Weekly Article

When people ask me what brought me to Derry Church, my answer has always been scouting. Shortly after we moved to the area, our first-grade son was interested in joining Cub Scouts and we were looking for the right unit, since there are many choices in the Hershey area. At that time, scouting units would assemble at the elementary school on Back to School Night and prospective scouts would visit the various tables and learn about each of the groups. We were drawn to Derry Church’s Pack 200 presentation mostly because they were so friendly and accepting – much like the greater membership at Derry. Having been raised Presbyterian ourselves, Jenn and I thought this would be a perfect fit for our son, and it was. 

I was a scout in my youth and was thrilled that my son was enjoying his scouting experiences as he worked his way through the Cub Scouting program and eventually bridged into the Troop 200 Boy Scouting program that Derry also sponsors. My daughters were never interested in the Girl Scouting program, but that all changed a few years ago when my youngest daughter Adele joined Boy Scouts (now named Scouts BSA). 

Most people know that for over a century, the Boy Scouts of America has been a well-established organization to provide boys and young men opportunities and experiences to make friends, develop leadership, and hone skills in diverse areas including first aid, cooking, athletics, outdoor appreciation, survival, faith, and personal development. But few people realize that in 2019, the national organization invited girls to join the program – allowing them access to all the same exciting programming that has been afforded to boys for over 100 years. 

At the Cub Scout level (students in grades K-5), there are “dens” for each of the grades – allowing youth to engage in activities with same-age peers. Girls can be integrated into each of these dens, or units can develop gendered dens (depending on the membership numbers). At the Troop level (ages 11-17), there are separate units for boys and girls. 

Troop 200 is the Scout unit that works with young men (and has been established at Derry for many years).  Troop 2200 is the “newer” unit (formed in 2019) that works with young women. Scouts in both units follow the same scouting guidelines when it comes to advancement, programming, and opportunities.And they follow the same scout oath: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” All of the traditional Boy Scout awards and opportunities (such as Eagle Scout, summer camp, Order of the Arrow, and high-adventure outings) are now available to both boys and girls. Troop 2200 has had four young women earn the rank of Eagle Scout within the last 12 months. Their names are on a commemorative plaque in the Narthex, next to the Troop 200 Eagle Scouts. 

So why choose scouting? There are many activities for youth to get involved with and parents often get overwhelmed with choices. One of the greatest benefits of scouting is that the program is designed to help develop essential life skills such as problem- solving, confidence, adaptability, responsibility, and communication – in very fun ways. Most units have a meeting once a week for an hour with activities that focus on various scouting skills. At the Troop level, we participate in a weekend outing once a month, usually tent camping in the spring/fall, and cabin camping in the winter. Each outing is paired with activities such as high-ropes/climbing, hiking, rafting, biking, museums, swimming, and more.  

As the Scoutmaster of Troop 2200, a great benefit I see to the scouting program is that it is designed to allow individual scouts to progress at their own pace. Some youth are driven to complete requirements and earn badges at an aggressive pace, and they can do so without being held back by the group. Similarly, other youth are less driven for advancement and more interested in just participating in activities and enjoying the company of their friends, and this is OK, too. Another wonderful hallmark of the Scouting program (at the Troop level) is that it is youth-led. The scouts elect a “Senior Patrol Leader” and establish various other leadership roles within the unit. Adults are present to guide and assist, but most of the planning and execution of activities (as well as the reflection and adjustment) comes from the youth. This helps young men and women develop leadership skills in ways that most other youth organizations can not. 

We appreciate the church’s ongoing support of our scouting program and are always looking for ways to give back to the community. The scouts have participated in various service projects over the years, and would love to continue to do so. We also appreciate the support from the community when it comes to fundraising. We don’t have a large budget and the cost of providing opportunities for youth continues to increase each year. If you are interested in making a donation to one or more of the scouting units, you can send a check in to the church office and designate “Pack 200, Troop 2200, or Troop 200” as the beneficiary. Or you can make a donation during our spaghetti dinner on February 2.  

Cub Scouting is open to boys and girls in grades K-5. Pack 200 meets here at the Derry Presbyterian Church on Monday evenings from 6:30-7:30pm. If you are interested in learning more or joining the pack, contact Cubmaster William Day. 

Troop 2200 is open to girls ages 11-17. We meet at the church’s Scout House (located at the end of the parking lot past the cemetery) on Monday evenings from 5:45-6:45 pm. Contact me for more information or if you are interested in joining. Girls currently in 5th grade are eligible to join the troop this spring. Girls older than 5th grade are welcome to join anytime during the year: we have new scouts of all ages joining all the time.  

Troop 200 is open to boys ages 11-17. They meet at the Scout House on Monday evenings from 6:45-7:45 pm. Contact Scoutmaster Chris Kalmbacher for more information or if you are interested in joining. Boys in 5th grade are eligible to join the troop this spring. Boys older than 5th grade are welcome to join anytime during the year.

A Message from Eagle Scout Adele Hosenfeld

At my recent Eagle Scout Ceremony, I had the opportunity to reflect on my journey as a scout. I got to look back at everything that I learned and everything that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. And it was a very long list. Scouting has provided me with many opportunities to learn and practice so many skills, such as teamwork, communication, planning, first aid, leadership, organization, outdoor survival, and skills in all 42 merit badges that I have earned. But along with the many skills I have learned, I will also forever keep all of the memories that I made. 

Troop 2200 has allowed me to meet some amazing people who have become some of my really good friends. We have gone to some really cool places, including a camp on the Chesapeake Bay, Washington DC, the film location for Friday the 13th, high adventure courses, mountains, lakes, bike trails, waterfalls, Gettysburg, and so many more. Having the opportunity to go on one trip every month has really allowed me to get some great experiences and do all sorts of exciting things. 

As well as learning about all sorts of exciting topics including boating, shooting sports, arts and crafts, cooking, and so much more, I have participated in so many fun activities as I earned those merit badges. I have canoed and kayaked on lakes, prototyped my own chocolate bar, practiced my aim with a bow and arrow, designed and tested my own card game, and soon I will build and solder my own circuit for the electronics merit badge. These badges helped me learn about many different topics and fields that could potentially even be my career in the future. They have helped me explore what exactly is out there in the world. 

I look back at a lot of memories that have stuck with me. And most of them are from times that something has not gone the way we planned, whether it be a technology problem, a weather problem, or anything that has prevented us from doing exactly what we wanted to do. In all of those situations, we have had to be flexible and adapt. Flexibility is one of the most valuable skills that scouting has taught me and allowed me to practice. 

I would like to give a huge thank you to the church for being our chartered organization, and for partnering with me to complete my Eagle Project, which is the nature kitchen in the church playground.