Grafton Cub Scout Pack 106 hikes over 800 miles despite pandemic
One of the goals of Cub Scouting is to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle. In fact, part of the Scout Oath reads, “…to keep myself physically strong…”. To help maintain these goals, Grafton Pack 106 has been committed to provide multiple hiking opportunities to families throughout the pandemic. Traditionally they offer a monthly hike for Pack families to gather together, typically ranging from 2-5 miles.
Last March when they realized that it wouldn’t be safe to gather together as a group, they instead shifted to encouraging families to go on a hike of their own, of a specific number of miles. In March through May families found their own trails, in town and around the Commonwealth. For the summer, they decided to mix it up, instead providing families with a choice of hike locations, ranging from a 2-mile hike, to a 7-mile bike ride.
This past fall, they were able to gather together as a group for socially distant hikes, and it was great to be able to hike with friends again! (If families did not feel comfortable hiking as a group, they were encouraged to hike the same route at a different time during the month.) However, as COVID-19 transmission rates increased in late fall, they once again made the decision for families to hike on their own. They are eagerly awaiting the day when it will be safe to hike again as a larger group!
Around 2009, Pack 106 created a hiking rewards program to encourage Scouts to participate in these monthly hikes with the Pack or also with their Den. At the time, reward levels were set at 50 miles (a hiking stick), 100 miles (a backpack), and 125 miles (a tent). All these rewards come personalized with the Scout’s name or initials.
Since the start of the pandemic, members of the Pack have collectively hiked over 800 miles and 12 Scouts have earned their 50-mile walking stick. Congratulations to Alexandra A, Cole A, Danny D, Jonah G, Sawyer G, Boston J, Ronan M, Michael M, Ashley N, Chelsea P, Michael P, and Jace T. For five of these Scouts, they’ve hiked these 50 miles in about a year and a half (or less) from when they joined Cub Scouts! Others are already well on their way to reaching their next milestone!
They’ve also awarded 100-mile backpacks to Theodore V and Parker M and a 125-mile tent to Nate A.
In 2016, Cub Scouts introduced a new rank for kindergarteners, and it quickly became apparent that a new reward level would be needed as Scouts would be reaching these milestones earlier. This March we presented our first reward for 175-miles, a zero-degree sleeping bag, to Bennett B. With another year to go in Cub Scouts, there’s no telling how far he will hike!
— Submitted by Chris Breecher
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