A Father's Day gift for your son!

My name is John Fulford. Boy Scouts has been in my family for as far back as I can remember. My brother Ed became an Eagle Scout in 1976; my dad remained active for over 40 years until his health forced him to the sidelines. My oldest brother Joe has taken up where my father left off. So last year when my son, JP, now 13, asked to join the Boy Scouts, you can see that it was a simple choice to make.

JP and I had always tried to find new things to do on weekends, especially in the summertime, but too often our activities together were just a replay of things we’d done before. Migraines kept him out of sports, and too often our imaginations fell short of the fun and adventure we hoped for.

So now the hard part: which troop to join? I did some looking around and found 3 or 4 troops in the immediate area! I just closed my eyes and picked one: Troop 114, which celebrated its 100th Anniversary this past March. It meets Tuesday evenings at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, Susquehanna Road at Butler Pike.

The Troop consists of 5 boys (yes, just 5 boys) ages 12 to 15. Jack Vogel is the Troop Master and John Hill is the Troop Committee Leader. Both men have been in Boy Scouts for most of their lives, and their knowledge of scouting as well as the way they interact with the scouts prove it.

Since joining we have camped out together; toured the Naval Academy in Annapolis; spent a weekend kayaking in the Jersey Pinelands; gone fishing and crabbing in Maryland with a Troop 114 alum who gave us a place to stay, a boat to fish from and expert direction that maximized our whole experience; and now we’re planning to camp in for a week at Bayport Scout Reservation which consists of zip lines, boating, rafting, hiking and shooting.

But there’s more. Watching JP receive a Merit Badge or seeing his confidence rise as he masters a new skill, I remember my own pride and joy at his smile when he made Tenderfoot. In less than 10 months we’ve built us a father-son relationship packed with memories and knowing there are many more memories just waiting to be made!

Scouting isn’t like competitive sports: there are no tryouts, no cuts from the team. Scouting provides an outdoor experience filled with learning and leadership opportunities for each boy, then celebrates a job well done.

JP and I invite you boys and dads from the Wissahickon, Ambler, Upper Dublin and Maple Glenn areas to check out Troop 114. You can do that by contacting Mr. Jack Vogel at 215-646-0619 or mstrv2@verizon.net. Better still, stop in on a Tuesday evening around 7 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran church. We’d all love to see you and answer all your questions!