Go Outside and Do Stuff!

The back of our Troop sweatshirt says, "Go Outside and Do Stuff!"  Boys join Scouts to do fun outdoor activities.  We plan at least one outdoor activity a month.  In a typical year we will go hiking, biking, rock climbing, rafting, kayaking, snowshoeing, fishing, and skiing or snowboarding.  During the course of a year we strive to provide the boys a wide range of experiences.

Our annual trip plan is developed by the boys at a special meeting each May.  They usually try to avoid repeating a trip from one year to the next.  Some activities are so popular, however, that they may decide to do the same activity, but at a different location (i.e. - biking in Vermont instead of Martha's Vineyard).  

Scouts plan a variety of advancement activities and campfire programs for each trip. Patrol cooking is encouraged to teach how to cook and clean up after themselves to generate self-reliance and confidence.  Each patrol will make a meal plan and assign a "Grubmaster" about two weeks before each trip.  The Grubmaster is responsible for going shopping and bringing the food on the trip.  The Grubmaster will also help the cooks at each meal.  After the trip, the Grubmaster submits any receipts for reimbursement.  

We have an active group of boys in Troop 195.  On a typical trip, we will have about 30 boys and 8 adults participating.  These numbers may vary depending on the activity and other conflicts.  Most of our boys play several sports each year.  They make time for Scouts because it's fun and they enjoy spending time with the other boys.  Some boys participate less during certain seasons.  We have had varsity football players, varsity nordic skiers, high level club soccer players, DECA officers, robotics team leaders, and mainstage actors in our troop.  Sometimes they aren't able to go on a trip because of other conflicts.  We understand that and work with them to keep them progressing in the program.