Recent Events

On July 5, 2026 troop 719 went to Goshen Scout Reservation at Olmstead in Virginia. Goshen is about 3 hours and 30 minutes from Wesley Freedom Church. Once we got to Goshen, we had a guide show us around the camp. Then we went to the handicraft area for med checks. After we left the Handicraft area, we went to the dining hall. In the dining hall, there was AC and the walls were made out of wood. Scouts with food allergies got served first. 

When we got to our campsite, we started to unpack our stuff from our trailer. The next day, we received our merit badge schedules for the entire week. AM classes started at 9am, and PM classes started at 2pm. Once everyone was finished with their AM classes we went to lunch. On Tuesday, we started the day with flags and then went to our morning merit badge classes. After lunch, we had siesta from 1-2, and some of us practiced for the chess tournament that was happening that evening. Then we headed to our PM classes followed by the chess tournament. 

On Wednesday, after our morning classes and lunch, our troop went to the shotgun, rifle, and archery ranges for an hour before our afternoon classes. 

Thursday was a special day because we had Pirate Breakfast! Scouts who had passed the swimmer portion of the swim test got to eat cereal while riding in canoes and kayaks. We did not have morning classes that day. Instead, we had an open period. During siesta, we held our Patrol Leaders' Council (PLC) meeting.

During the PLC meeting, the adults accidentally left a cooler with food outside. A bear knocked it over and ate the food inside! We definitely learned an important lesson: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR FOOD OUT!
Later that evening, two patrol leaders held a campfire ceremony. On Friday, our Scoutmaster announced which Scouts had earned their merit badges. It was exciting to hear what everyone had accomplished during the week.
On Saturday, we packed up our gear, loaded the trailer, and headed home. It was a busy week filled with learning, fun activities, new experiences, and plenty of memories. Troop 719 had a great time at Goshen Scout Reservation, and we are already looking forward to our next adventure!