TroopTrail 557: July 2010

NEWS n NOTES:

Thanks for the memories and other highlights of the quarter:

A visit with Chuck Laird at the Adelanto Airport. A top notch tour, classes on aviation history, aeronautics, aerodynamic science and a ride above the Mojave Desert in a four-seat Cessna single-engine airplane.

Many thanks to Wayne Fowler for a most memorable visit with his collection reptiles. An educational visit where many species of snake were shown and some passed around.

The troop had a scout night out to visit the High Desert Mavericks at Stater Bros. Stadium in Adelanto on July 9th, with a Mavs win (9-8) over the Visalia Oaks.

August 7th is the Eagle Court of Honor for Ernie Marninez at 10 A.M. @ Our Lady of the Desert.

Scouts To Celebrate 100th Anniversary In Virginia
by The Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. July 25, 2010, 01:43 pm ET
The Boy Scouts of America are preparing to celebrate their 100th anniversary with a national jamboree in Virginia.
More than 46,000 Boy Scouts, leaders, staff and volunteers from around the world are expected at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree, which starts Monday. Organizers also expect around 250,000 visitors.
Scouts ages 12 to 18 will spend 10 days doing everything from archery and fishing to robotics and testing their own DNA.
The group has held the event at the Fort A.P. Hill Army base every four years since 1981. It skipped a year so the event could mark the organization's 100th anniversary. The Boy Scouts have hosted the gathering since 1937.
Organizers plan to move the event to a permanent site in West Virginia in 2013.

Boy Scouts tour Gettysburg (01:38)
Boy Scouts from the Bay-Lakes Council visited Gettysburg, Pa., Friday where they toured the Civil War battlefield.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/section/videonetwork?bctid=234663239001

PS - Troop 557 is in need of some new merit badge books. Please donate any new or used books to the troop library. Priority needed books are required for Eagle Scout:
Camping, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Cycling, Emergency Preparedness, First Aid, Family Life, Hiking, Lifesaving, Personal Fitness, Personal Management and Swimming.

Books are about $5 and can be found at any BSA Scout shops as well as Valleywide Sporting Goods. And Thank YOU.

Summer Camp at Catalina's Camp Cherry Valley

From CCV-2010

The Summer of 2010 will be one to never forget. A trip to Catalina Island for a week at Camp Cherry Valley is the stuff of lasting memories for the scouts of Troop 557.

The week started off with an exciting two-hour cruise aboard the Catalina King of Catalina Classic Cruises with the skipper pointing out Manta Rays and Blue Whales along the 24 mile float. No complaints about the food or lodging but a bit of grumbling over the 55 degree water temp for the Monday morning swim test. The scouts were able to work on a long list of merit badges for completion or partials along with checking off requirements for their next rank.
"It was a blast!" said Troop 557 Senior Patrol Leader, Codie Barton. "The staff was awesome... I enjoyed the long kayak/canoe trip out on the deeper water with high swells." Barton continued.
Eagle Scout Ben Meza recounted his adventures apart from the main troop as he along with Ernie Martinez and Justin Rickett spent their week in with Advanced Camp Experience (ACE). "We had a long, 20 mile, hike across the island to the town of Avalon." Meza said. "Along with many other adventures with kayaking, wind surfing, wave surfing at Shark Harbor, snorkeling and Catamaran sailing."
“I was impressed that the boys did not have any spare time, which was unusual.” Scoutmaster Joe Bertola added. “They spent a lot of time on ranks and merit badges.”

From CCV-2010

More Pix@--
http://picasaweb.google.com/109661280123473801527/CCV2010#

CCV-2010

From CCV-2010

Long-term Backpacker @ Yosemite National Park

From 2010-LongTermBackpack

Long-term Backpacker @ Yosemite National Park:
From Green Creek to The Tuolumne Meadow(s) area of Yosemite National Park where three scouts and three adults trekked about 27 miles with many nerve-racking water crossings. An estimated 15, foot-numbing, 40-degree, stream crossings in all.
"We hiked about 27 miles, broken up into five or six-mile segments." said Ben Meza. With a maximum elevation gain at Summit Lake reaching 10,200 feet above sea level the temperatures were surprisingly mild ranging from the mid 70's day to mid 50's night.
"It was very hot for a High Sierra trip," Meza continued. "but we were able to get a bit of swimming in." A major problem as a result of the weather was the pesky mosquitoes.
"The mosquitoes came out in clouds to eat us alive." Lamented trekker Codie Barton. The additional weather snag was involving Barton's tent. "On the third day of the trip it started pouring rain and water started coming through the sides of my tent. It soaked the inside, but not our gear so we scrambled for an outback, high-tech outhouse for shelter." He recalled.