BSA Troop 1 "The Pioneer Troop"

Autobell cards for sale through 11/26!

We've changed our fundraising and are selling Autobell cards this year. Please support our Scouts by purchasing one or more cards today. These make great stocking stuffers!

We're taking orders now for Christmas trees, wreaths, and garland until 11/28. Contact us for your holiday greenery!

We're taking orders now for Christmas trees, wreaths, and garland until 11/30. Contact us for your holiday greenery!

Troop 1's annual Christmas tree and wreath sale is underway. Contact us for your holiday greenery!

The 2nd Family Raft outing to the US National White Water Center was great fun. Twenty Eight boys and family members went on the trip. Several boys said they saw a drop of rain or two. I did not see or feel any rain at all, so we had a very full day.
After arriving the boys split up and either climbed on the climbing wall or did the muddy obstacle course. Mud is no obstacle for boys after all. Lukas earns the muddiest scout award. We then rafted as a troop at 10:00. No rafts flipped over, but everyone got very wet. After rafting the boys had lunch then zipped and climbed. A group of 7 went rafting a 2nd time: Joe, Caleb, Aarick, Michel, Josh, Frank and I. Luke, Alex, and Graham climbed in the afternoon for over 3 hours straight on various courses. They earn the rubber arm award. Last year Camille Easterly earned the bloodiest scout award while biking. This year that honor goes to Joe Audino who added to his set of already extensive cuts and scrapes. Caleb served as scribe for the day as the raft guide appointed him during the 1st raft trip. A big thanks to all the adults who drove and all the families for participating.

This past March I asked for some T-1 scout volunteers for a photoshoot I was producing for Duke Energy's Sustainability Report. The photograph's focus was primarily about one of Duke Energy's long time employees, Reggie Morehead, an energy and environmental expert at the McGuire Nuclear Station who is also a long time Scoutmaster at Troop 63 and teaches the Chemistry MB to scouts throughout our region.

I was very pleased that we had several scouts volunteer for the shoot. Joshua Sealey along with John and Ethan Pham joined 2 scouts from T-63 to stage the shot at McGuire. They all did GREAT! We got some wonderful shots of them. They followed directions to the letter, looked sharp in their uniforms and represented our Troop as well as I had hoped they would. I was thrilled as to how the shots came out and Duke was just as happy.

Thanks again to Joshua, John and Ethan for representing our troop in such a fine manner.

Here is the story and photo as it appears in Duke's Sustainability Report:

For nearly 30 years, energy and environmental science experts at McGuire Nuclear Station in North Carolina have enthusiastically shared their knowledge with young people through their participation in the Boy Scouts of America merit badge program.
The program, which started with 90 Scouts at the first encampment at McGuire in 1987, has seen tremendous growth, welcoming more than 550 young men every year to earn merit badges.
In addition to earning merit badges, Boy Scouts at McGuire and Catawba nuclear stations participate in a multiday event and have the chance to pitch a tent and camp out under the stars on the grounds of the power plant or at a nearby campsite.
At Oconee Nuclear Station, scouts participate in a Merit Badge College where they earn up to four merit badges in one day. Between the three stations, more than 850 Boy Scouts earn merit badges annually.
Undoubtedly, a big part of the program’s success can be attributed to Duke Energy employees -- like Reggie Morehead -- who have volunteered as instructors, including scientists, engineers, plant operators and trainers, since the start of the scouting program. At McGuire, more than 150 employees have volunteered since the encampment began.
Each year, Duke Energy and the Boy Scouts continue to work together to find fun and innovative ways to enhance science education for young boys. While scouts leave full of knowledge, events like the merit badge program are another way we share the benefits of nuclear power as a safe and reliable energy source.

Congratulations to our friend Kevin! Kevin was a Troop 1 leader for several years when his son Michael was a scout at Troop 1.

Observer cartoonist Kevin Siers wins Pulitzer Prize Siers is the third editorial cartoonist in the Observer’s history and the fifth Observerite to receive journalism’s highest honor.

Last week for pine needle sales! Order this week or drive up on Saturday, March 22nd.