by Aaron Bachmann, Cubmaster
For several years, Pack 350 described itself as a “small but mighty” pack that always tried to do more with less. We have been sponsored by the Fairlington United Methodist Men’s group since our inception when a number of families in the Fairlington area were looking for a pack closer to home.
In my two plus years with Pack 350, we have grown exponentially. Despite the challenges that this growth has created for camping food prep, it is incredibly rewarding to see how much our Scouts enjoy the Pack 350 program. It is perhaps all the more special because the vast majority of our growth is through word of mouth – our Scouts share their experiences and invite their friends. After all, that’s the best form of advertisement you can have!
While we have had a handful of Arrow of Light Scouts transition in the past, last year was our first large group. These Scouts had been around for the beginnings of the pack, and the bond they shared from the Pack 350 experience was strong. As such, they wanted to transition to Boy Scouts together, and they wanted their Boy Scout life to match with the climate of Pack 350. Therefore, Tony Baker and Elina Erlendsson, along with the help of many other parents and our charter representative, Rolf Blank, created Troop 350. After getting off the ground with one former Pack 350 Scout and, of course, a bunch of friends he brought from soccer, Troop 350 doubled in size with the influx of last year’s Arrow of Light Scouts.
Pack 350 is excited to have a troop that is also associated with Fairlington United and a natural place to continue the positive and welcoming Scouting environment that we take pride in in Pack 350. It seems that the feeling is mutual – a couple of Troop 350’s Scouts came back to assist with Pack 350’s Join Scouting Night in early September. It is definitely a sign of the strong relationship that we hope to continue to forge with each generation of Scouts.
Of course, that was not the only milestone that Pack 350 saw at Join Scouting Night. After having the distinction of registering the very first girl in the Chain Bridge District, we were thrilled to welcome eleven (!) girls to Pack 350. Most were joining in the early years as Lions, Tigers, and Wolves, but we even have a Webelos. As I said above, Pack 350 prides itself on its inclusivity and welcoming environment; the addition of so many girls to the Cub Scouting program is a natural extension for us.
Troop 1780 from Waldorf, MD recently had a group of Scouts and leaders go overseas to Europe on a home grown high adventure. The crew flew into Munich International Airport and spent the day in Munich at a local hotel to get over jet lag and to visit the city. Early the next morning we then made our way down to Krimml, Austria through a series of train rides lasting about 5 hours. Once in Krimml and after checking into the lodging we walked up to the top of the Krimml Falls which are the tallest waterfalls in Austria. The next day we started on the bicycle portion of the trip as we biked 38 miles to Zell am See, Austria. We arrived early enough that we had time and explored a bit of the town and ate the ‘best waffles in Europe.’ So far, we haven’t found any that have come close.
In 2015, Scoutmasters Alexandria Keenan (Troop 1572, Clinton, MD) and Wahbe Tamari (Troop 61, Washington, DC) met during Wood Badge course N6-82-15-3 in the National Capital Area Council. Little did they know how often their paths would cross after the course ended. A year later, they met by chance at Kandersteg International Scout Centre. After that, they met again at an Order of the Arrow Ordeal where they began chatting about planned trips for their respective Troops. Keenan’s Troop was planning a trip to England for the Red Rose International Scout Jamboree; Tamari’s Troop was heading to England to hike Hadrian’s Wall. Both trips were being planned for August 2018, so they decided to join forces and do the trip together.
Early in the morning on August 3, the group arrived at King’s Arms in Bowness-on-Solway to begin the 84 mile hike to Wallsend. Day 1 was a 16 mile hike back to Carlisle. While there were no parts of Hadrian’s Wall visible on this part of the journey, and the weather was a bit rainy, the group was excited to be setting off on this trip of a lifetime.
The group was excited to represent the United States and proudly flew our country’s flag as they marched in parades around camp. Scouts from all over the world stopped by Subcamp Spielberg to visit, swap neckers and patches, and ask about next year’s World Jamboree at Summit and Scouting in the United States.
