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.
Our troop celebrated its 40th anniversary in September 2025. We played a game of Jeopardy, had on open mic for jokes and skits, and ate snacks baked by our troop as part of a cooking contest. Over 100 guests, including six former scoutmasters and three of the 139 Scouts who have earned the rank of Eagle with Troop 323, showed up in order to celebrate the milestone!
In November 2025, our scouts camped out at Burro Creek. On the drive up, we stopped at the abandoned town of “Nothing,” and made plenty of jokes about its name. After arriving at the campsite, we hiked along the creek to stare up at the Burro Creek Bridge. Afterward, we spent the night, and returned home in the morning. We had a great time.
