On Saturday, November 14th and 21st, as part of the Lakeland District's effort, we will be assisting the Cooperative Christian Ministry in collecting food for the less fortunate in the Hickory area.  Let's all participate in order to help out those who need a helping hand this holiday season.  On Nov. 14th, we will meet at the church to distribute door hangers throughout the Oakwood and Hillcrest neighborhoods.  On the following Saturday, Nov. 21st, we will collect food items in the same area. Traditionally, Troop 231 and Pack 231 collect some of the largest amounts of food in the district.  We need everyone's participation for this worthwhile event.

New River State Park Camping/ Canoeing Trip- Oct. 24- 25, 2015

On Saturday, October 24, we will traveling to the New River State Park in Ashe and Alleghany counties of NC for a canoeing and camping trip.  We will be inviting the Webelos from Pack 231 to join us on this trip.  Our plan is to travel to RiverCamp USA campground, we will be outfitted with gear and canoes for a 4 to 5 hour canoeing trip down the New River, one of the oldest rivers in the world and one of the few rivers in the northern hemisphere that flows north.  Our campsite, which is at the RiverCamp USA campground, is directly off of the river.  This will be the point where we will end our canoe trip.  We will monitor the weather forecasts as we get closer to that weekend, but be prepared for cooler temperatures and a chance of rain.  Your clothes selections should include fleece, rain jacket, and quick drying clothes.

Where: New River/ RiverCamp USA in Allegheny county,  near Piney Creek, NC.  It is both our canoe outfitter and campsite for the weekend.

When:  Saturday, Oct. 24- Sunday, Oct. 25th.  We will meet at the church at 9:00am.  It will be a 1 1/2- 2 hour trip to RiverCamp USA on the New River.  We plan to be up, have breakfast, and return to Hickory by 12:30.

Equipment:  We will be car camping.  Troop tents, sleeping bags/pads, mess kit, water bottle.  Prepare for cooler weather for this trip.  Should something unfortunate happen, like falling in the river-- intentional or not, please make sure you have extra dry clothes available back at the campground.  We will be patrol cooking for the entire group. We'll have a fire ring in our campsite and we'll bring firewood.  There are restrooms and water is available in the campground.

Meals:  Please eat breakfast at home and pack a bag lunch.  We will eat our lunch either prior to or on the river. We will be cooking as a patrol Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning.  Please bring a water bottle for the river and you may bring your mess kit.  We will have paper plates and utensils available for dinner and breakfast.

Cost:  Camping and Canoeing will be $20 per person.  Please also include $10, which will cover the cost for food.  Total cost $30.

Carson H. Earns Eagle Scout

Congratulations to Carson H for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.  Carson successfully completed his Eagle Board of Review and his Eagle Leadership project will benefit his church,  Episcopal Church of Ascension's new landscaping and beautification project.  Very nice job, Carson!

Roan Highlands/ Appalachian Trail Camping Trip

On Saturday, June13th, we will be traveling to the Roan Highlands section of the Appalachian Trail for a backpacking and camping trip.  This portion of the Appalachian trail is a ridgeline of bald mountains that lies along the North Carolina- Tennessee border.  We will be hiking along the northern tip of the Roan Highlands, from Yellow Mountain Gap to Hump Mountain.  Our hike will begin where the Overmountain Victory Trail crosses over the Appalachian Trail.  The Overmountain Victory Trail follows the route of men who crossed the Appalachian Mountains to fight the British during the Revolutionary War, ultimately engaging the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain, which is known as the "Turning of the Tide" and one of the turning points in the war for our country's freedom.

What: Roan Highlands camping trip.  We will be hiking from the Overmountain Shelter to Little Hump Mountain.  The area where we will be hiking is a mixture of open, "bald" mountains with expansive summit views to spruce-fir forests.  This is also to the peak blooming season for native Catawba Rhododendrons, which is usually spectacular.  We will set up camp at a campsite near Little Hump Mountain and explore some of the area.  Please bring a drawstring bag to carry your water and a snack as we day-hike around Hump Mountain.

When: We will meet at the church at 10am on Saturday.  We will return Sunday afternoon.  Scouts will be able to call for a ride as we get close to Hickory.

Equipment/ Gear: Each scout will need to bring their own personal gear and mess kit.  This list  includes:  sleeping bag, clothing (remember to layer), toiletries, camp stove (if you have one), mess kit, sunglasses, rain jacket, sun protection, bug spray, and hat.  They weather forecast calls for highs in the low 70s during the day and around 60* at night, with chance of showers.  Weather can change quickly in this area, so be prepared for cool temps and quickly rising storms.  Troop tents will be distributed Saturday morning.

Equipment: 

• Folding knives and multi-tools only! No straight blades.  
• We will be cooking over camp stoves this trip, but we'll build campfires if wood is available.
• 2-3 liters of water.  If you have a drawstring bag, you could use it to hold water and stuff on our day-hike.  If you would like to bring more soft drinks and leave in the vehicles for the return trip, that is fine.
• Headlamp or small flashlight
• Sleeping bag 
• Drawstring bag/Camelbak to day-hike 
•  Don't leave food/snacks in tents.  As with gatorade and sodas stored in the vehicles, extra snacks can be stored in the vehicles
• Bring mess kits. We will be cooking individually, so you will need your cups, utensils, etc. If you do not have a camping stove, don’t worry, there will be enough to borrow and the older scouts will be able to assist the younger scouts prepare their meals.
• Rain Jacket/ Sun Protection/Fleece for the evening

Food/ Meals: We will be cooking our own meals.  Please eat a good breakfast Saturday morning.  We will stop for lunch on the way.  Please plan to cook your own dinner Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning.  We will also stop for lunch on our return to Hickory, so you will need to bring some money for 2 fast food meals.  Please make sure to bring at least 2 liters of water on this trip.  There is a spring located on the trip and we can filter water if we need, but it is a good idea to bring enough water in case the springs are not flowing well.  Dinner ideas for new scouts are Raimen noodles, Easy Mac and Cheese, foil- packaged tuna or chicken, granola, fruit, or dried meat.  Breakfast ideas include oatmeal, grits, granola/ fruit bars, etc.  Please put your food in a ziplock bag with a spare ziplock inside (for your trash).

Call or email Mr. Roberts (robertspartyof4@embarqmail.com) or Mr. Webber (1webber@charter.net) if you have any questions.

Will P. earns Eagle

Congratulations to Will P. for earning his Eagle Scout Award.  He joins Jackson W. and Patrick R. as Troop 231's newest Eagles!  Will successfully completed his Eagle Board of Review and his Eagle Leadership project will benefit the Hickory Parks and Recreation Department this upcoming baseball season. Nice work, Will!

Carolina Beach Fishing Trip, Sept. 26- 28th

On Friday, Sept. 26, we will be heading to Carolina Beach State Park on the NC Coast, for a 2- night outing.  We will be camping within the state park at a group camp site near the intercostal waterway.  We will also spend Saturday deep sea fishing for black sea bass, porgies, grunts, and sharks.  Scouts who participate will have the opportunity to earn their fishing merit badge on this trip.  We will leave the church Friday morning and arrive back in Hickory on Sunday afternoon.

What: Carolina Beach camping trip. The State Park is a 761-acre triangle of land known as Pleasure Island, located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Fear River. This will be a 2-night car camp on the inter-coastal waterway in a developed campground.  Facilities include grills, picnic tables, pit toilets, and showers nearby.  The beach is within a short drive of the campsite.

When: Friday, Sept. 26 to Sunday, Sept. 28th.  We will leave the church Friday at 10am.  Friday is a teacher workday for students in Hickory City Schools.  We will return Sunday afternoon.  Scouts will be able to call for a ride as we near Hickory.

Equipment/Gear: Each scout will need to bring their own personal gear and mess kit.  This list  includes:  sleeping bag, clothing (remember to layer), toiletries, camp stove (if you have one), mess kit, sunglasses, rain jacket, sun protection, bug spray, a hat, swimsuit, and towel.  Please wear your Class A uniform for travel on Friday and Sunday.  Troop tents will be distributed Friday morning.


Food/ Meals:  We will be cooking our own meals.  Please eat a good breakfast Friday morning.  We will stop for lunch on the way to the beach.  We will be responsible for dinner Friday night,  3 meals Saturday, and breakfast Sunday.  We will also stop for lunch on our return to Hickory.  Meals have been planned at the troop meeting last Tuesday night, and food costs have been included in the trip cost, except for money for fast food stops en-route.

Cost:  Cost for this trip will be $90 per person, which includes van rental, meals at the beach, fishing fees, and camping fees.  Additional money for fast food lunches to and from the beach will be needed, as well.

This will be a terrific outing for the scouts.  The adult leaders of the troop have been planning for this trip since the beginning of the year.  We made this trip several years ago, and we've been looking forward to returning.  I hope everyone that wants to go can make it this weekend.

Call or email me or Mr. Webber if you have any questions.

Jackson W. Earns Eagle

Congratulations to Jackson W., Troop 231's newest Eagle scout!  Jackson successfully completed his Eagle Board of Review and his Eagle Leadership Project will benefit the Cooperative Christian Ministry of Hickory.  Nice job, Jackson!