- Details
- Category: Current Issue
caption:
Wall Shelter
Troop 21 Boy Scout Raihden Albino, left, and Assistant Patrol Leader Timothy Maltais built a winter survival shelter. Photo by John D. Ryan
STAFFORD —Yes, you can comfortably camp outdoors in the wintertime. Just ask the Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 21, of Putnam. They just spent a successful weekend camping in Stafford Springs.
“It’s fun to get the kids out and show them they can camp and have fun in the winter,” said Scoutmaster John D. Ryan, of Putnam. “We made sure the boys had the right equipment for winter, and the tents go up just like in the summer. It was a really good time.”
With permission from the landowner, last weekend Troop 21 pitched their tents and set up their kitchen and gear along the pond and woods on private property at the Quatrano Farm in Stafford Springs. Ryan and other adult volunteer Scout leaders spent the weekend teaching the boys how to camp in the snow, including, among a number of activities, fire building, camp cooking, building emergency survival shelters and animal tracking in the snow.
“Scouting helps to build character and leadership in young men,” Ryan ‘said. “We show boys they can have self confidence and do things they wouldn’t otherwise challenge themselves to do, just like we did this weekend. We’d love to have more Scouts in our troop and show them the fun we have.”
Troop 21 is looking for boys 11 to 17, is open to all faiths, welcomes boys with special needs and never turns any boy away for financial reasons. If interested call 860-928-7241.
Among other activities, Troop 21 started its annual program with a week at Scout camp in July, followed by a hike on the Airline Trail in Thompson, a weekend helping out at the annual “Circle of Fun” carnival at St. Mary’s, a wilderness survival camping trip, two winter camping expeditions and a special local-history hike in Putnam.
After a month-long March food drive, a fishing trip and separate rifle, archery and climbing wall weekends are planned, before Troop 21 heads back to its annual week at summer camp this July.
..