PACK 850

Cub Scouts and their families got their hands dirty and broke a sweat improving the landscape at Hampton Oaks Elementary School. The boys were there in support of their charter organization, the school's PTO, and worked alongside the school staff, including principal Daria Groover. The trees and bushes were trimmed, the ground mulched and many truckloads of brush were carted off to the landfill.

This cleanup completes a busy summer of activities, which began with a trip to the Pentagon and a visit to Arlington House and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. In July, the pack spent a day kayaking, canoeing and fishing on the Potomac River, followed by a campfire and campout at Fort Belvoir. The boys recently completed a week of day camp at Curtis Park, learning such scouting skills as building a campfire and creating campfire cuisine, as well as completing space-themed activities such as launching soda bottle and film canister rockets.

The pack will have a table at Hampton Oaks' Back to School Night Sept. 21, and information about the Pack will be available at Join Scouting Night Sept. 24th. Contact Cubmaster Andrew Floyd, ajfloyd66@verizon.net for more, information.

TROOP 753

Girl Scout Cadettes and Seniors from Troop 753 toured the Stafford County Landfill, learning about how recycling helps support landfill operations. The girls toured the large-metal recycling area, seeing items like bicycles and washing machines waiting to be recycled.

Next up was the power plant, where the landfill generates more revenue by selling the methane created. They saw retention ponds used to minimize dust and the solid waste storage area, where material from wastewater treatment plant is turned into fertilizer and compost.

The tour stopped at the troop's recycling box, where Leader Jane Dicello presented RBoard Recycling Outreach Coordinator Julie May with a troop recycling certificate and Girl Scout recycling patch. In the past 12 months the, troop has collected 799 inkjet and laser printer cartridges for its recycling fundraiser program and has turned over 300 pairs of glasses to the Stafford Lions Club. The troop also uses the collection boxes for people to drop off Coke Rewards codes for Rocky Run Elementary and Box Tops and Labels for Education to give to area schools.

For more information about Girl Scout Troop 753 recycling program, e-mail Fred Cannon, sarasdad2000@yahoo.com.

Please send Scout Log information to:
Email: stextra@freelancestar.com. Please include contact name and phone number. For questions, call Laura Hutchison at 540/374-5485.