Troop 1519 spent the January '04 "Teachers Work Days" skiing at Timberline, West Virginia. Crew 1519 joined us and added a unique perspective to the weekend. Some guys opted to snowboard, others skiied and still others kept the hot chocolate machine working! We had 38 in the bunkhouse and many others in alternative lodging nearby. Except for the drive home Tuesday in snowy conditions, a good time was had by all.

Scouts' and leaders' notes from the trip:
Chris Cunningham | Greg Haugan | Jim Haugan | Michael Haugan | Everett Sawin

The Bull Run Campout lasted about two days and by the time it was over, mostly everyone was exhausted. The ground was a little soggy since it rained before we came. Everybody camped out in a big clearing and there was so much extra space, people could practice lacrosse and throw footballs. There was one tree, about five picnic tables there and three fire pits. It was warm enough to just wear T-shirts most of the time. Also we were camping on an actual battlefield of the Civil War!

The main part of the campout was the excruciating five mile hike in which we got lost a couple of times. We also worked on knot tying, fire making, first aid and compass working, so it was hard to not earn some requirements. We also had a little campfire show where every patrol did a skit and a song in front of the troop. There was a ton of extra time where most people climbed the tree, threw something in the field, hung out by the creek, played at the playground or did things in their campsite. In the end, we all searched all around the campsite for trash, then left.

Troop 1519's trip to Fort Story was great. On Saturday we hiked to an old lighthouse and looked out from the top of it. In the afternoon most of the scouts went cosmic bowling, while a few of us went to the beach. It was really fun. We got back to camp and at night we all got together and did skits and sang songs. Overall the trip was a great success.

Summer camp in Pennsylvania was great! The scouts had a fun time with no rain. The pool was very cold but we got used to it. The food was the best we ever had at summer camp and the cots were very comfortable. The little stream behind our campsite was cool, and it took about 15 Scouts to save Everett's toe. The Order of the Arrow ceremony was fun even if it was a little ways to walk. We had a fun time at camp.

The Boy Scout white water rafting trip on the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania on the weekend of June 8 was great. The weather was great, as 62 Scouts and parents camped out Saturday night and had a dinner of hot dogs, beans, chips and cookies. The camp had a DJ and dance at night, and the Girls Scouts from New Jersey were there. We went rafting on Sunday morning on class 1, 2, and 3 rapids (difficulty). The water was a bit cold, but refreshing. The opening of the dam upriver Saturday morning made this year's trip a bit more exciting. About halfway down the river, we stopped for lunch. The class 3 rapids were a bit of a challenge, and the water fights between the rafts were also fun. When we were done, we took a bus ride back up to camp and about an hour later we left for home. Thanks to Mr. Hursh for setting up another wonderful trip.

The troop elections on March 6 were very close. The new Assistant Senior Patrol leader for New Scouts is Robert Linhart. Chris Cunningham is ASPL for Programs, and Daniel Rogers is ASPL for Troop Equipment.

The Westmoreland campout was a lot of fun. Troop 1519 left Friday night for the park in the Northern Neck along the Potomac River. It was about a 2-hour drive. Scouts pitched tents and played Frisbee. The Scouts took a 2-mile hike with full backpack. At 4:00 am Sunday morning, Scouts woke up to see the shooting stars and meteor shower. We saw over 500 shooting stars. Each patrol taught the Webelos different Scout skills.

Troop 1519 departed Hayfield Friday night, Oct. 5, for a great trip to Charleston Harbor, South Carolina to stay on theYorktown battleship. We slept on the charter bus on Friday night, and arrived at Patriot's Point on Saturday morning. After breakfast at IHOP, we checked in at the Yorktown ship. Although it was a duplicate of the original Yorktown ship, the ship still fought at war, and was a little bit smaller than the Titanic. Dolphins played next to the ship all day long.

We went on a boat tour to Saratoga. On the way, there were birds flying a few feet above our heads so they made great pictures. When we arrived, the island was bigger than it seemed. There were cannons that could shoot more than three miles, and a small museum with pictures and weapons used by officers. When we got back to the ship, we went up to the flight deck and saw lots of planes. We also toured a battleship, a coast guard ship, and a submarine.

On Saturday night, we slept in the berthing areas used by the Yorktown crew, and ate in the original Chief Petty Officers' mess. Sunday morning, we packed up, loaded our gear on the bus, and had free time to do whatever we wanted. We left at 6:30 p.m., and our bus arrived back at Hayfield Elementary on Monday at 4 a.m.

Last weekend Troop 1519 Scouts camped at Pohick Regional Park. About a dozen scouts attended the campout. The scouts went on a couple-mile hike around the park on Saturday afternoon. The hit of the trip was the orienteering course, led by Mr. Blaszkow. We had to solve a murder mystery, and went around gathering clues to help us.

A dog named Max found his way into our campsite, so we fed him and gave him water. He followed us on the hike and stuck around with us until his owner came to retrieve him.

After dinner on Saturday night we built a campfire. We roasted marshmallows and told jokes. We broke camp early Sunday morning.