Boy Scout Troop 107 - Corona, California, USA - Welcome

Boy Scout Troop 107

Updated: May 31, 2006

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2005-01: Camping Trip to Joshua Tree

It was cooooooold, very very cold and windy too. We loved it! It was definitely a time for boys to shine. We were either huddled around a propane heater tying knots and telling stories or boulder hopping through Joshua tree. A few overcame their fear of heights and all gained personal confidence and courage. On Saturday morning we did a clean-up service project at the campsite that extended their warm hand of hospitality to us a month earlier during our 29 Palms military base and “snow” outing. Then on Saturday afternoon and Sunday it was rock climbing (boulder hopping) at its best. A wonderful time had by all!

2005-03: Beginner Backpack Trip to Mecca

The beginning backpacking trip to Mecca in March was a great success. Although the weather looked threatening in Corona prior to our departure Saturday morning, the weather in the desert was near perfect. The scouts were relatively well prepared and we located the campsite with little trouble. We had a great day hike up some narrow ravines and everyone showed great teamwork in getting up and down some rather steep channels. This trip was a bit tougher than a typical beginner trip because the campsite was dry – everyone had to carry sufficient water to get through the weekend. The meals were planned and prepared accordingly and the winner of the Golden Spoon award for best camp food was the Eagle patrol. They cooked spaghetti for Saturday night dinner and prepared pancakes Sunday morning for breakfast. The Eagles demonstrated some true culinary skill in successfully cooking those pancakes. Nearly everyone came home with some good suggestions for revisions to their gear list for the next backpack trip.

2005-04: Beginner Backpack to John's Meadow

Troop 107 had another incredibly eventful campout in April. It was originally billed as a beginner backpack trip but turned out to be much more. Nineteen scouts and five adults backpacked 3.9 miles from the trailhead in to John’s Meadow campsite in the San Gorgonio Wilderness on the weekend of April 23-24. We had to scramble around fallen trees and carefully cross many steep snow patches that covered sections of the trail. The final creek crossing before reaching camp was actually covered by a 100-foot wide avalanche debris field of snow, boulders and tree trunks that took the group nearly an hour to traverse. Several inches of fresh snow greeted us on Sunday morning, making the return hike back to the cars nearly as difficult as the outbound leg. The Shark patrol won the Golden Spoon award this month for their excellent dinner of hamburgers. The scouts and adults who completed this arduous trip should take justifiable pride in their individual and collective accomplishments. Our success was the result of good teamwork and positive attitudes under difficult conditions exhibited by all. Watch for photos at the upcoming Court of Honor.

2005-05: Canoe Trip to Kernville

The scouts of Troop 107 canoed and rafted on the Kern River and Lake Isabella over the holiday weekend in May. Led by our guides, Joe and Janet of Eagle Rafting, ten boys mastered the required skills for their Canoeing Merit Badge. The group also was able to take a raft ride down a stretch of white water in the river. When not on the water, scouts spent time fishing and earning their Tot’n Chips. Asst SM Ed Roberts led a Fishing Merit Badge clinic Saturday afternoon and Andrew H. won the troop fishing derby later that day. Overall, it was a very successful outing with no snow reported. Because of the extremely high volume of water flow in the river, the White Water Merit Badge portion of the trip has been postponed to the weekend of August 5-7. Those scouts affected must speak to SM Doug Hibbard for further planning details.

2005-06: Court of Honor at St. John's

2005-06: Rocket Trip to Calico

Rockets filled the skies near Calico ghost-town over the weekend of 6/11-12 as Troop 107 held its annual rocket camp. Eighteen boys and five adult leaders spent Saturday afternoon launching (and sometimes recovering) a variety of model rockets from the dry lake bed launch site. Sunday morning the Troop completed a day hike, practicing their skills at compass work along the way. The Shark patrol again captured the Golden Spoon award for culinary excellence based on a dinner of steak and potatoes. Look forward to photos and short video clips of the weekend’s events at the next Court of Honor.

2005-07: Summer Camp at Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch

Troop 107 had a remarkably excellent week at summer camp this year. Twenty-five boys and four adult leaders spent the week at Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch near Big Bear Lake. Scouts completed a total of 71 merit badges, ranging from Cooking to Rifle Shooting to Environmental Science, and a lot of progress was made on Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class rank requirements. Troop 107 also won its categories in the Dutch Oven Cook-Off on Friday night. Jasen A. was honored as the best rifle marksman in camp and Brian O. was similarly recognized at the junior level. Overall, the entire troop demonstrated a fantastic level of Scout Spirit and was awarded the Commissioner’s Award as an outstanding troop. Special thanks go to adults Marco Hernandez, Anthony Mondragon, Ed Roberts and Doug Hibbard for volunteering their time to help lead the boys through such a successful week. In short, everyone had a great time and it’s going to be a busy Court of Honor in August.

2005-08: Advanced Backpack to Dobb's Cabin

Troop 107 was again trekking through the San Gorgonio Wilderness the weekend of August 13-14. 13 scouts and 6 adult leaders traveled the Momyer trail, climbing 1800 feet in elevation over nearly 6 miles to reach Dobbs Cabin campsite. This was an intermediate level backpack trip and the difficulty compared to recent beginner level trips was readily apparent. All three patrols planned good, relatively ambitious menus, some perhaps a bit weighty for a backpack trip. The Leadership patrol wins the Golden Spoon award for overall superiority in planning and execution (including clean-up). The trail was quite challenging, both uphill and down, and every scout and scouter who completed the trip should feel some justifiable pride in his accomplishment.

2005-08: Whitewater Rafting at Kernville

Six scouts and two adult leaders returned to Kernville on August 5-7 to complete the Whitewater MB program. This trip was rescheduled from May due to dangerous water conditions. Over the weekend, the group mastered the skills required to navigate their inflatable kayaks through a series of rapids down the Kern River. We were ably led by our guides, Joe and Bee-bee of Eagle Rafting. Scouts had the opportunity to paddle kayaks as pairs and individuals. We also practiced water rescue skills using the rope sack by “saving” scouts as they drifted downstream. Overall, everyone had a great time on the river, again.

2005-11: Eagle Court of Honor

Matthew Lagoe

2005-11: Flag Retirement at St. John's

Andrew H. successfully completed his Life Scout Service Project on Sunday, November 13, by organizing and leading a flag retirement ceremony at St. John’s church. The dozen scouts who performed in the ceremony retired over thirty worn flags in a very dignified manner. All scouts and adults who attended should take pride in their participation in the respectful retirement of our national symbol. In the future, we will be making this ceremony a regular part of the troop calendar.

2005-11: Sport Fishing Trip

Twenty-eight scouts (including 3 Webelos from Pack 251) and 5 adult leaders made the long drive down to Mission Bay in San Diego in the wee morning hours to board a boat for a day of fishing. The Friends of Rollo, a non-profit organization whose goal is to introduce kids to saltwater sportfishing, chartered the 65 foot commercial passenger fishing vessel “Sea Watch”, out of Seaforth Sportfishing, for the boys of Troop 107 to experience a day out on the ocean. For many of the boys, it was their first time out on the big blue Pacific; several had never been fishing before, either.

2005-12: Soap Box Derby at St. John's

2005-12: Patrol Bike Trip

Troop 107 had an excellent one day bike trip on Saturday, 12/10. Seventeen scouts and six adults pedaled their way from Lake Street in Lake Elsinore to St. John’s church, a distance of fifteen miles. Each patrol received a map defining the route and then traveled on its own to the end (although we did get bunched up while navigating our detour through the orange grove near Eagle Glen). Along the way, each patrol was competing to identify and photograph specimens from a list of common trees in this area (sound familiar, First Class scouts?). The Shark and Wolf patrols tied as winners and will receive their rewards at the first troop meeting in January. Scouts, note that this ride qualifies as one of the fifteen-mile rides required for the Cycling merit badge. Patrol leaders, note that you can arrange your own patrol rides – just check with the SM or ASM for planning details beforehand. Overall, the outing was a great success – everyone came prepared, rode safely and had a good time.

2006-01: Snow Sports Trip

Troop 107 hit the ski slopes of Snow Valley over the weekend. 27 scouts and 3 adult leaders skied or snowboarded for a full day on Saturday (4 additional adults kept a watchful eye on the proceedings from the safety of the ski-deck). As a result of the day’s efforts, 23 Snow Sports merit badges were earned by our boys and will be awarded at the upcoming Court of Honor. The troop spent Saturday night at a USMC-sponsored campground in Big Bear. Temperatures were relatively moderate, for winter in the mountains, that is. We were surrounded by snow but the campsites were clear and dry, allowing us an opportunity for further snow play on Sunday. All of the patrol meals were excellent, making it very difficult to select a single winner of the Golden Spoon award for culinary supremacy. Saturday night dinners included spaghetti with meat sauce, chicken Parmesan, chili, and stew — all prepared from very basic ingredients. The award-winner is the Wolf patrol, specifically for their hearty meat-and-vegetable stew. Overall, the outing was a resounding success. In closing, we need to extend many thanks to our Trek-Masters for planning this event – Dave Eastman and Anthony Mondragon.

Mecca Backpacking Trip

Mecca, near the Salton Sea, was the site of our first backpack trip of the year. Fifteen Scouts and ten adults smoothly completed the beginner level hike. Saturday afternoon, after setting up camp, the troop hiked up to the Grotto, guided by Lee Beaudoin. The rock scrambling in the narrow canyon required a lot of teamwork and even a “human ladder” to get back down. We had a few shaky moments and got a few skinned knees but everyone reached the top and returned back safely. An excellent campfire was built and maintained by Cody Ruscigno, although I think the patrols need some work on building up their repertoire of skits, stories and songs. All of the patrol meals were good, making it difficult to select the winner of the Golden Spoon award for culinary supremacy. However, the Scorpion patrol gets the nod for their dinner of tacos and breakfast of grilled cheese sandwiches. The adult Turtle patrol made a triumphant debut on this trip and is expected to become a regular part of future troop outdoor events. Overall, the outing was a resounding success. In closing, we need to extend many thanks to our Trek-Masters Rachel White and Luz Hernandez for coordinating this event.

2006-03: De Anza Trail Backpacking Trip

Scouts from Troop 107 trekked along the historic De Anza Trail in the Anza-Borrego desert over the weekend of 3/25-26. This was an intermediate level backpack trip and the five scouts and three adult leaders were tested by a variety of obstacles along the seventeen mile round trip. The desert setting was beautiful and the weather was cool but multiple water crossings, sticky muddy marshes, rocky stretches and cross-country desert terrain all posed significant challenges to the group. Saturday night, high winds blew through the campsite, severely bending and knocking down tents in their wake. Everyone successfully endured their struggles and we all learned some good lessons about leadership, teamwork and toughness. Overall it was a very good trip. We will be returning to the area some time in the next year to complete the second leg of the De Anza Trail in order to qualify for the De Anza Trail award. In closing, we need to extend many thanks to our Trekmasters for coordinating this event – Brian Pendleton and Anthony Mondragon.

2006-03: Troop Elections

The Scouts of Troop 107 elected new troop and patrol leaders on Tuesday, 3/28. Congratulations to our new Senior Patrol Leader, Matt Boyd, who will lead the troop for the next six months. And many thanks to our outgoing SPL, Bryce Affeldt, who very successfully led the troop over the past six months. The SM staff will be holding Junior Leader Training (JLT) mini-sessions during each troop meeting in April and on the Canoe Shake-down trip to help enhance the leadership skills of our new boy leaders. All patrol leaders and troop guides are expected to participate in those sessions. I need to add one additional note on this subject. Troop 107 bylaws require patrol leaders to be of at least First Class rank. In some patrols, no Scout of First Class rank or higher was interested in serving as patrol leader. In those instances, I allowed the Scout closest to completing his First Class rank to be elected as patrol leader with the stipulation that the Scout will complete his First Class rank requirements before the next Court of Honor.

2006-04: Canoe Shake-down Trip

Troop 107 canoed, kayaked and sailed over the weekend of April 22-23 at the Fiesta Island Youth Aquatic Center in San Diego. 23 Scouts and 7 adults were able to demonstrate their watercraft prowess under nearly ideal weather conditions (no snow) on Sunday. Lee Beaudoin worked all day with the younger Scouts, helping them to master their paddling skills. The other adults took turns assisting and tracking the locations of canoers, kayakers and sailors spread out across the lagoon. On Saturday, Scouts worked on assorted required Scout skills, hiked, tried valiantly to capture wild rabbits and played some soccer. Patrol meals were all pretty good. The Ram patrol is the winner of the Golden Spoon award, most specifically for their relatively ambitious meal of a chicken-noodle stew for Saturday night's dinner. Overall the outing was a resounding success. In closing, we need to extend many thanks to Lee Beaudoin for leading the Canoeing merit badge effort (and the Swimming merit badge work prior to that) and to our Trekmaster, Ken Jones, for coordinating this event.


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