September Canoe & Hiking Trip

By Nick G, Life Scout

Troop 58 went on an early Fall canoe trip to Tupper Lake, NY September 26th to the 28th. Eight adults and 11 scouts traveled to Floodwood Mountain Scout Reservation. The first morning, we enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes provided by our hosts at Floodwood Reservation - that got us ready for a full day on the water. We canoed Floodwood, Little Square, Follensby Clear and Square Ponds. We were even able to canoe up and down Fish Creek.

There was some rain Friday but luckily there were clear skies the rest of the weekend. At the end of the day we had a campfire led by Sarah Cutsogeorge. Before we headed home on Sunday, we were able to do some hiking on Floodwood Mountain. It was a fantastic aquatic adventure.

October Monster Mashoree

By Henrik C., Life Scout

From October 10-12, Troop 58 went on their annual camporee. This year's camporee was monster themed. Each scout received an incomplete zombie-themed deck of cards where you needed to go to the stations to get cards to finish your deck. These stations included bb guns, slingshots, archery, and games including a gaming trailer. This year was very special because the council put on a drone show, a concert, and a very tasty BBQ. All of the scouts that went had a great time doing stations and having fun. Some of the scouts had the opportunity to volunteer to assist at the different stations. 

November Close to Home Backpacking

By Troy D., Eagle Scout

The backpacking trip was really exciting for both younger scouts and older scouts. We left on Saturday after many of the scouts participated in our annual Scouting for Food drive. It was a moderate hike with hiking uphill to a super back country campsite where we set up camp and had a campfire program. We got to bed before the heavy rain started and hiked back through the rain. The selection of freeze dried meals was amazing and very filling. Overall, it was a great experience with a lot of adventure packed into 24 hours for new scouts and older scouts.  

December Klondike Prep

By Ethan T., Life Scout

We had a very good time at the Klondike prep on December 5-7. Once we began activities on the second day we did many different stations such as orienteering, shelter building, fire making, lashings, and best of all - sled racing! We also had many scoutmaster conferences and played games inside the cabin. I think this trip has prepared the troop for the upcoming Klondike Derby and I am looking forward to seeing us compete in January!

January Klondike

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February Ski Trip

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March

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April Mystery Trip

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May Canoe Trip

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June Canoe Trip

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Camp Yawgoog

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Camp Rotary

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October Camporee (click for photos)

By Stella N, Life Scout

From October 11 - 13, Troop 58 was in the middle of a Zombie Apocalypse! Our Annual Camporee was zombie themed, and our scouts were randomly placed with other “survivors,” and created new patrols made up of new friends! We competed in many different challenges like shelter and fire building, first aid, rifle shooting, archery, and teamwork building games. Some of our scouts were a part of “The Undead Patrol,” which came in first place overall, and are the most likely to survive the apocalypse! The weather was perfect, with only a slight chill in the evenings and some middle of the night rain. Despite a few missing ingredients, we made lots of tasty meals like spaghetti, grilled cheese sandwiches, pancakes, banana boats, and a Dutch oven peach cobbler. We look forward to next year’s Camporee! 

November Backpacking (click for photos)

By Lizzy C, Eagle Scout

On November 2nd, Troop 58 went to Echo Lake in the Catskills. We hiked four miles up and on our way we saw some really cool rock chairs, an awesome overlook and many other things. We then dropped our packs, ate lunch (which included Mr. DeCandia's trail sushi), and set out to the Fire Tower and Old Hotel. We got to explore the top of the mountain and also got to climb the fire tower and explore the old skeleton of a hotel. After our adventures, we hiked back down to the lake and set up camp where we had some awesome dinners and fires. The next morning we packed up and set out for the hike down. We saw another overlook on our way down and had a great time! Overall, we hiked 14.6 miles over the course of the two days. The scouts would rate this hike a 4/5!

December Klondike Prep (click for photos)

By Mr. Kohn, Adult Leader

We had a fun weekend at camp Rotary in the snow, learning scout skills, preparing for the Klondike Derby, hosting a few AOL scouts, pushing Mrs. Shekhter's car up the hill, and playing a marathon game of Uno (I won)! It snowed lightly for much of the weekend, and Rotary looked truly lovely.

January Klondike

By Justin K, Life Scout

Over the weekend of January 12th-13th, seven scouts from Troop 58's Ice Phoenix patrol participated in the annual Klondike Derby at Lawson Lake. The scouts ranged from 6th to 11th grades. They built a shelter with lashings, pulled a sled over a trail while blindfolded, broke ice with a hammer, cut a log with a 2-person saw, and more. They were able to do this even while two of the scouts were injured, and placed 5th overall out of 13-14 patrols. Six scouts camped over in Waldman lodge on Saturday, enjoying Flambeau River jambalaya, a peach cobbler, and games, and even getting a few requirements done. 

February Ski Trip

By Ben C, Life Scout

Troop 58 visited Jiminy Peak Ski resort for our 2025 February skiing day trip. We had four scouts that were new to skiing, and a number of younger scouts earned the snow sports merit badge, or at least began working on it. Overall, everyone had a good time, and was able to get some good late-season skiing in!

March Lock-In with OA

By Lizzy C, Eagle Scout

On Saturday, March 21st Troop 58 held their Lock-In with the Order of the Arrow (OA), Ktemaque Chapter. We played lots of hide and seek, board games, card games and video games. Scouts got a little sleep, but had fun most of the night. The 25 participants included 15 Troop 58 scouts and we were happy for the presence of ten additional OA members. Thank you to everyone who came out and had a great time!

April West Point Camporee

By Stella N, Life Scout

Over April break, some of our scouts went to a camporee at West Point Military Academy. This event usually involves military formation drills, morning PT with cadets, and competitions like first aid relays and memorization games. After arriving on Friday, our scouts were ready for the next day full of these activities, but on Saturday morning we had a bit of a surprise. We woke up to a few inches of snow collapsing some tents and pop-ups. Events were temporarily delayed as troops tried to adjust to the unexpected weather, but our scouts remained positive and played games to pass the time. Throughout the day, the snow remained heavy and cold, and the West Point staff decided to evacuate the troops. Our scouts helped other troops move gear, and delivered food to those in the first aid center. Despite the awful weather, our scouts had lots of fun, and even stopped at Shake Shack on the way home!

April Mystery Trip

By Ethan T., Life Scout

For our mystery trip we went to Niagara Falls. We started off by going to the Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. At the museum we had fun playing different games like pinball. Next we went to get garbage plates which are a staple of Rochester.

The next day we went to the Niagara Falls state park and saw some amazing ice formations made from the mist. We had a nice sunny day to enjoy our walk around Goat Island taking in all the views of the falls. In the evening at the Nor-Ton Red Jacket cabin we enjoyed eating pizza and Duff’s wings and playing gaga, frisbee, disk golf, and basketball.

On Monday we got on the road and had some of the best BBQ I have ever had at BBQ by Mike in the Tuscarora reservation. We also went to the Niagara Power Visa and saw how AC power was made and lastly we went on a muddy hike at the Chimney Bluffs and saw some very cool rocks from the cliff lookout.

May Close-to-Home Campout

By Mr. DeCandia & Mr. Nautel, Adult Leaders

Troop 58 Scouts enjoyed a great outing at Lawson’s lake providing community service to help clean up and beautify the camp facilities and park. We enjoyed the enthusiasm the new crossovers brought. They jumped in very quickly to become part of our troop. 

We slept outside in tents in the woods...and survived. We prepped and cooked some amazing meals outside on camp stoves, including Dutch oven desserts. We also managed to hide from the heaviest rain as this trip included very cooperative rainy weather. We played some board games and completed many scout rank requirements in the cabin, until the sun poked out and then it was back to the Gaga pit. Evenings gave us time to enjoy campfire skits. Fun, fun, and more fun!

Warm weather camping is off to a great start and we are looking forward to building scout skills and enjoying many amazing outdoor scouting adventures to come with our newest members.

Memorial Day Weekend

On Monday, May 26th, several members of Troop 58 marched in the Bethlehem Memorial Day Parade. Scouts met at the troop garage at our chartering organization, the Blanchard-Currey American Legion Post 1040.

In the photo, our new banner on the side of the troop garage is viewable from the rail trail. A smartphone pointed at the QR code on the banner will bring interested hikers and bikers to our Troop 58 website.

To prepare for Memorial Day, the troop placed flags at the graves of veterans in the Bethlehem Cemetery on Friday, May 23rd. 

June Canoe Trip

By Charlie L, Life Scout

The Scouts and adults of Troop 58 had a great time on our recent canoe trip, June 6th - 8th, camping at Barton Cove in Massachusetts and paddling along the Connecticut River. After launching at the Pauchaug boat ramp upriver Saturday morning, we canoed for about 4.5 hours, stopping at Munn’s Ferry Campground and for lunch at the Riverview Pavilion on the riverbank. Along the way, we spotted lots of wildlife, including numerous bald eagles. We paddled through quite a bit of rain, bailing water out of the canoes twice. Luckily the rain didn’t follow us back to camp, where our crew enjoyed dinner and time around the fire capped off with apple cobbler and pineapple upside-down cake cooked in Dutch ovens. Sunday morning we paddled around Barton island, and had hotdogs for lunch before heading back. It was a fun and memorable trip, filled with great teamwork and adventure! 

Camp Yawgoog

By Jacob C, Life Scout

As you all may know, our troop goes to Camp Yawgoog every year during Week 3. This year, I attended Weeks 3 and 6, and I’m excited to be writing for you all about the adventures that took place.

On Sunday, we arrived at Yawgoog for Week 3 after a long drive. We set up the car port and ate, then we walked around the camp so the younger scouts could gain a better understanding of the camp’s layout. The first day at Yawgoog is always pretty uneventful, and everything kicks off on Monday. That night, we went to the opening campfire, where the staff did a variety of songs and skits. 

The next day, merit badge classes started. This week, I chose to do Citizenship in the Nation, Emergency Preparedness, and Cooking. While I prioritized eagle-required merit badges during my time at Yawgoog, some of my fellow scouts worked on interesting badges such as Model Building, Shotgun Shooting, Small Boat Sailing, and more. We had our troop campfire on Monday night, and each patrol had a skit while the leaders did a song. 

On Tuesday, scouts continued to attend classes. The troop decided to go on an over-lunch hike on Yawgoog’s beautiful trails. In particular, the route we took had many rocks and whatnot to hike over, making the trek a little more difficult but definitely enjoyable nevertheless. It rained for most of the hike, but everyone was in good spirits. That night, Ben Cable represented Troop 58 in the kayak race. He put up an excellent performance, placing 3rd out of the participants and 2nd in terms of troop entries. 

On Wednesday, the two evening events were the canoe race at Ashaway Aquatics Center and Troop Trivia at the Medicine Bow Dining Hall. Also, our troop’s bakeoff submission prepared by Lizzy, Stella, and Ben tasted excellent, winning first place. 

On Thursday, merit badge classes wrapped up, and we geared up for some of the week’s most exciting competitions. That evening was the costume and campsite decoration contests and the sailing race. For the campsite decoration (Week 3 theme: Inventors), we chose four of Yawgoog’s past themes: prehistoric, sci-fi, circus, and medieval, to which the judges would time travel. Scouts were divided into each of the four past themes to do a small performance of sorts for our program commissioners. We ended up winning the campsite decoration contest thanks to the multitude of props we used and the creativity that we put in. 

On Friday, Camp Yawgoog started to wind down. Program centers closed at 12, and the Swim Carnival took place shortly after. In the Carnival, scouts participate in a variety of water-based activities. Two scouts who shone exceptionally well were Ben and Gavin, securing wins in the Tin Man race and Limbo. On Friday night, we attended the closing campfire, yelling our various cheers as loud as we could. We chanted so hard that Lizzy lost her voice. 

On Saturday, we participated in the dress parade before heading home. Troop 58 earned Troop of the Week for Camp Medicine Bow, making 2025 the third year in a row that we have earned this accolade. 

After Week 3, I realized I needed more merit badges, so I decided to head back to Yawgoog for Week 6. Because I went alone, I was put into the provisional Baden-Powell campsite (also known as Fun, Friends, and Adventure). My week in campsite BP was mostly similar to Week 3, although there were a few differences. One of which was that there wasn’t any pressure to go for Troop of the Week. Some troops send small groups of scouts to Yawgoog, so those scouts also end up in campsite BP. I befriended some scouts from New Jersey and Connecticut in particular. During the week, I completed Electricity, Citizenship in the World, Citizenship in the Community, and Astronomy merit badges. I also got to fly drones around as part of an exclusive campsite BP program. During Week 6, there was almost as much cheering as Week 3 in the dining hall, despite there being a few differences. 

Ultimately, I enjoyed my time at Yawgoog this summer, and I hope everyone did as well. I enjoyed being one of your SPLs during Week 3, and I am proud to say that I will be one of your ASPLs this year. I look forward to working with all of you.

SeaBase 2025 

By Chris C, Eagle Scout

Eight scouts and four adults flew into Fort Lauderdale and drove to Florida City for our Sea Base High Adventure experience. Check-in was smooth: gear checks, snorkel tests, and orientation. The boys’ crew boarded The Seminole Wind while the girls' crew boarded The Adventurer. As we headed off from base to start our week at sea, dolphins escorted us into the open waters. Throughout the night, scouts were responsible for anchor watch. We took turns staying awake and making sure we didn't drift away. Throughout the trip we snorkeled in sea grass beds and spotted lots of sea life and coral, kayaked in mangroves, and learned boat care. Several scouts took turns piloting the boats - my turn was one of the highlights of my trip. We also spent time docked at Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo. While there, we explored a mock shipwreck, toured the aquarium, ate from a food truck, and enjoyed showers. As for fish tales, The Seminole Wind landed a four-foot barracuda and The Adventurer reeled in a bonnethead shark. On our last night, we played a “Family Feud” style trivia game on the four ecosystems we’d studied. The next day after cleaning the boats and checking out, we stopped at a water park on our way to the airport. It was a great time!

Camp Rotary

By Ethan T, Star Scout 

We had a great week at Camp Rotary this year. We stayed at the Onondaga campsite which was ever so much closer to everything than Thunderbird. We also had an amazing group of nine scouts and adults who all worked to allow us to obtain week five Super Troop, the first ever award for one troop. We did many activities at camp like the polar bear swim, camp wide games, and the three campfires, one of which was at a neighboring troop's campsite. The list of things to earn Super Troop was long but we managed to pull through and do as much as we could. I would also like to give a big thank you to Mr. DeCandia and Mrs. Shekhter for helping out so much during camp.