Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge is an Eagle requirement and a relatively difficult badge to earn. I am a counselor for this badge and would like to begin working on it with interested scouts. The requirements for this badge are complicated and require reading, research, field trips, and volunteer service hours, so I recommend it only for older scouts at this time. (Younger scouts are encouraged to pursue any of the many “more fun” badges to get started.) If you would like to participate, please send me an e-mail with the subject “BSA 287 Citizenship” to: rockprodigy13@gmail.com YOU MUST “CC” ONE OF YOUR PARENTS, PER BSA RULES. I will e-mail you a worksheet to help you document the requirements and we will use the e-mail list to coordinate the various necessary field trips.
The new date has been set for Kobe’s COH. Here is the sign up for it. We are in need of a Color Guard (Class A with Sash) and a few ushers (double duty is allowed). Sign up and gt some cake! See what your efforts through Rank advancement can lead to!
We are in need of drivers for the upcoming Lost Creek Wilderness Backpacking trip.
We currently have 19 adventurers (15 Scouts and 4 Adults (2 to support each route)) signed up to attend and conquer the upcoming outing we have planned, but only enough drivers to drop off 13 at the starting point and pick up 15 at the finish line.
I know that there may also be some other adults that would like to attend the trek, but were not able being we are making the Scouts a priority and only allowing additional adult participation if there was extra space in which we are currently lacking.
Being this is a thru trek we will not be finishing anywhere near where we will be starting. Therefore it is not feasible to leave any vehicles parked at the trailhead for transport purposes.
If you can help with transportation to or from it will be very helpful and much appreciated by these young explorers. Sign up at the link below for one or both of the driving options.
The dropoff plan is to meet at the barn at 5 pm to go to Lost Park Campground at end of CO56. Please comment on how many Scouts and packs you can drop off.
The pickup plan is to be at the Ute Creek Trailhead near Teryall Campground off CO77 at noon where we plan to exit the wilderness. Please comment on how many Scouts and packs you can retrieve.
Just a reminder that we have an awesome thru trek planned in the Lost Creek Wilderness coming up. The weather is getting warmer and its time to hit the mountains on foot. We still have plenty of youth slots available on both routes, so jump on board! We are still in need of one adult who is up for the challenge to accompany the hard chargers taking on the 20 mile route. Remember to sign up for the trip so we will be prepared to plan this out tomorrow night.
We currently have 19 Scouts registered (and three adults) to attend camp with a couple of discrepancies between the Sign up genius (14 signups; link below) and the registered Scouts (19 registered). If you have signed up on the genius but have not paid yet, you will be getting an email in the next week or so detailing such with instructions on how to get us money for payments. Or just bring a check to the next meeting if you have not signed up at all and want to attend. Fees are $335 total for camp, $75 deposit required.
Right now, the camp can hold up to 270 campers, and they currently have 202 registered. We are in good shape in this department, with only a few newer Scouts who may be interested and not signed up/registered.
Below is a link to the latest information for camp. In the leader guide parents can find information about attending camp for all or part of the week.
Visitor policy: All visitors to San Isabel Scout Ranch must check-in at the A-Frame prior to visiting any program area or campsite. Visitors will be given a wristband identifying them as such. Visitors are not allowed to participate in activities or eat meals unless they have paid for them at the A-Frame. **Only registered adults can stay overnight at camp due to the status of the Camp being a child care facility.
MEDICAL DOCS NEEDED!! Parents, please make sure you are scheduling necessary medical examinations and such. We will need to have those hard copies in hand at a minimum of three weeks prior to attending camp. We have to mail them to camp offices (in Pueblo) minimum two weeks prior to attendance.
The Merit Badge Selection opens on 28 April. I will need to obtain a preference listing from each Scout so I can get all the selections put in the system as quickly as possible.
Let me or Ray know if you have any questions or concerns.
Just a reminder that we will not be having a meeting this week due to spring break and a lot of the Troop out on adventures with their families. If you are traveling, have fun and be safe! See you next week.
A reminder since the weather is nice and we are getting into the Spring we will be meeting at the barn tonight.
We will take the opportunity to get it all ready for all Scouting fun we will have up there this season. We will work on some advancement, scout skills, and get some of the gear straightened up and ready for all our great summer adventures!
April 8-10 we will be backpacking the Lost Creek Wilderness. We have two routes set up for those of varying skill levels. The 10-mile trek is a great beginner trip where you can learn and practice backpacking skills. The 20-mile trek is for those who are looking for a bit of a challenge or trying to push themselves in preparation for the big Philmont trip in June. These will both be thru treks and we will really need some parent participation to drop us off on Friday evening and pick us up on Sunday afternoon. Because of limited space, we are limiting adult participation unless we have an excess of drivers that will allow us, extra attendees. This signup will close Tuesday 3/29 to give us time to prepare. Please commit early so we can figure out logistics.
So here is the route. We will discuss the plan over the next couple of meetings. Despite having two routes the Troop will start together, be camping together Saturday night, and crossing the finish line together on Sunday morning.
This weekend we had a great time in Penitente Canyon. In addition to the normal camping, hiking, and scout skills we practiced, the young men provided some service to the Bureau of Land Management by building and installing two benches as well as went outside their comfort zone to learn dutch oven cooking and have a dessert competition.
Installing these benches required the Scouts to carry in all tools and materials including lumber, concrete, water, shovels, etc into the canyon by scout power. They then selected the locations, cleared brush, dug the holes, assembled the benches, mixed the concrete, and installed them.
The dutch oven cooking was a huge success. All delicious! No burnt or undercooked deserts. Shout out to the Senior Patrol for their winning Dutch Oven Pineapple Upsidedown Cake! Mmmmmmmmm!
I forgot to add this tot he last post, but it is really important!
Make sure you navigate to the San Isabel SR website in the last post and download all the required medical forms for your Scout. There is a red banner to click on which will guide you to exactly which forms are required. Your Scout will require an annual physical at the minimum, but may need a few additional documents. In the past, the BSA Medical Forms were required to have the immunizations actually filled out on the form. A stapled copy of the Scout’s record was not sufficient. So, Just be aware that you may have to hand jam some of that data.
Please schedule early if your Scout’s physical is or will be greater than one year old at the time we go to camp in July!!
Below is the website for summer camp forms and documents. There are a lot of resources on this website, to include what merit badges entail and what are offered. I’ve included the merit badge “Scout Schedule” so you can print it out and bring it to a meeting in the next few weeks. Just read and follow the directions on the form.
I will input all of your MB choices when the website opens up on April 28th. So, that is your deadline to get me your choices. Of course, the earlier, the better.
I will also have a contract document at the meeting tomorrow night to hand out to those of you who have not already signed up and paid for camp. It just states the non-refundable policy and the payment schedule (ask your parents to bring their checkbooks!!!)
A little bit of insight on the offerings: In the past four years of summer camp attendance, I have come to realize it is better to go for the merit badge work in leiu of the Rank Advancement options. Scouts will earn their ranks within the troop, but may not have the opportunity to do some of the merit badge options. So, if you are wieghing Rank Advancement vs. Merit Badges, I would suggest going with the Merit Badge choices.
We need a few Scouts to perform Color Guard and serve as ushers for this ceremony. 6-7:30pm on Sunday, 13 March, at 5375 Centennial Blvd. Here is the sign up for that (Class A with MB Sash):
Remember that there is prep work and arrangements that have to be made like grocery shopping, ensuring everyone has a ride, and that we bring the appropriate troop gear.
It is going to be a great time and there is an opportunity for getting some service hours for rank advancement.
Our game night meeting 3/8/2022 will be held at Altitude Ninja Gym • 750 Garden of the Gods Rd, Suite 125, Colorado Springs, CO 80907. Their open gym time is from 6:30pm-8:00pm and the cost is $15 per participant. Siblings (and adventurous parents) are welcome to attend. All participants must fill out a waiver at the link below prior to showing up. Attire for this function will be athletic clothing and shoes.
Our next campout is coming up March 11th-13th. We will be visiting Penitente Canyon, which is located on the West edge of the San Luis Valley (the largest alpine valley in the world, and home to the Great Sand Dunes). Penitente Canyon is a lesser-known Colorado gem that was revered by the early settlers of the Valley and is now appreciated for its mountain biking, rock climbing and general beauty. We will be CAR CAMPING in the beautiful BLM campground at the mouth of the canyon surrounded by trails and endless rock outcrops to explore.
We have arranged to do a BLM-led service project on Saturday, installing a park bench in the canyon (sounds fun), so you can earn the service hours you need for your next rank. Otherwise, we will spend time exploring the maze of rocks and ponderosa pine forest, discovering a piece of Colorado history, roasting marshmallows over the fire and working on rank advancement.
Families are welcome to join us. Campers should expect cold nights, with low temperatures in the ‘teens and “warm-in-the-sun” days, so you’ll need a good sleeping bag and tent, but also sunscreen. We will plan on leaving from the church no later than 5pm and returning in the afternoon on Sunday. It’s about a 3-hour drive. We have reserved campsites.
Sign up below or use the Activity Sign Up tab!!!!!
I know it’s the first meeting after a campout, and that means GameNight, but we are gonna hold that over until the 3/8/22 gathering. Tonight we will have some fun with a patrol activity though.
Being the first meeting of the month we will be having our monthly uniform inspection. Get ’em all ready and look your best.
In addition, and part of the reason we are flip-flopping game night, we will be doing campout prep for our March camping trip to Penitente Canyon which will be coming up quick in the month this go-round. It will be March 11-13. More details to follow.
Come dressed for success and ready to have fun and create a great plan.
Troop, check out the opportunity below, this is a quick turn around for information, so read it closely. If you want to participate, I will collect your information tomorrow night and pass it on to the guy who is running this thing (Dan Usiak). He needs your information before Thursday this week in order for you to be able to participate. I will just need your name, age, and phone numbers to give to the guy.
The event takes place on March 12th, so plan accordingly.
Here is the plan for this weekend for all you hard chargers that are not swayed by a little chilly weather.
We will meet at the church at 5:00pm and load up the gear we prepared on Tuesday evening. We will be camping just north of the intersection of Hwy 50 and Old Monarch Pass Rd. Saturday we will snowshoe the Old Monarch Pass Loop from either the parking area or perhaps our campsite depending on how adventurous we are feeling. I’m sure there will be plenty of snowball fights, sledding, and snow shelter building. Oh… and campfires to stay warm. With below freezing temps during the night bringing in lots of water may be a futile attempt. Be prepared to melt and purify snow. Sunday morning we will fuel up with breakfast and pack up and plan to be back at the church about noon.
Troop, save the date! March 13, 2022 is when one of our more recent Eagle Scouts will be holding his Award Ceremony.
As you know, Eagle Rank is the pinacle of a Scout’s career. To emphasize this, we hold a separate Award Ceremony for that acheivement, outside of our normal Courts of Honor. Kobe Olson, who came to our troop during COVID, was able to finish out his project and earn his Eagle Rank.
We will hold his Award Ceremony on March 13. We will need to provide the Color Guard for this event.
Welcome to the website of Boy Scout Troop 287 at Wilson United Methodist Church, located on the northwest side of Colorado Springs, CO, in school districts 11 and 20. We are in the BSA Pikes Peak Council, Frontier District.
To the left, you can view our news and events. Below you can browse information about our troop, subscribe to our blog by email, download documents, and access useful links.
Mar Camp Out (TBD) March 14, 2025 – March 16, 2025
Golf Merit Badge (Council) 2nd Session March 17, 2025 at 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
First Tee — Southern Colorado, 525 N Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80909, USA
Troop Meeting March 18, 2025 at 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Troop Meetings
Every Tuesday, 7-8:30 p.m.
Wilson Ranch Community Church
Scoutmaster: Anthony Turner
