West Suffield based Troop 66, chartered to the West Suffield Congregational Church, had an amazing 2024 and is looking forward to an even better 2025. This group of scouts is an enthusiastic team of 15-20 members who meet on Mondays at 7 p.m., both those who enjoy the outdoors and those who are more comfortable in the “great indoors.” The wide range of interests and goals make for a dynamic troop, who focus on leadership that is youth led – making decisions and plans collectively.

Troop 66 kayaking in the mouth of a mile wide glacier in Seward, Alaska.
One of the first big decisions that was made for 2024 was that the troop decided to go to Alaska for a high adventure trip. The troop flew from Hartford to Anchorage, Alaska and then drove to Seward Alaska, where we camped for three days. We took a chartered boat tour, which took us out on the fjords to view a large colony of sea lions, and watched several humpback whales as they surfaced near our boat. We also viewed the ruins of World War II fortifications in the area designed to protect against a Japanese invasion. We fished for rockfish (which we ate that afternoon and the next day) and kayaked in the mouth of a mile-wide glacier (but not too close). We hiked to the nearby exit glacier.
We traveled to Talkeetna, Alaska, where we camped in full view of Mt. Denali. We visited Denali National Park for a planned hike, but were turned away by a park service ranger because there was a grizzly bear on the trail and the public was not allowed. They suggested another similar trail but because of a large forest fire there we were told to evacuate the park. We ate lunch in the parking lot while we watched scooper planes dump water from a nearby lake and smoke jumpers jump out of planes to land near the fire to fight it. We left and completed our hike at Denali State Park.
In Talkeetna, we fly-fished, gold panned and did a dog sledding adventure on the Iditarod trail. Troop 66 sincerely thanks the Suffield community who supported us so well in our fundraising effort to raise money for this trip; we could not have done it without you!
Not long after the Alaska trip, the troop headed back out to their annual summer camp week at Camp Mattatuck in the western part of the state. Summer camp is great for so many different things – fishing, swimming, biking, shooting sports, merit badges, and spending a week in a tent in the woods. This year was a bit more exciting, with several scouts spotting a young bear making its way to and from its home. This year’s cardboard boat race was a significant improvement over last year – making the several hundred-yard trek to the island without sinking.
The fall hike to Mount Greylock was stymied by illness which pushed off the trip twice! However, this was made up for a very successful showing at the Camp Workomen 100th Anniversary Camporee. Troop 66 roared into the top three with a very successful orienteering led by Tommy Bishop and Graham Marcavitch. The team succeeded at trivia, plant identification, knot tying and even became very creative in their teamwork to “survive” on a shrinking ice block. Shout out to Aiden Thompson who agreed to be their anchor on the sinking block.
November is always a great month for Troop 66. The Annual Thanksgiving in the Woods program is a chance for scouts to learn cooking techniques and feed nearly 100 people. The scouts learn planning techniques, cooking techniques, and provide community service. This year included a special troop meeting where cooking techniques and knife safety were discussed.
Looking into 2025, Troop 66 is enthusiastic about the coming events and programs. By the time you read this article, the scouts will have camped in a cabin and had their ski day at Powder Ridge Resort, will be deep in their planning for the annual Klondike Derby, and getting ready for their spring trip – this year to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
If your scout-aged youth (Grades 5-12) are looking for a great way to engage with the outdoors, gain leadership experience, or connect with other Suffield area youth, feel free to contact our Committee Chair Aaron Marcavitch (marcavitch@gmail.com) or our Scoutmaster (bishop293@cox.net).