Will Russell, quartermaster of Boy Scout Troop 349 of Mountville, has intimate knowledge of all of the troop's gear. For the past few years, it has been Will's responsibility to inventory and inspect the tents, cooking pots, and other camping accoutrements owned by the troop.
"The water jugs are breaking down, and the coolers are cracked from where we dropped them," Will reported.
The troop has slated those items for replacement, and proceeds from the group's annual spaghetti dinner will make the purchases possible. Two years ago, spaghetti dinner proceeds enabled Troop 349 to buy a trailer in which the troop hauls gear to campsites. Troop membership is increasing, so tents will be on the shopping list too. The items are not inexpensive.
"It's quality gear because they camp in extreme conditions," said troop committee chair Vanessa Reisig. "They camp (when the temperature is) in the teens."
The spaghetti dinner will be held on Saturday, March 2, from 4 to 7 p.m. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church (UMC), 100 W. Main St., Mountville. A snow date has been set for Saturday, March 23. The all-you-can-eat meal will include spaghetti and meatballs, tossed salad, garlic bread, and desserts. Gluten-free pasta will be available. Separate prices for admission have been set for adults and for children ages 3 to 10. Children under age 3 may eat free of charge. Troop members are preselling tickets, or admission may be paid at the door. Folks may also purchase meals to go; containers will be provided.
"It's also a community outreach," Reisig remarked. "We have families that come in and eat in large groups. It's an inexpensive night out for families."
Older troop members will work with adult volunteers to prepare the meal, and the younger Scouts will greet guests, serve the food, and clear the tables. Teamwork is something stressed within the boy-run troop. The Scouts of Troop 349 often go on adventures together, whether spending a weekend camping in the woods, whitewater rafting, or volunteering around Mountville. Urban orienteering, where groups of three boys, accompanied by an adult, follow clues planted throughout New York City or Washington, D.C., is a highlight of the summer. The troop also visits the Naval Academy in Annapolis, where the boys camp out and watch a football game. Scouts have helped to clean the area around Lake Grubb, appeared in Memorial Day parades, and volunteered at the Mountville Fire Company and Oak Leaf Manor North.
"(The troop) is helping shape young boys and men," Will commented. "You can use the skills you learn here for your future."
Membership in Troop 349 is open to boys in grade five up through age 18. Meetings are held at St. Paul's UMC on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. Visitors are welcome. For more information about the troop or the spaghetti dinner, readers may call event chair Melissa Younes at 717-898-7177.
Leave a Review