Troop 288

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

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 ...

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 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 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.  

https://www.mccscouting.org/meritbadgescouts Merit Badge Information Current merit badge requirements:  https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancement-and-awards/merit-badges/  Unofficial, optional merit badge workbooks: http://usscouts.org/meritbadges.asp   Blue Card Guide: hyperlink Merit Badge Homework Guide: hyperlink   Official BSA merit badge pamphlets: Troop library or Mecklenburg County Council Scout Shop or www.scoutshop.org Merit badges for social distancing: 58 badges Scouts can complete at home https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2020/03/20/merit-badges-for-social-distancing/  Scheduled Merit Badge (MB) Courses  Coin Collecting MB, Save the Date, Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Charlotte Coin Club Annual Show Spring Camp,  Save the Dates, Friday-Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23-24, 2022, at Camp Grimes. Spring Camp is an encampment for earning merit badges.  Schedule Your Own Merit Badge Courses Scuba Merit Badge A link to more inf...

Four Scouts from Troop 288 continued their training for Philmont as they took on 19 miles in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area this past weekend.   Quickly after hiking everyone was met with fantastic views along with the iconic wild ponies found in the area.  Night one was spent at the Thomas Knob shelter along the Appalachian Trail. After breakfast we began our grueling 13 miles.  After spending the second night near the Wise Shelter the crew broke camp quickly to beat the weather on our 2.5 mile final leg of the journey.