Highlights from 2006

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Troop 306 again earned the Boy Scouts of America's Quality Unit Award, distinguishing it for meeting national standards of excellence.

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Troop 306 held at least one major outing or trip each month during the past year. The Troop completed 13 nights of tent camping in calendar year 2006, qualifying again for the BSA's National Camping Award. Highlights of the year's outings included a rafting trip in Western Massachusetts, an overnight on the USS Salem, the annual troop Turkey Roast at Camp Nobscot, and attendance at the Great North Woods Challenge, the Council Camporee. The Troop's patrol received Third Place honors out of over 75 patrols in the Camporee competition.

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This summer, Troop 306 sent six scouts to Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scout high adventure base in the southern Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. The Troop conducted a sightseeing tour of Colorado and New Mexico en route to Philmont, and then spent 11 days backpacking in the mountain wilderness at Philmont. Each scout in the crew earned his Philmont Duty to God Award, the backpacking merit badge, and the national 50-miler award. To prepare for this trip, Scouts in the Troop earlier this spring climbed Mt. Greylock, the highest mountain in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as (on a separate trip) Mt. Madison in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

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Troop 306 attended summer camp at Camp T.L. Storer, Barnstead NH, and again received the Honor Troop Award for camp cleanliness and scout citizenship. At summer camp, the scouts enjoyed swimming, boating, fishing, knots and lashings, and campfires. In addition, scouts completed scouting advancement and merit badges.

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Community and service projects in the past year included: two separate Scouting for Food drives for the Arlington Food Pantry; serving food and providing support at the Town of Arlington Martin Luther King Day dinner at the First Baptist Church; conducting a day-long cleanup at the Lynn Woods in Saugus; conducting a spring clean up at the First Baptist Church; two separate clean-up days on the Minuteman Bike Trail; completing a fall leaf-rake at the First Baptist Church.

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Troop 306 currently has 14 active scouts and 3 other, dual-registered scouts from other towns who also participate with Troop 306 from time to time. We have held several events with Webelos from Pack 306, including a Boy Scout-run first aid class and our annual Turkey Roast.

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In 2006, Troop 306 saw its 79th scout in its history earn the Eagle Scout rank, the highest award in Boy Scouting. The Troop will honor the Scout at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor in March 2007.

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50 percent of the scouts have advanced in rank over the past year, with over 20 merit badges earned this past year.

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Two more scouts and one more leader in Troop 306 were elected to and completed their membership requirements in the Order of the Arrow, the national scouting honor society. One scout in Troop 306 served as the Treasurer of the local Order of the Arrow Lodge and attended the National Order of the Arrow Conference in East Lansing, Michigan.

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Two scouts in the troop served on the staff of the Boston Minuteman Council's National Youth Leadership Training Course, one as the Senior Patrol Leader.

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The Scoutmaster of Troop 306 received the Sons of Liberty District Award of Merit this past year. He also was nominated to and serves on the Boston Minuteman Council Executive Board and was asked by the Council's Executive to serve as the chair of the Council's newly formed Risk Management Committee.