Troop 542 held a cabin camping trip at Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation in Schuylkill Haven, PA from December 16 to December 18, 2023. The Patrol Leaders’ Council (PLC) planned a new activity for this trip: capture the flag.
On the evening of December 15, Troop 542 left Supplee Presbyterian Church and made the short trip to Hawk Mountain. The following morning, Scouts left their cabins to prepare breakfast and participate in either a five-mile orienteering course or a small-scale practice game of capture the flag. After lunch, Troop 542 was divided into two teams. Half of the patrols changed into red clothing for the red team, with the remainder changing into blue clothing for the blue team. Adult supervisors led the Scouts to a square mile section of the reservation, where the teams would hide their flags. For the next several hours, the teams competed in two matches where each team tried to collect the opposing team’s flags without being caught. Although it was close, the red team ultimately came out on top. After the games ended, patrols gathered firewood and began to cook dinner. Later that night, Scouts Ryan Stokes and Xavier Tubio emceed the evening campfire, featuring some traditions along with fresh, new skits.
On Sunday morning, patrols cooked breakfast, followed by a thorough inspection and cleaning of troop and patrol supplies. After the clean-up, Mr. Borkowski and Andrew Siegel hosted an interfaith service that engaged scouts in a discussion about family, fellowship, and selflessness. After the service concluded, Troop 542 conducted a final sweep-through of the camp, packed any remaining equipment on the truck, and departed from the campsite to unload equipment at Supplee Presbyterian Church.