Bike Outing
December 10-11, 2016
This December Troop 323 went on a two day, one night outing. To get to our campsite, we road our mountain bikes through the mountains for about 23 miles. We started by riding 8 miles then stopping for lunch. We stopped to have lunch on a large rock called Balancing Rock. From there we road another 8 miles to get to a parking lot. From there u could choose to do another 8 miles or ride back to camp in a car. The additional 8 miles was very fun with many places for speed. When we got to camp we set up our sleeping areas and started to relax and play games. We had the Cub Scout Pack 323 join us which provided them with a glimpse into Boy Scouts. We finished the night with our annual game of capture the flag. The next day, we went and rode on a sport loop which I found fun most of the ride. So overall it was a great experience and an amazing trip.
Nate Foulger - Troop 323 newest Eagle
December 1, 2016
On December 1st, Nate Foulger passed his Eagle Board of Review and is Troop 323's newest Eagle Scout.
The addition of Nate to the Troop's Eagles can be viewed in the Eagle Roster.
Survival Outing
November 19-20, 2016
The Crew Survival outing included about 40 rescuers (Crew and Troop combined) as well as 7 survival participants (4 from the Troop). That's close to 50 people participating on this outing! The exercise required Survival Participants to stay alone in the Superstition Wilderness Area near Phoenix for 48 hours with only the gear, food, and water they would take on a normal day hike. The purpose of the exercise was to mimic a typical survival situation in which a day hiker gets lost or injured and has to survive with only his day hike gear while awaiting rescue, which statistically takes place within 48-72 hours.
Camporee
October 14-16, 2016
Troop 323 recently went on our Camporee outing. Here, our troop competed with other troops to make a great trebuchet or catapult. The categories to win in were: distance, accuracy, and best built. We won best built. This was a two day outing and everyone had a great time.
Humphrey's Peak Hike
Sept 16-18, 2016
Seven adults and three scouts attended this year's annual Mt. Humphreys outing. This beautiful, and exhausting hike, ends at 12,633 ft. above sea level. Congrats to the scouts that endured this difficult challenge, especially that those that reached the highest point in Arizona.
Order of the Arrow Ordeal
September 9-11, 2016
Four Scouts from Troop 323 attended the induction ceremony for the Order of the Arrow at Camp Raymond near Flagstaff, AZ the weekend of Sept 10. The Ordeal, as the ceremony is known, is an overnight and daylong experience. Elliot Hull, Jordan McCormick, Matthew Serene and Colin Steffensen participated and enjoyed the challenges the Ordeal entails as well as an amazing dinner after the ceremony.
Yearly Planning Meeting
August 20-21, 2016
On August 20th, the troop’s Patrol Leaders Council (PLC), Patrol Advisors, and other troop adult leaders met at Bumblebee Ranch to plan the outings and troop meetings for 2017. This takes a lot of time and discussion to make the troop's activities run smoothly over the next year.
Tanner Kloostra- Troop 323 newest Eagle
August 4, 2016
On August 4th, Tanner Kloostra passed his Eagle Board of Review and is Troop 323's newest Eagle Scout.
The addition of Tanner to the Troop's Eagles can be viewed in the Eagle Roster.
Summer Camp 2016
Jun 11-18
Troop 323 survived another annual outing to camp Geronimo this summer. Merit badge requirements were fulfilled, food was eaten, and new and old scouts got to bath in the brisk waters of East- Webber. During the year, our campsite had gotten an upgrade, including new seats around the campfire and new tents. Apart from this, Geronimo hardly changed, and was just as enjoyable as ever.
Greenway Cleanup
Service Project
May: Gorfs
Every month a different patrol cleans up Greenway Parkway from 7th Avenue to 19th Avenue. We pick up trash and make sure that it is clean.
Knoll Lake
May 21-22, 2016
If you every wanted to know what it's like to camp in hurricane conditions, you had the opportunity on our May outing. 13 Scouts and 5 adults battled the gale-force winds at Knoll Lake on the Mogollon Rim. We had the opportunity to fish, hike and chase our tents. If you didn't get a chance to join us, ask a Scout who went - they'll tell you it was a breeze.
Nolan Stumpp - Troop 323 newest Eagle
May 5, 2016
On May 5th, Nolan Stumpp passed his Eagle Board of Review and is Troop 323's newest Eagle Scout.
The addition of Nolan to the Troop's Eagles can be viewed in the Eagle Roster.
West Clear Creek
April 16-17, 2016
On April 16-17 the new Eagle Patrol joined Troop 323 on their 1st backpacking outing to West Clear Creek near Camp Verde, AZ. Two other troops were on the trail with us and we were all looking to use the same campground. Fortunately, Mr. Nicholas and Alex had hiked in the night before and secured the favorite site of our Troop. The hike involved 3 chilly water crossings and a few scouts and adults took unplanned dips in the creek. It was a great outing and our newest scouts proved they were ready for the challenge.
Service Project
April 2
Meet@LOM@0700
Depart 7:15am
Return 1:00pm
Fixing the tents we use at Geronimo is one of the requirements for the Big "G" award at Geronimo. Troop 323 has a proud history of getting Big "G" Gold award at camp; we want to continue that tradition!
Scouts, please bring:
1) Class B shirt
2) Sunscreen, Hat
3) Waterbottle or camelback
4) Sunglasses (optional)
Please bring the following tools if you have them:
1) Push brooms to sweep off basketball court to have a clean surface to work on
2) Scissors capable of cutting medium-weight tent canvas
Crossover at Bumblebee Ranch
March 19-20, 2016
Each year Troop 323 rolls into Bumble Bee Ranch for our March outing. This year, 7 Scouts from Pack 323 and 4 Scouts from the Phoenix Patrol dared to cross the treacherous rope bridge to crossover into Troop 323. The new Scouts earned their Totin’ Chip, Firem’n Chit and began to fulfill requirements for the rank of Scout and Tenderfoot. There was a huge bonfire and Flag Retirement ceremony. We ended the evening with NEW skits and delicious Dutch oven desserts. Sunday we enjoyed breakfast burritos and rocket launches.
Spring Church Cleanup
Service Project
March 12, 2016
Troop 323 participated in the semi-annual church clean up at All Saints Lutheran on March 12. Scouts from every patrol (Gorfs, Falcons, Phoenix, Trojans) and new Scouts from Pack 323 joined together for 3 hours to rake, trim, prune, clear a garden and pull weeds. It was great opportunity for our Troop to give back to All Saints Lutheran for their sponsorship.
Eagle Project - Irish Cultural Center
March 6th, 2016
On Sunday, March 6th, Troop 323 went downtown to the Irish Cultural Center to help Nolan Stumpp with his Eagle Scout Project. As part of this project, scouts put down masking tape around the outline of Ireland, and then painted a new coat of green on top of it. Pizza was served at lunch, along with donut holes and juice. By the end of this project, the map of Ireland looked good as new, just in time for St. Patrick's Day. The Luck of the Irish was with us as storm clouds formed but no rain fell.
Eagle Project - A Home For The Owls
February 27th, 2016
On February 27th, 25 people came together to help Tanner Kloostra with his Eagle Scout Project. This included moving bags of mortar as well as cement blocks to the site of a soon-to-be-built carnivorous bird rehabilitation habitat. Scouts and adults also helped remove old fencing as well as cleaning the foundation for mortar prep. Donuts were served, though they would have probably disappeared faster if more people knew they were there. Congratulations to Tanner to getting one step closer to achieving his Eagle rank.
Ski Outing
February 20th, 2016
On Saturday, February 20th, Troop 323 went to Snowbowl for their annual Snow Outing. A total of 24 scouts and 13 adults attended. The snow conditions were favorable and we had a good time. We rode a chartered bus from Phoenix to the ski slopes and NAU. Lunch was served in the parking lot and let us Carb Load before round two on the slopes. This was the Phoenix patrol's first outing since joining the Troop.
Garrett Wright - Troop 323 newest Eagle
February 4, 2016
On February 4th, Garrett Wright passed his Eagle Board of Review and is Troop 323's newest Eagle Scout.
The addition of Garrett to the Troop's Eagles can be viewed in the Eagle Roster.
Barnhardt Trail Winter Outing
Jan 22-23, 2016
The Troop endured cold temperatures as well as icy and snowy trails to find an amazing waterfall. Nine Scouts and six adults enjoyed this beautiful day hike to an elevation of 5600’. A recent Arizona snowstorm caused us to alter our original outing plans. The trail back to down to camp was slippery, causing a few Scouts to descend by the seat of their pants.
Eagle Project - Arizona Trail Maintenance
Jan 16, 2016
Garrett Wright's Eagle project was performing trail maintenance on the Arizona Trail, North of Sycamore Creek. Under Garrett's leadership, the Troop removed dead trees, trimmed overhanging branches, and cutback bushes that were choking the trail.
The Scouts worked together on 1.75 miles of trail. Thank you to the Arizona Trail Association for the tools and assistance on the project.