Troop 48 meets about 1 1/2 hours each week, with a camping trip each month, 6 to 10 service projects a year, and several day activities.
The Breakdown
Troop Meetings
Troop 48 meets every Wednesday, all year long at Holy Communion Lutheran Church (442 South Route 73 Berlin, NJ 08009) from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. These meetings usually focus on a skill, and most feature instruction, a patrol challenge, and some sort of game.
Camping
We camp at least once each month, every month of the year, usually to the tune of 12 to 13 campouts a year. These are sometimes close (like the pine barrens), or can be several hours away, and run Friday night to Sunday morning.
We also go camping for a week each summer in July or August. While most Scouts go to merit badge camp, from the beginning, Troop 48 has picked an out-of-state location, then spent a week there going on adventures like hiking, caving, canoeing, zip-lining, biking, backpacking, and more! The location, and the adventure, are different each year. We’ve gone to places like Lake George in New York, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, Ohiopyle in Western Pennsylvania, and Acadia National Park in Maine.
Other events
We also do hundreds of service hours each year, at around half a dozen service projects. These include placing flags on veteran’s graves for Memorial Day, helping support charity bike riders at a rest stop on the Bike MS: Cityto-Shore Ride each year, running a local food drive, and more.
We also also have fun day trips, which usually include a Skiing/Snowboarding trip, rock climbing, and more!
What if we can’t make some meetings or events?
No problem! Obviously, we’d LOVE for every Scout to make every meeting and event (I mean, they are fun!), but it’s almost impossible for anyone to do that. Our Scouts have family and outside commitments, sometimes that force them to miss one meeting or trip, sometimes that force them to miss many meetings or trips (such as a sports conflict or marching band). Whatever amount of time is missed, it’s okay, we’ll be thrilled to see your son when he is ready!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Scoutmaster Mike McCormick at [email protected] or call Mike at 856-287-2155.