Surf Camp is a great easy little trip for new scouts to learn the ropes of scouting. This was in fact the first trip I went on as a boy scout. Although there are not very many merit badges to earn at this camp, it does give you a great chance to get some other sign offs for your rank advancement.
Surf camp is also a unique experience offered by troop 506. Only troop 506 offers surf camp. Mr. Catanzaro even had a special class where you could earn a patch. It was very easy to get if you paid attention. This was called The Surfrider award.
What also made this surf camp even more incredible is that a journalist from scout life magazine came. Our surf camp was featured in the 2024 August edition of scout life magazine. It was incredible.
Even if you don’t like surfing, Surf camp has plenty of other options. Last year at surf camp there was a riptide starting under a bridge & you could boogie board & float on it into the sea. It was super cool. And we played a lot of card games in our down time at surf camp. So even if surfing isn’t for you, come check it out anyway.
Philmont is a very special trip that our 506G troop got to attend this summer (2024). It is a twelve day high adventure backpacking trip in New Mexico. Philmont is not like other backpacking trips, in the sense that there are events/activities that the scouts get to attend almost everyday. Our crew spent months going on training hikes, backpacking trips, and planning for this fun, but tough, trip.
There were so many fun activities that we participated in, but some of our crew’s favorites were horseback riding, black powder shooting, and Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience (COPE – a rope course and team building exercises). Additionally, we all loved the campfires where there were funny skits, good songs, and overall good comradery. There were also beautiful views, sun rises, and sunsets that we got the chance to experience.
Philmont was definitely a hard and life-changing experience for the entire crew. Although there was rain, thunder, and a lot of hiking, we persevered and made it to all our events! I think these hardships made everyone so much tougher, and brought our crew closer together too. Even though we had chosen a 65-mile trek, in all, we hiked over 100 miles all together! This just goes to show that we are all so much tougher than we believe, and Philmont definitely helped our crew to realize that about ourselves.
Over summer, the girls of Troop 506 enjoyed a week at camp Emerald Bay, on Catalina Island. Camp Emerald Bay is known for their many water activities and merit badges. Our troop had a fun time doing some of the activities that Camp Emerald Bay offers. As a troop, 506G did snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, and much more. Additionally the campfires were also a widely enjoyed activity among the scouts.
Camp Emerald Bay offered many activities for individuals as well as troops, so 506G was kept busy and entertained the whole time. One of the main things that our scouts enjoyed was meeting other scouts from all over. Since there were so many activities, it allowed for scouts to mingle around and meet new people.
One fun troop activity that 506G did, was the War Canoe, where all ten scouts were in one canoe paddling through the ocean to a different beach. At that beach, the troop hung out for the day and spent the night. A couple years ago, when 506G previously went to Camp Emerald Bay, the War Canoes were still shut down because of Covid. So, it was really nice that this fun and memorable experience was able to be had this year at camp.
Even though this camp experience was a lot of fun, there were many opportunities for scouts to learn and grow. At Camp Emerald Bay, there are a variety of different merit badges that a scout can earn. In addition, there is also time for scouts to get sign offs and learn new skills. After the fun week at Camp Emerald Bay, every scout came home with more merit badges under their belt.
Overall, this year at Camp Emerald bay was definitely a success! All the scouts had a lot of fun doing things they might not normally do, like learning how to sail, go snorkeling, etc. Many lasting memories were created this year at camp, and we are excited to create even more at next year’s camp, wherever it might be!
One of my favorite scout trips is the February Colorado River canoe trip. This is an annual event that the hard-working parents of Troop 506B and Troop 506G organize. I have been on this adventure twice, and both were fantastic experiences. This trip lasts about four days. There is so much more to this trip than just canoeing. We get to explore caves, hot springs, hiking trails, and the beauty of nature.
Troop 506 scouts start a scenic day down the river
We take two different routes on this stunning river. One route starts at Hoover Dam and goes down the river from there. The other begins at Chocolate and has a scenic route of tall cliffs and shimmering water. Both have many landmark sights that everyone should see at least once.
Troop 506 canoeing on the majestic Colorado River
To go on this trip, you need to train. You can do this by going on the “Salty Rat” around Mission Bay. This is a canoe trip that is 6 hours long. You also have to go on two training days to properly steer a canoe, use a paddle, and get back into the canoe if you capsize. The training is purposely more difficult than the trip to ensure you are prepared.
Troop 506 reflects on the entire trip
This is an experience that everyone should try. Troop 506 is very inclusive, so you can canoe on the river as soon as you are twelve. If you are not convinced already, let me tell you that the Colorado River is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. I highly enjoyed this trip and hope to go on it many more times in my scouting journey.
View from the canoe. It doesn’t get much better than this!
Scouts from Troop 506 enjoy perfect weather as they cruise down the river in their canoes
One of the most enjoyable trips in my Scouting journey is Surf Camp. Surf Camp is an event only offered by Troop 506. We get to hang out with all of our friends in the sun all day long. It is a very leisurely experience that was designed to create a break for Scouts, somewhere Scouts could enjoy the environment and natural wonder around us, the coastline.
Although this trip is made easy for the Scouts, we still get many chances to get sign-offs and learn many new skills. Every year there is a new experience and even more enjoyment. It is so unique that this year a journalist from Scout Life Magazine visited us to write an article about our adventures. This made the Surf Camp experience even more satisfying.
There are many different activities to choose from including surfing, boogie boarding, swimming, and more. We also do many different activities on land such as friendship bracelets and hanging out at the campsite. The Surfrider Award is also offered and led by Mr. Catanzaro. This is a very special award, and there are not too many chances to get it. Surf Camp is a wonderful opportunity to earn this awesome award.
This was the first Scout trip that I went on when I joined the troop two years ago. I have made so many new friends at Surf Camp. This is also an event that a lot of alumni come to. This trip is perfect for a relaxing break. I personally love this trip and hope to go on it many more times in my Scouting journey.
Nearby Austria, in northern Italy, are some of the most beautiful and unique mountains in the world. From lush forests and greenery to sheer cliff and rock formations, the Dolomites are a one the most diverse mountain ranges ever. I was lucky enough to spend seven days in an old town in the Dolomites called Cortina. If you haven’t heard of it , Cortina hosted the Olympics in 1956 and will again in 2028. Scouting’s motto is “Prepared for Life” and hiking is a huge part of my life so Scouting has prepared me in many ways for the hikes I do. Some of the ways they prepare me is by hosting animals and nature meetings where we discuss different animals and plants, some that are dangerous and others that you can eat! Also Scouting hosts backpacking and hiking preparation meetings where they talk about what to pack depending on how long the hike will be. Scouting has a huge influence on how my family, fellow Scouters, and I hike!
The main hike I did was a two-day, two-part “trek”. The first day we hiked up the base through a forest and over a river. We ended at a little restaurant cottage along a road. The hike that day took 4 hours 22 mins with a total distance of 8.27 miles and 1,945 ft elevation gain. We walked home and enjoyed some Italian cuisine and rest, ready for a much harder hike tomorrow. The next day we woke up, bought fresh food at the local bakery, packed it all into our backpacks, and drove along the road to the restaurant we left the day before and started hiking. This hike was very different from the one the day before. In this one it was very steep and we had a lot more elevation gain faster. The time was 5 hours 27 minutes with a total distance of 10.17 miles with an elevation gain of 2,441ft. We hiked back down and enjoyed the day, watched the trail running race that was in town and ate some great food.
We continued doing many more hikes on the trip, including Tre Cime and hiking Mount Etna in Sicily. Hiking in nature has been a huge part of my life especially in Scouts. I first truly loved backpacking on a winter hike up San Jacinto with fellow scouters. Nature is such an amazing thing and that is why scouting has the outdoor code, to protect wildlife so that every person, Scout, and animal can enjoy it.
The girls troop went on a camping trip in Yuma, Arizona, with the purpose of doing what was essentially a lazy river trip. Monica Winters, an ASM, organized this trip after organizing white water rafting at Kern River for a few years now. It ended up being 3 hour float trip with numerous little adventures within. As a scout who attended, this trip was very fun and I hope it becomes an annual trip.
On March 18, 2023, the girls’ troop went to the San Diego Food Bank. There, they packaged bags of fruit to be distributed by the food bank at a later date. The people there that day ended up packaging roughly 6,000 pounds of fruit to help people in need. They packaged pears and oranges into mesh bags for two hours that day.
Audrey Weishaar, one of the volunteers, described the experience. “At the food bank, we started off by getting a safety talk. We were told we had to watch out for forklifts, wear gloves, and learn how much fruit to put in each bag. We then seperated into two groups, since there were too many of us to fit at only one crate of fruit. So one group filled bags with pears and the other with oranges. The adults helped too! It was a lot of fun. I’d never done something like that. With Girl Scouts I’d done food drives, but never something like this. It was really cool to see so much food get prepared. There was a very big sense of accomplishment with helping so many people.”
Recently, Troop 506B went on a trek in the Philmont Scout Ranch, which is located in New Mexico. The boys crew was made up of Gavin Stransky, Chance Rynearson, Colin Hayward, Max Busboom, Hunter George, Mr. Stransky, Mr. Schantz, and Mr. Busboom. Opened in 1938, Philmont Scout Ranch is a national High Adventure base, where tens of thousands of scouts visit every year.
At Little Costilla, one of Philmont’s peaks, Troop 506’s crew had a run-in with a lightning storm and several forest fires (however they were all put out quickly). Moving down from the peak during the lightning storm was also dangerous, as they were all possible lightning rods while on the top of the mountain. Instead of hiking the 11.8 miles the Philmont guide had said it took to summit Little Costilla, they had gone 16 miles, taking 10 hours to finish their hike.
Philmont requires visitors to perform a conservation project before leaving, in order to keep up the natural beauty of the Scout Ranch. On the morning of Troop 506’s conservation project, the crew woke up at 4am, and were ready to leave at 6am. They were 2 miles away from the project site, and had to be there by 7:30. At 7am, before they were at the project site, the crew came across a river. They tried to make many plans to get across the river without getting wet, but they were all too dangerous or unrealistic. Max Busboom eventually decided to run across the river, with not a single care about getting himself or his gear wet. After reaching the site on time, the crew went to the main office, but were not greeted by any staff members whatsoever. Looking inside, Hunter George saw a group sleeping in the mailroom, most likely from the Rayado program. The Rayado program is a twenty day backpacking trip at Philmont only for experienced backpackers. After a while, the Troop 506 crew was able to finish their conservation project after staff appeared to talk to them.
Thank you to Hunter George for all the stories about Philmont, they were the backbone of this article.
