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BSA TROOP 37 NEWSLETTER
Volume 11 | Issue 2 | February 2024 - June 2024
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STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK
SCOUTMASTER’S MINUTE
By Scoutmaster Rob Pfuhler
It’s hard to believe that we have already reached the end of another scouting year, but we have and what an eventful year it was.
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In September, Junior Leader Training moved to Pouch Camp where we
had 17 scouts go through leadership training and obtain a leadership position in the Troop.
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In October, we went to one of the most picturesque Boy Scout Camps, Goose Pond in Scranton, Pennsylvania. During the trip, all attendees took an interesting and educational tour of the Lackawanna Coal mine to see what it was like to be a coal miner.
The Troop 37 Pancake Breakfast made its return after a 4-year hiatus in November. Thanks to the hard work of many people, the breakfast was a huge success, and I am truly grateful to everyone involved. The funds raised at the Breakfast allowed us to purchase supplies and equipment for the Troop. Most significantly, we are in the process of purchasing all new tents.​
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November also saw our backpacking trip to Pouch Camp. After a few meetings covering backpacking skills, we met at St. Teresa’s on a Saturday morning with backpacks packed and hiked 5 miles to Pouch Camp where we slept in lean tos. The trip included many scouts first experience with cooking meals using a backpacking stove.
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In December, the Troop Christmas party returned to St. Teresa's, where the scouts put on an interesting program of jokes and skits. Santa rewarded everyone with an embroidered Troop 37 hat. Everyone had plenty of pizza to eat along with cake, cookies and candy provided by our Hospitality Committee.
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Friday the 13th weekend returned by popular demand in January, when we traveled to Camp No-Be Bo-Sco to stay in the cabin where the original installment of the horror series was filmed. After completing a rather strenuous hike and working on some advancements, we made popcorn and watched Friday the 13th Part II.
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​February brought a trip to a camp we have not been to before, beautiful Resica Falls. The highlight of the trip was an afternoon of snow tubing at nearby Shawnee Mountain. After snow tubing, we returned to the cabin and feasted on pizza before making hot chocolate and watching the classic movie, Stand By Me.
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April had not one but 2 trips, as the older boys went to the SUNY Maritime Camp- O-Ree early in the month. We had the exciting (and cold) experience of camping on the water outside of historic Camp Schuyler. We then spent a day attending various activities run by the cadets at Maritime which exposed our scouts to various aspects of the Maritime Industry. At the end of the month, we went to Camp Citta where everyone had the opportunity to participate in Shotgun Shooting. Everyone ate well that evening, given the delicious meals prepared during the Patrols’ Dutch Oven cooking contest.
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The annual Aquehonga District Camp-o-Ree took place in May at Pouch where 23 scouts competed in various events against other Troops from Staten Island and beyond. Officially, Troop 37 came in second place overall, an outstanding result.
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In addition to all this, there were Courts of Honor, Eagle Projects, service projects, car washes, etc.
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As you can see, Troop 37 has had a truly great year. None of this would have been possible without the ongoing support of all adult leaders, committee members, parents and friends of Troop 37.
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Thank you all.
BSA Troop 37 | Volume 11 | Issue 1 | 2023 - 2024
RESICA FALLS...SNOW TUBING!
By Sidh Gupta
The Resica Falls/Snow Tubing camping trip took place from February 23rd-25th. This trip was a cabin camping trip packed with experiences and memories that included spending time with fellow scouts. The troop got a cabin on top of a slope. We arrived on a Friday when the sun was almost fully set. After the troop gear was unpacked with the help of everyone, we then chose our bunk beds and had our packed dinner. We hit the hay to prepare for an action packed Saturday.
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At daybreak, everyone woke up and ate breakfast, which consisted of the usual: bagels, Nutri- Grain bars, scrambled eggs, and other items. Afterwards, we collected any remaining fruits from breakfast and embarked on a hike to Resica Falls. I think that every camping trip should include some sort of hike, and this one was certainly rewarding. I say this because we saw waterfalls and soaked in the beautiful sight. After the hike, we rested for a while in the cabin.
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In my opinion the most fun camping trip experiences are the parts that are not planned. For example, before the snow tubing in the afternoon, the morning comprised a full out war with snow. There was snow being pelted in every direction, and scouts were having a good time with each other. The slope that our cabin was on made the experience more interesting and fun because some scouts had the high ground and could run down swiftly. One by one, the scouts went back into the cabin and we all ate lunch. Following lunch was a conversation among the scouts about the merit badges everyone was choosing for summer camp, Hawk Mountain. After all the buzzing among the scouts, the main event occurred. Snow Tubing! After all the scouts
packed into the car, there was a short drive to the snow tubing resort. There, we spent about two hours racing each other down the snow lanes. It was a good thing there were conveyor belts going back up so we could save our energy and fewer incidents occurred.
After all the fun events of the day, there was one last thing, a movie! Snacking on popcorn and sipping hot cocoa, the troop watched Stand By Me, a funny and insightful film. After hitting the hay, we woke up early, packed up everything, cleaned up the cabin, and headed out for home.
Overall, we experienced a camping trip filled with fun activities and enjoyable moments. Memories made with scouts will be cherished for years to come, with more to follow. After all, that is what scouting is about, making memories and having good times!
BSA Troop 37 | Volume 11 | Issue 2 | February 2024 - Hune 2024
MARITIME TRIP 2024
By Nicholas Ragucci
During the two days that I spent at Maritime Camp-O-Ree , lots of interesting things happened. First off, we left on a typical Friday night, only this time, New York experienced an unprecedented occurrence...an EARTHQUAKE! It was the first earthquake to affect NY in 10+ years! Thankfully no one was hurt and there was minimal damage in New Jersey which was the epicenter. We arrived at the Maritime school after about an hour of driving. As soon as we got there, we took in the beautiful scenery of the water and bridges. The school was really clean and the campus was impressive and nicely kept.
Upon arrival we set up our tents and prepared ourselves for the next very full day of activities. When we woke up, we enjoyed breakfast in the school's cafeteria. The food was very tasty and they had a vast variety of options to choose from. They mentioned a rule that my dad
told me that the military also enforces. You can take as much food as you want on your plate, but you have to finish it all! I liked that because it teaches you not to waste anything and to practice respect for others. After breakfast we started attending our activities for the day. We got to experience how the students that attended the school tested the water quality and checked on the wildlife that live there. The students had educated us about the government's plan to add more oysters to the waters. We got to examine some oysters that the students had prepared for us to look at and measure. We then went to lunch and got to enjoy the school's delicious food again. They also had ice cream with toppings we could add to it which was a nice treat!
Later, we went out again to finish our activities for the day and then got dinner which was again- very good. Next, we took a tour of a museum at the campus, then we finished off the night by participating in a ship simulator. The simulator was very intricate and we could control even minor details. It was important for us to work together with the boys in the other simulator because we were controlling two different ships and had to communicate with each other. After that we went back to our campsite and went to bed for the night. The next morning, we did a quick tour of the Empire State VII, which was SUNY Maritime’s newest training ship. We got to tour the ship which included areas to sleep, a cafeteria, a gym, and we also got to visit the control center of the ship. I was very impressed with all the things we saw on this trip and thought that the school had a lot to offer. My brother’s friend attends this school as well as and he is currently shipped out to sea for 70 days learning how to maintain and fix ships. If anyone is interested in nautical experiences, they would love this trip. I hope we get to go again next year so some of the younger scouts will be old enough to attend. It was both educational and fun!
BSA Troop 37 | Volume 11 | Issue 2 | February 2024 - Hune 2024
CAMP CITTA
By Jack Conway
When we arrived at Camp Citta on April 26, it was in the evening. We put our tents together and unpacked for the busy day ahead of us. When we woke up on Saturday, April 27, it was warm and we found a goose sitting on top of the bathroom which decided to lay her eggs on top so we had shared a site with a goose. Later during this sunny Saturday it was around noon and the troop went to shoot shotguns we were given the option to choose from a 8 gauge or a 12 gauge. The knock back on shotguns is really something I will not get used to. After we shot, we went back to camp and we had lunch. My patrol made pasta with meat and onions inside. Right after we spent time eating we had kitchen patrol then most of the kids went to the field to play gator ball causing an injury due to Quintin accidentally headbutting Randy causing his eye to swell up. For dinner the older scouts needed to cook in a Dutch oven for a requirement in my patrol Matthew Moroz had cooked pizza. When we woke up on Sunday it was damp but not quite wet. After we packed up we put everything into the cars and left.
BSA Troop 37 | Volume 11 | Issue 2 | February 2024 - Hune 2024
2024 AQUEHONGA DISTRICT CAMP-O-REE
By Preston Lane
On May 17 through May 19, Troop 37 took part in the 2024 Aquehonga District Camp-O-Ree at Camp Pouch. We competed against 15 Troops from around the area and we managed to finish in second place. Yeah, Troop 37! Next year though we plan on taking first place. All the events were challenging and lots of fun. Here's a rundown of some of the competition events:
BAMBOO AND ROPE CHALLENGE
First, we had to cross a gaga pit using bamboo pieces and rope. It was tricky, but we all worked together and made it to the other side.
FLAG RAISING ACTIVITY
Then, we had to raise a flag. It was cool to see how we all had to work in sync to get it right.
FLAG DECODING
Next, we learned how to decode words using flags. It was like solving a puzzle, and it was really fun!
FOAM BALL SHIP CHALLENGE
We also played a game where we shot foam balls into a ship with holes in it. It was super fun, and we all tried our best to score points.
KEY RETRIEVAL TASK
One of the hardest things we did was tying sticks together to get a key from the other side of a fence. It was tough, but we did it by working as a team.
FIRE STARTING
We learned how to start a fire, which is really important. The fire was cool because we had two different options to light it, with matches or with flint and steel. Flint and steel was extra credit so my patrol chose flint and steel. Sadly, it did not work out as the fire didn't start, with this knowledge we informed other patrols to choose matches so they could get points.
While our main focus was on the competition, we also had a lot of fun while we were there. One of my favorite parts of our Camp-O-Ree was cooking. We cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and cheese burgers for dinner. The food was really good and kept us going.
The main part about Camp-O-Ree was learning new things and working together. It helped us get better at being Boy Scouts, making friends and learning life skills.
BSA Troop 37 | Volume 11 | Issue 1 | 2023 - 2024
LEO STAIANO’S EAGLE PROJECT
By Leo Staiano
When I got to the park that I was doing
my Eagle project at, at 7:00 am. I started by moving all the tools and supplies over to
the area that I was putting in check steps, then from there I waited for some people to arrive so I could start. After waiting about 10 minutes I had about 6-9 people there already, so I brought them over to the site and told everyone about first aid and what to do if you're hurt and how to properly hold and use tools. After I told them that I told older kids (high school and up) to start measuring and digging the area for the first step. And for younger kids I had them collect rocks because once the steps were in we needed to support them so they would slide down the hill over time.After I started having everyone doing something, I went back up the hill to the older kids who were already digging a hole.
I re measured it making sure that it was correct. Then continued from there, when more people arrived, I explained everything again to them then assigned them a job, either collecting rocks or digging the holes. After about the first hour and a half the first hole had its check step. All we had to do now was support it with rocks then dig two more holes.
The first step was put in and done completely by the two-hour mark after that we started on the second one.
Step two had a problem when we were digging the hole, there was a root going across the hole that we had to cut and remove, Mr. Tuthill got rid of the root. Next after getting rid of the root we continued digging. Once hole two was done. We had the check step in and were putting rocks in the hole for support. But after that I had another problem. The younger kids were collecting a lot of rocks too much to use but if I had them stop, I didn’t have anything for them to do so I told them to look for bigger rocks instead of smaller ones so that would use up more of their time. Once I was done explaining that to the younger kids, I checked on check step two and it was done. They started the next hole already. The overall time it took them was about 30-45 minutes a lot quicker than the first one.
When we started hole three, we had a similar problem with that hole two had, some root that was blocking hole two was now blocking hole three, so Mr. Moroz did the same thing Mr. Tuthill did he broke it out of the hole using a pickaxe. Now that the root was gone, we dug that hole really quick because we knew we were almost done after about another 30 minutes. We had hole three done and we're putting the check step in once it was in. We quickly put rocking in to support it then filled in the holes after that we finished the project.
BSA Troop 37 | Volume 11 | Issue 1 | 2023 - 2024
TROOP WEBSITE
Scouts and parents alike often use the site to learn about troop meetings, what uniform to wear, camping trips, permission slips, merit badges, rank advancement, scouting related links or to access the troop calendar. It has become a very important part of how the Troop communicates with its members, and how it projects its image outside the troop. The Troop website is maintained and updated by our two webmasters Liam Heffernan-Wilcox and Matthew Moroz.
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Be sure to check the website each week to stay informed and to “Be Prepared.”