August 3, 2006 at 8:35 a.m.
Local Boy Scouts American heritage tour ‘steeped in history’
Local Boy Scouts American heritage tour ‘steeped in history’
The trip began in Chantilly, Virginia, with the Scouts exploring the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, near Dulles International Airport. The Boy Scouts viewed great ships of both the past and present, notably the space shuttle Enterprise, the B-29 Enola Gay and the supersonic Air France Concorde. Astronomy and Air & Space merit badges were offered to the Scouts.
Then it was on to Washington D.C. where the Boy Scouts were awed by the Washington Monument, the Lincoln, WWII, Korean and Vietnam Memorials and Arlington National Cemetery. Many Scouts and adults were also able to experience the Holocaust Museum. Part of the troop even saw the presidential motorcade and were gifted with a wave from President Bush. That night a tremendous tropical storm dumped copious amounts of rain on the group and the weather followed for the next four days, culminating in 12.1 inches of rain. Unfortunately, most of the museums in Washington D.C. closed due to the flooding, stoplights blinked out of service and the subway system shut down.
Citizenship in the World, Photography and Communication merit badges were offered to the Scouts here.
The rain followed the group into Gettysburg, PA, but never put a damper on the activities. The rain and low clouds added to the solemn pall that settled over the battlefield at Little Round Top, the Valley of Death and Bloody Run Creek. Scouts and adults felt the presence of the Gettysburg ghosts. The troop was lucky enough to be housed in a mansion-turned-youth hostel on the Appalachian Trail. The Scouts found a hidden basement beneath a false closet floor and explored the area that was a place of salvation for slaves running north using the Underground Railroad.
American Heritage, Hiking, Collections and Citizenship in the Nation merit badges were offered to the Scouts over these three days of historical exploration.
The Boy Scouts went to Philadelphia, Penn. Again history took center stage while exploring Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Welcome Center. The biggest talk amongst the Scouts was comparing the movie “National Treasure” to what they saw before them.
Days 7, 8 and 9 were spent exploring New York City. We were treated to a fantastic tour of Manhattan by a tour guide from New Jersey. The Scouts saw many homes of the rich and famous and visited Broadway, Wall Street, Times Square, 5th Avenue, the site where Jon Lennon was killed, Ground Zero, Madison Square Garden, Winter Garden, the United Nations, and the tomb of Ulysses S. Grant. We had lunch and ice cream in Central Park.
Genealogy, Family Life and Scholarship merit badges were offered to the Scouts after spending the day at Ellis Island, New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.
The tenth day of the trip was spent aboard the USS Massachusetts battleship at Battle Ship Cove, in Fall River, Mass. The boys learned the history of the ship and the battles in which she took part. Not one man was lost during the 35 battles she fought, although six men died aboard from numerous causes. The group was able to spend the night aboard the ship, sleeping in the tight quarters that the crew of 2,100 experienced from 1942-1946. The ship had all of the amenities of a small town to care for her crew.
The next day, the group explored the Russian battleship Hiddensee, the submarine USS Lionfish, and the destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Also available to explore were numerous aircraft and PT boats.
Day 11 was spent hiking the Freedom Trail in Boston and visiting Paul Revere’s house, the Old and North Church, Faneuil Hall, the USS Constitution Old Ironsides, Bunker Hill, Boston Harbor and the Tea Party, and the Boston Massacre site. The boys also witnessed the loading and firing of a canon. Some Scouts had fun meeting Ben Franklin, while others enjoyed being chastised by British soldiers. One group ventured down to the “Cheers” tavern, while another took the subway to Harvard University.
That night was spent at Niagara Falls enjoying the evening and the lighting of the falls. The boys enjoyed walking down behind the falls and getting drenched on the “hurricane” deck. Six million cubic feet of water plummet over the falls every minute creating a roar of thunder. At one time, approximately 12,000 years ago, the falls existed 7 miles downstream. Today, Niagara Falls is receding at about half an inch each year. A tremendous fireworks display was put on by both the American and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls.
The last day of the trip was spent at Cedar Point Amusement Park, in Sandusky, Ohio. The Scouts spend the day trying to be “the only Scout to ride all 16 roller coasters.” Cedar Point was definitely an excellent end to this great adventure for these Boy Scouts of America.
Comments:
Commenting has been disabled for this item.