COURT HOUSE – A group of young scouts and their parents March 13 met for what was the first of many hikes throughout South Jersey.
According to a release, the inaugural hike took place at the nature trail located at Cape May Point State Park. The scouts and their families learned about the area’s plant and animal life while completing a scavenger hunt provided by Hike Program Coordinator and Pack Assistant Cubmaster Corinne DeNapoli.
The initial idea came from a successful implementation of this program by a Cumberland County Cub Scout pack. Kristine Pepe, Cubmaster of Pack 36 (Vineland), had begun the program to keep her scouts engaged during the shutdown due to the ongoing Covid pandemic.
DeNapoli saw this program as a great addition to the scouting program Pack 65 provides. Scouts will have the ability to earn advancements towards their rank as well as awards for miles hiked.
“I wanted scouting to be a fun and memorable experience for our scouts and their families,” DeNapoli stated. “This is a great way to strengthen connections not only to each other but to our surroundings, as well.”
“This is what scouting is about,” stated Pack 65 Committee Chair Trisha Andrzejczak. “The scouts are out in nature learning about our local ecosystems. The most incredible part of all this is the bonding happening between the scouts and the families.”
