On November 28th, the Family Cub Scout Pack gathered at Goodwin Forest for a one-mile Pack hike. They learned what it means to “be prepared” to hike, even in the rain, and had a most pleasant time. They examined nature as they went along and even found a treasure – a slug investigating a piece of bobcat scat! Scout leaders agreed – it doesn’t get any better than that.
On November 21st, twenty-five Scouts, leaders and friends of the BSA Troops rose before the crack of dawn to tackle the final leg of the Hiking Merit Badge, a monumental twenty-mile hike on two sections of the Air Line trail. One crew started at Pomfret Senior Center and hiked all the way to Goodwin Forest in Hampton for lunch and then back again. A second crew walked from East Hampton through Colchester, Hebron, Columbia, Lebanon, and Windham, enjoyed lunch at the Raymond Brook Wildlife Area, and ended at the Railroad History Museum in Windham. The picturesque journeys brought the Scouts not only along a waterfall, cattle pastures, and wetland marshes, but they also spotted an owl, a beaver, several snakes, and a fox along the way. All participants on both legs of the hike made it to the finish line, with Scouts offering first aid and moral support to one another along the way. Many thanks to Merit Badge counselor, Dr. Bill Johnson, who guided the Scouts through the Hiking Merit Badge process – they couldn’t have done it without his support.
On December 20th, all three groups gathered in the foot-deep snow at the Hampton Town Hall Pavilion for recognition and fun. First, we held a Pack awards and Troop Court of Honor ceremony. Cub Scout Sam Caisse received the rank patch of Webelos. In the BSA Troops, 15 merit badges were awarded as well as many rank advancements. The first rank of Scout was awarded to Cody Bailey, Cardyn Feen, Emily Nunn, and Tricia Nanni while the rank of Tenderfoot was awarded to Elijah Feen and Helen Telford. Finally, the rank of Star was awarded to Genevieve Rondeau. After the ceremony, everyone enjoyed an afternoon of sledding and snowball fights while fresh snow fell upon them all.
On January 3rd, all three groups again gathered to tackle Goodwin Forest’s New Year’s “Hike-n-Seek”. We split up into four groups to cover the area of the forest and were able to find all 29 items on the scavenger hunt list. It was great fun and we thank Meagan Rondeau at Goodwin for her coordination of this event. The Scouts continue to hold their regular meetings outdoors when the weather permits, safely masked and distanced during these COVID times. New Scouts are always invited to join!
Michelle Mlyniec
The Family Cub Scout Pack 93 is for boys and girls in grades K-5. The Scouts BSA Troops are for boys and girls in grades 6-12. For more information contact: Michelle Mlyniec, 860.465.7344 or MMmlyniec@gmail.com.