In Memoriam

Troop 353 extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Frank McCluskey, our dear friend and Assistant Scoutmaster, who died suddenly on April 15 at the age of 49. Frank was an active and much-admired parent leader who enjoyed the camaraderie of Scout overnights - we particularly recall his enjoyment of our trips to Montauk and Clear Lake. He was always one of the first to ask others, “what do you need me to do?” Over the past year, we came to know Frank as a wonderful father, a committed supporter of scouting, and a great guy to have around the campfire. If there ever was a role model in servant leadership, it was Frank. We will miss his sense of humor and friendly voice.

Frank’s obituary appears in the Journal News here. Contributions are suggested to: The American Cancer Society, 2 Lyon Place, White Plains, NY 10601. We’d request that parents and friends use the comments section of this post to remember one of our own who left us too early.

 

In the News: Scouts Gather for Community Celebration on MLK Day

On Monday January 21st, Boy Scout troop 353 once again participated in the Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast, sponsored by the Eastchester Community Action Program (ECAP). The hugely popular tri-community event had several hundred attendees, including many political dignitaries from the surrounding Eastchester, Tuckahoe and Bronxville communities. This year, the event honored the memory of Mrs. Vivian T. Yancy, the ECAP Area Director for nearly two decades, whom passed away last fall. Troop 353 has had the honor of working with Mrs. Yancy over the past +12 years in its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Unquestionably, Mrs. Yancy led a quiet life of joyfully and faithfully serving the greater Eastchester community—much like the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and very much like the principles of Scouting. The celebration this year astutely highlighted key events in Dr. King’s life performed by school children from all three area school districts of Eastchester, Tuckahoe & Bronxville—something that has never been done before. Troop 353 was proud to perform the opening flag ceremony and to lead the huge crowd in the pledge of allegiance. For more pictures of this wonderful 2-hour service project, click here!

 

Siege Machines Theme for Klondike Derby

 

The Klondike Derby always proves to be a fun event and this year was no different!  In fact, this is an extremely popular Winter Scouting event across much of the nation’s northernmost Councils.  Compared to 2007, the 2008 Algonquin District Klondike Derby was a much-scaled down event, but still included 8 great stations that both challenged boys’ scouting skills and reinforced teamwork.  Of course, there was the Klondike Derby race itself—the highlight event at the end of the day.  And in that venue, Troop 353 clearly crushed the competition, aided by the fact that our Klondike sled had wheels attached! 

The 8 well-thought out stations, included Snowblind, Silent Signaling, Fishing for Snappers, Log Sawing, Log-pull, Balance Beam, Ice Rescue and the Siege Machine Catapult station (also know as trebuchet, mangonel or couillards)–all were designed with scouting skills and fun in mind.  This year, with Siege Machines as the theme, scouts were encouraged to add a catapult-type device to their Klondike Sled to hurl an object (tennis ball) through the air, scores were given for both accuracy and distance.  Thanks to a last minute major modification to our catapult, courtesy of ingenious ASM Mike D., this was another event in which Troop 353 excelled.  Overall, Troop 353 had two patrol entries and came away with  2nd and 3rd place!  With the 2008 Klondike Derby event being local, several dads braved the cold elements for the day and gave considerable moral support–some even manned a few of the skills stations.  Lot of great photos can be seen here!

 

In the News: Eastchester Eagle Scout earns highest rank through Red Cross assist

We’re instituting a section called “In the News” for Troop 353, to link you to Scout coverage in local news media. The first installment comes from the Review Press newspaper, with coverage of Dan Altenau’s Eagle project at the Red Cross headquarters. Reporter Janie Rosman wrote a great piece on Dan’s project - here’s some of it:

Next time the American Red Cross’ Westchester chapter finds its emergency supplies in a hurry it can thank Dan Altenau.

Altenau, a member of Boy Scout Troop 353 in Eastchester, had earned the merit badges and completed the leadership requirements for Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts.

The only remaining condition was his final project.

During one day each in December and in January, Altenau took inventory of and organized supplies at the ARC in White Plains with help from fellow scouts.

“I wanted something challenging that would help the community,” said Altenau, a senior at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx. “My older brother Joseph helped with the Tuckahoe Time Capsule for his Eagle project. I wanted to follow his example.”

He worked against the clock, too, since the undertaking had to be completed before his 18th birthday on Feb. 3. Once he’s 18, the Boy Scouts consider him an adult.

There’s a lot more, and if you want to read the rest, visit the Review Press site.

 

American Red Cross - Always Ripe for an Eagle Project!

 

If there is one institution in most communities that could benefit from a Scout’s senior leadership service project ambitions, it is the American Red Cross (ARC)!  Our former SPL, and one of current Troop Guides, Daniel A., decided last fall to approach the local ARC to discuss some potential Eagle Project ideas previously vetted by the troop’s Committee Chair, Richard S.  Daniel decided that the most interesting idea wouldbe to build a system to organize & store the massive inventory of Disaster Relief Supplies, which was in considerable disarray in a few different locations at the ARC site.  The first weekend of work occured just prior to the yearend holidays.  Due to considerable bad weather & the need for ARC workers to utilize the Disaster Relief Supplies (DRS), the following weekend, targeted for Daniel’s leadership project completion, was postponed until the first weekend in January.  Still, Daniel made considerable progress building shelves, and reorganizing the storage of the DRS.

This postponement turned out to be quite fortuitous, as a few of the troop’s former Eagle Scouts were home from college for the holidays.  Consequently, the troop created an Senior Scout Weekend to include a few scouting opportunities with several former Eagle and Life Scouts by the current crop of younger scouts.  During the second work weekend in early January, Daniel A. had the benefit of at least 2 former Eagle Scouts assisting in project leadership guidance and over a dozen youth helpers.  Logistically, excess DRS needed to be moved out a storage trailor and an ARC mobile unit needed to be retrofitted with appropriate DRS.  That Sunday, the ARC site was so busy that it looked like a human ant bed!  All in all, Daniel easily logged well over 200 manhours completing his senior leadership project and better equipped the ARC to respond to emergencies.  At an upcoming monthly board meeting, Daniel will give a formal project overview, from concept to completion.  In addition, Danny’s Eagle Project strengthened the relationship between ARC and our troop, paving the way for future service projects.  Most importantly, the project clearly benefitted the community on a lasting basis and profiled Daniel’s well-honed leadership skills.  In the minds of many observers, this was win-win for everyone involved!  Congratulations on a job well-done Daniel!  For more photos of the ARC cleanup & DRS reorganization efforts, click here ==> ARC Cleanup!

 

Hiking the Storied Storm King Trail!

On a sunny Saturday in early January, Troop 353 went on an invigorating winter hike. Our destination was Storm King State Park and our goal was to hike the scenic Storm King Summit Trail. The hike was part of the various “homecoming” activities the troop planned for its former Eagle Scouts that weekend, which also included an Eagle Project and a “show’n tell’ slide show of historic high adventure trips at our Sunday night troop meeting.

The weather was cold, but our hikers were amply prepared with layers of winter clothing. Fortunately, the sun was out all day and it heated up as the day unfolded. Still, given the recent snowfall, we had some concerns about icy conditions on the trail. Fortunately, a park ranger pulled into the parking lot and informed us that by staying on the south side of the mountain on the Orange, upper Yellow Trail we should avoid most of the mud & ice found on the lower portion of the Yellow trail on the north side of this infamous mountain. Interstingly, these trails are part of the much longer Highlands Trail with its distinct Teal trail blazes that link several state parks on the western side of the Hudson River.

Storm King has a very interesting recent history. In 1999, under drought conditions, a forest fire spread throughout the state park. In the course of extinguishing the fire, exploding ordnance were unexpectedly discovered. “The ordnance had apparently been fired well over a century ago to test cannons manufactured at the West Point Foundry in Cold Spring, across the river and it exploded due to the heat generated by the fire. Subsequently, it was determined that artillery shells fired from the West Point Military Reservation may also have landed in the park.” It took the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over 4 years to clean up the park before it was reopened to the public.

There are actually two adjacent mountain peaks that our troop hiked and the vertical rise is a manageable 500 feet (or less) and we probably hiked only 2.0–2.5 miles in total. From the top of Butter Hill, only 45 minutes from the parking lot, one can view the Shawangunk Ridge to the west (and several major Catskill wilderness areas), Mount Misery to the South, West Point and Cold Spring to the Southeast and the easterly ledges of Storm King. Then a short walk north to northeast over to the Storm King mountain along the upper Yellow trail, gives hikers unparalled views of the Hudson River to the north and the east. Directly across the Hudson River to the east is the equally scenic Breakneck Ridge trail, towering above Cold Spring, NY, which the troop hiked last April.

There are no fewer than 7 different scenic view points on the trail map. At one of these points, the boys picked a perfect place to stop for a late lunch and a brief 30-minute rest. In the distance, one can easily view Bannerman’s Island and the remnants of the Scottish-style castle he built in the late 1880s to house his arsenal of second-hand military supplies which he sold abroad. Afterwards it was a comparatively quick jaunt for the scouts down the White / Bypass trail. This was a comparatively easy hike with varied geographic conditions and stunning views which scouts and scouters alike greatly appreciated as seen in these pictures [click for more].

 

Eager Marksmen Participate in Rifle Shoot at Camp Bullowa

If there is one thing that scouts love to do, other than building a big fire, it is shooting .22 caliber rifles! On a very cold day in early December, troop 353 had a large turnout of eager marksmen (and women!) drive over to Camp Bullowa in Rockland County for a day of rifle shooting. As a testament to the venue’s popularity, every year this event turns out to be one of the most heavily attended, and despite the often frigid conditions. Our troop is fortunate in that we have a relationship with the very generous J. Burkhardt, an executive associated with the NRA, and that the Hudson Valley Boy Scout Council allows us to use their rifle range at Camp Bullowa free of charge. Mr. Burkhardt provides the small bore rifles, the ammunition and eye & ear protection. Last year, 15 scouts shot more than 7,000 rounds of ammo. This year, two dozen scouts and several adults (including one mom!) easily exceeded last year’s total ammo fired. In a shooting contest, top sharpshooters included Andrew H., Michael W., and Matthew S.

Given the large number of young scouting participants & a limited number of open slots on the firing range, troop leaders opted to complement the shooting with advancement activities. Many scouts brought completed 2nd Class (identify 10 kinds of wild animals) and 1st Class (identify 10 kinds of native plants) requirements with them. Other scouts brought along their recently prepared first aid kit. While not shooting, SPL Conor M. and ASPL Thomas M. assisted the troop instructors (Sean W., Matthew S. & Brad M.) & troop guide (Daniel A.) in teaching groups of young scouts other basic scouting skills: how to build a fire, how to prepare kindling and tinder, gas stove safety precautions, lashing, knot tying and safe hiking rules. One of older scouts even completed a cooking requirement for Camping merit badge using backpacking stoves, by preparing a hot lunch for his patrol! It was a fun and productive day for all! For more great photos, click here.

 

Backpacking Along the Appalachian Trail

In mid-November, Troop 353, led by former SM Don W., embarked on an ambitious mini-trek: backpacking five miles through Clarence Fahnestock State Park along the Appalachian Trail into the beautiful site No. 40 at the recently renamed Durland Scout Reservation (formerly Clear Lake Scout Reservation).  In addition to this event being the first time for many scouts to carry a full backpack, it was also one of the coldest tent camping events ever for most participants, including most adults.  Temperatures dropped down into the upper 20s, and with the wind blowing in from the lake, it was even colder.  Still, there were no shortage of eager scouts willing to go out and explore the beautiful foliage while hiking and camping during the midst of clearly frigid conditions.  As the scoutmaster often says, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.”

Though light rain and snow immediately preceded the weekend, the skies cleared on Saturday morning allowing the strong sunshine to accentuate the stunning Autumn colors of the leaves.  The scenery along the Appalachian Trail was surprisingly beautiful, which made it easier to forget about the heavy pack on your back.  There were several people out with their dogs on the trail, enjoying the crisp air.  After a much-needed lunch break, and a brief history overview of the region’s attempt at mining iron ore in the 1800s, the scouts began to slow during the last mile into Durland Scout Reservation.  Fortunately, a handful of industrious fathers had transported the voluminous camping gear (by car) up to the backpacking site.  Needless to say, everyone learned a few lessons about packing lighter and about staying warm.  Scouts also learned that cold weather can impact how much propane is used while cooking, the importance of following their patrol duty rosters, that dehydrated food is not so bad and that washing dishes in hot water, no matter how dirty the wash bin, is another way to keep warm!  For a look at the scouts in action during this beautiful weekend, click here.

 

Here by the Sea and Sand: Scouts Visit Montauk

In one the most memorable camping outings in memory, Troop 353 visited Hither Hills State Park at Montauk in mid-October for an overnight just over the dune from the crashing Atlantic Ocean. The trip was delayed by 12 hours by violent and wet weather on the East End, but the troop arrived in Montauk in good order early on Saturday after a quick drive. After check-in, the boys and adult leaders - more than 25 of us altogether - headed over to Deep Hollow Ranch for a 90-minute ride on horseback through the fields and scrub pine until about half-way through, the trail opened on a high bluff overlooking the bay and the lighthouse beyond. The horses walked along the beach, and the riders enjoyed the scenery. After the ride (and once some feeling returned to the dads’ lower extremities) it was back to the campsite, where the troop pitched tents and began the first of three meals that they were to cook. Some scouts went for a dip along the ocean’s edge (it was rough), threw the football around, played tetherball, or took a hike. Orienteering and food prep were a couple of the advancement activities on the schedule. As the sun dipped beyond the dunes, dinner was prepared and the troop settled in around the campfire before doing some star-gazing on the beach, and then turning in - sleeping to the sounds of the surf. The next morning, after a beautiful and quiet night (massive wind gusts, aside), we cooked breakfast and broke camp for the ride home - everyone in agreement that Hither Hills should rate a return trip from Troop 353. For more great pictures, click here.

 

Paddling and Pancakes: Kon Tiki Victory and Fun for 353 Adventurers

Clear Lake and clearer weather provided the perfect setting for a waterborne adventure in the culinary arts for Troop 353 Scouts, as rowing pancake masters Joseph and Anthony took home first prize in the rowed vessel portion of the annual Kon Tiki overnight on the nearby Putnam County reservation. Fifteen Scouts and ten adults made the trip, and many took part in the maritime mayhem on the pond, testing the rather advanced design of a special craft created by Joe’s dad Khalil. A success, without doubt. The raft, with its sliding seat and long oars, proved somewhat tricky to operate but once set in motion, it broke several decades-old Clear Lake speed records and, indeed, challenged the very notion that pure speed in a vessel with a fire on deck is unattainable. The fires of the campfire (with hilarious skits) and the cookfires also burned brightly, as the Scouts finished a day that also included archery and team-building games, advancement work - and the mother of all acorn wars. A clear night brought lots of star-gazing as well as ample sleep, even for Committee member Ben who nurtured his inner survivalist by constructing a rugged hut of twigs and branches and sleeping in it. This writer preferred his snug tent, the juicy steaks prepared by Assistant Scoutmaster Dennis for the Old Goats Patrol, and the hot coffee in the morning, following another successful Troop 353 camping overnight. The next morning, an industrious group of scouts learned a bit of map & compass and hiked a few miles (indirectly) up to site #40 (location of our November outing), while others completed Totin’ Chip with Assistant Scoutmaster Michael D. For more great photos of this beautiful weekend of camping, click here.

 

Camp Read Journal 2007: Part Three

Day Five

A clear Adirondacks sky greeted the Troop as we piled into our cars for the last out-of-camp activity for the week - and a good thing too. We planned to spend a good portion of the afternoon out on roaring river, getting mightily wet. Above Lake Luzerne, New York, a 3.5-mile section of the Sacandaga River is filled with stretches of friendly rapids and fast-flowing ripples. The Sacandaga River is a tributary of the Hudson River and enters the Hudson at the border of Saratoga County and Warren County, and that’s where we aimed to end up - if we survived the rapids.

After getting our flotation gear set up, the scouts and leaders boarded a packed bus for the ride up to the the launching spot, just below the Sacandaga dam. The Troop split into two groups and we muscled the big rubber rafts down to the river, each with an experienced guide telling the boys (and the dads) what to do. After a few minutes of arranging paddles ands seats we were off. A few rapids in the early going gave the lads a bump, but we soon found ourselves on a smooth, clear stretch under a sun-streaked sky.

Man overboard! After a few friendly paddle splashes between the two boats, one of our guides “boarded” the other raft and tossed young Michael into the river. Then he got tossed. And then it was Katie bar the door - soon David, Sean, Matt, Brad, Tim, Kelsey, Dan and Simon were floating, and then Brandon, Anthony, Nick, Devon, William and Andrew hit the water, as did the dads. We floated for a mile or so, relaxing under the warm sun - our reverie broken only by the occasional splash fight.

Then it was time to reboard for the more serious rapids, all class two’s and three’s. The chant of “stroke, stroke, stroke…” broke the air and we battled our way through a few deep gulleys and around some big rocks. All too soon, we entered the Hudson and beached the rafts. Everyone agreed:  the rafting adventure was one of the highlights of the trip.

We raced back to Camp Read because one Scout had an important appointment - Sean was going on his wilderness survival overnight, and needed to head out for the mountain. The wilderness survival test is a tough one: a night in the mountains with virtually no equipment - no tent, no sleeping bag, no food, no matches. Just water bottle and a poncho. And the forecast called for rain.

And rain it did.

Day Six

Overnight, we had a bit of weather and it was dark and damp in camp as we rolled out of our bunks. But one scout was up earlier than the rest: Sean had made it through his wilderness survival test and was standing in the middle of the camp, quiet and exhausted. Many of the other scouts just stood there staring at Sean, like some kind of apparition. Later, he told us the night hadn’t been so bad - he’d built a shelter and stayed fairly dry. Boredom, it turned out, was stronger than fear.

Of course, the fear test would arrive that night - our last in camp, after a day of completing merit badges and some zip-line splashing and rock-wall climbing - with the telling of “Third Brother.” I am prohibited by the code of Camp Read from repeating this harrowing and truly scary tale, but let’s just say it’s well worth the listen - even if it does cost you some sleep.

Which is not to say plenty of sleep wasn’t lost to scary stories and tall tales during our week. It was. Not surprisingly, the older Scouts had some - shall we say - tricks up their sleeves for the younger guys. And the first-timers were suitably terror-stricken. But I will say it was all in good fun, that no one went over the line, and that post-terror, a degree of kindness reigned. Indeed, for the biggest “trick” of all, we had several volunteers! The scouts had the idea to use a human volunteer as our troop “flag” for the camp competition - one boy would be proudly “flown” from the flagpole. Andrew won the shoot-out and soon found himself hog-tied to the pole. Let’s just say, the judges didn’t quite get the Troop’s humor but we all thought it was hilarious.

That kind of leadership from the older boys was evident the night of the Big Bonfire - which came after an in-depth Firem’n Chit safety training course led by Ben, our troop’s Activities Chairman. With the help of the entire troop, a huge pyramid of wood was assembled, ready for the spark. And the boys decided that the youngest scout - our Webelos guest Devon, only 9 - should have the honor of starting the blaze. And quite appropriately, it should be started the right way, they decided, with flint and steel. It took a while, and there was one false alarm, but the veteran Brad led the youngster through the test and soon the fire was leaping into the air (quite possibly visible from space). That fire was really one for the record books, and we all stayed up late - telling and embellishing “Third Brother,” hand-churning some homemade ice cream, devouring the tasty snacks rustled up by Mike D., breaking out the guitars, and conducting our final rose-bud-thorn of the trip.

The fire died down slowly and one by one, we stole away to our cots.

Day Seven

The last morning was all packing, sweeping up in camp, last-minute inspections and some hilarity down at the mess hall as a few of the counselors got some pie their eyes. After breakfast, we packed the cars and looked forward to real beds and real bathrooms (this was a consensus view). But there was time for one last troop picture - until next year that is:

 

Camp Read Journal 2007: Part Two

Troop 353’s colors at Camp Read.

There was plenty of activity during our week at Camp Read, for both the adult leaders and the Scouts. Many, many miles were walked. Chores were completed. And the schedule was a busy one. But don’t get the idea there wasn’t any down time. We had plenty. Each day, there was the post-lunch siesta - which allowed the boys to catch up merit badges or chase after frogs and newts and for the parents to, well, take the word literally. And during the course of the week, the guitars came out (along with a bass and a mandolin), more than one Harry Potter volume was seen in camp, and we even made our own ice cream.

Day Three

There was down time and then there was down time. On day three, many of the Scouts and couple of adults took that literally, meaning down as in underground. With the help of an expert guide, the Troop explored an underground cave over at Camp Waubeeka. They scurried down what appeared to be a glorified rabbit hole and scrunched through an underground passage, complete with stream, to the exit a couple of hundred yards away. A unique experience and one that all the participants found illuminating - and drenching as well: there was one part where they had to briefly swim underwater to pass between caverns!

A word about the weather. While we thankfully missed a heat wave by a week, we did get our fair share of rain. The tents are canvas, but they held up well. Ponchos were necessary a few days. And one night we had a real downpour, with the rain drumming on the tents. Most of us stayed dry, and we kept an eye out for violent weather as well.

Day Four

After a morning of classes and a quick lunch, the Troop hit the road down the Northway toward Lake George. It was good to get a break from the camp routine, and the boys were excited about the outing. A gorgeous day with bright blue skies provided the perfect backdrop for our ride at Saddle Up Stables, just up the road from Lake George Village.

We went off in two groups, with all boys wearing helmets. Some had horseback experience, others didn’t but everyone seemed to do well (despite a few allergic reactions that required a brief Benadryl break afterward). The ride was a good hour up into the hills, along a few narrow trails. The highlight for me was a sweeping view of Lake George from the mountain before heading down.

After the ride it was off down the road to Lake Luzerne to the Painted Pony Rodeo. It was strange to find a western/country style attraction in upstate New York - complete with a vocal ‘twang from the announcers - but it was also great fun. We gorged on all-you-can-eat barbecue and the boys played keep-away in one the fields (they met up with another Scout troop from Pennsylvania), and eyed the bulls in their pens. Then it was showtime: a real competitive rodeo, featuring cowboys and cowgirls from the region in fast-paced competition. The Scouts watched amazed at the Bareback Bronc Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Tie-Down Roping, Team Roping, Cowgirls’ Barrel Racing, Cowgirls’ Breakaway Racing and the most dangerous of them all: Bull Riding. It certainly put our own hour in the saddle into perspective!

Troop 353 enjoys the rodeo.

We got back quite late from our “western” outing, and for once, the Scouts hit the sack in voluntary fashion. They knew that the next day was the big rafting trip - and for one Scout, a test of survival.

Next: Rolling on the river and the big bonfire. And be sure to check out more great photos from camp - here and here.