Pipsico Summer Camp June ’26

On July 29, 2026July 29, 2026 By Sandeep TandonLeave a comment

Troop 51 recently completed their annual Summer Camp at Pipsico, Richmond, VA from June 21 to June 27, 2026.

Sunday (6/21) – Arrival

As soon as the scouts arrived at Pipsico, they met their camp guide, picked their tents, and hurriedly changed their clothes to take their swim tests in the camp pool. After the swim tests, they unpacked their items and set their tents up. To welcome their first-week scouts, Pipsico had an opening ceremony located outside their dining hall, with lots of plays and skits hosted by the camp staff.

The troop’s campsite was not very big but was suitable to the amount of scouts in the troop. There was another tent area nearby where the adults slept. A picnic table was set up for both areas where the scouts would relax and interact with each other after attending their merit badge classes.

The food was delicious and meals were provided to those with food restrictions. Desserts were also provided after dinner.

Monday (6/22)

When the scouts woke up, they were ready to have some fun in their merit badge classes, as Monday was the first day of sessions. The first merit badge session started at 9:00 AM and the last session finished at 4:00 PM, with a 12:00 PM lunch time and a break time, “Siesta,” right after lunch. Some scouts who could not earn the Swimmer in the swimming test woke up early to try to successfully earn it after trying it a second time at 6:45 AM.

Pipsico offered a wide variety of merit badges, with many unique ones based in two waterfronts- one with a pool (for the Swimming and Lifesaving merit badges, and the Learn to Swim program for beginners and non-swimmers) and another next to the James River (for Motorboating, Small Boat Sailing, Kayaking, Canoeing, and all other water-based merit badges).

Each building hosted many fun and exciting badges. Pipsico also had a very organized first-year program, Huskanaw, which is classified as one of the best first-year summer camp programs in the nation.

It also had a “PEX” (Pipsico Experience) program in which the older scouts attended. Over the course of the week, they would go on four off-site trips, including Busch Gardens and whitewater rafting in the James River.

Tuesday (6/23)

As everybody woke up and headed to the morning flag ceremony, we realized that our troop got awarded the “Awesome Stick,” an award for spreading positivity to all scouts and being friendly, for the day. Whenever a troop gets awarded the Awesome Stick for the day, they have to add one decoration of their choice to display their contributions to camp or to show a scout skill. One of our troop’s scouts donated their basket (made in the Basketry merit badges) to put on top of the Awesome Stick as a contribution to camp. Another scout attached a few bandages to show preparedness for life as a scout skill, and to represent the scout motto.

This day was the first day some scouts participated in games. They played Gagaball, Human Foosball, and a little bit of Basketball.

There were also multiple sports events being held at the same time altogether called the “Pipsico Games.” There was some rain during the merit badge sessions, but most scouts were prepared and wore their rain jackets or ponchos. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were tasty, and the day’s dessert was canned fruit topped with coconut flakes and syrup.

Wednesday (6/24)

Unfortunately, there was a monstrous thunderstorm during the night, which disrupted many scouts throughout the entire camp’s sleep and left them feeling groggy in the morning. However, they recovered as the day went on.

On this day, the aquatics staff also hosted an event called the “Aquadome.” This consisted of multiple competitions, where scouts crawled under razor wire, ran with a soaking wet shirt on, and much more. Troop 51 won in one of the competitions, “Swimming with Fire,” where scouts swam while carrying a fire-lit candle.

By now, all scouts had completed half of their merit badge classes and many requirements for the merit badges. The Huskanaw scouts were also advancing with their completion of more and more requirements.

For lunch, scouts and scoutmasters had different experiences- scouts had a picnic party outside of the dining hall and adults had a feast inside the staff building.

Thursday (6/25)

By now, some scouts completed one or two of their merit badges with not many requirements. This meant that they would get extra time to relax on the last day of merit badges, Friday. The Huskanaw scouts packed up all of their gear and went on their own overnight campout this evening (right after merit badges) to come back tomorrow morning.

This was also the field trip date for many scouts taking merit badges like Nuclear Science (visiting a local nuclear power plant) and Citizenship in the Nation. All field trips were scheduled from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.

As the scouts were resting after their merit badge sessions, a scoutmaster from another troop came to our campsite and invited everyone to play frisbee.

After around 30-40 minutes, everyone came back and the scouts played a couple rounds of Mafia. The scouts also attended many Gagaball tournaments and attended an OA (Order of the Arrow) ice cream social in the shelter next to the Gagaball pit.

At the same time of the Gagaball tournaments and the ice cream social, there was a program where scouts could earn the Totin’ Chip, in which two of our scouts participated.

Friday (6/26)

The Huskanaw scouts came back at around 6:45 AM. During Siesta, all the scouts who went on their field trips on Thursday went to the two merit badge classes they had in the time of the field trip. The adults went on a walk on and around the Nature trail and visited the 400-year-old “Pipsico Tree.”

All scouts taking merit badges finished most of their merit badges on this day, as this was the last day of sessions. After dinner, everybody in camp attended the closing ceremony, where many troops performed their own skits and awards were given.

One of our scouts got awarded the “Handicraft” award, a recognition for the most dedicated and active scout in the Handicraft building.

Saturday (6/27) – Departure

After a great summer camp, the troop gave Pipsico a farewell and headed back home on a 3-hour journey. Everybody reached at about 12:00 PM.

Overall, Pipsico was a fantastic summer camp and the troop would definitely go back in the coming years. The staff was very kind, the merit badges were very fun, and the facilities were excellent.

“Ohiopyle Whitewater Rafting” Campout May’26

On May 25, 2026May 25, 2026 By Sandeep TandonLeave a comment

Troop 51 recently completed a high-energy whitewater rafting and camping trip to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, from May 15 to May 17, 2026.

Friday evening (5/15)– The troop gathered at Floris UMC, collected all the desired materials for the campout, took a group photo and started the journey in 3 cars. Troop reached the site at around 7:30 PM and set up the tents. After that, the troop enjoyed a cracker barrel and played a few rounds of Mafia around the campfire.

Saturday (5/16)– The troop woke up bright early at 6:00 AM, had breakfast, and got ready for the whitewater rafting adventure. The troop drove to the bus stop, rode a bus to the area, and took off with the rafts. The troop was divided into two groups of five and one group of six, with one instructor in each raft. The groups encountered lots of Class 2.5 – 3 rapids on the 7-mile journey and got drenched along the way. Scouts even got an opportunity to jump off a very tall boulder into the water as they took a break, a little more than halfway through. There were many rocks to dodge, waves to ride, and paddling to do. The tall rapids required teamwork, effort, and listening skills, which the troop aced. At first it was cloudy and cold, but it warmed up later in the adventure when the bright sun came out.

The troop came back to the cars around 1:15 PM and had lunch. There was a plan to play frisbee or football in the field near the tents, but unfortunately, it started raining heavily as soon as the troop arrived at the campsite. As a result, everyone had to pass time in the tents before eating dinner. For dinner, the grubmasters made a special dish-Quesadillas- which were cooked and heated with burning coals. The troop also enjoyed an “upside-down” pineapple cake made in a Dutch oven.

Sunday (5/17)- The troop woke up at about 6:00 AM, ate breakfast, cleaned up the area with a police line and concluded the camp with “roses and thorns,” a Troop 51 tradition. Everyone started driving back home and reached Floris Elementary School at around 11:00 AM.

Overall, the Troop had a unique, fun-filled experience and would like to go there sometime in the future too.

“Loo With a View” Campout 2026

On May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 By Sandeep TandonLeave a comment

Troop 51 enjoyed a successful and high-energy weekend (27-29 Apr’26) at the “Loo with a View” campsite.

Troop arrived at the camp site around 6 PM and were amazed at the towering ‘loo’ in the middle. After a quick Cracker Barrel, all the scouts and adults slept early in preparation for the hike the next day. The next morning, bright and early at 6:30 AM, all scouts going to Philmont, a scout ranch in New Mexico, left early to embark on the grueling 10 mile hike in Harper’s Ferry. The non-Philmont scouts left later at 10:00 AM as they were hiking for a shorter amount of time and miles. At the edge of the mountain, the view was amazing, and we could see where we came from and the town beneath us. The hike back was much easier because it was almost all downhill, and we arrived back quickly. The non-Philmont scouts arrived around 12:30 PM and the Philmont crew came back at around 1:00 PM.

The highlight of the trip was a troop-wide canoeing session at 4:30 PM. The weather was perfect, and the Scouts were in high spirits on the water. Back at camp, our grubmasters prepared a fantastic dinner – delicious pasta with alfredo sauce.

The troop concluded the night with a campfire and a service project: helping the property owner by safely burning off a large wood pile.

On Sunday morning, we had muffins for breakfast, conducted a police line, and talked about “Roses and Thorns,” the Troop 51 tradition that we do at the end of every campout. It was a little hard to clean up, though, because it started raining when we woke up. Finally, the troop broke camp and arrived back at FUMC by 10:00 AM.

Sandy Spring Adventure Park Camping 2026

On May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 By Sandeep TandonLeave a comment

Troop 51 had a fantastic experience of Sandy Spring Adventure Park (Mar 20-21, 2026).

Friday evening– We all met at the FUMC parking lot between 5 and 5:30 PM. Before leaving, the scouts set up their brand-new patrol boxes and grabbed the desired items from trailer. Then, we all started our journey to the adventure park. All the scouts managed to fit in 3 cars and reached the camp site at about 7:00 PM.

Overnight– Friday night was very harsh, as an approaching storm forced us to abandon our tents and quickly run to a nearby shelter. Almost everyone was soaking wet as we headed back to the campsite after the storm, but it was worth staying safe. However, barely anyone could sleep as a lot of us could not dry up and some did not have a change of clothes.

Saturday morning- After waking up at around 6:30 – 7:00 AM, we finished our breakfast and prepared to start our exciting adventure. When we arrived at the park, we learned how to use the equipment, what levels were suitable for us, and how we could have the best experience there. After that, the scouts were allowed to have as much fun as we could. At first, we tried out some of the easier ropes courses just to see how it feels and get a little bit of experience with how everything works. When we were done with that, we all separated into groups of 2-4 and went on to more engaging levels of our choice. At the end, almost all the scouts went on a specific ropes course called “Sprite” with the most ziplines in the entirety of the park.

Saturday afternoon– After our selected time slot ended, we had sandwiches for lunch and some snacks. We then returned our gear to the main building and packed up our items to prepare to exit the campsite. Like every other campout, the troop did “Roses and Thorns,” a Troop 51 tradition before we left. We departed at around 12:00 PM and entered Floris Elementary by 1:00 PM.

Mulch Madness 2026

On April 6, 2026April 6, 2026 By Aditya RLeave a comment

Like every March, Troop 51 conducted our annual Mulch Madness fundraiser at FUMC.

We kicked things off bright and early at 6 AM, setting up tables, organizing snacks, and waiting for the delivery trucks to arrive. Once they finally rolled in, it was go time. Scouts split into their respective teams, trucks got loaded, and just like that, we were out in the community delivering mulch all across the area.

Orders varied quite a bit—some houses just needed about 25 bags, while others ordered over 160. Each delivery run included multiple stops, with scouts delivering to several houses before heading back to the church and eating delicious snacks!

Throughout the day, we had our annual raffle going. Every time a scout completed a run and came back, they earned another ticket in the raffle box—meaning the scouts that did the most runs would have the highest chances of winning a reward. This year’s prizes included gift cards to some great local restaurants and stores, which was a great motivation for all scouts!

By the end of the day, we wrapped up around 5 PM—one of the most efficient years yet. In total, the troop delivered over 3800 bags of mulch to more than 90 houses.

This year’s mulch day was, just as always, amazing and full of fun and joyous moments!

Battleship New Jersey Overnight

On February 26, 2026February 26, 2026 By Aditya RLeave a comment

In the afternoon of February 21st, all the scouts going to Battleship New Jersey set off for a 4-hour drive to the Camden, New Jersey, waterfront. We arrived at around 5 PM and immediately marvelled at the size of the ship.

When we got on, we were led downstairs, past the mess hall(which looked better than any of us thought), and into our berthings(sleeping areas). The berthing consists of pods of bunk beds and “heads”(restrooms). The troop was given one area of bunk beds, and everybody picked their spot. The bunk beds, however, were very cramped, and everybody was trying to get the top bunk!

After choosing our beds and getting settled, they called us to dinner around 7:00 and had us standing in line for a solid 15 minutes! After we got our food (a chicken sandwich and a carton of iced tea), we sat down and ate it. The food wasn’t great, but it was filling. After dinner, we were called back to the berthing area, where we were told to wait for a tour guide to come pick us up. At 8:00, we were taken to the mess hall to start our tours. The tour was amazing, and we learned a lot about how the ship operates and the many services the crew used when it was in commission, such as the post office, the engineering lab, the many board game tables around the ship, and a medical section, which included a surgery table, dentist’s office, and quarantine zone.

The most exciting part of the entire tour was when the tour guide showed us how soldiers back in WW2 would have loaded missiles. He showed us the entire process, from the actual loading of the missiles to the gunpowder loading section, all the way to the actual firing room. It was a blast seeing all the cool technology preserved from the 1940s!

After the tours, at about 10:00, we all headed down to the berthing areas, got in our beds, and slept. It was a bit challenging to sleep, as some people were still chattering, but after a little while, we all got some rest.

In the morning, we quickly packed our bags, got off the ship, and made a quick 4-hour drive home.

Troop 51 Camp Excursion at Bear’s Den

On October 5, 2025October 5, 2025 By christoffersenmarkLeave a comment

From 19-21 September 2025 Troop 51 held a camp excursion at Bear’s Den Campground, about 35 minutes west of Herndon, Va where Route 7 crosses path with the Appalachian Trail. Scouts arrived Friday night on the grassy ground and quickly set-up tents and then enjoyed a cracker barrel and a campfire.

The next day the entire Troop went on a six-mile round trip hike south on the A.T. The troop stopped at the Sam Moore Shelter and after an hour rest turned around and returned to Bears Den, about three hours in each direction. The northern Virginia forest is magnificent and the views outstanding.

On Sunday morning the Troop cleaned up, had a small breakfast and returned home. Overall, a weekend worth remembering. The Scouts learned the importance of communication and the buddy system as well as the challenges of hiking.

Troop 51 Dolly Sods Wilderness Backpacking

On October 5, 2025October 5, 2025 By Sameer RisbudLeave a comment

Troop 51 did the annual Dolly Sods Wilderness backpacking trip August 30 – September 1, 2025. The weather was typical of Dolly Sods—cool no rain, and pleasant for hiking. Four adult drivers and 8 scouts departed from Floris UMC at 7:30 AM on Saturday, August 30th, for the three-hour drive to Petersburg, WV. The group met at McDonald’s before heading into Dolly Sods. Upon arrival, troop gear was distributed and backpacks adjusted.

On Day-1, the troop hiked four miles down the Red Creek Trail to the popular campsite at “The Fork,” where the Breathed Mountain Trail meets Red Creek. Scouts navigated confidently and reached the site without issues. Once tents were set up, scouts relaxed and explored the creek. Afternoon activities included swimming, water-sliding, and rock hopping. Back in camp, scouts cooked dinner using patrol-style methods. After dinner, everyone gathered for several lively rounds of Mafia before retiring for the night.

On Day-2, the troop split into two groups at the West Entrance of Dolly Sods. While one group completed a challenging 12-mile loop to the northwest edge of Dolly Sods, practicing long-distance hiking and teamwork, the other group hiked four miles to the second campsite on Blackbird Knob Trail. This group set up camp, collected firewood, and prepared for a campfire, awaiting the return of the first group crew.

Day-3 was smooth and efficient when Scouts packed quickly and had tents down by 6:30 AM. After a short hike back to the trailhead, cars were loaded and the troop stopped briefly for lunch before returning safely to Floris UMC by early afternoon.

Overall, The Dolly Sods backpacking trip was a resounding success reinforcing its reputation as Troop 51’s favorite annual wilderness trip. Scouts gained valuable backcountry experience – gear management, stove use, cooking, water filtration, teamwork, and also experienced the raw beauty of Dolly Sods.

Troop 51 Tour of the United States Capitol

On April 29, 2025May 13, 2025 By Sandeep TandonLeave a comment

February 15th, 2025, Troop 51 did a tour of the United States Capitol Washington DC. It was an adventure filled with excitement, learning, and some unexpected weather changes that added to the memorable day. The journey began with a unique experience traveling by public transport – “The DC Metro” metro bus”, which was quite an adventure for the scouts. For some of them, it was their first time using public transportation and it gave the scouts a taste of city life, which was a refreshing change from their usual surroundings.

Upon arriving at the United States Capitol, the scouts were in awe of the grandeur and history that the building holds. They had the chance to explore the Capitol’s various chambers and corridors, learning about the important role it plays in the nation’s legislative process. The scouts were particularly fascinated by the Rotunda, with its stunning architecture and historical significance.

The next stop was the National Archives, where Scouts had the opportunity to see some of the nation’s most cherished documents, including the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Interestingly, it started raining just as we were about to enter the Archives. Despite the weather, the scouts were captivated by the historical treasures housed within the Archives and were eager to learn more about the nation’s founding principles.

Overall, the tour was a fantastic experience for the Scouts. They gained a deeper appreciation for the nation’s history and the importance of the institutions that shape our country. The adventure of traveling by metro and the surprise of the rain at the National Archives made the day even more memorable. It was a day filled with learning, camaraderie, and a few unexpected twists that added to the fun.