West Hempstead Boy Scout Troop 240 remain active

The coronavirus pandemic has not stopped West Hempstead Boy Scout Troop 240 from participating in scouting activities, they have just moved into the virtual world. Prior to the pandemic, Troop 240 met weekly, held monthly camping trips, performed service projects and did other activities such as hiking and bird watching. Our troop is still staying active with meetings being held virtually through Zoom. Each online troop meeting has a different theme including trivia nights and skits performed by the Scouts. The online meetings have been a great way for the scouts to stay connected to the troop, see their fellow scouts, and they provide a way for troop leaders to check how the scouts are handling this stressful time.

The troop leaders have been encouraging the scouts to continue performing Good Turns on their own while staying safe. From June 1 to June 10, the troop held a community food drive to support the food pantry at West Hempstead High School.

The troop takes great pride in marching in the West Hempstead Memorial Day Parade, but like all of the other in-person events, the parade was cancelled this year.  The troop did the next best thing by holding a virtual Memorial Day ceremony to honor the brave men and women that have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

While home, the scouts have also been taking part in the online scouting activities offered by Boy Scouts of America Theodore Roosevelt Council. They have been completing requirements to advance in rank and have been taking virtual merit badge classes. The troop leaders have been actively supporting the scouts as they advance in rank by holding Scoutmaster Conferences and Boards of Review through Zoom.

On June 8, the troop held its first virtual Court of Honor Ceremony. Many scouts earned merit badges and advanced in rank since our last in-person Court of Honor held in January. The scouts received their merit badges, awards and ranks virtually this time and will receive the merit badges, awards and rank patches at a later date. These ceremonies are an important part of scouting because they recognize the hard work and dedication of the scouts and leaders and boost morale.

The coronavirus pandemic has also caused Theodore Roosevelt Council to move its extremely popular Boy Scout summer camp from the idyllic confines of the Onteora Scout Reservation in Sullivan County to a virtual summer camp through Zoom. Scouts will be able to take online merit badge classes during the day and take part in an evening program that includes virtual campfires, socials, and a movie night.

The leaders and scouts of West Hempstead Boy Scout Troop 240 strive to keep scouting strong in our community even during this unprecedented time in Scouting history.

Thomas O’Neill

Committee chairman, Boy Scout Troop 240