Troop Outing Ideas
Rifle Merit Badge – Sunday, October 3rd, 2021.
Venturing Crew 188 has invited us to a Rifle Shooting Merit Badge Clinic that will be hosted by Crew 188 on Sunday, October 3rd, 2021.
This event is open to all Troops in the Trailblazer District in PTAC for Scouts looking to complete the full Rifle Shooting Merit Badge in one day, or for those looking to complete a partial that they may have started at summer camp.
The clinic will be going through the full Rifle Shooting Merit Badge. This would include classwork, safety, shooting time, and cleaning.
Information about the Event:
Date: Sunday, October 3rd, 2021
Location: Camp Lowden, 4418 S Scout Road, Oregon, IL 61061
Costs: $20 per Scout – Adults are not charged as they will not be shooting
Includes 50 rounds of ammo (Extra rounds can be purchased if needed)
Sessions: 2 sessions will be held throughout the day and are each limited to 24 scouts
Session #1: Check-in: 8:30 AM / Clinic goes from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (limit 24 scouts)
Session #2: Check-in: 12:30 PM / Clinic goes from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (limit 24 scouts)
Aviation Merit Badge
Lock-in at eaa aviation museum in Oshkosh to earn aviation mb.
Merit Badge University
February – Location is York Community High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. Registration opens around December 21st and closed Jan 31.
Shooting sports – rilfe, shotgun, pistol, archery
http://www.aurorasc.org/disciplines/youth
Amazon Fulfillment Center – Kenosha, WI – Daytrip
Tours are normally Mon-Fri either 10:30am to 3:30pm
Cascade Mountain Skiing – Usually January
Scouts would leave on Friday night and check in at the Quality Inn and Suites in Lodi, WI. We “Camp” in the Conference room with pool access. Saturday we will ski at nearby Cascade Mountain in Portage, WI. Late Saturday afternoon we’ll head back to the hotel for pizza, movies, and swimming. There will be a light breakfast Sunday morning before driving home.
Muskegon Luge
Muskegon Winter Sports Complex – possibly stay at Owasippe in the winter or else stay on the USS Silversides Submarine
Toboggan – Echo Valley or Pokagon State Park
http://www.echovalleyfun.com/tobogganing
US Grant Pilgrimage
Usually in April
https://www.canyoncampbsa.org/ (blackhawk council)
https://www.facebook.com/US-Grant-Pilgrimage-117750338249464
Last year, more than 2000 attended.
http://blackhawkscouting.doubleknot.com/event/2019-us-grant-pilgrimage/2441744
East Race Waterway
Anyone interested in having the troop do a day trip to South Bend, Indiana East Race Waterway? They have built a man-made whitewater rafting in the middle of the town. Each trip down only lasts about 5 minutes. Scouts would need to be swimmers, 54 inches tall, and anyone 16 and under would need an adult in the boat.
Monthly Campout Ideas
Revolutionary War Reenactment – Catigny Park in Wheaton
WWI Reenactment
Civil War Reenactment
White Pine’s Horseback Riding, Oregon, IL
Indiana Dunes State Park
Warren Dunes, Michigan
Apple River Canyon
Blue Mounds State Park (Cave of the Mounds) – Rock Climbing
Starved Rock – Hiking
5 Mile City Hike in Chicago – 1 day outing
Governor Dodge State Park
Whirleyball Outing – 1 day outing or troop meeting
Turkey Run State Park – Indiana
Kettle Moraine – Mountain Biking and Hiking
Cross Country Skiing?
White Water Rafting – near Napowan
Chain-o-Lakes State Park – Fishing
Johnson’s Mounds – Sledding, Cabin Camping
USS Cobia Submarine
Black River Canoeing
East Race Waterway – White Water Kayaking, South Bend, Indiana
Fox Valley Ice Arena – Ice Skating
Eagle Cave
Lincoln Pilgrimage – held annually in Springfield, IL
Spelunking – Cumberland Caverns in Tennessee
Kalamazoo Air Museum (Air Zoo)
Zip Lines – in 2016 we went to Lake Geneva Canopy Tours
Pokagon State Park – Indiana – Toboggan runs in winter
Backpacking Campout Ideas
Friday night at Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve, Route 173, Wadsworth, IL 60083. Saturday night at Camp Oakarro. Backpack 3 miles along the Des Plaines River trail to get to the camp on Saturday.
Ice Age Trail @ Kettle Morraine
High Adventure Ideas
Philmont
Sea Base
Colorado White Water Rafting
Boundary Water Canoe Outing
Camping Ideas
The Northeast Suburban Council put together a very useful guide to camping location options:
Other:
Blackhawk Scout Night
Great Lakes Naval Station – troop has visited in the past
Upper Limits Climbing Gym in Bloomington
Annual Campout Goals
Each year we must do at least one of each of the following:
1 Backpacking Campout – minimalist / advanced camping
1 Camporee – for OA callout
1 week of summer camp
1 ski outing
1 canoe/kayak outing
1 lock-in
1 hiking campout – for 5 mile hike and to get cooking requirements
1 recruiting campout
Other:
2 Cuba Road Cleanups
1 FMSC
Sno-cones
Flags on Graves
Memorial Day Parade