The Troop Day Hike and Orienteering Contest will be Saturday, March 14 at the Hopedale Parklands Forest. We will meet at the parish center at 9:00 AM and leave about 9:30 AM for the park. We will return for pick up at the parish center by 5:00 PM that evening. Scouts need to bring: a bag lunch, poncho or rain coat if it looks like rain that day, wear boots, bring a hat and gloves/mittens. A spare pair of socks is a must. If the weather is cold, bring a warm coat as well. Scouts should bring at least one quart/liter of water (no soda, juice, punch, etc.). Do not bring water in disposable water bottles – get a canteen or hiking water bottle at Wal-Mart, Target, etc. for less than $10. Scouts need to bring a day pack (school pack will work fine) to carry all their gear for the day.
The Hopedale Parklands Forest is a great place to hike and explore. There are miles of trails and hills that surround the Hopedale Pond and the Mill River. After hiking in to a remote hill top shelter, we’ll set up base for our Orienteering Contest. We will divide the scouts into age/ability groups. Using orienteering maps, scouts will plot strategy, and then seek out as many orienteering markers as possible in the allotted time. The troop has conducted these orienteering contests before with great success. At the end of the hike we will enjoy some of Troop 4’s famous fried dough!
If you son will be attending the hike, please complete the permission slip (click here) and return it to the Troop Scribe at the March 2nd troop meeting. All first year crossover scouts are strongly encouraged to attend as this is a great introduction to our outdoor program. If you son would like to attend but won’t be at the March 2nd troop meeting, please call or email Phil Bedard at 508-282-0283 or bedard18@verizon.net We will need a few parents to drive to/from and/or stay for the event. If you can help out please indicate on the permission slip.
Venture Scouts will be planning and leading this activity. Ventures will perform the course setup on March 7th using GPS devices, and will also lead the actual event on March 14th. Venture attendance at one of these two dates is required. Attendance at this hike counts toward the outdoor participation requirement (>= 50% of events) to advance to the next rank. Ventures must coordinate their attendance through event leaders Mike Tusino and TJ Fasulo.