On January 27, Troops 323 and 3323 recognized scouts and youth leaders for their hard work at our Court of Honor. Our scouts earned rank patches from Scout through Star, as well as merit badges and prizes for holiday greens top sellers. Our Eagle Scout Wyatt conducted a research project on perception of water taste. Afterwards, we all feasted on donuts, cookies, and Rice Krispy treats.

We wanted to take a minute to honor Bill Dunlop, a dedicated leader and father who passed away unexpectedly just before Christmas. Bill was COR for Troops 3/323 since 2019 and was involved with Cub Scout Pack 323 for a solid decade before that. He was vitally important to so many scouts and helped so many other leaders with his humor, knowledge, and constant encouragement. Memorial services were held Jan. 17 and his remains were interred at All Saints Lutheran Church. We’ll miss you, Mr. Bill, there will never be another like you.

On December 7-9, our troop assembled at McDowell Mountain Preserve for our annual outing. The next day, more than a dozen scouts set out on a 28-mile bike ride, which took until 6:00 pm to complete. Halfway through, our scouts stopped at Balance Rock to take a break and eat lunch. After the bike ride, the scouts cooked spaghetti for the troop, made s’mores, then left the next day.

On November 8, many of our scouts assembled at All Saints Lutheran Church for leadership training. They learned about leadership principles, working as a team, and how to lead effectively. During the training, they participated in many exercises, such as guiding blindfolded people through a course, and tossing one person balloons that represent responsibilities. After the training was over, scouts were rewarded with pizza and soda.