West Point 2011

West Point 2011   The troop went to the West Point Scout Camporee 2011. I did not get the opportunity to go this year, but I heard it was very fun. I was told that in the morning there was a workout, then all day there were activities to go to. From what I was told, the camporee was a lot of fun, and I wish could have been a part of it. YIS, Eric Weidman

Yawgoog 7/3-10/2011

Yawgoog 7/3-10/2011   When we arrived, we checked in and lugged our gear down to the site and settled into our new tents. Hotdogs from the campfire were the Sunday night dinner. On Monday morning we had pancakes and cereal for breakfast, then the troop picture and the swim test. After lunch, hotdogs again this time from the dining hall, we went to the afternoon merit badge classes, had dinner, and went to bed. Monday we had breakfast, merit badges, lunch, merit badges, dinner, and then something special for the fourth of July. Camp had a special show for the fourth of July. Tuesday-Friday were similar except Thursday was the mile swim and there was one show on Friday. There were five scouts that participated in the mile swim, four from our troop- Courty, Morgan, Jesse, and Nick. Everyone finished and it was fun. On Friday, scouts in the troop in communications merit badge class held a troop campfire with skits jokes and more. On Saturday, the last merit badge class day, there was only morning classes and all merit badges closed at noon. Our troop went on a five mile hike after lunch and then there was a camp wide Saturday night show. Finally, Sunday was the last day of camp. All that happened then was tent clean outs, breakfast, religious services, and WE WENT HOME!!!!!! Yawgoog was a great time again and I plan on going again next year. YIS, Eric Weidman

Liberty Springs Backpacking Trip 8/6-9/11

Liberty Springs Backpacking Trip 8/6-9/11   On Saturday, August 6, we drove up to Sugarloaf campground to begin our high adventure trip. We set up camp and hiked up one of the Sugarloaf mountains. After that, we were invited to play a game of ultimate Frisbee. We played for awhile against another group, and decided to go have dinner. After we cleaned up, we played some games in the dark with the same group. The next day, we packed up camp and drove to the trail head we would be hiking from. We hiked 3.8 miles up to the campsite, made our shelter, and hike up Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume, two 4,000 Ft peaks, adding on another 3.6 miles for a total of 7.4 miles on Sunday. On Monday, we went the opposite way on the ridgeline to Little Haystack, Lincoln, and Lafayette. All were above 4,000 ft high, but Little Haystack is not considered one of the 48 4,000 footers in New Hampshire. Monday Grand total: 7.6 miles. Finally, on Tuesday, we hiked the 3.8 miles down from the campsite, and drove home. Along the way we stopped at Subway for lunch, and the longest candy counter in the world- Chutters. Overall, it was a great trip and everybody had fun. I would do it again if it was offered. YIS, Eric Weidman

Rock's Tree Farm February 16 -18, 2008 Not content with only one extreme winter camping trip, Troop 474 headed back outdoors for a chilling hike in the White Mountains. Only this time, they extended their stay to three days. Saving the hike up Mt. Pierce for the next day, the scouts busied themselves in pitching the camp upon arrival. The snow was so deep, even in the campsite, they had to wear snowshoes! Soon a campfire was built. Not being satisfied with merely a center of warmth, they, being resourceful, constructed "snowbenches" around the fire for further comfort. That night was spent in song, skits, and activities. After all, benches usually denote an audience, right? Waking up in ten degrees below zero weather is not exactly what most would call exciting, but they made the best of it. The hike up Mt. Pierce had its perks. For example, Canadian Jays, in a certain area, would land on your hand if there was food in it. On top of that, they would only eat a particular type of nut, discarding the rest. As previously mentioned, the snow was extremely deep. In fact, it was so deep that near the peak, it almost completely covered the 6 foot high trail sign at a fork in the road, concealing the correct direction in which to hike. On the third day, the scouts were temporarily stranded in the campsite due to ice covering the parking lot. The town had to send sanders down so they could drive out safely. As always, the scouts look forward to next year's exciting extreme winter trip.Troop Scribe, Domenic Casinelli

ADK (Adirondacks) January 19 - 21, 2008 Lake Placid, NY A handful of seasoned, adventurous scouts challenged the frigid climate and enrolled in an overnight camping trip in Lake Placid, New York.  Their mission was to hike four miles to the camping ground, spend the night there, then continue hiking to Indian Pass, turn around, and return to the parking lot.  The concept of extreme winter camping is simple, defeat the cold, or it will defeat you.  The next thirty-six hours would be a constant battle between each Scout and a relentless foe, the weather.  The worst enemy is perspiration. When one sweats, it freezes, which in turn freezes the individual.  Body temperature is one of the many concerns during a cold weather camping trip.  After some last minute equipment checks, the fight began, as the scouts started hiking.  Throughout the day, it snowed in spurts.  During the night, the temperature dropped to negative fifteen degrees.  And at eight the next morning, it was still negative five. Avoiding frostbite was tricky, since they not only had to keep moving, but also cook breakfast.  After breakfast, they completed the preplanned hike.  Since the entire hike was below the tree line, as opposed to hiking a mountain above the tree line, there weren't many spectacular views.  There was one exception, however, that overlooked a frozen lake.  They learned that if you are looking for views, hiking up a mountain is the best option. Domenic Casinelli Troop Scribe

Scout Band Performance

 

For the sixth year in a row, the Boy Scouts of Troop 474 expressed a desire to continue the tradition of a Boy Scout Christmas band. Adam Clark, a Life Scout of our troop, became this year's Christmas band director.  From 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. the band spread music to the Guilford populace. They visited Wal-Mart, the Guilford House, Fowler's nursing home, and a new destination—Sachems Hollow. While at Wal-Mart, they collected money for the Guilford Food Bank. Their repertoire included carols such as Silent Night, Dreydl-Dreydl, and We Wish you a Merry Christmas, among many others. At every stop toes were tapped, smiles were seen, and praises were passed. The Guilford House even baked cookies and made drinks for the band members. At the end of the day, the band felt that they had accomplished something and are looking forward to next year.

 

Domenic Casinelli
Troop Scribe

   Turkey Roast Weekend

   

According to tradition, our Troop holds an annual Turkey Roast Weekend held at Deer lake. But this year, Troop 474 extended its invitations to two Cub Scout Packs as well a Girl Scout Troop. It was a day of nonstop activities, games, and fellowship. As the day progressed, newcomers flocked to the campsite. All enjoyed the recreations, but all looked forward with eager expectations to the dinner. Ten turkeys were roasted over an open fire and served with potatoes, stuffing, gravy, dinner rolls, and of course, dessert. The saying goes, "the more the merrier", and with over 200 people for dinner, we were undoubtedly a merry gathering. The more courageous souls braved the cold night and camped there to sleep heavily due to a full day of fun. 

Domenic Casinelli
Troop Scribe