Holmdel Troop 131 Advances at Forestburg Scout Reservation

A big thank you to scouts and parents of Holmdel’s Troop 131 for an outstanding week at Forestburg's summer camp. Asst. Scoutmaster Eric Guether handled parent preparations flawlessly, Scoutmaster Jeff Bodycomb set the standard, and our boy-led troop did its usual great job in organizing themselves and running their camp out. The boys spent the last week in July camping and exploring the wonders of Forestburg Scout Reservation in upstate NY, including its waterfront sports, wall climb, waterfall hike, monkey bridge across the lake, campfires and more. Scouts helped each other study and prepare for merit badge classes, and took turns being responsible for dining hall roles. They also worked together to ensure that the campsite was clean each day, and it showed with excellent scores when the camp directors stopped by to assess us. This is the first year in memory that a Holmdel patrol (Old Man) attempted to earn the Honor Patrol Award at Forestburg. And they succeeded! The troop also did a great job at the camp-wide games competition, earning 3rd place honors amongst all attending groups. Two of our intrepid scouts also signed up in advance and went on an overnight wilderness camp out and canoe trip, experiencing some of the more remote areas of the camp while sleeping under the stars without tents. Four of our scouts advanced in rank during the week, and others made great progress, all due to the work of the youth leaders and their fellow scouts. Our scouts accomplished this without adult prompting, gaining experiences and practices that will serve them well as they move away from home and into the real world.

Troop 131 is a boy-led troop and meets 7:30pm on Tuesdays in the Indian Hill School Cafetorium (735 Holmdel Rd.). All boys age 11 to 17 are welcome to join. Upcoming open meetings for new members are 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, and 10/18, and fall events include our Chesapeake Bay biking-canoeing-camping, hiking-camping in the Catskills, local cleanup projects, and more. Come out and join us as we assist our community and grow future leaders.