Point Vincente Hike Lighthouse
|
From September 12 to 14, 2026, our troop held its annual Advancement Weekend at the San Gregorio Camp in the Angeles National Park. It was a packed three days dedicated to helping our scouts build essential skills and rank up! During the campout, younger scouts focused hard on their Trail to First Class requirements. They practiced the core values of scouting, memorizing the Scout Oath, Law, and Motto. Our newer scouts also got hands on experience learning how to properly set up camp, pitch tents, and organize a camp kitchen. Our older scouts in the Leadership Corps stepped up to teach. Under their guidance, scouts learned:
On September 5, our troop had an awesome time at our Forestry Merit Badge Day! We packed our gear and headed to the Mount Baldy Visitor Center for a full day of learning about nature and the environment. When we arrived, we got a special lesson from a professional forester. They taught us all about what it takes to manage a healthy forest. We also learned about the different careers in forestry and how important the lumber industry is to our everyday lives. Next, we successfully identified 10 different plants and trees in the area. It was cool to see how many different species grow right in our local mountains! We also discussed how amazing trees are, learning about all the unexpected things a tree can be made into. To finish off our badge requirements, we took a trip to a local lumber store. There, we learned about the different uses and applications of various types of wood, as well as the final process that turns a raw log into building material. Ahh yes, it's that time of the year again...
Camp Emmerson was truly a wonderful experience and memory we all will cherish when we're in our fifties and telling stories to our grandkids. Action, excitement, near death experiences; all of these stories remain ingrained in our conscience like splinters in your fingernails. When summertime usually comes around, most kids will spend their "exciting days" on their phone in bed from 1 AM to 1 AM the next day. However, us scouts spend our "exciting days" actually being exciting, with us being out in the mountains with the scent of adventure rolling off their tongues. Camp Emmerson is one of the primary examples of this. As soon as we arrived, the crisp forested air hung beneath the partially cloudy sky. Scouts were crowded around the parking lot like germs waiting for an open wound. Our trusty trailer treaded tirelessly into the track as sunburnt scouts sighed slowly in the sunny atmosphere. Each scout carried their belongings into the camp like motivated ants on a sugar rush. The day was pretty ordinary, with some tours of the area and a swim test to prove our capability of staying alive in water. A lake lay in the hills above and the trading post and cafeteria were opposite of the campgrounds. The next day had arrived and it was like a freight train. Unfortunately for us, summer camp had something in store for us known as "merit badge classes". Just like the schools we waited so patiently to end, summer camp dragged us down into the depths of every middle school nightmare; periods and homework. Now unfortunately for most of our scouts, the different classes were pretty far apart from each other with most archery, shooting, and water-based activities being about a five-minute hike up the mountain and the rest of the classes located near the buildings down below. There were many merit badges. Shotgun shooting, Rifle shooting, and archery were all mostly skill based with aim and timing being the main points of them. For most of the other badges in either the lodges, pavilion, or anywhere else, (weather, animal science, environmental science, art, etc...) the main points were learning with the small exceptional hike every-so-often. Wilderness survival was crazy; one of the requirements was to sleep outside in a shelter you built yourself. Canoeing, kayaking, and rowing were all based on getting out of your comfort zone and going out to the deep (even if the deep was quite short). There were multiple more like life-saving and search and rescue. Now Wednesday brought an early weekend for us to enjoy ourselves. Being a free day, there were multiple activities like shooting shotguns and kayaking in an oversized pond (the lake). The night brought a dance party and overactive children (which do not mix well).
Friday was like any other night. The only exception was it being the night we all finished our not-so-hard classes and a memorable experience with even more activities. Saturday was the last night and Saturday had a lot in store for us. More activities! More fun! Mor hyperactive children! It was almost like the camp directors said, "screw it, make tonight the night where all the kids somehow make the dinner achieve sentience." We spent out last night with a happy campfire of storytelling and screaming so loud, the bears tossed and turned.
Ahh yes, it WAS that time of the year. Memories were made, happiness ensued, and so many kids got a sugar rush, the restrooms looked like the aftermath of a bombing. However, Camp Emerson had a lot of adventure in store for us, And that's what Boy Scouts is about. Honorable Mentions: Scorpion Hike; it was pitch black and the black lights illuminated every stinging arachnid there was. Polar Bear Plunge: Absolutely FREEZING. Jumping into a pool during the morning air while having hoses being sprayed and fans set to maximum velocity.
Dance Party: For some reason they started playing the "Sophia The First" children's cartoon theme. (There are more, I just didn't go to them) Funnily enough, this took place on the same day as our Pancake Breakfast. At 3:00 PM, we went to Palm Park's aquatic center to hold our yearly swim check. The swim check is an annual test to understand the level of our scouts at aquatics. This is to help protect our scouts from dangerous events they might not be prepared for. The swim check consists of Advanced and Beginner levels. The Beginner level has two laps; one normal lap with a choice of any forward stroke and another lap with a backstroke. For Advanced, you need to do four laps; three forward strokes, and one backstroke. Then, you have have to float for a minute on your back. Anyways... After our swim check, the scouts played in the pool for a while with diving boards and volleyballs. After our pool time, we cleaned up and went outside for a barbeque where we cooked different appetizers such as burgers, hot dogs, and chips. We served salad and drinks, and everybody had fun.
Our Troop decided to host a "Pancake Breakfast" event to show our appreciation for our church. Although a pretty short event, we set up tables, grills, and other equipment to cook and feed the members of our community. Our scouts worked hard to cook various meals and all the people were happy. (Note: This is not religion-based. The church is where our meeting take place so we had to thank them for allowing us use of the buildings.
On Memorial Day weekend, Troop 985 went to the Los Angeles National Cemetery to participate in the annual flag placement event. We spent the morning walking through the grounds to ensure that our fallen heroes were properly remembered. At each headstone, we carefully placed an American flag in the ground, stood at attention, and gave a salute to pay our respects to the veterans. We also enjoyed learned about each veteran that earned a Medal of Honor. It was a powerful event, and we were proud to do our part to honor their sacrifice. Those who participated include scouts Alston, Steven, Anderson, Jackson, Zachary, Coan, Benjamin, Mateo, Lucas, Micah, Zaiden, Gabriel, Camden, Elijah, Xoaquin, Dempsey, Emmanuel. On May 16, Troop 985 headed out to Spruce Grove for a challenging 6-mile hike. We hit the trail early, following the path as it wound along the creek and deep into the shaded forest. The route tested our endurance with some steep uphill climbs, but we kept a steady pace and motivated each other the whole way. We also learned to use a map and compass to navigate the trail. It was a great day of fresh air and hard work, and we were proud to finish the full 6-mile loop together as a troop. Those who participated include scouts Reece, Jacob, Zane, Ethan and Adult leaders accompanying them were Mr. Yue and Ms. Yang Our annual troop Taco Night commenced on May 2nd, 2026. Our fellow scouts helped pitch in by helping serve the food, wait people, and assist our customers in many different ways. Before the Taco Night started, Troop 985's scouts each got 10 tickets for our event to sell and gain a decent amount of people who were willing to attend. Our troop worked tirelessly to sell these orange coupons by doing everything they could, from standing outside stores with signs to selling them at their schools. Our actual Taco Night was a busy day. Our troop was split into three groups. The first group came earlier to set up everything and prepare the equipment/food. Our second group did the actual serving and waited guests. We sold nachos, tacos (obviously), and a wide variety of deserts. The tacos were customizable with the option to serve different meats (carne asada and chicken), different sauces, different veggies, and even an option to switch out the tortilla for seaweed. For drinks we had lemonade and water. Our third group cleaned up everything. They wiped down the tables and organized everything spotlessly for our church. During the Taco Night event, we hosted a raffle which was sponsored by our local JC Penny's (thank you). You could buy tickets there to participate and you go free items such as hats and other various accessories.  A picture taken from the raffle  On April 11-13, Troop 985 participated in the Pio Pico District Camporee. We headed out Friday night to get our campsite set up and prepared for a busy weekend of competition. Saturday morning kicked off with the opening ceremony and the flag ceremony. We spent a lot of time preparing for our campsite inspection and used our pioneering skills to lash together a gateway for our entrance. The day was packed with numerous games that tested our scout skills, teamwork, and leadership. We also competed in the Dutch oven cooking contest and Flag Design Contest. At the awards ceremony, Troop 985 swept the board. Here is how we finished:
We are super proud of all the scouts who worked together to bring the shovel home. It was a great weekend of scouting spirit and hard work! Those who participated include scouts Benjamin, Vincent, Kenneth, Zachary, Alston, Mateo, Xoaquin, Coan, Camden, Micah, Zane, Daniel, Zaiden, Jacob, Jackson H and Jackson R. Adult leaders accompanying them were Mr. Denham, Mr. Yue, Mr. Jensen, Mr. Allinson, Mr. Sanford, and Mr. Warren |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
September 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
