Scout Camping Trip was In Tents

Annandale’s Boy Scout Troop 200 crammed as much as they could into a weeklong visit to Resica Falls Scout Reservation in East Stroudsburg, PA. All puns aside, the trip was both 'in tents' and 'intense'!

Situated on 4,200 acres made up of mountain trails, streams and waterfalls, Resica offers the typical scout summer camp opportunities like field sports, rifle shooting, swimming, small-boat sailing, kayaking, hiking and scout skills. “Climbing towers, ATVs and mountain biking are an added bonus at Resica,” explains Dillon Berenty, the troop’s Senior Patrol Leader . “This camp is unique in that it has a metal working shop, making it one of the few camps that offer Welding and Metal Working merit badges which a few our scouts took advantage of.”

Over the course of a week, 17 scouts from Troop 200 earned up to 5 merit badges each. The most popular merit badges involved the metal shop, nature and ecology programs and scoutcraft. First-year Scouts took part in the Resica Rangers program that focuses on teaching basic camping and Scouting skills such as first aid, citizenship and swimming, earning requirements from Tenderfoot through First Class. These newest members of the troop also found time to complete two merit badges.

Several highlights from the trip included a six mile canoe trip down the Delaware river where the scouts enjoyed a morning away from camp, took a gentle ride down the river and participated in a few splash wars. Members of the troop performed 'Walk the Plank' skit during a mid-week campfire, to the delight of the camp and staff. Troop 200 Scout, Alex Laughton placed second in the camp wide photo contest, and; under the guidance of scout Nate Nemeth, the troop won the Extraterrestrial Extravaganza, a camp-wide game which took place throughout the week.

Troop 200 is a high-adventure, boy-led troop. The scouts meet on Monday evenings during the school year at Immaculate Conception Church in Annandale, NJ. For more information about the troop, follow BSA Troop 200 on Facebook or visit the Troop 200 website at http://boyscouttroop200.org./