Taughannock District
Baden-Powell Council, BSA
District Scrapbook

This District Scrapbook page covers district events in 2015-2016 - see the main Scrapbook Page for current pictures.

We also have Scrapbook pages for 2009 and earlier, 2010-2012, and 2013-2014

Ship 25's newest Quartermaster
Callie Kaplan-Wright

Ship 25 is pleased to announce that Callie Kaplan-Wright has passed her Board of Review for the Sea Scout Quartermaster Award. She is pictured here with her father and Troop 13 Scoutmaster, Bill Wright. Callie is known also as a Camp Barton staff member and served as the 2016 Helmsman coordinator at Camp. 

She is currently enrolled at SUNY Geneseo and looks forward to continuing on with Ship 25 and will be holding the position of Mate. 

For more information on Ship 25, visit their website at www.ithacaseascouts.org 

From Sea to Mountain Top: Ship 25's Summertime Adventure 

From the ocean to the highest mountain peak in the northeast, Ship 25-NY enjoyed some true high adventure this summer. Twenty Two people traveled over an 8 day period enjoying adventures across Maine and New Hampshire. 

At the invitation of our friends Mack and Carol Travis, we drove from the Ithaca, NY area up to Camden Maine to visit their sailboat, Shanti. We then sailed aboard the Schooner Olad out of Rockport Maine and enjoyed nice winds on the Atlantic. Other area attractions we got to see included a wooden boat building and repair facility, a local lighthouse with outstanding views of Penobscot Bay, seals, and dolphins among other wildlife, all while some of our group enjoyed taking turns at the helm. 

After a couple of days at the coast we headed inland to Fryeburg Maine where we got in canoes and kayaks for an overnight trip on the Saco River. With only one major capsizing over some rapids it was a fun time for all... at least once we all were dried out! 

Following our river adventures, we drove about a half hour over to Conway NH to the Saco River Campground which became our base for climbing Mt. Washington. The Mountain is the highest point east of the Rockies and has had the highest wind speed ever recorded on the planet. Blizzards have been known to strike even in the summer. It is not for the unprepared. Being Sea Scouts, we were prepared for our upcoming adventure. While a few opted to skip the summit and enjoy the zip lines at nearby Cannon Mountain Ski Resort, 16 of us did make it to the top and back down safely all in one day. Granted we were all stiff and sore but we were all happy and thrilled to have accomplished our goal. 

On the way back we stopped at Fiddleheads Cafe in Hancock, NH for lunch. The cafe is a favorite of Boatswain Peter Graney and his family. Peter also enjoyed spending a month in Scotland this summer touring around before and after participating in the Blair Athol Jamborette. Following lunch at the cafe, the Ship stopped at Vicuna Chocolates in Peterborough, NH for some delicious treats. The owner has appeared on the food channel and has travelled the world to find the best cocoa beans for her recipes. She is one of just a handful of independent chocolatiers across the country that complete the entire process of making their product from bean to bar so it was a real treat for us to make the visit. 

Traveling back we had a long drive; and after climbing the mountain the day before, we laughed at our stiffness upon arriving home. A few days of rest and we were all back and fully ready to go; knowing that we had enjoyed a truly great experience. Perhaps this is why it is often said, "Sea Scouts DO have more fun!" 

Upcoming, Ship 25 looks forward to a return trip to Puerto Rico this winter where they plan to visit with some Sea Scout friends. Twenty members of the Ship will be at the 2017 National Jamboree next summer before a dozen head to Florida's Sea Base for a week long Scuba Diving adventure next winter.

- by Peter Graney, Boatswain, Sea Scout Ship 25

Our Cub Scouts had a great time at 
"Camp Cretaceous" - 2016 Camp Barton Cub Resident Camp

Click on the picture or here for the whole story and more pictures!

Ship 25 at the NYGARD Regatta
Scotland, Maryland - May 28-30, 2016

Boatswain's Chairlift - Lisa Kalpokas photo	The 51st Annual NYGARD Regatta was held over Memorial weekend in Scotland, Maryland. Eight youth and two adults from Ship 25, Ithaca, NY joined with 3 youth and one adult from Ship 1009 from Bowie, Maryland. Together they made one of the many Crews competing in the weekend's activities.  We won first place in the Canoe Slalom, Marlinespike Seamanship, and the First Aid Quiz. We took 2nd in many other events.  All told, Ship 25's participants felt we did very well for only our second year attending the NYGARD Regatta. This all added up for an amazingly fun weekend.  All Sea Scouts who went with us commented how much fun they had in not only the competition, but in making new friends and connecting with old friends who we only get to see a few times a year. Overall it was another amazing trip that we were able to take because of Sea Scouts. Taylor Kalpokas  Erie Canal Flotilla Boatswain  Ship 25 Ithaca NY
Uniform Inspection - Lisa Kalpokas photo	Ship 25 - Jim Graney photo
Ships 25 and 1009 - Jim Graney photo	Awards - Jim Graney photo

District Scouts flew at the 2016 District Fly-o-Ree!

See the 2016 Fly-o-Ree page for the whole story and more pictures!

District Awards Social
April 17. 2016

The Taughannock District's annual Awards Social was held at the Dryden Fire Hall on the afternoon of Sunday, April 17, 2016. Many Scouters (and a few Cubs and Sea Scouts) were in attendance, and a Good Time was had by all!

Congratulations to Doug Blakely, recipient of the District Award of Merit! There's another recipient who was not at the Social - we'll post a picture once the award has been presented. In the meantime, it's a secret...	Jim Graney received the Founder's Award, a district award started by Troop 4 in Ithaca
Ice Cream was served, along with slices of a cake which bore the District patch.	Sea Scout Ship 25 leaders received training awards.
The District Good Turn award was presented to the Dryden Presbyterian Church	Four of the eight members of this year's Patriot Patrol.  The patrol was named after DeWitt Clinton, father of the Erie Canal
Spark Plug awards were presented to a number of unit-level Scouters	Tom Szybenyi receives a training award
As is traditional, the Social began by recognizing the years of service of the leaders present.  This is the over-50-year veteran group - Mike Homrighaus, Mike Hughes and our longest-service district volunteer: Jim Bugh with 65 years.

"Each One Teach One" 
February 27, 2016

Cubs and Scouts enjoyed a Saturday of racing Pinewood Derby cars, doing Cub Adventures and (for the Scouts) a Merit Badge Fair. 

Wolf Cub Motor Away Adventure - build two boats and float them.
	Wolf Cub Motor Away Adventure - build a car which moves
Lynn Green photo
Pinewood Derby Lynn Green photo	Pack 10 Cubs at the Pinewood Derby Shana Snyder photo
Wolf Cub Motor Away Adventure - build and fly three paper airplanes
	Pack 102 Cubs Laura Price Photo

Pack 24's 2016 Blue and Gold Dinner
February 25, 2016

	Pledge of Allegiance
"The Ugliest Man in the World" - or in the room, anyway	Handing out awards
	"My Superhero..."

Sea Scout Ship 25 at Florida SeaBase

Recently, Ithaca Sea Scout Ship 25 traveled to Florida's BSA SeaBase for their Live Aboard Scuba program. The unit lived on a 73' schooner and enjoyed scuba diving on several reefs in the Florida Keys, as well as an unplanned excursion to Key West. The trip was such a success that they are planning another trip for December 2017!

Ship's crew upon arrival at SeaBase

The SCUBA group at the bottom of Sombrero Reef.

Welcome to Pack 102 in Virgil!

Their Cubs had a great time at their January 6, 2016, meeting. 

The whole group, gathering for a Very Serious Portrait

Troop 48's Fall Cook-Off at Camp Comstock
November 21, 2015

Troop 48 from Lansing held a Cook-Off at GSUSA Camp Comstock on November 21st. District Executive Joshua Walker was one of the guest judges.  Looks like a Good Time was had by all! "Thanks" to Lynn Green for these photos.

"Boo at Barton: Monster Mash!" - October 3-4, 2015

Our Cubs had a great time at Boo at Barton again this year!
Click here to see more photos!

2015 Cub Scout Day Camp at Camp Barton

Cub Day Camp photos courtesy of Lynn Green

Cubs Defeated Space Invaders
at the 2015 Camp Barton Cub Scout Resident Camp

Click here for more pictures and the whole Top Secret story...

Troop 2 Court of Honor
Eagle Scout Jimmy Whitehead
June 22, 2015

Troop Bugler opens the ceremony.	Candles are lit for the points of the Scout Law
New Star Scouts are recognized	Merit Badges are handed out.
Council Advancement Chair Ben Brown leads new  Eagle Scout Jimmy Whitehead in the Pledge of the Eagle.	Rich Andrulis administers the Eagle Charge.
New Eagle Scout Jimmy Whitehead made a few remarks.	Letters of Congratulation were presented to the troop's four newest Eagle Scouts.
New troop officers are sworn in.	The Scouts presented Scoutmaster Jery Stedinger and Assistant Scoutmaster Robin Stedinger with a thank-you card and painting.

Troop 55 Celebrated its 55th birthday
June 19, 2015

"Happy Birthday" to Troop 55! 
See more photos on this special page. 

Congratulations Liam, Aidan, Gage and Jonathan
Troop 13's latest Eagle Scouts!
June 11, 2015

Troop 13 held an Eagle Scout Court of Honor at Camp Barton on 6/11/15 and awarded Liam Delaney, Aidan Kaplan-Wright, Gage Stepp and Jonathan VanValen Scouting's highest honor.

Read an article about the four Eagles on the Ithaca Journal website. 

Cubs took to the track for the District Pinewood Derby
April 4, 2015

Click here to see more pictures!

Pack 24 Blue-and-Gold Dinner
March 7, 2015

The Wolf/Bear Den does a skit
Bear Cubs get their badges and pins	The First-Year Webelos den
Second-year Webelos do a skit	The dinner featured spaghetti - always a favorite. The awards were followed by a Cake Auction of cakes prepared by the Cubs on a "Movies and TV" theme..
The winner of the "most unusual cake" - a chocolate cake on a "Hobbit" theme, with broccoli trees.	Cubs review the cakes before judging.
The "Prettiest Cake" - from the movie "Happy Feet" with a marshmallow igloo.	"Best TV Show Cake" - The Doctor's TARDIS.  Presumably, the cake is bigger on the inside.

Congratulations to Evan Graney
on achieving the Sea Scout Quartermaster Award
February 26, 2015

The Taughannock District congratulates Evan Graney of Ship 25, who passed his Quartermaster Board of Review on February 26th. He is the second member of Ship 25 to earn our highest Award. The Ship looks forward to some more Scouts coming along shortly as well!   

gif/WillNewman_0667.jpg" align="left" width="265" height="400">RIP Will Newman, Former Scoutmaster of Troop 94

Many Taughannock District members will remember Will Newman, who founded several Cub Packs in Cortland as well as the present incarnation of Troop 94 at the Presbyterian Church. He was the first Scoutmaster of the restarted Troop 94. Will was a recipient of the District Award of Merit and the William D. Boyce new unit organizer award, a purple-badge Trainer and a member of the Order of the Arrow, among many other things. 

He was forced to step down by a stroke and heart attack some years ago, and Will passed away on Friday, January 23rd. 

He will be remembered, and missed, by the Scouts and Scouters in this area.

To offer online condolences visit http://www.wright-beard.com

Congratulations to Kevin Tian, Troop 2 Ithaca
Eagle Scout - February 22, 2015

Sea Scouts in Annapolis
January 2015

Sea Scouts from Ship 25 in Ithaca recently attended the National Eagle Scout Association STEM/NOVA Jamboree at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland.  

Taught by Eagle Scouts who are now Midshipmen, the program offerings included the following Merit Badges: 

Engineering, Chemistry, Aviation, Space Exploration, Digital Technology, Nuclear Sciences, Oceanography, Weather, Electronics, Electricity, Energy, Radio, Robotics, Medicine,  Programming, and Search and Rescue; plus the BSA's new NOVA Award "Shoot", and 3 other special program offerings: High Adventure Prep, Leadership, Military Skills.   

 For more information, check the contact links at  www.ithacaseascouts.org

Congratulations to Aidan MacKenzie, Troop 55 Ithaca 
Eagle Scout - January 3, 2015

Boy Scout Troop 55 awarded its 62d Eagle Scout award to Aidan MacKenzie in a ceremony held on January 3, 2015 at St. Catherine of Sienna church. 

Aidan earned his Eagle after planning and then building a fenced vegetable garden area to support St. Catherine's program to feed area homeless. In so doing, he coordinated nearly 20 people who donated over 120 hours t4o create this important resources for those needing more and healthier food. 

In his 7 year scouting career to date, Aidan participated in a wide variety of experiences. He coordinated a team of up to six other boys (a patrol) to place in the top 3 of all such groups in Tompkins and Cortland counties. He also coordinated the storage and maintenance of camping equipment for the troop. In the past 3 years, he has also helped coordinate broader public service efforts for the entire Baden-Powell Council, an area extending from Cortland, down through Binghamton and into northern Pennsylvania, through the Order of the Arrow, a service organization whose members are selected by scouts themselves. He also attended the National Boy Scout Jamboree in 2013 and has worked as a counselor at Camp Barton, the Baden-Powell council's 130 acre camping and water sports jewel on Cayuga Lake.

Troop 55 has been serving the Ellis Hollow and Ithaca areas for 55 years.  It challenges all boys to match Aidan’s accomplishments.  Troop 55 welcomes all boys and their families from any and all backgrounds to join them each Tuesday night at 7:15pm at the Ellis Hollow Community Center, 100 Genung Road in the Town of Dryden.