On October 18 & 19, Troop 156 raised $1,500 to support our ongoing activity. Headlines:

• Dunkin franchise locations in Manchester (Deming St) and Vernon (Talcottville Rd) donated end-of-day baked goods for both days
• We made our own coffee, tea & hot chocolate
• Each scout who completed a shift HAS FULFILLED their annual fundraising target ($80 per school year) - congrats!
• BIG THANK YOU to scouts, parents and committee members who contributed time & energy to this effort 

For those who could not join - please consider the following:

• Join us in the Spring; we will run another Rest Stop Fundraiser (May)
• OR, Scouts may write a letter to family members, asking for scout support; see example letter below for ideas
• OR, talk to Mr Pete if you would like to sell Trails End popcorn - 33% of proceeds go to our Troop or $240 in popcorn sales

PS - We know our canopy has a typo! Our fundraise takes place at the Willington Rest Area

Troop 156 camped at Aquapaug on September 19-21, and enjoyed a ferry trip from Point Judith, Rhode Island, to Block Island, for a day of biking. While last year we never made it to Block Island, this year, we certainly made it! We planned to cycle around the entire island of Block Island, between 11am and 3pm. Stops included

• The petting zoo at 1661 Inn Farm and Gardens - we never expected to see camels! and kangaroos!
• The South East Lighthouse - we learned the entire 2,000-ton building was put on rails and moved 300 feet inland in 1993 to save it from the eroding cliffs!
• The Mohegan Bluffs - with beautiful views and lots of stairs down to the beach
• Fred Benson Town Beach - where our scouts ate lunch, put their feet in the sand (and the water!) and even "set up shop"
• Payne's Killer Donuts - was a highlight for many - this food truck delighted hungry campers
• We opted to skip the North Lighthouse (next time, lets do it!); and instead decided to explore town (Water Street) before getting back on the ferry

Overall - Beautiful weather, great views and solid cycling. Awesome weekend.

Michael Norman is the newest Eagle scout for Troop 156. Michael started his scouting experience in Cubscouts, earning his arrow of light

before crossing over into Troop 156 in 5th grade. He was an active camper and AT hiker enjoying many summers at Camp Yawgoog in RI

where he earned many merit badges. For his Eagle project Michael planned, built and installed 5 custom made wooden benches along the

trails of the south section of Cotton Hollow in South Glastonbury. He developed his leadership skills, while giving back with help from the

local community. Congratulations Michael on this outstanding achievement!

Matthew Norman is the latest Troop 156 Eagle scout! Matthew has been in scouting since first grade, joining Boy Scouts and Troop 156 in the 5th grade.

Along the way Matthew spent many summers at Camp Yawgoog in RI, backpacked the AT, went on countless campouts, and enjoyed all that Troop 156

does to have fun, give back, and develop leadership skills. For his Eagle project Matthew worked with the town and a local Mt Bike group to build a trailhead

kiosk behind Smith Middle School. Congratulations Matthew!

Troop 156 had a blast camping at Gay City State park. The scouts had lots of fun playing whiffle ball in camp, exploring the trails on a 5 mile mountain bike trek and launching pressurized water bottles in the field. They mixed in some rank advancement and an impressive presentation for the silver spatula award with Michael's patrol taking home the win. Pete also put on an impressive display of dutch oven cooking over the campfire coals. Saturday evening finished off with a lively campfire program, including a flag retirement ceremony with a monster flag.

After many years of trying to get an invitation, we finally made it back to the annual West Point Camporee.  Only Mr. Vincelette had been previously, and he had us expecting a really special experience.  It was, although for different reasons.  A late season nor'easter brought back a last bit of winter which added a lot of adventure but unfortunately cut the weekend short.  Troop 156 was well prepared and faired very well, but many other troops suffered from failed tents, wet clothes, and some hypothermia.  We were out participating in the activity stations late Saturday morning when we were disappointed to hear that everyone was being sent home early.

Before:

During

After:

And some other troops that didn't fare as well: