Sunday, December 14, 2008

Tree Sales 2008 Completed!

We would like to thank the community for your continued support of our Troop!
As of 3 pm today, we sold our last tree thereby closing our Tree Sales fund raising event for 2008.

A big thanks also to all the parents and Scouts who gave their time to ensure a successful 2+ week effort!!

www.Troop626.org

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Don't be shocked! Scouts learn electrical wiring.


On our December 9, 2008 meeting, the scouts learned about home electrical wiring and built their own electrical circuits, using real Romex wire, blue boxes, wall outlets, switches, all built into 2x4 frames.

Four Webelos 2s from Pack 629 also joined us in this educational activity.


www.Troop626.org

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

CHRISTMAS TREES NOW FOR SALE! - Wreaths too!


Pick up a great Christmas tree and support our Troop. Come early for the best selection!

Nov. 28-30, 2008
9:00am - 8:00pm

Dec 1-14, 2008
M-F 5:00 - 8:00pm
Sa-Su 9:00am - 8:00pm

Newport Hills Swim & Tennis Club
5464 119th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98006

www.Troop626.org

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Scouts on trial...scandalous or educational?


On November 11, 2008, our scouts held a mock trial to learn about our judicial system. ASM Mike Lodge, who is a real-life judge presided, while the scouts played all other roles, from attorneys, plaintiffs, defendants, and juries...even the bailiff!


Everyone, including the adults, learned something new and had a fun time in the process!

www.Troop626.org

Monday, November 10, 2008

Scouts Head for Huts in Tahoma Forest

On November 8-9, 2008 our Troop headed south to hike the Tahoma State Forest. On the drive down, we stopped by the Auburn Food Bank to perform a community service project helping them package bulk foods into smaller family-size packs.
After lunch, we headed to the town of Ashford to check in at the Mount Tahoma Trail Association office, before heading for the trail heads. Our Troop consisted of two patrols --
One headed for Copper Creek Hut (4 miles, 1200 ft elev. gain): Peter D, Elliott H, Max O, Harrison K, Jacob T, and Evan M + Adults: Herman K, Sam T, Ted C., and Brian D. The other headed for High Hut: Kevin H, Logan S, Riley H, Winston C, Ashwin M, Chris L, and Ricky A + Adults: Jim B, Ray H, Eric L, and Chuck G.

Along the trails our two patrols performed nature service work as we headed toward the huts. The weather was wet and cold, no snow, but manageable with proper raingear, which everyone was prepared with.
However, the huts were dry and warm, and made the perfect shelter after the cold hike. Overall, everyone had a good time on this outing (not so much on the wet hike!).

The cold rain and wind did not wipe out the warmth from the hut staff -Mike who said, "Your boys have been taught well, they clean the hut every year". Added by Auburn Food Bank coordinator Carla who expressed, "We love your scouts!"


www.Troop626.org

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Scouts transform gravel lot into flowerbed

October 18, 2008. Under the leadership of Life Scout, Erik Larson, the Troop participated in an Eagle Project at Sweyolocken Boat Launch @ 3000 Bellevue Way SE. The group of 23 volunteers and 3 staff restored 2800 square feet of gravel into natural landscaping. The Parks Dept added 2800 cubic feet of topsoil fill dirt and Scouts planted 270 shrubs, 3 trees, and moved 10 cubic yards of compost. 120+ man hours and 4 pizzas were consumed.








www.Troop626.org

Friday, October 10, 2008

Lake Dorothy - Fun times for all!


On October 8-9, 2008 we went to Lake Dorothy for the second part of our New Scout outdoor experience. Under the guidance of older Scouts Harrison K., David A., Jacob T, and Max O., a group of 6 new Scouts packed their gear in about 1.5 miles + 800 ft elevation gain to the shores of Lake Dorothy. While there, in addition to working on the basics (tent pitching, stove handling, and meal prep), the boys did some hiking, cave exploring, and for one, lake falling-into!
Overall, everyone had a great time as we camped by this beautiful lake. The weather was perfect with no rain and comfortable temperatures. Check out more pics here.

www.Troop626.org

Monday, October 6, 2008

Scouts scout Scout Lake


On October 5, 2008 the Troop's 5 new Scouts broke in their gear and went on a day hike to Scout Lake. Accompanying them were five older scouts and 8 adults. The approx. 1.5 mile + 800 elevation gain was good practice for a planned camp out the following week. On location, the boys completed a few requirements, played by the lake, did some rock scrambling, and had great fun! Check out a few more pics here.

www.Troop626.org

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Area Webelos work on advancement at Troop meeting

September 30, 2008 - 21 Webelos from neighboring Cub Scout Packs attended the annual Webelos Advancement Night hosted by Troop 626. Boy Scouts were on hand to assist visiting Webelos with various Activity Badge requirements. The evening closed with a rousing game and snacks for all.

www.Troop626.org

Friday, September 26, 2008

Pack 633 shares fun with Troop 626

September 26, 2008 - Troop 626 scouts attended the Pack 633 Fall Campout to share in the fun and help out with the camp fire program. Scouts in attendance were Logan S., Alex L., Ricky A., and Harrison K.

www.Troop626.org

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Scouts row frantically on Lake Washington!

Saturday, September 20, 2008 - Ten members of Troop 626 participated in the Mercer Island Canoe Relay Race hosted by Troop 457, Mercer Island. The relay consisted of five legs, circumnavigating Mercer Island in Lake Washington. Two-person teams paddled each leg, changing teams at the mandatory stops on the island. The course is approximately 13 miles. The final task at the end of the course was to face Mr. Pinella, the Cascade District Commissioner who challenged each team to ten Scouting knowledge questions before officially "passing the finish line."

Six Troops participated in the race. Our rowing team consisted of Jacob T, Ricky A, Adrian O, Connor A, Eric B, Jeffrey P, Riley H, Alex L, Jonathan P, and Byron W. In addition, we had Harrison K as alternate rower, Mr. Thackray as spotter boat captain, Mr. Lodge as spotter, and Mr. Ohlfs and Mr. Black as land transport cars to shuttle the rest of the team from waypoint to waypoint on the island.

The weather was wet, about 590 -- the "perfect" weather for a true northwesterner! But, the rowing was fierce and energetic. In the end we took fourth place, a respectable position our first time out of the gate. The race culminated with an awesome picnic feast hosted by Troop 457. Check out more pictures here.

We're all definitely looking forward to doing this again next year!

www.Troop626.org

Friday, September 19, 2008

50 miler Bike Ride, September 14th 2008


Craig Funcke ASM Troop 626, led a 50 mile bike, the capstone ride required for the cycling merit badge. Craig had a great idea that we go on the Cascade Bicycle Club's annual event in Seattle called the Cascade Spawning Cycle, loosely based on the spawning route of salmon, with environmental awareness and family fun as the theme.

It was great fun! We started at Myrtle Edwards Park in Seattle and headed south on the route setup by the Cascade Bicycle Club. The route took us to Alki Beach, through West Seattle, back next to the Seahawks stadium where a carnival atmosphere of pregame revelry was occurring and we had hot dogs, then over the hill and over to Seward park, then back to Myrtle Ewards Park . A lot of riding to do but a lot of fun!

Participants:
Craig Funke ASM Troop 626 and Tour Leader
Chuck Guy ASM Troop 626
Ashwin M.
Jacob T.
Ricky A.
Harrison K.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Troop 626 Honors Six new Eagle Scouts

September 7, 2008

During a Court of Honor ceremony held at the South Bellevue Community Center, Troop 626 and friends and family honored the accomplishments of six new Eagle Scouts: Robert DeLaurenti, Josh Ho, Gary Hones, Brian Li, Adrian Ohlfs, and Aaron Roper.

The keynote speaker for the event was Mr. Phil Smart, Eagle Scout, community leader, and owner of the Phil Smart luxury auto dealerships. Also in attendance was Mr. Peter Wang, Chairman of the Cascade District office of the Boys Scouts of America.

We're very proud of our Eagle Scouts and look forward to their contributions to the Troop and the community in the future!

www.Troop626.org

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Labor Day Weekend Bike Trip, August 30th-September 1st 2008


Craig Funcke, Troop 626 ASM, led a three day bike trip on Labor Day weekend for Troop626. The Labor Day weekend bike trip has become an annual event for Troop 626, with different destinations each year and families joining for the camping. This year the ride started at Tyee School where the scouts rode the bike trail to Seattle , went through the International District, took the water taxi to West Seattle, took a ferry to Vashon Island and rode to a hostel ranch where we camped and had fun. We met people from five different countries and Spokane . The next day the scouts rode from the north end of Vashon Island to the south-end and caught a ferry to Tacoma where we rode the 5 mile loop of Discovery Park . We then caught the Ferry back to Vashon and rode the east shore of Vashon back to our hostel campsite. More great fun at the hostel. The following day we packed up the gear into the gear wagon then hopped on our bikes, pedaled our way back to Tyee school. Overall we covered 86 miles in 3 days of riding and had a great adventure.

Craig Funcke ASM and Tour Leader
Chuck Guy ASM
Todd Thackray pedaled with us for the first day
Jacob 2nd Class Scout and now has Cycling merit badge.
Ricky Star Rank Scout and now has a Cycling merit badge.
Conor Life Rank Scout spent one night to hang out with the scouts. He now has his cycling merit badge.
Laura Adams drove the gear wagon and gave her full support including some meal preparation and other very valuable support.
Bree hung out and had fun.
Speeder, precocious wiener dog, hung around and had fun.

Check out more pictures here.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Troop 626 "Paints Out" Seattle!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Under the leadership of Life Scout, Winston Chen, Troop 626 and friends participated in the 2008 Seattle Paint Out project. The project entailed cleaning or painting out graffiti in buildings in the community as well as litter pick up. Over 6000 square feet of graffiti was painted over and 5 trash bags worth of litter was collected.

www.Troop626.org

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Troop 626 had a blast at camp Fire Mountain


The week of July 13-19, our Troop attended summer camp at Fire Mountain in Mount Vernon. We set up at the Crazy Horse camp site, a beautiful, tree-covered site bordered by a creek.

It was a good week at a good location. We had great weather and the boys had lots to do. Thirty-one boys attended and they earned 102 merit badges and 12 partials. Several boys advanced in rank at camp. Fishing on Lake Challenge was a popular activity. All fish caught by the boys were cooked over an open fire thanks to Alex L., fish chef extraordinaire.


The adult leaders had a great time as well, with entries in the Scoutmasters Chili Cook Off and Splash and Paddle Challenge. Be sure to checkout our pictures in the Troop Photo Gallery.

www.Troop626.org

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Kokanee salmon beneficiary of Eagle Project

On July 12, 2008, under the leadership of Life Scout, JT Farmer, our Troop worked to clear brush and blackberry bushes along a section of the stream by Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah. The brush and blackberries had overgrown the banks and prevented the spawning salmon to go up stream.

www.Troop626.org

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Mercer Slough Nature Park Benefits from Eagle Project

June 28, 2008
Under the leadership of Life Scout, Eric Bergen, Troop 626 and friends built sections of turnpike along a trail in the Mercer Slough Nature Park. The service project consisted of planting in logs and spreading bark and gravel.

www.Troop626.org

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Eagle Project Beautifies Grace Lutheran Church

On May 31, 2008, under the leadership of Life Scout, Matt Anderson, Troop 626 performed an Eagle service project for Grace Lutheran Church, in Bellevue.

An overall turnout of 27 people, scouts, adults, and non-scout friends of mine. Together, we planted 5 trees, many shrubs, and over 300 groundcover plants. We put down groundcloth to prevent weeds from cropping up in the long term and put down top soil over the project area. Because the proposed project was completed over an hour early and the entire church (not just the corner we worked in) was undergoing landscaping work, though, the we also worked to plant 6 20 foot trees out in front of the church (with the help of a backhoe).

A note from Matt:

In every respect, the project was a complete success. I would like to say thank you to everyone who showed up to the project because, without you, the project could not have been completed. Having had only 6 volunteers a week ago, it was really remarkable how much support I got on the day of project. Again, I thank all of you who helped make this project happen.

www.Troop626.org

Monday, May 26, 2008

Umtanum Creek Memorial Day Weekend Overnight

May 24th and 25th 2008

We gathered at Tyee school parking lot on Saturday morning to get our stuff together for our drive to Umtanum creek.
Gathered were Chuck Guy, Conor A., Ricky A., Herman K., Harrison K., Jay C., Ryan C. and Alex L.

Umtanum Creek is a small creek that is in the Yakima River Canyon, about 12 miles south of Ellensburg. None of our group had been to Umtanum before, but we had read a lot on the web and had tips from John Roper on the location and things to do.

Ted C. and his boys, Jonathan and Winston decided to form their own patrol with some of their friends and do a two-night outing in the same area. We decided that we should meet up for one night. Ted called while we were at Tyee and we again agreed that we would meet up for the night. We would stay in contact by using FM two way radios to talk every hour on the hour.

It was a two-hour drive to Umtanum from Tyee and with a pit stop in Ellensburg we still arrived in Umtanum at around 10:30 am. Within a few minutes we were across the suspension footbridge and on our way up the Umtanum Creek trail. The boys we way ahead, too fast to get a starting trailhead picture on the footbridge because of the excitement to get going!

The weather was beautiful with a few puffy clouds in the blue sky. The beginning of the hike is in desert county full of the smell of sage brush, a smell I always enjoyed. The creek was full and filled the air with the sound of rushing water. It was not long before the canyon changed from desert to green… full of grass, bushes and trees, however looking up the canyon walls the sharp contrast of the change to desert was only a few hundred yards away. The area was full of wildlife if we kept our eyes open we might see something here or there.

At noon we stopped for a lunch break at a place that we thought would be a great campground, But we knew we had to move on as we had decided to rendezvous with Ted’s patrol at a place where three creeks converged higher up in the canyon. We had traveled about 1.5 miles and it looked like it would be another mile or so before we reached the rendezvous point. We used the two-way radios to try to contact Ted but we had no answer.

As we moved on we kept running out of trail and did not understand why. We found ourselves doing a little bushwhacking and covering some difficult terrain. It was hard but fun and added to the adventure. However it slowed our progress quite a bit. At 1pm we were crossing some difficult rocky terrain when we stopped to see if we could contact Ted on the two-way radio again. After a few minutes we got contact with Ted. He said a car in his group has car troubles and they had to attend to the problem. Therefore he said we would see each other again in Bellevue. We were disappointed but thanks to the radio communication we were able to go on without wondering where Ted’s patrol was.

We were at a difficult point in the trail and we were not sure if it would get rougher and we were feeling like we had passed the best campsite where we had stopped for lunch. We decided to have s small scout party go forward without packs and see if a good campsite was anywhere nearby. Jay, Chuck, Ryan and Harrison joined as a scout party and went forward. We looked at a lot of places and talked to a few friendly hikers. We were gone for about an hour and finally we found a location we thought would be great. It was a small spot but it had a beaver dam and pond and several places to pitch a tent. We thought if we used both sides of the creek we would have enough area for our small group. So we headed back to bring the rest of the patrol forward.

On the way back we notice that the main trail crossed the creek a couple times. We finally realized why we kept loosing the main trail as we would stick the side of the creek we were on often times and end up on less well worn trails.

When we got back the Troop was in a mood to get to the campsite and get camp set up so other activities could begin. Also several other camping groups came by and we worried that we would lose our great spot. We made good time getting to the beaver pond and had camp setup at around 4pm.

The scouts had a great time setting up camp. Campfires were started. Alex made a log bridge between camp sites so we could get across the creek without getting our feet wet. The kids had a great time playing in the stream below the beaver dam.

Jay had a new stove called a JetBoil that is amazingly fast at getting water boiling. We all ate like kings with tons of food. We had no shortage of water because we brought two full 2-gallon collapsible water jugs on the hike. We knew they were heavy but we thought we did not want to go without and we were not confident about the MSR water filter and the creek water quality. So we had plenty of water.

After dinner at around 6pm the boys wanted to hike to the top of the canyon walls. So they took off and had a great journey. Chuck and Herman decided to follow along after about 15 minutes and we got our exercise climbing the steep rocky hillside too. We saw goat beds and wild flowers and amazing views. We were able to pinpoint our exact location on the map because for the high vantage point we could see some major referenced points that showed where we were. We never caught up with the boys until we made it back to the campsite.

We then just hung around the campfire until bedtime. It rained quite a bit at night. We were all doing good and stayed dry, except for Conor and Alex who reported they had a rude awakening and decided to get their rainfly on pronto!

Sunday morning was very leisure on the wakeup time. It was easy to get up though as the rain had left and it was a beautiful blue sky morning. We all had breakfast. We decided to try out the MSR water filter. We wanted to make sure we did it right so we did not get beaver fever. We all gave it a try and decided the MSR was a good way to get water if care was taken not to contaminate the clean water thought improper handling. At this point I have had no ill effects so I think the filter worked great. Several scouts and all the leaders learned how to use the water filter. In addition to the MSR filer we learned how to use the Coleman Peak camp stove during this morning.

Herman and I went for a short hike up the trail to see a campsite we noticed when we were on the canyon wall. We came to a point about 200 yard form camp where signs indicated that the trail was ended because the state was protecting wildlife through July 15th. We noticed when we were leaving the trailhead that a sign indicated that the protection boundary was 3.25 miles up the trail. So we think we packed in about 3.25 miles. Plus lots of other hiking!

We decided to delay our departure by one hour as the boys wanted to climb the canyon wall again this morning, so off they went. After they got back we finished packing up and headed out by about 11:10 am. On the way back we decided to do our service project of litter clean up. However the trail was in great condition and there was very little for us to clean up on the way back.

About 30 minutes into our return we ran into Ted’s patrol. We were very surprised to see them as we thought they had to give up. However Ted is very persistent and his patrol came anyway. They came for Jacob Durr road which is to the west of the Umtanum area. They had to hike down the steep rocky canyon walls to arrive in the canyon. Ted’s patrol stayed at the 3 creek rendezvous point. They thought we would be there and so they tried to find us to have breakfast with us. But they had no idea we had moved on up the trail to the beaver pond.

It was great to see Ted’s patrol and that they were having a great time in spite of difficulties. Ted’s patrol had their MSR water filter malfunction, so we traded out of water filter with them and then headed out.

We stopped for a break about 12:00 to 12:30 and had some snacks. A couple boys scaled the rocky canyon wall while the rest of us lounged in the tall grass. Jay broke out his Jetboil and made some soups for us which were really great!

We made it back to the trailhead at around 1:00. We spent some time picking up garbage at the trailhead. We did pretty well because 8 people can pick up lots of trash in a short period of time.

Soon we were on the road to Ellensburg where the much anticipated fast food restaurants beckoned. We had some great fast food and headed out. We arrived at Tyee at around 4pm where we all said good bye and we all seemed to feel we had a great outing.


Chuck Guy
ASM, Troop 626

Monday, May 5, 2008

Troop 626 apply skills at Camporee


On May 2-4, 2008 Troop 626 members descended upon Ensign Ranch near Cle Elum, Washington to participate in the Cascade District Camporee. Although there was still snow on the ground just a couple of weeks prior, the weekend provided perfect weather with no rain, and comfortable camping temperatures.

Between all the Scouts, parents, and Webelos guests, we had about 60 people in our group. The Scouts and Webelos had a great time participating in the various team challenge course and field events.

www.Troop626.org

Friday, April 11, 2008

Newport Covenant Church gets interior makeover

Under the leadership of Life Scout, Josh Ho, Troop members got busy painting at Newport Covenant Church on April 11, 2008. Painting was done in the interior of the youth and family fellowship areas of the church.

www.Troop626.org

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Ft. Casey offers fun in the sun

On March 29-30 we went to Camp Casey for a one night outing. When we met for carpool at 7:30 am on Saturday in Bellevue, it was cold and WET! But, being the hardy Troop that we were, the trip went on as planned. And boy were we rewarded!

To avoid any issues that may arise by taking the ferry, we decided to drive around to Whidbey Island via I-5 > Mt. Vernon > Highway 20 West toward Coupeville. Although it rained (and hailed/snowed) most of the way there, traffic was light and expeditious. The approximately 103 miles took just 2 hours.

Soon after we arrived, the sky began to clear and the sun started to break through providing a PERFECT day for an outing at a very cool location. The boys spent hours playing capture the flag and various other "hiding" games in and around Fort Casey's historic cannon bunkers. In addition to play time, a number of boys were able to work on various requirements toward their Second Class or First Class ranks, with three boys earning their First Class.

Lodging and meals were at Camp Casey, the residence compound for the military unit that manned Fort Casey. The food was great and plentiful. We slept in a two-story barrack complete with over 15 private rooms, rest rooms, showers, and living rooms. Quite the luxury compared to tent camping or even BSA camps!

The evening hours were filled with board games, ballgames in the gym, skits around a campfire, and a lot of laughter and fun!


www.Troop626.org

Saturday, March 22, 2008

"Double" service project benefits Aegis Foundation and Hopelink

On March 15 and 22, 2008 our Troop participated in the Scouting for Food drive. This is a very important service project for the Troop and for Scouts in general, helping hundreds of families in King County with basic food supplies via food banks. The food donations we collected went to Hopelink.

In addition to the Scouting for Food project, under the leadership of Life Scout, Rahul Brito, the Troop also held a parallel drive collecting simple school supplies (paper note pads, pencils with erasers, pencil sharpeners, colored construction paper, and crayons) for children in Iraq. A minimum of (4) 27-cubic-foot boxes of school supplies will be shipped via the U.S. Army to Baghdad for distribution by the Aegis Foundation. Aegis will then distribute the supplies to children in nine different cities throughout the country - Baghdad, Fallujah, Ramadi, Mosul, Tikrit, Kirkuk, Diwayniyah, Nasiriyah and Basra. This project has the potential to provide an education and possibly the opportunity for a better life to hundreds of Iraqi children; in addition, that this project will help further the friendship between the people of Iraq and of the United States.

www.Troop626.org

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Eagle Project brings new greens to Wilburton Park

On March 8, 2008, the Troop worked under the leadership of Life Scout, Brian Li, to improve a section of Wilburton Park trails in Bellevue. The Troop planted shrubs and small trees, and barked a stretch of trail.

www.Troop626.org

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Lessons from snow cave outing

On Feb 16-18, 2007 our Troop went on its 12th annual snow cave outing. Although most years the Troop has gone to Mt. Rainier, this year we went to Snoqualmie Pass.

As a new dad in the Troop, this was my first time EVER camping out in the snow. And, I was quite nervous about how the outing would turn out - whether my clothing was adequate, if I would get frostbite, or even survive the cold.

The boys dug snow caves that they all slept in. Two other dads and I built an igloo while the rest of the parents slept in tents. Despite my initial fears, everything worked out perfectly thanks to the advance preparation and training provided by Mark S., the Assistant Scoutmaster leading the outing. Not only did I "survive", I had a great time and can't wait for next year's outing!

A few things I learned that made the difference:
- Have all synthetic clothing that can dry quickly; absolutely no cotton clothing
- Have the three required layers of base layer, insulation layer, and outer shell layer
- Bring multiple gloves, including liner and outer gloves
- Have a sleeping bag with the appropriate temperature rating

Saturday, February 9, 2008

South Bellevue Community Center benefits from Eagle Project

On Feb 9, 2008, under the leadership of Life Scout Aaron Roper, over 35 members of Troop 626 along with other friends and family upgraded the challenge course at South Bellevue Community Center. We installed two new “elements” on the Low Challenge Course, did prep work for two other new elements, and built trails and a fence.

We also succeeded in tearing through eight pizzas and 12 liters of pop!

www.Troop626.org