backpacking. The weekend was a bit chilly, but there were beautiful fall colors and great views across the Delaware. The young scouts did a good job in the first experience carring fully loaded packs up a mountain.
Knights of Columbus
On October -24 11 Scouts and 4 leader assisted the Knights of Columbus at St. Jude's with a spagetti dinner for senior citizens. The Scouts acted as bus boys and servers during the event. The people at the dinner were quite appreciative of the help that the scouts provided.
The scouts who attended this event had just returned from a backpacking trip, and after a quick shower and change they joined the Knights in this worthy project. This kind of service is indictative of their adherence to the second part of the Scout Oath " To help other people at all times".
Bike Trip
On September 25 Scouts from Troop 88 took a 20 mile bike ride on the Paulinskill and Sussex Branch Trails.
We started where the Paulinskill Trail crosses Rte 519 near Newton and headed north toward the intersection of the Sussex Branch Trail. We followed the trail past Lafayette Village to the outskirts of Branchville. We headed back at this point, and after a lunch stop at the village we returned to our starting point.
The Paulinskill and Sussex Branch bike trails were created using the old railroad lines that ran through northwest New Jersey. These trails total over 50 miles in distance and are quite scenic.
Backpacking in Stokes
Five Scouts and two Leaders went on a backpacking trip in Stokes State Forest. It was great way to shake the winter cobwebs and get ready for the summer season. We hiked down the Iris Trail to the Rutherford Leanto. While we were resting after lunch bears appeared and forced us to move our campsite about a 1/4 of a mile away. The determined and hungry bears ran off with a backpack from a group that was staying near us and ignored our feable attempts to scare them off. In the morning we headed back out using the Appalacian Trail where there were some great views of the country side.
Mike Salkewicz report on the project
On May 8, 1999, the Hopatcong Post Office ran a community-wide food drive. The food was delivered to West Side United Methodist Church, which is also home to the STP Food Pantry, currently run and maintained by Troop member and Senior Patrol Leader Mike Salkewicz as part of his Eagle Scout Project.
Around 1:00 pm the first mail truck full of food arrived, and the day began. At our high point we had four adults and five scouts helping out. The jobs were tedious: sorting outdated food from good, and putting the good food in their correct spots on the shelves, all the while watching more mail trucks pull in. For the Post Office's records, we had to weigh the crates of food and record how many crates were delivered. The results are listed below.
Amidst torrential downpours, the scouts and leaders continued to work tirelessly (while having a little fun, of course) until about 5:00 pm. The 1999 Food Drive was a definite success, exceeding last year's total by over half a ton of food! In the following weeks, more scouts will be returning to the Food Pantry to finish sorting and stocking the food.
THE 1999 UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE FOOD DRIVE
Date: May 8, 1999
Time: 1:00 to 5:00 pm
Location: West Side United Methodist Church, Hopatcong
Participating Scouts:
Mike Salkewicz (coordinator) Life Scout
Bobby Salkewicz Star Scout
Patrick Campbell Life Scout
James Pepe First Class Scout
Adam Hoff Scout
Total amount of food crates: 97
Total weight of food: 3840 lbs.
Most donated item: Soup (100+)
Least donated item: Stuffing (1)
Most outdated item donated: Turkey Gravy, Expired Nov. 1987
Cheapest donations: Single White Castle ketchup packet
Single serve Macaroni & Cheese Cheese Sauce
Largest donated item: 50 lb. bag of rice
Mike
Backpacking White Mountains
On Friday night May 14th, 11 Scouts and Leaders left for the White Mountains in New Hampshire for a weekend of backpacking.We arrived early Saturday morning, had breakfast in Littleton and then headed for the trailhead. We hiked to the Appalacian Mountain Clubs Carter Hut which was four miles and 2000'elevation above the trailhead. The hike up was moderatly difficult with alot of ice and snow above 3000'. After a brief lunch break we hiked to the top of nearby Carter Dome, a 4,800' mountain that pokes just above treeline.After a quick hike down, except for the leaders who were trailing badly, we returned to the hut for dinner. Everyone was too tired to do much socializing and we were all in our sleeping bags by 9:30PM We hiked out of the Mountains Sunday morning and were back in Hopatcong by 9:30PM.
Everyone agreed it was a great hike and we plan to return to the Whites as soon as possible.
Civic Center Service Project
On Saturday, May 22 ten scouts and two leaders donated their time to paint an office at the Hopatcong Civic Center. The project took about four hours and was part of Troop 88's commitment to service to others.
Stoney Creek Canada
On Thursday night, June 3rd we loaded our gear and headed for the International Camporee hosted by Scouts Canada at Stoney Creek, Ontario. We arrived Friday morning, setup camp and then went on a side trip to the CNN Tower in Toronto. Besides the great view from the top of this huge structure, the Scouts walked on the famous glass floor. Step on this and a thousand foot drop looms beneath your feet. It is definitly not for the faint of heart. In the evning we went to the sports center and played minuture golf. Both leaders managed to hurt their hands in the batting cage.
On Saturday we joined over 1000 American and Canadian Scouts for the fifty year aniversary events at the camporee.The Troop had a great time competing in the numerours events and doing patch trading, a tradition at this camporee. Highlights included demonstrations by the police canine unit, water safety and rescues by the Ontario Maritime Police and a raptor presentation with a horned owl and red tailed hawk. A campfire in the evning topped off the days events.
On Sunday we packed early and headed for Niagara Falls. We took a ride on the Maid of the Mist tour boat that goes right to the base of the falls where the water from this thundering natural wonder creates a fall blown deluge. After the boat trip it was back on the bus and off to New Jersey where we arrived at 9PM. Once more Jeff Martucci performed yoeman service driving the bus. Thanks Jeff!
Algonquin Canoe Trip
Scouts Jason Durham,Matt Fernandes, Nathan Martucci, Aaron Montgomery, Mike Salkewicz, Joe Soebliki, guest Amy Campbell and Leaders Marty Campbell, Chris Campbell and Jeff Martucci, plus a Bearded Collie - four time trekker Jack, took part in a canoe trek through beautiful Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada from July 17 through the 24th.
The Algonquin is the crown jewel of Ontario's park system, consisting of 7725 square kelometers of forests, bogs, rivers and over 1100 lakes and ponds. The park is home to numerous wildlife including, bears, moose, wolves, over 250 species of birds, and of course the symbol and voice of the North Woods, the Common Loon.
We arrived in the Algonquin late Saturday afternoon after a ten hour trip, crossing into Canada by the famous Thousand Islands area and spent the night at the Pog Lake family campground. On Sunday morning we went to the outfitters on Lake Opeongo, picked up our canoes loaded the gear and headed off to the interior. We spent Sunday night on an Island at the end of nine mile long Opeongo and Monday morning we carried over our first portage and away from civilization. For the next three days we headed northwest untill we arrived at Big Trout Lake. From there we turned south arriving back on the North Arm of Opeongo and completing the loop on Friday evening. Saturday it was back to the outfitters and another ten hour journey to New Jersey.
The trip was a tough challenge to both Scouts and Leaders (Jack didn't mind, he doesn't paddle). Fifteen canoe carries (portages) covering over eight miles were required to move the canoes between the fourteen lakes and ponds on the the 70 mile long canoe route. Along the way we saw Moose (about five feet from the nearest canoe) numerous birds, storms breaking in the mountains, and beautiful sunsets. Highlights of the trip were: canoe tipping battles, contests to see who received the last morsel of food, going to sleep listening to the distant call of the Loon and the sheer joy of being in the wilderness away from all of the electronic devices and hustle of the modern world.
All in all this trip, Troop 88's second to the Algonquin, was alot of fun and a great adventure.
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