T140 saw the return of a Troop-favorite campout – the USS Lexington! This is a live-aboard experience on a WWII-era aircraft carrier. The haunted house really makes the event, though. Almost 50 in total Scouts and adults attended.

A group of 17 Scouts & Advisors traversed ~60 miles of Philmont’s North country during June while on a 12-day trek.  This included an ascent of Baldy Mountain, followed by a quick scramble down to avoid a thunderstorm.  Activities at staffed camps included spar pole climbing, black powder rifle & shotgun shooting, railroad building, low-COPE challenges, blacksmithing, and Cowboy Action shooting.  They were aided on their way for two days with help from their beloved burros, Harold & Burrito.  Inquire with the participants what trail names they acquired along the way (Fabio, Chipmunk, Captain Underpants, Gump, and Green Acres just to name a few).

Congratulation to Henry Suber & Aneek Pifer on completing the 22-mile ride requirement for the mountain biking portion of Cycling Merit Badge at Brazos Bend SP.

Can you find 2 of Troop 140’s current adult leaders?

Many of the 2022 Philmont participants went on a practice backpacking trip along the horse trails in the Davy Crockett National Forest near Kennard, TX over the weekend of February 19th, 2022. The first night at Ratcliff Lake was COLD – a low of 26.6F. In all, the group hiked 14.0 miles and accumulated 6 Frost Points. Scouts used some new backpacking cookware thanks to Mr. Unruh, and Avi was deemed the World Champion of pancake flippers. No actual sightings of “Scary Clowns”, but Collin knows they were out there. The coyotes Saturday night were scary enough.

Troop 140 traveled to Louisiana for airboat rides and a tour of the Tabasco factory on Avery Island during the January 2022 campout. Participants camped at Lake Fausse Pointe State Park next to the Atchafalaya swamp.

The T140 Scouts destined for Philmont this next Summer had their first “shakedown” hike over the weekend of December 4 – 5, 2021. The one-night backpacking trip was intended to help prepare the Scouts and Advisors for their 7 to 12-day treks in NM. This was a chance to test out boots, packs, and backcountry cooking skills. In all, there were 26 participants that hiked 10 – 12 miles in total at Lake Houston Wilderness Park (LHWP).

Troop 140’s newest Arrowman candidates participated in an Order of the Arrow (OA) Callout Ceremony on Sunday, December 5th, 2021.  OA is Scouting’s honor society for those that uphold the ideals of Scouting, but candidates must pass an Ordeal to be permitted entry.  The Scouts Ryan Bradley, Brandon Ikwuagwu, and Zach Ruben were elected by their peers to be OA members.  Additionally, Jenny Bradley was selected as an adult advisor for OA membership.

The Troop also saw three current Ordeal OA members participate in the Brotherhood Walk to gain the next rank of OA membership, Brotherhood.  These were Aiden Bradley, Nick Ettinger, and Michelle Ruben.