Philmont scout ranch

7/27/24 - 8/3/24

By Adeline

Located in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico, Philmont Scout Ranch is one of the BSA’s four high adventure bases and covers an expanse of roughly 140,177 acres, including broad sweeps of prairie and desert plain. Temperatures are mercurial, rising into the hundreds during the day and plummeting to freezing at night. A journey through Philmont is by no means an easy endeavor.

Yet this July, a handful of our most experienced Scouts undertook an expedition there.

These Scouts spent almost a year diligently preparing for the trip, practicing, reviewing, and learning in order to successfully face the many obstacles they would encounter. In the last few months leading up to the endeavor, they even camped amidst freezing rain to ensure that they were ready for the trip.

Their training paid off at Philmont, where they carried all of their gear and food between various base camps, battling rocky terrain, blistering heat, and steep increases in altitude.

Our Scouts rode horses and participated in a campfire program. They also spent three hours working on a conservation project which aims to create a four-mile trail.

The uncontested highlight, however, was climbing the Tooth of Time. The Tooth of Time is a distinctive geological feature located in Philmont’s eastern region, notable both for its namesake resemblance to a human canine and for its distinctive pinkish-gray color. It has an elevation of almost exactly 9,000 feet, and the final half mile is a grade three bouldering climb.

In order to successfully climb the Tooth, the Scouts faced what was possibly their most daunting feat: waking up at two in the morning. It was worthwhile. At the summit, they were rewarded with a magnificent sunrise - and celebrated their success with some well-earned cake.

Camp keowa

7/7/24 - 7/13/24

By Adeline

Every summer, Troop 163 spends a week at a traditional Scout camp - camping, swimming, working on merit badges, and developing lifelong friendships, all while being in the great outdoors. This summer, our Scouts spent a sun-filled week at Camp Keowa near Bethel, New York. At Keowa, they were able to work towards merit badges including Art, Fly Fishing, Swimming, and Archery. More senior Scouts spent the week getting their Open Water Certification for Scuba Diving, as well as earning the Scuba merit badge. In their downtime, the Scouts had fun participating in a Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience (COPE) course, cycling, celebrating a birthday party, and laughing around a campfire.

Troop 163's first eagle scout carwash fundriser

5/11/24

Camp Turrell merit badge weekend

4/26/24 - 4/28/24

By Adeline

Plumes of dust rose from the ground as the car juddered over the steep, rock-strewn road to Camp Turrell. The course winding up the mountain was narrow and precipitous, filled with unpredictable twists and turns. On one side, a low metal rail was the sole barrier to a steep drop down the mountainside. Thankfully, we had come while it was still light - in darkness, the terrain would have been downright treacherous.

This April, eight of our Scouts attended a merit badge weekend at Camp Turrell in New York, during which they had the opportunity to earn badges in subjects ranging from citizenship and photography to leatherworking, fingerprinting, and first aid.

The weather at camp was frigid for April; temperatures dropped to the thirties at night, and howling winds tore across the waterfront. At night, stars shone like miniscule diamonds against the pitch-black sky, undimmed by light pollution.

The merit badge classes were mostly held outdoors - one in a waterfront pavilion, another at wooden picnic tables outside the dining hall. Some were primarily discussions, exploring such subjects as law and government. Others involved hands-on activities: creating SOS signs on the beach, splinting make-believe injuries, and dusting for fingerprints.

On our troop’s last night at Turrell, we were even able to start a campfire, despite damp conditions and intermittent drizzles of rain. It crackled and snapped in the firepit, devouring pencil-thin kindling and heavy logs alike.

RESICA FALLS CAMPING WITH ROLLER RINK VISIT

3/22/24 - 3/24/24

   CPR CERTIFICATION COURSE

2/26/24

By Adeline

On February 26th, 2024, almost our entire troop of Scouts attended a CPR certification course. They learned the warning signals of a heart attack, the right way to perform chest compressions, and how to use an AED, in addition to the steps for assisting choking and stroke victims. Studies have shown much improved heart attack survival rates in states that have mandatory CPR training for high school students.  Our Scouts are ready to help!

2024 Klondike derby

1/27/24

VOLUNTEER AT TZI CHI FOOD PANTRY

11/10/23

six flags frightfest

10/13/23 - 10/15/23

CAMPING AT ALPINE SCOUT CAMP - ARCHERY, BB GUN, ROCK CLIMBING DURING TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA!

9/22/23 - 9/24/23

NYLT

8/13/23 - 8/19/23

By Kristen

Three girls from Troop 163 attended the National Youth Leadership Training Camp (NYLT) and believed it to be a truly amazing experience. The purpose of NYLT is to teach leadership skills to bring back to their troop. To complete this feat, the camp was structured like a typical troop. The staff were the Senior Patrol Leaders, Assistant patrol leaders, troop guides, and instructors. The scouts attending formed patrols of 4-6 people. Throughout the week, the patrol formed a cohesive group by cooking, participating in team building games, and attending troop activities. Our scouts had to get up at 6 AM and sit through classes, learn what a model troop meeting is supposed to look like, and learn one vital lesson key for leadership. To have a good attitude and to be enthusiastic about everything, especially when times are tough. Lastly, towards the end of the week, the scouts were challenged to put all of what they learned into practice by having an outpost night. Outpost night involved carrying all of their stuff to camp out in the woods, cooking their own food, and ensuring that they were taking the proper precautions against bears and other animals. Overall, this camp was a fun and extremely informative week. 

Camp Minsi

7/9/23 - 7/15/23

seabase KEYS ADVENTURE SAIL

6/30/23 - 7/7/23

By Alyssa

Sea Base is a high adventure trek that two girls from Troop 163 attended, along with girls from 2 other troops. The scouts lived on a sailboat for several days.  The weather in the Florida Keys in July is sooo hot, so the scouts had to find any open space on the deck they could to sleep outside.  A 20 minute storm in the middle of the night had them all running into the galley, but they came right back out once the rain and wind stopped.  They participating in the many different aquatic activities offered, including snorkeling, fishing, paddle boarding, and swimming. The girls were fortunate enough to see a variety of animals up close, like sea turtles mating, a manatee, rays and sharks!  They participated in a mangrove cleanup and even experience a luau!  With one scout almost winning the limbo contest!  The girls from the 3 troops created a special and strong bond during this week.  During their 7 days of camping, the girls were able to participate in an experience that was truly unique and special to Scouting.

Cook-O-ree

3/24/23 - 3/26/23

By Kristen

On March 24-26, several scouts went on the weekend-long Cookeree trip. This was a first for many of our newer scouts and was a definite learning experience. Throughout the day in our Alpine camp, we participated in many food-related activities. For example, there was a station area where scouts could learn to make/eat food, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich challenge, a cake designing challenge, etc. Our knowledge not only expanded over new ingredients but the prevention of food-related diseases. We were warned about the dangers of food poisoning and the encouraged precautions. After a long day, we returned to our cabins with food on our minds.

scouting for food

3/11/23

By Kristen

Several scouts participated in the Scouting For Food program this year. This program was aimed at giving food/supplies to people in need. We were given several bags and were instructed to distribute them to our local communities. Our troop spent several hours between March 4 to 11 placing these bags on the doors of houses asking for their appreciated donations. March 11 was pick-up day, where filled bags were collected and sent to a warehouse. A couple of scouts participated in the organization of way more than 100 bags of generous goods. We hope that each person in need is given enough supplies to be worthwhile.

Closter klondike

3/4/23

By Alyssa

On March 4, five girls from Troop 163 participated in the 2023 Closter Klondike Derby. They had several meetings beforehand in preparation at the scout cabin, where they reviewed how to do different knots. All of the scouts helped each other, and some of the older, more experienced scouts taught the new girls what to do. The derby was at the Closter Nature Center, and there the girls went around it to find each of their assigned events and then got graded on them. These events included orienteering, fire-building, pioneering, team-building, first-aid, and shelter-building. There, they all used teamwork together so everyone had an equal amount of work and could work efficiently. The girls successfully secured second place and ate some yummy pizza afterward.

OWO architecture merit badge

1/21/23

By Kristen

This morning at the One World Observatory, we were excited to have the opportunity to visit and tour the One World Observatory. This soaring skyscraper was built in memory of the Twin Towers, which stood until the tragic date of 9/11. We learned that it was built at the same height as the old Twin Towers but with a structural addition that totaled up to 1776 feet—the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. While in the skyscraper, we were able to get a presentation about New York and its diversity, beginnings, and how it is today. We then had a presentation on architecture where the tour guide explained that the Observatory was built in a certain way to withstand wind turbulence and crashes and that, overall, it was structurally stable. We learned about the importance of buildings/skyscrapers and what LEED certification was: a green way to build that is better for the environment. After the presentation, we designed our own buildings that adhered to issues that the structures may encounter. As an example, if there is a lack of water for plumbing, we could design a plant roof that could absorb rainwater for usage. After the presentation, we were able to tour the observatory and then leave. Overall, we learned a lot and will never forget the beautiful view of New York that seemed surreal. 

Court of honor

10/2/22 

By Kristen 

The Court of Honor was an important time for Troop 163 to review and collect the awards and merit badges that we earned. We were also able to host a potluck, where everyone brought tasty food, contributing to the “celebration part” of the ceremony. First, we were given the merit badges we earned mostly at Camp Turrell. Everyone felt proud and honored to finally receive the badges that we had worked so hard on. Following that, Mr. David was able to arrive all the way from the Pine Barrens to talk about our trek, highlighting two new variations of the trek with all biking and more canoeing. He hopes that more girls will join and complete this truly challenging journey. Later, Dr. Song was able to review the leadership positions and the camp NYLT that two girls went to. Evelyn and Zara were able to deliver a presentation about NYLT, sharing their thoughts, giving everyone a glimpse of what the camp taught, and overall giving us more knowledge on NYLT. We essentially learned that it was a camp that taught scouts leadership and how to become more independent. Finally, Zara gave a presentation on the Order of the Arrow, an honor society that the BSA offers to qualifying scouts and leaders who best live by the Scout Law and Oath. Peers are able to vote for the best-fitting people. To end the Court of Honor, we ate and ultimately had a fun time. 

Alpine Campout

9/30/22 - 10/2/22 

By Kristen 

On Friday evening, some girls from Troop 163 arrived at a weekend campout located at Alpine Scout Camp. Immediately upon their arrival, they started setting up their sleeping bags and other items. They needed to do this because once it gets darker, there would be less light, resulting in a harder time seeing and overall setting up everything correctly. For dinner that night, the girls cooked foil packets. Later, they fell asleep for the following long day. In the morning, the girls cooked French toast for breakfast, getting energy for the nearing hike. Some girls decided on hiking 2 miles and others went on a hike for 5 miles, identifying different plants and animals. Soon, they easily boiled water to make tasty yet quick ramen for lunch and had pizza for dinner. Along with pizza, a campfire was made and they played campfire charades: a girl acting and the others guessing what she is/is doing. For example, placing hands on top of your head could be charades for a shark. Finally, the next day the girls packed up and went to the court of honor. 

Pine barrens trek

7/31/22 - 8/6/22

By Jemima 

On Saturday July 31st, six girls from Troop 163 and our leaders Scoutmaster Song and Ms. Sandy traveled to the Pine Barrens in Tabernacle NJ, to complete a 50-mile trek, as well as completing 3 merit badges; Forestry, Soil Conservation, and Environmental Science. The trek was originally going to be a lot more canoeing than anything else, as well as only around 20 miles but the team running the camp changed it to 50 miles. The change meant we were going to face the challenge of achieving the coveted 50 miler award and receive a red patch.

 Scoutmaster Song quickly understood that this area was full of ticks that carry diseases like Lyme. Although we all know how to do tick checks, wearing appropriate clothing is very important, so she raced off to the nearest Target and came back with long socks for everyone, even the staff. They were all different patterns and we had fun wearing matching socks on various days. She also brought us snacks and treats. 

On the first day we more or less settled into base camp, pitching our tents and setting up our campsite. Some girls shared a tent and some had their own tents. We then had a campfire with the whole camp. For dinner on the first day we had MREs (meals ready to eat) and we practiced cooking them so we’re ready to cook meals on the trek. The second and third day we finished up merit badge requirements and got ready to go on our trek for three days. On the first few days we also picked a lot of blueberries to eat (which we made sure were blueberries), we also picked a lot on the hike and had bags full which all the girls said tasted so much better than any at the supermarket or the farmer’s market! 

 For the first day on the trek we left base camp at around 8:30am and cycled 10 miles to Apple Pie Hill where we got to see the Fireman’s tower, as well as go up and inside it. We then followed this up by going on a 10 mile hike to another campsite that we’d be staying for the night. Throughout this hike to keep ourselves off the thought of our aching feet, some of the girls led us in songs like The Little Red Wagon and Lambchop. The second day we left at around 9am to go on a 4 mile canoe trip and then a 2½ mile hike to our next camping location. After arriving at the campsite we decided we wanted to see how fast we could build a fire and boil over soapy water, not only to test our fire building skills but our teamwork skills as well. We achieved an impressive time of 6 minutes. We had done this previously at Turrell and it took us around 16 minutes, so we were very happy with the improvement. 

For the last and final day we all woke up at 4:30 am and left at 6 to bike around 25 miles, finally heading back to base camp after a long and eventful trek. The area we biked through was very sandy and extremely difficult to bike through but we all powered through it. Throughout the trek the weather was consistently up in the high 90’s, so leaving earlier was always better to beat the heat. On the last day we also completed a 10-hour conservation project of taking spongy moth eggs off trees. Spongy moths are an invasive species in the Pine Barrens that eat the leaves off trees which can make it difficult for them to photosynthesize.

I am so proud and thankful to have been able to go on this trip. Gaining my prestigious 50 miler award is going to be a memory that will stay with me. There’s no way we would have been able to do this without our fantastic leaders Ms Sandy and Scoutmaster Song and I am so thankful to them.

Camp turrell

7/17/22 - 7/23/22 

By Jemima 

This is Troop 163’s second year at Camp Turrell in Cuddebackville, New York located in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains . This year the camp theme was “Welcome to the Wilderness” and it was the 50th year anniversary. SInce 2021,Troop 163 has grown significantly and so we had lots more Scouts attend this year. In 2021 we had around 10 girls go and this year we had 16. Our leaders on this camp were Scoutmaster Song, Dr Krishna, Ms Ma, Mr Digby and Mr Reavis.

  We caravanned in our cars to the camp and on arrival we went to check in and hand in our medicals. Then we headed up to our campsite Blueberry Hill. The campsites have two-man canvas tents on wooden platforms and cots inside. They are usually full of bugs but that’s part of the fun! We all use mosquito nets on our cots to stop ourselves from getting bitten and this part of set-up is really important for a happy camp (as well as making sure you zip them up). Each campsite has a latrine, wash basin, and running water. Our campsite had 3 areas of tents, two were used by the girls and one by the adults.

After we had set up our tents we headed to take our swim tests. The camp has a 90 acre lake so it has lots of aqua activities that you need to be able to swim for. However there are also lots of non swimming activities too such as game design, geology and photography. On our first full day Monday we went to the flag ceremony at 7.45am. Flags are raised every day and retired at 5.45pm every day. All the visiting troops go to flag ceremonies out of respect for our camp, country, and flag. 

After flags and breakfast our troop started their merit badge classes. The girls were doing a wide variety of things like canoeing, lifesaving, swimming, rifle, archery, art, and more fun classes. I took Life Saving, Rifle Shooting, Search and Rescue and Wood Carving this year.

Campfire skits are a really fun part of Scout camp.  On the first night there was a whole camp campfire where the counselors performed various skits. At the end of the week all the troops presented their own skits. We did a military skit where the soldiers were in boot camp and a person would sneeze. The army leader would accuse the wrong person and throw out the wrong person. This continues until there is only one person left and when they admit they sneezed the army leader would simply say “Bless you!” Skits are a really important way to develop teamwork skills and community with one another by finding and executing a skit. 

During the week our troop participated in various activities outside of merit badges. Camp Genius was a really fun activity  where we were given various materials to craft something. This year one of our campers won second place with her creation! Some of the girls also participated in an Archery competition.

 Throughout the week, personally, I learnt a lot. I bettered my skills at shooting a rifle, I learned how to wood carve, and also learned various lifesaving techniques. 

To finish the week off we participated in a competition against all the other troops, where we built fires, played golf frisbee, had an archery competition, and fought a fierce game of Rock Paper Scissors. We were meant to have a boat race but the weather prevented this so we came up with the idea to do Rock Paper Scissors instead. Unfortunately we didn’t win the overall competition, however afterwards we had a lot of fun at the campfire performing our skit. Nearly everyone wore onesies to the campfire, and afterwards we all hung out at the trading post to relax. Sadly the next day we had to pack up and head home, but we all went home with new skills and a lot of great memories. 

Police camporee

6/3/22 - 6/5/22 

By Jemima 

From June 3rd to June 5th the NJ State Police Camporee was held at the New Jersey State Police Training Bureau in Sea Girt, NJ. 8 girls from our troop 163 attended this 3-day event. On the first day we arrived in the afternoon to set up camp and our tents, as well as a pop up canopy for shade. The whole weekend the temperature was in the 80s and 90s so that extra shade really helped as well as making sure we’re all hydrated! Later after setting up in what was once an empty field, there was a sea of tents. There were thousands of scouts from around North East New Jersey and it was amazing to see. 

There was a stage between the two massive fields of tents where all the scouts were called to watch a slideshow on fallen police officers and after this presentation important staff members were introduced. It was hot and humid with so many scouts packed together, and we were thankful to be let go so later arriving scouts could finish putting their tents up and start cooking dinner. Later that night the SPL, ASPL, and Scoutmaster Song attended a meeting to run down what was going to happen in this jam-packed weekend as well as all the times and locations for activities. We then all went to bed excited for a fun day. 

We all woke up early for flags. Some scouts had to wake up earlier as they had cooking duty for breakfast. We also had to pack lunch so we didn’t have to come back to the campsite while in the middle of activities. All the Eagle Scouts at the Camporee also went to collect special coins they gave out at the Camporee. After eating breakfast we headed to watch a rifle demonstration. Unfortunately we didn’t arrive early enough, and there was a massive line so we decided to just go early to the next activity instead of waiting for ages. The next activity was a boating show which was really fun to watch! The boat would drive really close to the edge where all the scouts were sitting and splash us which was really nice in the heat. It also started doing donuts in the water, and the motor was so loud! During this time we also ate lunch while we watched and had a little break. It was a lot of walking and all our feet were aching. The police training site was big and it was a lot of walking.

After our much needed break we headed over to the police dog demonstration, walking past army tanks and an obstacle course that we would return to later. The demonstration with the police dog was short, but also very exciting to watch. A bunch of police officers drove onto a small field in a big tank-looking car. One of the police officers acted as a criminal while another one held the dog in its police vest (a German shepherd). After a warning to the “criminal” the police officer released the dog who bit the “criminal” on the arm. The police officer playing the criminal wore a protective arm sleeve to keep him from any actual harm. This was personally my favorite activity and I wish it was longer! 

Next up we went to the forensics lab at the training facility. There was a long line to get in, so while we were waiting we went to see a helicopter and a pilot who answered various questions about the helicopter. Unfortunately they couldn’t do a demonstration because the president was in a nearby area. After a little bit of waiting we were let into the forensics lab where we got to be shown around and see all the cool stuff they do in there. We met several people who work there and they explained their individual jobs as well as how they work with law enforcement.

After finishing up in the forensics lab we went to one of the stands that talked specifically about police cases with drugs. They explained how they deal with illegal drugs, as well as what to look out for and not pick up because a lot of things could be laced with fentanyl and it’s very dangerous to make contact with. It’s always super important to be aware of what you’re touching or even possibly putting into your body. They also talked a lot about the negative effects of illegal drugs as well. 

After visiting a couple stands we went inside a building to take a lie detector test and learn all about it. They showed us what they were measuring and had us answer a couple questions to show us the difference between when we’re lying or telling the truth. Some of the girls also learned how to sketch a criminal from a description and got to create super cool drawings. After this we returned to the area where we watched the boat show where tanks were and where people were competing in an obstacle course as well as some kids competing in a plank competition. Nearly all the girls there participated in the obstacle course and had tons of fun. Scouts were also allowed to climb up on the tanks. We all climbed up on tanks and took a bunch of cool photos. 

After the tanks we went back to the campsite to rest for a little bit and then cook dinner. We were all very tired, but soon we had to go to another ceremony with all the scouts. At this ceremony they announced the winners of the poster competition that a lot of the troops entered in. We had to make a poster for the Camporee and our troop won second place which was really cool! We won a $100 amazon gift card and a group of police men also gave us an exclusive patch we could trade for other patches or keep for ourselves. After all the awards were given out, they held a concert featuring The Band of Make Believe. They had a laser light show going on and it was pretty crazy. It was also really cool to see because all the scouts were in uniform. So it was hundreds of teenagers in full uniform jumping around to the loud concert music playing. I didn’t even know they were having a concert so I was very surprised, however it was a really fun and memorable night. This was one of the most memorable camping trips I think I’ve been on and the concert really topped it off. The concert lasted for hours, however we all eventually grew even more tired than we were before and headed to bed for an early morning. 

We all woke up early and packed up to leave. Overall this trip was really wonderful, exciting, and I learned a lot about the NJ State Police as well as the police force in general. I’m very glad and fortunate to have been able to go to this fantastic event.

(SPL - Senior Patrol Leader, ASPL - Assistant Senior Patrol Leader)

Cook-o-ree

3/25/22 - 3/2722

Scouting for food drive

3/12/22

klondlike derby

1/22/2022

By Jemima 

On January 22nd, Troop 63 (the boy's troop) hosted a Klondlike Derby. 6 patrols competed in different challenges and were judged based on teamwork and how well the challenge itself was executed. There were 6 challenges in total. Fist aid, pioneering, orienteering, team building, lashings, and fire building/cooking. At the end we would then have a sled race.

Troop 163 took on cooking and fire building with a little bit of a struggle in teamwork. We tried starting a fire with a flint and steel, although we eventually just used a match. In the end however we pulled through and successfully started a fire, as well as cooking a toad in the hole. 

Next up was orienteering, where we were given directions, and had to find our end destination with a compass. The girls how were the best at using a compass took charge of orienteering. In the end we were only 9 feet away from our destination, which made us the patrol/troop with the smallest distance away from the endpoint!

Third on our list was team building. In this challenge we had two wood planks, where give girls would put their feet on either plank. Using rope they would each pull up one plank at a time to reach the finish line. They had to complete this challenge i under 4 minutes once they started walking. At the beginning it was a bit tedious trying to step in time with everyone else, but once finished they were pros!

Fourth up was first aid where we had to aid an injured man, who'd fallen on his side, possibly a victim of hypothermia, and was bleeding from his head. We surveyed the situation to make sure it was ok to approach, then we assigned two people to go call for help. We fist put pressure and wrapped a bandage around his head, then we put a thermal blanket on him. After that we then used splints on his right arm and leg, which he said were hurting. We then made a stretcher, carefully rolled him onto it and took him to safety. During this challenge we did have a bit of a struggle with leadership.

Second to last was lashings. In this challenge we had to build a tripod/shelter that would fit all of our scouts. We made two teams to build two tripods, so we could more easily fit in. This challenge went smoothly and we were able to quickly finish and fit everyone inside the shelter.

Last but not least we did the pioneering challenge. This challenge was where our troop best excelled. We had to build an H frame and be able to carry someone on it. We assigned a leader, listened to her instructions, and utilized the people who were best at lashings. In the end we finished with 21/20 points for this challenge.

At the end we did our sled race. This sled race however had a twist, everyone had to have a cup of medicine and make it to the finish line without spilling all of it. Our troop made a meticulous plan on how to make sure the liquid didn't spill, but in the end we accidently overshot and finish line and lost.

Finally it was time for Scoutmaster Baron to announced the results Our troop came first! This was an exciting day, and we received our first ribbon to put on our troop 163 flag.

Extreme sports

10/22/2021-10/24/2021

On October 22nd we went to an extreme sports camp, where there were various fun activities. We arrived later into the evening and setup our tents. We hung around for a bit and then went to the dining hall for food. After eating awe sat around the campfire a bit before heading to bed.

We all woke up early and went to the cafeteria for breakfast. After most of the girls went to the rifle range and most shot for their first time. We learned all the rules of the range and about the safety requirements, and then took turns shooting.

After the shooting we went to the archery range, and again went over safety requirements and how to shoot a compound bow. Most of us had never shot a compound bow before which was fun.

After we headed and all got lunch, and then we went down to the waterfront and went on the lake, Some of us canoeing and some of us kayaking. We then all hung around and we all went to do different things. Soon came dinner, and then a campfire with troop 63 (the boys troop we branched off of). 

After an exciting day we went to bed and woke up early to eat breakfast and head home.

Environmental Science Merit Badge

10/16/2021

By Jemima 

We arrived at 9:30 AM and a docent gave us an introduction to environmental science and went over the prerequisites, all the requirements for the merit badge, and what’d we are doing for the day. The second thing we did was we went down to the beach and took notes on a specific ecosystem (we did the salt marsh. We then later used these notes to write a report on the importance of researching these environments and what the data we found told us. 

We then went back to the main building and ate lunch. After this, we were all taught about how long things take to deteriorate in the ocean for example a water bottle could take upwards of 450 years to decompose. Following this, we went and did a lab to show all the stuff that gets into our watershed by runoff, like pesticides and other pollutants. 

We then did another lab and looked at plankton through a microscope, as well as we looked at the reaction that sand has to vinegar. When the vinegar was placed on the sand, it started fizzing and popping due to the high level of acidity in the vinegar and the calcium carbonate in the grains of sand. Continuing the lab we tested methods of removing oil from water. We used feathers, cotton, tin foil, etc. The one that worked best for me was the Pom Poms, they soaked up the oil very well. In the building, we also got to see a tortoise which was pretty cool.

Overall this was a very fun trip, and I learned a lot about the watershed, pollutants, and how it all affects the ecosystem.

long island camping trip

9/18/2021-9/19/2021

Where: Long Island

Scouts: Kristen, Jemima, Zara, Evelyn, Katheryn, Keeran, Alyssa, Michaella, and Jayden

   Adults: Mrs. Lynn, Mr. Ted, and Mr. Nitin

On September 18th a camping trip was held at Long Island. We left in the early morning and arrived in the early afternoon. From there we all set up our tents at our campsite and ate our packed lunches. We hung around the campsite for a bit, played some volleyball, and ate some locally grown peaches from the market.

After hanging out for a bit we went down to the beach with Troop 63 (the boys troop). We found some empty horseshoe crab shells which were really cool! Some girls also collected some stones to have as a keepsake to remember the trip.

When we returned to camp we hung out for a bit longer until late afternoon when we started cooking dinner. We assisted troop 63 in making kebabs, pasta, salad, and chocolate covered fruit.

After finishing dinner everyone stayed at the campsite until later in the evening where we went to the beach and watched the stars, and learned about how Long Island beach was formed by glaciers that used to be there. After returning to camp some people went and played games while others sat around to chat. In the morning after we got up early and packed up our tents/bags .We then went and cooked scrambled eggs for breakfast with troop 63 and helped clean up to make sure to leave the campsite better than we found it. We then all headed home after another fun camping experience.

Camp turrell

7/18/2021-7/24/2021

By Jemima 

Camp Turrell was a week long summer camp, and personally the highlight of my summer. Although when we first got there we had to hike uphill about a quarter of a mile to our campsite, and we had to do that at least twice a day to get to our merit badge sites. 

We would eat at the dining hall throughout the day and in the morning and evening we'd do flags on the field.

On of our scouts brought a volleyball and whenever we had spare time (which wasn't a lot as we kept busy) we'd go and play as there was a volleyball net at the campsite, sometimes even a counselor would join in. 

We did a couple different merit badges including camping, swimming, first-aid and archery. My personal favorite was swimming as we got to go in the lake, although I once got a giant splinter on the dock. For the camping merit badge we learnt all the necessities and everything we needed to know when going camping, as well as we did a community service project. First-Aid we also learned a lot, we even practiced CPR on dummies. Finally we had archery which was a lot of the girl's favorite, we learned how to use a bow and arrow as well as how to restring it. Everyone did a fifth merit badge but some of us did art, some of us did rock climbing, and one of our scouts did sustainability. 

There were also challenges at camp, for example the polar bear swim. To win this award you had to go swimming in the lake at 7 in the morning on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Alyssa and I were the only ones in our troop to win this award. Other girls all did different challenges. 

On the second to last day of camp we had a day to do what we like or finish up some merit badges. We carved a sign out of wood for our campsite that said blueberry hill. As well as some of us did archery or played gaga, etc. On the last day we also had a swim competition of sorts. Where we did tug of war, swimming races, and a canoeing/kayaking/swimming race. Some of us even went fishing, whether we were just watching others or Dr. Baron was teaching us. 

On our last day we packed up and headed home. 

The bridging and court of honor

5/8/2021

Scouts: Jemima, Michaella, Alyssa, Zara, Evelyn, Sophia, Katheryn, and Kristen

   Scouts from Troop 163: Rupert and James 

On Saturday May 8th, 2021, Troop 163 held a webelos to scout bridging ceremony and court of honor. Some troops use a physical bridge, whereas our troop is lucky enough to use a small lake that we canoe across as we "Bridge" to scouts. Two boys, Rupert and James from troop 163 canoed all of the girls across the lake. The last person to be rowed across has to go in a circle around the lake and then to the other side, unfortunately that was me. 

After the bridging we held our court of honor for all of the merit badges and ranks we had earned in the past four months. Following this we had a potluck luncheon which everyone enjoyed very much and the event ended.

Food Drive

12/18/2020

By Jemima 

After a hugely successful collection of canned foods and goods by the girls of troop 163 on December 13th and 14th from thei local neighborhoods we met at the Senior Center to deliver the food. We collected 160 bags. We had so many we needed to use wagons and shopping carts to transport them into the center. We also had to use multiple cars to bring them to the Senior Center. Everyone helped and we worked with troop 163.

PIONEERING CAMPOREE

10/10/2020

Evelyn R., Katheryn L, and Zara W. represented Troop 163 in the Lenape Trail District's Pioneering Camporee...taking 1st PLACE OVERALL among over 10 Troops of older boy and girl Scouts BSA!  Competition stations included Team Building, Axe making, Lashings to make a bridge, Rope Making, and more!

GIRL POWER!!!

2024 Klondike derby

1/27/24