Posts

Birkhead Mountain (Philmont '27 Shakedown Trek 1)

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Great job yesterday, Troop 288! 🥾⛰️ Birkhead by the Numbers: 🥾 About 10 miles — including a couple of bonus miles courtesy of a few wrong turns 😄 ⛰️ ~2,600 ft of elevation gain ⏱️ Over 5 hours on the trail We headed into Birkhead planning to spend the night, but the trail had other plans for us! Several of the creeks and water sources we expected to use were completely dry. With the heat and no dependable source to replenish everyone's water, we made the decision to adjust our plans and hike out rather than camp overnight. Along the way, we dropped our full packs for about 1.5 miles to hike up to Cooler’s Knob , the highest  point in Uwharrie, which was a welcome break. We also made a couple of wrong turns that pushed the Scouts' total mileage closer to 10 miles — a good reminder of the importance of navigation and checking the map at trail intersections. Then Birkhead gave us one final challenge: the last 1.7 miles were through a thunderstorm and heavy downpour. ⛈️🌧️ By...

Troop 288 Serves at the Catholic Camporee - April 2026

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Troop 288 enjoyed a memorable weekend of service, leadership, and fellowship at the 2026 Catholic Camporee at Camp Grimes. With approximately 400 Scouts and adult leaders attending from across the area, our troop took on the important responsibility of helping operate the dining hall. Troop 288 Scouts and adults assisted with Friday dinner, all three meals on Saturday, and Sunday breakfast—helping ensure that hundreds of campers were fed throughout the weekend. Our Scouts worked together, served others, and represented Troop 288 exceptionally well. Their willingness to step up and help demonstrated the values of the Scout Oath and Law in action. Thank you to our Scouts and adult volunteers for their hard work and positive attitudes throughout the weekend. Troop 288 was proud to play such an important role in making the Catholic Camporee a success! Scouts attending: Omar Campbell, Jackson Kochan, Amir Matar, Wynn Miller, Web Miller, Guillermo Salazar, Mateo Sintes, Lucien Bouchet, Keeg...

Troop 288 Takes on Philmont – July 2023

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In July 2023, seven Scouts and four adult leaders from Troop 288 traveled west for an unforgettable adventure at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. After flying to Denver, the crew spent a night in Colorado Springs and completed a four-mile acclimation hike at Garden of the Gods before continuing to Philmont. Crew 713-7D spent eight nights at Philmont, including five nights in the backcountry, hiking approximately 50 miles through the mountains of northern New Mexico. Along the way, the Scouts carried their own gear and food, worked together through the challenges of hiking at elevation, and strengthened their outdoor, leadership, and teamwork skills. After months of preparation and training hikes, completing the trek was a tremendous accomplishment and an experience the crew will always remember. Link to All Photos: HERE

Hanging Rock & Pilot Mountain Camping/Climbing

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This past weekend eight Scouts from the Great 288 traveled north toward the Winston-Salem area to experience a natural rock climbing event at Pilot Mountain. This weekend would not have been possible without help from the amazing Mecklenburg County Council COPE & Climbing Committee.  Everyone was up early on Saturday morning to make breakfast before hitting the road.  The view from the top.  The Great 288 ready to hit the rock ... Or descend from the rock! More action on the rock ...

ANNUAL HEALTH & MEDICAL RECORD

Get answers to frequently-asked questions about the annual health and medical record Information about important medical risk factors Download the instruction handout and the applicable health form: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/ahmr/ Medical Information and First Aid  - Immunizations SAFE Checklist Incident Reporting Health & Safety Training

Updates for Rank Advancement/Camping Requirements

Updates for Rank Advancement/Camping Requirements in COVID-19 FAQ BSA National has added temporary changes to rank requirements. Please review at: https://www.scouting.org/ coronavirus/covid-19-faq/ Q: When will the current COVID-19 modifications to rank requirements and merit badge requirements end? As always, the BSA’s top priority is the health and safety of all youth participating in BSA programs. In 2020, the BSA instituted several modifications to rank requirements and merit badge requirements (“advancement modifications”) to accommodate activity restrictions necessitated by COVID-19. Effective March 01, 2022 , those modifications will be removed, and the standard rules for advancement and merit badges will again become effective.

Updated Merit Badges 2021/2022

Updated Merit Badges Scouts BSA updated requirements for several merit badges in 2021. The full list of  current   137 merit badges and their requirements are available at:  https://www.scouting.org/ programs/scouts-bsa/ advancement-and-awards/merit- badges/    Reference the official requirements for rank advancement and Eagle Palms of the Boy Scouts of America: https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancement-and-awards/ As always, Scouts that have already started working on a merit badge when revised requirements and a new edition of the pamphlet are introduced,  they may continue to follow the old requirements and use the same pamphlet to earn the badge.  They need not start over again with revised requirements and the new pamphlet.