On Saturday, Sept. 21, 50 scouts and adult leaders awoke to an overcast and windy day. This scenario may seem normal for “junior woodsmen,” but considering that their morning was accompanied by the sound of Q4 traffic instead of chirping birds it makes you do a double take.
The fact that these scouts decided to campout in St. Albans Park is exciting for you and normal for them. This was actually their fourth time camping in a city park. This annual event has multiple goals. It allows for new boys to get their feet wet in a camping experience, it allows for training that can not be done in a church basement, and it lets the public know that scouting is still available for their children.
Scouts from four separate churches were able to participate in this year’s trip. In the morning (in the pouring rain) they learned and practiced First Aid skills, as well as completed various physical fitness drills. After some great lunches, and the sun shining down on them, the scouts learned how to use a map with a compass and safety while hiking. The highlight of the day was an inspirational talk by the Honorable Judge Bernard Leverett on the rights of citizens. The day was capped off with a roaring campfire, skits and songs, and a solemn retirement ceremony for 20 U.S. Flags.
In the end, the scouts from the Presbyterian Church of St. Albans, the New Covenant Church of Christ of Queens Village, St. Alban the Martyr Episcopal Church in St. Albans and Sacred Heart RC Church in Cambria Heights survived a second night of camping in bad weather, cleaned up the park and returned home.
For more than 100 years, the mission of the Boy Scouts of America has been to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by teaching the values of the Scout Oath and Law. As the specific needs of youth have changed, the BSA has evolved to meet those needs while remaining a positive influence. Today, one of every two American males has had an affiliation with the Scouting program, and their combined contributions continue to significantly benefit the community, state and nation. If anyone would like to join in on the adventure, feel free to check out www.BeAScout.org for more information.
