Whew!! What a summer we’ve had!
In keeping with our motto “Grafton Scouts Venture Out!”, we had a really fun and active summer, with monthly events ranging from bike riding to baseball to mountain climbing!
In June, we enjoyed a beautiful day at Douglas State Park, hiking on its “Coffeehouse Loop”, and having some hamburgers and hot dogs afterwards. Each boy who participated was credited 3 miles towards their hiking awards.
In July, several families watched a fun Worcester Tornadoes game, and then camped out on Fitton Field. In addition, the boys participated in baseball skills clinics run by actual Tornadoes players! It was a really enjoyable event!
Also in July, the Pack hosted a Bike Rally in Lincoln Rhode Island. The boys went a total of 8 miles or so on the trails before having a pizza party afterwards. The day was fantastic, and perfect for a nice bike ride!
In August, we achieved our most challenging outdoors event yet, with the scaling of Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. Starting in the morning, the boys hiked up the mountain over some pretty technical terrain before reaching the peak at around 2pm. After enjoying the gorgeous view for a bit (including some soaring eagles) and having lunch, everyone began the descent, arriving back at the base at around 6pm. The boys were credited with an unprecedented 7 miles towards their hiking awards.
Four boys celebrated special hiking accomplishments on Mount Monadnock, too. Matthew T. and Dante O. hiked their 50th miles as Cub Scouts on that day, and will be receiving personalized Hiking Sticks at a Pack Meeting in the fall. James A. crossed the 100 mile threshold, and will be presented with a personalized Day Pack. James is a Webelos scout, so I have no doubt that he’ll be breaking the all-time hiking record soon! Finally, Jacob P. trekked his 125th mile as a scout, and will be awarded a personalized backpacking tent for his accomplishment.
To wrap up our Summer program, the Pack visited Battleship Cove the weekend of August 25th. The kids had a great time exploring the various ships, interacting with World War II veterans, and sleeping below deck on a real Battleship!
The 2012-2013 Scouting year is about to be kicked off, too! A flyer is going home with new students this week. I’m really looking forward to a fun year!
Here are some pictures from the summer:
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