Scout Troop 498 June Update

June has been an incredibly active month for both of St. Francis of Assisi’s Scout Troops, 498 – Boys and 498 – Girls. Here are a few of the highlights!
This year for summer camp the Troops attended Hale Scout Reservation, in Talihina, Oklahoma. There they advanced by working on or earning over 45 merit badges, 8 ranks, as well as learning countless outdoor skills, inner confidence, and leadership.

While the younger scouts were at camp, our senior scouts had the honor of participating again in the Knights of Columbus Flag Retirement Ceremony. The Scouts were on the color guard, prepared the flags according to code, and retired the flags. Nearly a dozen flags were retired with honor and respect.

Shortly after that, two high adventure crews of 8 and 12 traveled to the Florida Keys. One crew spent the week fishing and studying the diverse ecology of the Florida Keys while the second crew spent the week living on a sailboat and completed over eight SCUBA dives (including one night dive) exploring and learning about the delicate reef environment.

In the meantime, three Scouts were elected to Scouting’s National Honor Society of Camping, the Order of the Arrow. Two scouts completed their Eagle Project benefiting the Clark High School JROTC, and the Strong Foundation for families in transition. One Scout achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, marking the 60th scout to achieve Scouting’s highest Rank in the Troop’s 25-year history.

Next month, both the Boy and Girl Troops will begin working to earn the church’s Religious Scouting emblem, the Ad Altare Dei. Finally, the troop cleaned the storage area and installed new shelves to make CYO and Church decorations more accessible.

If you’re interested in what Scouting can do for your student or would like to know more about Troop 498’ Boy or Girl Troops, visit our website: troop498SATX.org or Text T498 to 51555