Troop 243 Continues To March On

Six scouts and six adult leaders from Garden City's Troop 243 hiked the upper portion of the Nassau-Suffolk trail this past Sunday. The full trail includes steep hills to old fields to quiet wetlands, and stretches from Cold Spring Harbor and crosses Long Island to Massapequa Preserve watershed. This hike, which started in Syosset, ended with a scenic view of Cold Spring Harbor as the scouts descended the final hill of the trail. More than one adult leader commented that whoever claimed that Long Island is flat never hiked the Nassau-Suffolk trail.

The hike began early Sunday morning. Though prepared for foul weather, the troop completed the more than three-hour trek before the rain began. During the hike, there was ample opportunity to take in the beautiful sights of the changing Long Island seasons.

The troop hopes to have monthly hikes, including different segments of the nearly 20-mile Nassau-Suffolk trail. These hikes are in preparation for the scouts to partake in the full hike of the trail to satisfy part of the Hiking merit badge.

Additional activities planned for the coming months include a second annual trip to the Naval Academy in Annapolis for a three-day, two-night Camporee in January with over one thousand scouts from across the country. A winter camping trip at the Scout Reservation in Onteora (snow guaranteed) is planned for the following month.

Troop 243 is sponsored by St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church and is open to boys of all faiths (ages 11-18) who are interested in learning leadership skills, camaraderie and having fun. Meetings are held most Sunday evenings in the school auditorium. All are welcome!