December 5, 2020

Troop 51 made a return to Old Rag Mountain. This hike is a highlight of the Shenandoah and features challenging trails and rock scrambles. Twenty one scouts and adults set out on this 10.2 mile hike with 2,650ft of elevation. Overnight rain gave way to excellent winter conditions and the sun broke through as scouts made their final accent to the peak.

November 21, 2020

Troop 51 made a return to camping with socially distanced safety protocols in place. Four patrols were separated and spaced appropriately at the Manidokan Camp and Retreat Center. Patrols engaged in campfires, cooking and skills advancement. The culmination was a Troop 51 tradition with a hike to the Maryland Heights Overlook. The 6.6mi hike with 1,541 feet of elevation was completed successfully by the 24 scouts and 13 adults in attendance. Harpers Ferry provides a glimpse into history as a key Civil War location and home to John Brown’s Fort, the famous site of the 1859 abolitionist raid. The location is also where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet, known as The Point. It also serves as the location of the Appalachian Trail Visitor Center along this famous long-distance hiking trail. Most important, it is a Troop 51 favorite and made for an excellent day.

Sunday, December 6 at 3 p.m.

• Orienteering and Pioneering for Cub Scouts
• Parents learn about Scouting and Troop 51
• Meet at Frying Pan Farm Park Center at 3 pm
• Bring a mask, water, and a snack. Dress for the weather.
• Parents may also want to bring a chair

Note: Please contact us to find out about other events or to schedule a personalized local, outdoor event with just your Den (with social distancing and safety protocols).

For additional information, please see our flyer below:

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Troop 51 came out to support Charan Narra’s Eagle project at Sully Historic Site. With social-distancing precautions in place, Scouts came out to assist with landscaping, mulching, and building a boardwalk along the many trails that intersect this nearby historic site.

“I’m learning a lot about leadership,” said Charan. “Seeing the progress we made in just 1 hour is amazing, I didn’t think it was going to be possible, but we did it.”

With 137 Eagle Scouts and counting, Charan will go on to closeout his project and join this distinguished list of Eagles. https://troop51bsa.us/eagle-info/our-eagles/

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Troop 51 hasn’t skipped a beat. Since COVID-19 arrived in the spring of 2020, Troop 51 went 100% virtual to continue focus on skills development and rank advancement. On April 29 and June 24, we conducted our Spring and Summer Court of Honors on Zoom to ensure we celebrated the many achievements, merit badges, and rank advancements across Troop 51.

To hold our Fall Court of Honor, we put precautions in place to return to an in-person ceremony with an outdoor, capacity-limited, mask-mandated event at the Frying Pan Park Pavilion. It was a great evening of celebration and a great reminder of the growth of our Scouts during a period of history that will shape their futures.

Fall Court of Honor (September 2020)

Spring Court of Honor (April 2020) – Virtual (Zoom)

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Troop 51’s annual tradition of Camp Highroads continued with heightened precautions in place. Overnight camping was removed from the agenda, but Scouts still turned this event into a safe, fun, and memorable daytrip.

The day began with small teams tackling the challenging rope course and zip lines. The afternoon followed with skills advancement. We closed the day with an abbreviated evening program that included a camp fire, flag retirement, and the always popular adults versus scouts,“German spotlight tag” in the open meadow. Once again, the adults were victorious.

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Troop 51 rallied in support of Jacob Russ’s Eagle project at Stratton Woods Park. With heightened precautions in place, Scouts came out to assist with reshingling, repair, and painting of a storage shed.

With 137 Eagle Scouts and counting, Jacob will go on to closeout his project and join this distinguished list of Eagles. https://troop51bsa.us/eagle-info/our-eagles/

Saturday, August 8, 2020
Saturday, July 11, 2020

Scouts from Troop 51 set out to give back to the community over the summer of 2020. In a safe, outdoor, and responsible manner, Scouts visited local parks to perform trash removal and invasive plant control.

Under the direction of Troop 51’s Outdoor Ethics Guide, Colin Jackson, Scouts cleared 7 bags of trash from popular trails along Great Falls National Park. In addition, Scouts rolled up their sleeves at nearby Frying Pan Park to tackle the invasive Japanese Stillgrass plant species.

“Knowing that we helped a little bit, being at the park, and hanging out with troopmates was fun” said Colin Jackson.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Our annual fundraiser, mulch, is always a great event. All the Scouts had a great time delivering mulch with their friends while eating all the food they can. While it was sunny and there were a LOT of bags to deliver the Scouts did it in record time and finished earlier than previous years.

It was great to see all the old scouts come and help and all the parents with transporting mulch and all was a great time.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

In between the many campouts and activities, Troop 51 future leaders hit the classroom to sharpen their leadership skills. This training opportunity is held multiple times throughout the year and is led by Mr. Bruce Falk, PMP, independent corporate trainer (and former Troop 51 Scoutmaster). These Scouts learned the same skills that top executives learn. During the 6 hour training session, Scouts learn about leadership types, communications, conflict resolution within their patrols, and how to model leadership, but most importantly, lifelong skills necessary for any path they follow.

Graduates of this Troop51 session include PHD students, consultants on Capitol Hill, tank commanders, peace corps leaders, varsity athletes, and finance and business leaders. It is no coincidence that the best traits from leaders happen to be the same exact traits scouts follow in the Scout Law : Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

“Leadership training teaches the traits that they can take toward their pursuit of Eagle, college, or that first job interview“, said Mr Falk. “If these Scouts can take one little kernel of this training, they will recall it and apply it in the real world.”