Over the past five decades, Boy Scout Troop 524 members have seen a lot and gone on many high adventures. The most recent took them to the Swamp Base in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Yep, the same place alligators, water moccasins, and other critters call home.
“Our high adventure this year comprised over 60 miles canoed through the Atchafalaya Basin. There was lots of exploration of the swamps, which included a guided boat tour of Lake Henderson, where we saw the largest of the alligators, estimated in size between 13 and 15 feet,” Scout Master Matt Riordan said. “We participated in a sunrise paddle toward the end of the trek, where we made it in time to watch the sunrise over Sand Cove on Lake Fausse Point.
“We finished the trek with the Swamp Stop, which was a huge win this year as it was truly mucky. Some of the ‘ponds’ were nearly waist deep in muck.”
A high adventure in scouting is a multi-day outdoor experience that challenges scouts mentally and physically. These trips are designed to be memorable and lifelong learning adventures that take place in remote, wild settings.
“This along with other high adventures – and the program itself – are designed to provide the youth with the necessary life skills to be respectable members of society. Teaching life skills that they can apply to any situation,” Riordan said. “This adventure, in particular, teaches the boys about teamwork and working with each other. While they may not have always got along, it did teach them how to work with each other.”
The surroundings featured many “swamp puppies,” a local term for alligators, so many that Riordan said they stopped counting. Bald cypress trees were full of Spanish moss, and they saw massive ospreys (also known as sea hawks).
“The previous time we did this trek, we happened to see a couple of bald eagles. Not so lucky this time,” Riordan said.
โI had a blast going back for my second time. The swamp was just as beautiful as I had remembered it, and being out there really gives you a new perspective of the swamp,โ said Jacob Riordan, one of the Eagle Scouts. โI look forward to seeing the program grow and maybe doing it again once I’m old enough to have kids.โ
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
Troop 524 features scouts who primarily live in the Midlothian/Waxahachie area. They’ve also been represented in the Duncanville and DeSoto areas.
While the troop has shrunk to eight boys, six have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Six of the older boys went on the high adventure.
To earn the rank of Eagle, a scout first has to earn 14 Eagle-required merit badges, ranging from cooking to swimming and first aid. They also have to earn an additional seven non-Eagle-required merit badges. Typically, the boys will earn the 14 plus an additional 20 to 30 merit badges. Only 4% of scouts earn this rank.
To earn the rank, in addition to the merit badges, the boys also complete a leadership project, which they plan with an Eagle coach/mentor, community or non-profit leader.
“Once their project has been completed, the journey is not over yet. They then have to prepare their portfolio and participate in a Scout Master Conference and an Eagle Board of Review,” Riordan said. “These six boys completed all the requirements and earned their rank over the previous year and decided to have one massive ceremony.”
Troop 524 has had Eagle Scouts become pilots, lawyers, military leaders, and physicians. They continue to help and give back to not only their community but also scouting. One of their past Eagle Scouts is now the camp director for Circle Ten at Camp Constantin, the popular childrenโs camp in Graford.
Jacob Riordan said of being an Eagle Scout, “For me, it gave what felt like a purpose and a goal to achieve after just moving and leaving everything. But not only that, it taught me a multitude of different life skills that I plan to carry over to adulthood as well as creating a bunch of friendships.โ
LONG LEGACY
Troop 524 has been around for over 50 years with legacy Scout Masters, meaning fathers and sons have been scout masters of this troop.
“We truly leave no trace and ensure that each area that we have been in is better than when we got there,” Riordan said.
Some of Troop 524’s major accomplishments include community participation in back-to-school events and catering the Pancake Fly-In at Midway Regional Airport, which feeds over 1,000 people each year.
