BOY SCOUT TROOP 237

Rochester, NH

Schedule of Dates & Events

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - No Troop Meeting
Wednesday, February 6, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - Court of Honor Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Thursday, February 14, 2008 - Abnaki District Roundtable
Saturday, February 16, 2008 - Abnaki District Klondike Derby
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Thursday, February 21, 2008 - PLC & Troop Committee Meeting at the Church - 6:00pm
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - No Troop Meeting
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Friday, March 7 to Sunday, March 9, 2007 - Troop Winter / Spring Cabin at HVSR
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Thursday, March 13, 2008 - Abnaki District Roundtable
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Thursday, March 20, 2008 - PLC & Troop Committee Meeting at the Church - 6:00pm
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Thursday, April 10, 2008 - Abnaki District Roundtable
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm
Thursday, April 17, 2008 - PLC & Troop Committee Meeting at the Church - 6:00pm
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - No Troop Meeting
Friday, April 25 to Sunday, April 27, 2088 - Abnaki District Spring Camporee
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - Troop Meeting at the Church - 6:15pm

Troop Meetings

Troop Meetings begin with scouts arriving at 6:15pm to setup, the meeting starts promptly at 6:30pm and lasts until 8:00pm on Wednesday evenings at the First Church Congregational Church on South Main Street. The First Church Congregational Church is the sponsoring institution and is much appreciated by everyone associated with Troop 237. The Patrol Leaders Council and the Committee Meeting are held on the third Thursday of the month, PLC at 6:00pm and the Troop Committee Meeting at 7:00pm.

Troop Policy

To see the Scout Troop #237 Policy Manual click here.

Summer Camp

Troop 237 does summer camp at Hidden Valley Scout Reservation in Gilmanton, NH during Week 5. Scouts work on advancement within ranks and for merit badges. New scouts enroll in the First Year Program where they get many requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class done. Troop 237 usually has scouts and sometimes adults participate in the mile swim. The troop always does afternoon troop activities, the following pictures come from 2006.

Here is a picture that gives an idea of the campsite for the week.

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Here are the scouts at the entrance they built into the site.

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A fun activity during the week was Assault Boats, trying to fill the other boats with water.

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Scouting For Food

Scouting For Food is a program where special bags are distributed to homes on one Saturday in November then picked up on the following Saturday. Troop 237 always participates in this program and delivers items to a facility that will be coordinating the program. The items collected form the generous homes donating food are returned to the local community through soup kitchens, food pantries, etc. The generous homes donating food are thanked by all.

Fund Raisers

The troop participates in the BSA Popcorn sales program each year. The troop also makes and sells Christmas wreathes each year. The scouts usually come up with other fundraiser ideas during the course of the year (car washes are quite popular) where some of the profits goes into the scout accounts for each participant to help pay for Summer Camp or other scout related costs.

Abnaki District Events

To achieve Quality Unit status, the troop participates in each Abnaki District event. These events include Fall Camporee, Spring Camporee, Hike-A-Thon, Winter Freeze and Klondike Derby. Camporees and the Klondike Derby have various stations set up for competition and are held at different places each year.

Winter Cabin & Other Troop Events

The troop also schedules its own events. Winter Cabin has historically been done at HVSR in a large, one room cabin on Lake Eileen. When scouts have just crossed over from a Cub Scout Pack, this is a good initial event with the troop. The troop has also used this cabin for special Junior Leader Training, an additional Spring weekend and for the base of a Fall Hike. Another event that Troop 237 attends every year is Wolfeboro Weekend in June. This campout is sponsored by Troop 165 in Wolfeboro and is held at Brewster Academy. The activities usually include both scouting skills and sports with the scouts finding this to be one of the most fun events of the year (even when the weather is tough).

SPECIAL - A Log Cabin is Moved

The Rochester School Department had a log cabin to be removed. It was built by the students of the McClelland School in 1981 but was beginning to become a problem. An offer was made to the Scoutmaster, Dave Robbins, and he accepted. He was willing to have it relocated to his property near an area used at times by Troop 237. Dave Robbins and Assistant Scoutmaster Dave Averill immediately worked on clearing the woods road into the area wide enough for the cabin to pass and reinforced the bridge crossing Howards Brook on that road. Dave Averill also enlisted the help of Adam Morin and they both put in many hours and a huge effort.

Adam's father is Dennis Morin of Dennis Morin Building Mover, 396 Shady Nook Road, West Newfield, Maine 04095-3512 (207-793-4092). The equipment needed to move the log cabin was loaned by Mr. Morin for use on July 5, 2002. Much work was done in advance by Dave and Adam such as removing the fireplace to keep a reasonably balanced load. That week was incredibly hot and humid while Dave and Adam put in many hours cutting brush around the cabin, removing the fireplace and preparing for the move.

Early on the morning of July 5, 2002 the team of Dave Averill and Adam Morin was joined by Dave's neighbor Adelbert (Del) Twitchell and Assistant Scoutmaster Dennis Schafer to complete the move. Using the equipment loaned by Dennis Morin and a borrowed trailer, the log cabin was successfully moved from the McClelland School parcel to the Robbins property.

Here is a picture of the log cabin in place but still on the trailer.

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Here is a picture of the four volunteers that day after the cabin was removed from the trailer, leveled and equipment put away. Left to right: Dave Averill, Adam Morin, Del Twitchell and Dennis Schafer.

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