Boy Scouts and Venture Crew Troops 174 Travel to Mystic Seaport
By Lauren I.
Anchors away, my boys! The Family Foundation’s Venture Crew and Boy Scout Troop 174 accompanied the Hancock Boy Scout Troop 74 on a weekend adventure. On May 15, they “sailed” to Mystic Seaport and boarded the battleship U.S.S. Massachusetts.
Displays were scattered throughout the ship depicting realistic scenes of what life was really like for the sailors on board. After touring and exploring, an informational movie was featured about the history of the
U.S.S. Massachusetts. It was commissioned from 1942 to 1946 during WWII. This naval ship held nine 16” guns; twenty 5” guns; twenty-four 40 mm guns and thirty-five 20 mm guns. “I have never seen anything like it. I was blown away by the weaponry on board,” said new Eagle Scout Sean M. Due to their incredible defense system and strong crew, there were no deaths on the U.S.S. Massachusetts. The students were able to sleep in the cots and get a feel for how close the crew must have been.
The following day the Boys Scouts and Venture Crew said their goodbyes to “Big Mammie.” They found themselves docked at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. “We had such a good time. My favorite part was looking at the sharks,” said Venture Crew member Jessica B. After a tour of the aquarium, a sea lion show, and a bite to eat, they were off to the beach.
They had to set up camp quickly because of approaching thunderstorms. A Court of Honor was held around the campfire for various announcements to be made. The trip ended with heavy rain and thunderstorms all Saturday night and into Sunday morning. “All in all, the trip was a great success. Everyone enjoyed themselves and we learned so much,” says Jimmy S., Boy Scout Troop 174.
