The Troop met at the church on Saturday morning and loaded our troop bus and off we went to Watkins Mills. This was going to be a new experience for the troop because none of us have been to Watkins Mill to camp. I am looking forward to going to Watkins Mill and to going fishing. The trip was not very long. Once at the campsite we set up camp.

Then it was off to the lake to go fishing. The weather was great.

We had a couple of scouts who thought it may be fun to get close to the worms we were using for bait.

When we returned to the campsite it was time for dinner spaghetti, meat sauce, meatballs and caesar salad

After dinner the patrols practiced their campfire skits, songs and jokes. Then it was time for our troop campfire.

We had a great campfire. All the patrols did a great job.

After the campfire we were treated to cobblers baked in dutch ovens.

Then it was time for bed. We were all ready to go to bed as we were going to lose one hour of sleep due to springing forward for daylight savings time.

It was a very chilly night. But I believe all the scouts and leaders sleep very well. I am looking forward to breakfast biscuits and gravy. While breakfast was being prepared we started breaking camp.

It’s a lot more fun setting up camp. It’s time to eat breakfast.

After breakfast we finished packing up our tents and troop equipment into our troop trailer. Then it was time for church. Our troop has a church service every overnight. Then it was time to head for home.

I can not wait till our next overnight in April.

Troop 282 held their 76th Annual ALL YOU CAN EAT PANCAKE DAY(sausage, milk, orange drink and coffee) on Tuesday March 4, 2025 at Trinity Episcopal Church at 409 N. Liberty St. Independence, Mo. from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Everyone asks why does the Troop have Pancake Day on a Tuesday. It has to do with Lent. It’s always on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) before Ash Wednesday. This is why the date moves around each year.

This fundraiser could not be done without the support from our scouts, leaders and parents.

For some of our leaders Pancake Day starts bright and early at 3:00 AM as they must get to the church to start cooking sausage to allow

doors to open and  start serving customers at 6:00 AM.

This fundraiser helps our scout go to summer camp at the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation.

We thank everyone who came and helped set-up, who worked, who helped clean up. We especially thank those who purchased tickets.

We will see everyone at our 77th Annual ALL YOU CAN EAT PANCAKE DAY on Tuesday February 17, 2026. Mark your calendar.

Well let me say as a first time hiker to Cedar Bluff I really didn’t know what to expect as I packed my backpack. I was thinking how it would feel to carry this backpack on my back for a five(5) mile hike there and back. What’s it going to be like to sleep outside in the open (no tent)? What was this dehydrated food going to taste? Was it going to be cold? I did know one thing: I was going to make the best of it and complete the hike.

Saturday morning came and I headed to the church to catch the troop bus to make a hike to cedar Bluff. I am excited but yet a little worried. When I arrived at the bus the scouts were telling me to put my backpack on the bus and then go inside. The older scouts were at the bus loading everyone’s backpacks. Once everyone was here the Asst. Sr. Patrol Leader lined us up and headed to the bus. The bus ride I think lasted for around 2 hours and now we are at scout camp.

Now at scout camp we head to the spot to start our hike. There was 4 to 6 inches of snow on the ground. Several of the scouts were talking about getting a white coup for this overnight because of the snow. I guess that is good. We lined up and off we went to Cedar Bluff.

As we hiked in the woods it was nice as there was no wind and it was very common. As I hiked up front it was very interesting to see that we were the first people to walk on this snow. It seemed very pure and clean.

Once we reached the Bluff I would have to say the hike was worth it. It was a very beautiful place and I can see why all the scouts think this was great overnight.

Let me say when we prepared our dehydrated meals the leaders got the scouts together to show those scouts who had never used a backpacking stove how to light the stove. Then we heated the water for our bags of food.

I must say the meal I had was very good.

While we ate dinner we had a short church service that was nice as we looked out over the water. We talked about being reverent to God in Nature.

I was not sure how sleeping was going to be. But let me tell you when I got in my sleeping bag and got warmed up I was out and I didn’t wake up until the leadership got us up.

Then it was time to get are stuff packed up to make the hike back to our troop bus.

We took a different way back on part of the hike that what we took over.

Once back we loaded the bus and headed to McDonald’s in Clinton to grab lunch before going home. We were all very excited about this stop.

Then we were on our way home. Now would I do this again. I would have to say yes I would. Yes the hike was challenging but when I go again next year I will be a year older and I will have more experience in camping and hike.

Overall this was a very fun overnight.

What an event! This was my very first Klondike Derby and boy did I have a good time. I also learned a lot. Starting with dressing a little warmer, to learn those knots and lashings that are in the scout handbook. I really didn’t understand that we would have a wooden sled and the scouts would be pulling it from event to event. Our sled had all the items we would need to do at each event. I was asked which event I liked the most in the car on the way home. Well that’s easy I liked them all. I hope that everyone in my patrol was happy with me as I was learning as I went along. 

I really appreciated the leader who came and passed out hand warmers and toe warmers. These items made the day a little more comfortable. The cold wasn’t too bad when we were moving and doing the event. Waiting to do an event is when it was cold.  

I am looking forward to going again next year. I am hoping the weather is a little warmer.

After two years of planning and fundraising our trip to Disney World started at 2:30 AM on December 26, 2024 when those going met at the church to jump on our troop’s bus to head to the KCI Airport to take our flight at 5:35 AM

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Our flight landed at the Orlando International Airport at 9:35 AM. We picked up our luggage and loaded a bus to take us to All Star Resort at Walt Disney World.

We ate lunch, checked into our rooms, moved our luggage to our rooms and off we went to start our adventures. We went out front of our resort and caught the Disney Transportation Bus

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Our first stop was EPCOT where each scout  had to interview a cast member from Canada, Mexico, Germany and China and tasted food from the different countries for the American Cultures Merit Badge. I really didn’t think this was going to be very fun, some of the scouts said but it turned out to be one of the best things.

We now started our journey to enjoy the rides. First stop the Ratatouille Ride in French. It was a fun ride. We also saw the show The American Adventure.

We learned on the first day that Walt Disney is a very busy place and the lines for the rides are very long.

After the ride the group went and ate dinner at Connections Cafe’. Then we went back to our resort and went to bed.

Day 2 – Our day started at 6:25 AM when we met in the Food Court of the resort to eat breakfast with the group. At 7:00 AM we headed to the bus stop to make our way to the Magic Kingdom.

We rode the following rides:Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Mad Tea Party, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Space Mountain, Tron, Halls of Presidents and Haunted Mansion. On average the wait times were 65 minutes. We ate lunch at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe’.

After Dinner we took a trip back to Main Street to Town Square Theater where we were all thinking we were going to see a movie or show. To our surprise when we entered the theater we saw the star of Disney World Mickey Mouse.

We then went to the ice cream parlor for ice cream. Then it was time for the firework show at Magic Kingdom.

After the fireworks it was time to head back to the resort.

Day 3 – Our day started at 7:25 AM when we met in the Food Court of the resort to eat breakfast with the group. At 8:00 AM we headed to the bus stop to make our way to the Animal Kingdom.

When we arrived at Animal Kingdom we headed straight back to Avatar Flight of Passage where the line went on forever. It only took us 60 mins to get on the ride.

Then it was on to Na’vi River Journey and Festival of the Lion King.

While we waited for our lunch reservation at Tusker House Restaurant we walked around the Tree of Life and looked at all the animal carvings in the tree trunk. We also took in the show It’s Tough to be a Bug. Lunch was a buffet and it was great. We also met several of the characters Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy and Goofy.

After lunch it was off to Kilimanjaro Safaris where we rode in a safari truck just like you were in Africa. We saw all kinds of animals.

After our safari it was off to Kali River Rapids. This was a water ride. Some of us got wet and some stayed dry..

We headed back to our resort after this ride. Once back we changed into our swimming gear and took a dip in the pool. Then it was off to bed.

Day 4 – Our day started at 6:25 AM when we met in the Food Court of the resort to eat breakfast with the group.

At 7:00 AM we headed to the bus stop to make our way to the Hollywood Studios. Once inside we headed back to the Star Wars area. We got in line for Rise of the Resistance.

We also rode Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. On this ride we were broken up into six groups of six. Each had two pilots, two gunners and two engineers. This ride was very intense.

We headed over to Slinky Dog Dash once again we had a line that went on forever.

Then it was off to lunch at the ABC Commissary. After lunch we headed over to Sunset Boulevard to get in line for the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Where we had a rain storm move in. We stayed in line and rode the ride Then we were off to TheTwilight Zone Tower of Terror.

We grabbed dinner and headed over to the evening show Fantasmic.

After the show we headed back to our resort.

Day 5 – Our day started at 6:25 AM when we met in the Food Court of the resort to eat breakfast with the group. At 8:00 AM we headed to the bus stop to make our way back to EPCOT. Once inside we had straight to Soarin’ Around the World in a hang-glider. Then it was off Mission: Space. The Orange Mission was a journey to Mars and the Green Mission was a journey around earth. Once back on earth we headed to the Land Pavilion to eat lunch.

After lunch we went over to the World Nature Pavilion with the Land ride. Here we learned about growing plants in different ways. Everything grown here is used in the Garden Grill Restaurant.

Then it was once again off to another ride. Spaceship Earth.

This ride was inside the big ball you see in the photo above. Here we learned the history of communication. At the end of the ride there were some games that were in the future when the ride opened in 1971 but are now in use in 2024.

Then we headed to World Nature Pavilion where we rode The Sea with Nemo & Friends, toured the Sea Base and Turtle Talk with Crush.

Then it was time to go back to the Countries once again before the night show where everyone ate dinner.

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fter the night show it was back to the resort ending another night.

Day 6 – Our last day started at 6:25 AM when we met in the Food Court of the resort to eat breakfast with the group. At 8:00 AM we headed to the bus stop to make our way back to the Magic Kingdom by way of Hollywood Studios to allow us to spend New Years Eve in the Magic Kingdom. Once at Hollywood Studios we boarded the Skyliner to EPCOT. Once at EPCOT we crossed the park and got on the Monorail to the Transportation Center where we changed to the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Once there we headed to Princess Fairytale Hall. Here we met some of the Princesses.

Then it was off to Peter Pan’s Flight. Then we headed through the rain to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room to get out of the rain. Then we rode The Magic Carpet of Aladdin.

Then we took a break some got Dole Whip and Mr. Howell purchased ice cream for others.

We headed to Pirates of the Caribbean and then to lunch at Pecos Bill Tall Inn and Cafe’.

Then we boarded the Walt Disney World Railroad and took a trip around the park. When we reached Fantasyland we disembarked. We headed to The Barnstormer.

Then we headed to Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. Then we headed to Liberty Square to pick our spot for the 6:30 PM fireworks.

After the fireworks we picked up the following rides before the midnight fireworks show. Jungle Cruise, Country Bear Jamboree, Mickey’s PhilharMagic and It’s a Small World. Then it was time for fireworks. This show was even bigger than the 6:30 PM show.. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025. We got back to our rooms at 2:00 AM. Going to be a short night

Day 7 – January 1, 2025. Our last day started at 3:30 AM when we met in the lobby of our resort. Then it was out to the bus spot to catch our bus to the Orlando International Airport.

Our scouts don’t have the same energy they had when they left for Walt Disney World.

I would like to say THANK YOU to Stacy Howell for all the time she spent planning and talking to Disney and the Southwest Airline to get this trip set up.

Just to show everyone how well known our Kansas City Chiefs are known. This wreath was in the lobby of the ALL STAR RESORT where we stayed.

We had a great trip and it is now time to start planning the troops’ next High Adventure Trip.

What a great lock-in the troop had. The scouts turned the church’s parish hall into game central. We played games from 7:00 PM till midnight. We also had pizza for dinner. It was great. I would like to thank our Troops Patrol Leaders Council for planning this event. Can’t wait to do it again in 2025.

“There is no religious side to the movement. The whole of it is based on religion, that is, on the
realization and service of God.”
-Robert Baden-Powell, Scouting Founder

The scouts of Troop 282 gathered together Sunday morning after breakfast to hold church
during our October overnight.
They learned about obedience, and sang about God’s amazing grace. It was great to see the
whole group listening, singing along, and responding to the questions asked during the sermon.
Holding a church service is an important part of our overnights in Troop 282.
Scouts BSA does not promote any specific religious denomination, but has always
recognized that spiritual faith is important in the development of good citizens. This principle is
embedded in our “Declaration of Religious Principle,” which says each member should
recognize their obligation to God as part of becoming a good citizen.
We encourage Scouts to follow the religious teachings of their families and faith groups, and
to respect religious diversity. Scouts & scouters come from all walks of life, with various
backgrounds, beliefs, and faith experiences.
However, Scouts USA upholds a belief in God as a core value of the program.
Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, made it clear that Scouting is built on
religious principles. He believed that Scouting should help boys realize their duty to God by
encouraging service to others and making the best of the life God has given them.
Over half of all Scout troops are affiliated with religious organizations, reflecting the strong
connection between Scouting and faith communities. The organization’s focus on core values
like responsibility, integrity, and respect ensures that Scouts develop a strong moral character
while learning to appreciate the diversity of their fellow Scouts.
“Church” isn’t a building, it’s a collection of people moving toward our Heavenly Father. That
can happened in a big climate-controlled building, in the middle of the woods, on a street corner,
or even on the side of a bluff overlooking a lake.
Scouting emphasizes a duty to God, teaching these young leaders to live out their faith
through service, responsibility, and respect for others- making Scouting a platform for personal
and spiritual growth.
Those church gatherings out in the middle of God’s creation are especially meaningful, as
we get to see His handiwork in the colorful fall trees and the bright blue sky, a fresh blanket of
snow, or whatever scenery He sees fit to bless us with. It’s also a blessing to be able to see
these young men & women connecting with God and each other.

What a great weekend the troop had on the October overnight. It all started when we left the church parking lot at 8:00 AM. Once we reached the campsite we unloaded our patrol camping gear and set up our patrol camping site. Yes, in our troop each patrol has their own tents, dining fly, equipment boxes, kitchen, table and chairs. It’s great as we get to work as a patrol all weekend. We had to have our patrol sites set up before lunch.

After lunch we had some patrol competition on some scouting skills (using a bow saw, shaping an hand ax and building a fire).

Once done with the patrol competition the patrols had some free time for working on our patrol sites and collecting firewood for cooking dinner. We started our patrol fires around two hours ahead of dinner to allow us to have lots of coals for cooking with.

Then we started dinner. Each patrol was cooking their own meals. This is my favorite part of overnight cooking. 

Of course the part of the overnight no one likes is cleaning up after dinner. Yes we must wash our dishes.

Once we were done we started thinking about the Troop Campfire. Each patrol is to have a skit and song. Our patrol leader had us practice our patrol skit and song.

After the campfire our adult leaders prepared cobblers for the troop to eat. This is always a great treat.

When the patrol was done with their cobbler it was off to bed.

What a day. It went by so fast.

On Sunday morning we got up and got our patrol fire going so we could cook breakfast.

It’s nice to have a hot breakfast when it is cool out is great.

Once we were done with breakfast the patrols cleaned up their breakfast dishes and broke down their tents and loaded everything back on our troop’s trailer.

Before we left to go back to the church to meet our parents our troop has a church service.

Its time to make our Leave No Trace line to walk through our camp to make sure we leave the site better than we found it.

I am ready to go camping again.

What a fun time we had cleaning up the stream at Mildred Keeney Park in Claycomo, Missouri on September 28, 2024. The Troop met at 9:00 AM at the church and headed out to Claycomo. When we arrived at the park we met up with David Jet, an Alderman for the City of Claycomo and an Eagle Scout from our Scout Troop. Mr. Jett explained what the task was going to be for this morning. Then it was off to the stream. We split up into two groups to clean up both ends of the stream. This is where the fun began. We got to get wet and wade through the stream to pick up the trash. This went much faster than I thought it would take. We filled up several bags of trash. We found a steel wheel, a metal basket, a plastic pipe and lots of trash.

When we finished with the stream clean up they fed us hot dogs, chips, cookies and a drink. It was great. Then we got to play in the park.

Before we left the park we made one final sweep through the park as we always do before we leave an area to make sure we left it better than we found it.

I am looking forward to doing this project again. It was a great time.

What a great Labor Day Weekend for parking cars at Santa-Cali-Gon. The weather was great for those going to the festival on Independence Square. We had a great turn out from our scouts, leaders and families on supporting this fundraiser. It could not be done without your support.

Our scouts are very important to this fundraiser to be present to wave in those cars to park.

The best part about working for me was the food that was served to our volunteers. It was great.