On Friday, May 26, 2023, 23 Troop 542 Scouts headed to the 2023 Scope/Olympia, a yearly international exchange program created by the BSA’s Cradle of Liberty Council and Scouts Canada. Hosted this year at Resica Falls Scout Reservation in East Stroudsburg, PA, Canadian Scouts from Ottawa traveled south to unite with American Scouts for a weekend full of fun Scouting activities. Whether it was shooting coach guns in the Cowboy Action experience or paddleboarding on the reservation’s lake, there was a wide variety of activities offered for hours on end for everyone.
Troop 542 arrived late Friday night and unloaded personal gear at the Cayuga campsite. Then, the Scouts met with 12 members of 3rd Streetsville, a Canadian Troop that would be camping with them.
At 7 a.m. on Saturday, Troop 542 Scouts joined both Canadian and American troops on the parade grounds for reveille. After a warm breakfast and an opening ceremony, Troop 542 Scouts attended a rifle safety demonstration, and tickets were handed out for range entry. At 9:15 a.m., Scouts were dismissed to enjoy a day of open programming. Scouts traveled in small groups around the reservation, enjoying a plethora of sporting, STEM, handicraft, and other engaging activities. Scouts were able to pick up lunch from the dining hall, choosing to either eat under cooling fans or outside under tents. At 4:30 p.m., all Scouts returned to their respective campsites to prepare for evening colors and dinner. At 8:30 p.m., Troops convened in Richard’s Arena to watch the movie “Shrek” with complimentary snacks.
On Sunday morning, Troop 542 Scouts once again met for reveille at the parade grounds. After breakfast, Scouts were able to return to activities across the reservation for four hours. In the dining hall, some Scouts completed a scavenger hunt quiz, scanning through badges and memorabilia from previous Scope/Olympia events for answers. After a noontime picnic lunch, open programming was replaced with open competitions, during which Scouts participated in challenges for the chance at receiving an award. These awards were given out at the closing ceremony, and three Troop 542 Scouts–Roger Tang, Keeran Kulandaivel, and Matthew Gregg—were recognized for their accomplishments. After dinner, Troop 542 Scouts said goodbye to their Canadian counterparts, and departed from Resica Falls.