Boy Scout Troop 55

Busch Gardens Outing

Busch Gardens Outing
Nick H. – Acting Historian
New Scout Patrol

On the campout to Busch Gardens we had so much fun. Especially with the naval base after it which was very interesting because of all of the cool gadgets that they used. The campout had everybody psyched before we went, and there was a great turnout. Although it was raining when we were packing up in the morning it was still awesome! And Busch Gardens was really out of this world! There were so many fun roller coasters and rides that had everyone smiling at ten o’clock when we had to leave. William was super excited after his first trip to an amusement park!  Our food was mouth watering, which made us relish the thought of eating burnt sausages! The naval base had awesome stuff that made us extremely interested in what our guides were telling us. I would sometimes zone out looking at all of the amazing masks. One of them had the audio working so if we spoke with our head in
it, it would go on the loudspeaker! All in all, the trip was one we will never forget.

• View My Photos from the Trip

Fairfax County Officer Visits the Troop

During the April 11th meeting Fairfax County Police Officer Twamley visited with the troop to supplement the month’s theme of Public Service.  Officer Twamley discussed the training and education it takes to become a police officer and shared some interesting anecdotes with the boys.  He then opened it up for questions.

Several of the new drivers in the troop had traffic-related and new driver questions.  Many of the boys were fascinated with pepper spray and methods for apprehending a “bad guy”.  There were multiple questions as to whether Officer Twamley had ever “tased” anyone, to which he replied No.  There was a momentary buzz of excitement when it was suggested Scoutmaster Pan might volunteer to receive a mild “tase”, but unfortunately Officer Twamley did not have his taser with him.

Troop 55 looks forward to another visit from Officer Twamley!  Many thanks to scout Paul Y. for coordinating the visit.

SPL Grant S. with Officer Twamley

Seven Springs Outing Reports

Troop 55 visited Seven Springs ski resort in February.

Seven Springs Outing
Tim F., Sharks Patrol

The Seven Springs ski trip was a lot of fun and very exciting. It started with us getting on a commercial bus at about 5:15 P.M. and leaving about 5:30 P.M.  The trip went smoothly until we arrived at the hill leading into the Seven Springs resort. We must’ve had the “one in amillion” chance of getting this certain bus driver. He had NEVER driven on snow so we all had to wait half an hour just to figure out that the snow plow didn’t help. We all jumped out and walked/sprinted to the bottom of the hill. Finally, we got to our Chalets and waited for our bags to arrive. We were asleep by the ‘appropriate’ time of 12:45. The next morning the Sharks wokeup at 6:30 to get ready to hit the slopes. After having breakfast and checking in, we rented our gear and started the downhill fun on the slopes, sticking with our buddies and going down whatever we saw fit. I met up with some of the troop, but most of my patrol was nowhere to be seen until later. After skiing all day we went in for dinner and check in. After that everyone went their separate ways and I found myself back at the Chalet. I hung out with Alex R and was soon joined by the others in the Sharks and Scorpions patrol. We had fun watching Wipeout and playing Caps and then went to bed around 11:30. Sunday morning Paul woke us all up around 6:40 so we could pack. Once again we made it to breakfast on time. After checking in and eating, we hit the slopes for the last time. At 12:30 we returned our gear and headed back to the chalet. We grabbed our bags and got on the bus at 1:20 and made it to Saint Francis Church around 6:30. This was one of my favorite outings and I look forward to it next year.

Seven Springs Photo Project
Daniel R., Dragons Patrol

I took pictures at the Seven Springs outing and put them in a PowerPoint presentation.  It was very hard taking pictures with scouts around because they kept messing up my pictures by jumping in front of the camera or putting their hands in front of the camera.  :)  So I had to work on getting a good shot and watch out for other scouts.

A bunch of us did the Snow & Ski Sports Merit badge on the outing.  A big Thank You! to Mr. Smith and Mr. Meeker for helping us with that.

Here is my presentation.  Sorry, it is a big file!  View Presenation (.ppt)

Camp Fraser Outing – Bears Report

Well…it rained.  We had barely been at our campsite for half an hour when it began, and it rained on and off throughout the entire outing.  The mud it created was everywhere, and it caused the Klondike Derby racing plans to be canceled.  The Bears patrol shared a dining fly with the Bucks patrol, and made some mouth-watering grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.  Soon after, the troop went on a hike along the Potomac River, while the Philmont Crew departed on a very wet backpacking hike in preparation for Philmont.

I thought it was fun, although this definitely wasn’t a view shared by every crew member.  When we returned from the hike, the scouts had a little down time to play Frisbee, Risk, or cards, until it came time to make dinner.  The Bears made some delicious cheeseburgers, and enjoyed the campfire later that evening.  Trey M. got sick and had to leave very late that night, although Mr. Pan was of the opinion that I ate Trey for dinner because two hamburgers wasn’t enough to sate my appetite.  The campfire was enjoyable, and we got to watch some patrol skits and retire a flag.

The following morning, the Bears were supposed to have oatmeal for breakfast, but I got it all to myself – I was the only Bear remaining.  We packed everything up and got back to the church before one o’clock.  Despite our lack of attendance, I think that the Bears who came had a great outing, with an exciting hike, tasty food, and a great scouting experience.

- Patrick R.
Bears Patrol Leader