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Boy Scouts of America Troop 275
The year 2009 was a productive one for the scouts involved with BSA Troop 275. The boys did a very good job in planning a schedule that contained a variety of activities that helped them learn new skills, strengthen friendships, and foster teamwork. Some of the activities that individuals and the troop were involved with during the year 2009 concerned helping those less fortunate and volunteering time for service projects. These included: • Taking part in the 500 Festival Parade, volunteering their time to set up chairs and seat people in the grandstand. • Participating in the Castleton Optimist Club Christmas party, where we assisted the club in serving dinner to needy families, including those in our community, and handing out Christmas presents.
Popcorn sales and the troop’s annual Christmas tree sale in conjunction with the Castleton Optimist Club continue to be primary fundraisers. The Christmas Tree sale went very well this year with only 2 trees left over. The Kohl’s "A Team" participated in the Christmas party, resulting in a $500 donation to the Troop.
The boys (and many parents) took part in a variety of camping trips, merit badge events, and other trips this year. They included: • Ski Trip to Timber Ridge in Michigan; • North East district swimmeree; • Lincoln Pilgrimage Hike at Springfield, Illinois; • Spring Camporee at Camp Bear Creek – The theme was "Pioneering"; • Summer camp at Camp Ransburg, on Lake Monroe; • White Stag Leadership camp; • Several scouts obtained the Order of the Arrow and Firecrafter awards; • Cub Scout Pack 831 Camporee; • Fall Camporee at Camp Redwing. Theme was "CSI Redwing"; • Trip to Holiday World and camping at Marengo Caves; • November backpacking campout to Adventure Point at Ransburg; • Winter Blast campout at Belzer Scout Camp Belzer; and • Using the donations to the James Scott Memorial Fund, members of the Troop embarked on a very successful High Adventure trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan.
Finally, Troop 275 was extremely proud to have 4 boys attain the rank of Eagle Scout during 2009. Donny Baskerville, Lance Fulling, Brendan Nolan, and Derek Slipher successfully completed all the requirements, and sat for their Board of Reviews.
 Cub Scout Pack 831
Pack 831 is excited to be the newest member of the Scout units that are partnered with Faith Presbyterian Church. The scouts had a great summer going to various camps, helping with the Strawberry Festival at the church, and having a Raingutter Regatta race, among other things. We have an exciting fall and winter program planned. We would love for any interested boy (and parents) to contact us and check us out!
 Young Men and Women - Ages 14 through 20
Venturing Crew 1776 is an active crew that is working on advancements in categories such as Arts & Hobbies and Sports and has a regularly scheduled commitment of serivce to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis. This past spring, the Crew took part in the Lincoln Trail Camporee and activities in Springfield, Illinois in celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200 birthday. Venturing Crew 1776 was recently recognized as a "Centennial Quality Unit" and was named the 2009 Northeast District Crew of the Year.
We have 4 regular (active) Crew members, and several who appear more randomly. We are discussing ways to recruit to build up the membership. We have two Crew members who have earned their Bronze award. We hope for two more Bronze recipients by their award ceremony (Court of Honor. aqua C.O.H.) February 28th, 2010.
Four members are currently working on their 'God and Country' award, and should be finished for the February C.O.H. too. Pastor Kim Olson provided guidance and information for one of the sessions. One Crew member is actively working on his Gold award (others are working on this too, but not at the same pace). The Gold is the middle level of awards in Venture Scouts. Last spring, we helped Habitat For Humanity on several occasions. We helped make 'kits' and subassemblies for mini-barns, and plan on helping again this year.
One Crew member attended Kodiak (youth leadership training) and did C.O.P.E. (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) at Ransburg Scout Camp. This C.O.P.E. is a high adventure course of steel cables and platforms elevated 20 - 30 feet above ground. We are getting more involved with Troop 275 by attending some of their outings. Last year included camping with them at Lincoln Trails in the spring, and on a backpacking trip last fall. We will plan to join them this year on the ski trip (January), Pokagon tobogganing and camping (February), Wright-Patterson A.F.B. camping, hike and museum (March) and Lincoln Trails camping (April). The Voyageurs Canoe training was conducted last fall to get the Crew into some canoeing or white water rafting this summer.
Girl Scout Troops 828 and 54/9
Our Troops combined and started meeting in September of this year. We are comprised of 6th through 12th grade girls in the Lawrence Township area. We asked to meet at Faith Presbyterian Church so that it would not seem like the Troops were aligned with a particular school (making some girls feel they didn’t "fit in").
We came together (and accepted girls from other troops that have folded) to make our group stronger. By joining forces we have been able to accomplish more. We do separate into Middle School and High School groupings for age appropriate topics and interest’s.
This is a difficult time period for our youth and we are working on topics related to helping them through this. Self esteem, peer pressure, and independence along with consequences of actions, are a few of the topics.
We also like to have fun. We have been camping (working on outdoor skills), made Gingerbread Houses for the Conner Prairie contest (the Middle School girls won third place!) and learned about careers in science at Ball State University (they also let us in the lab to do experiments!). We even were able to donate brownies and a few cookies to the bake sale portion of Faith's Holiday Bazzar (made while making our gingerbread houses).
Service to community has been a big push along the way. There was a trash removal at Brown County State Park (while camping), learning to be mentors to younger girls and volunteering at a Christmas Party for Foster Children. We have plans for more service projects in the spring (the next project is putting together diaper bags for indigent mothers at Community Hospital East).
 Strengthening our relationship with Faith Presbyterian is important and the troop participated in events such as the Strawberry Festival and helping with a catered meal last fall. In recognition of our connection with Faith, the Troop, in combination with Pack 831 and Crew 1776 are unofficially calling ourselves "Indy Scouts of Faith" and have put up a web site by that name.
Click here to go to the web site for: Cub Scout Pack 831, Boy Scout Troop 275, and Venturing Crew 1776 |
Troop 275 has been chartered through Faith Presbyterian Church for several decades. The boys (and many parents) take part in a variety of camping trips, merit badge events, and other trips for service projects. Troop 275 is a "Centennial Quality Unit" and was named the 2009 Northeast District Troop of the Year.