Troop 97
NoBeBoSco Summer Camp 2023
Without any fear, Troop 97 arrived in camp on July 3rd with 26 scouts ready to take on the NoBe outback! Led by acting SPL Dallas Grosso, the Troop participated in every event that NoBeBoSco had to offer! The Troop had thirteen new scouts (Lucas Camilo, Parker Coatti, Brendan Greeve, Charlie Grosso, Dylan Helman, Ethan Lin, Matthew Luo, Brandan McLaughlin, Colin McLaughlin, Gabriel Morgan, Arjun Patel, Kishan Patel, and James Poesl) who experienced their first summer at NoBeBoSco and earned merit badges while having a great time at camp! They completed many advancement requirements while in First Class Adventure (earning their theme patch and first year rocker patch), including the 5 mile hike (thank you Justin and Hector for leading them safely through), and are moving forward on their advancement path towards higher ranks. Thank you to the ASM’s for guiding these new scouts throughout the week. In one week at camp, Troop 97 earned over 60 merit badges. But that was not all! This year’s Troop informal theme was about having fun, enjoying all that NoBe has to offer, and experiencing growth mentally, physically, and creatively. Troop 97 continued its proud tradition of earning the Honor Troop Award while at camp. The scouts easily completed each required item on the list to earn the award. All five patrols earned the Honor Patrol Award for the teamwork they used with the patrol method during the week in camp. There were many individual awards earned by Troop 97’s scouts. Prem Doshi, Dallas Grosso, Will Humbach, Jake Fuller, Charlie Grosso, and Greg Morris earned the BSA Mile Swim Award this year, continuing Troop 97’s unbroken streak. Troop 97 had the largest number of scouts in camp complete the mile swim this year. Seven of our scouts (Evan Demasi, Alex Frank, Brayden Greenhut, Dallas Grosso, Will Humbach, Greg Morris, Felipe Rivera) together with three of our ASMs (Justin Kirsteins, Hector Camilo, Lloyd Poholsky) completed the challenging Sunrise Hike. Starting at 4:30 AM, they hiked and rock-scrambled up the cable cut to watch the sunrise atop the Kittatinny Ridge. They then hiked down the Appalachian Trail and were back before Polar Bear Swim and breakfast. Prem Doshi earned the Marksmanship Excellence Award at the archery range, which is not an easy task! Troop 97 had one of the largest percentages of scouts in camp attending the Polar Bear Swims. Not all the scouts had their eyes open, but they still managed to jump into the frigid waters early in the morning. Five adult leaders also participated in the plunge, not to be outdone by the scouts. Troop 97 also participated in the Camp Wide Games, winning events at the waterfront and having a great time. First-year scouts teamed up with returning scouts to work together during these events. Troop 97 scouts celebrated their success at the parade field and waterfront, and concluded the games in high spirits and sportsmanship. The week ended with an amazing Closing Campfire where all troops participated with their skits and songs. Troop 97 scouts worked together to create an AMAZING skit that comically depicted their life at NoBe. It drew laughs and cheers, ending with a huge round of applause from the audience. I would like to thank the Assistant Scoutmasters Rafael Gonzalez, Ken Grosso, Justin Kirsteins, Rick Helman, and Hector Camilo for attending Camp NoBeBoSco this summer. These dedicated men used vacation days and spent time away from their own families so they could work with our scouts for the week at camp. They gave to the Troop scouting program and we are very lucky to have them. Thank you!
Thank you parents for trusting us with your scouts at Camp NoBeBosCo this summer. It was a pleasure to witness the growth in our scouts of all ages and the enjoyment they experienced during the week. We hope to see them again (and more scouts) next year.
Lloyd Poholsky
Scoutmaster
Troop 97, New City
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