On to Table Rock and the Foothills Trail - Head For the Mountains!!!

Troop 20 is gearing up to go hiking, backpacking and experience some wilderness survival at Table Rock State Park from 26-29 March. Table Rock SP comprises 3,083 acres with waterfalls, trails, and lots of great stuff (click here for the park's web page).

Scouts below 1st class rank will camp within the park and learn wilderness survival skills along with a few strenuous hikes. Bring fishing gear if you want to catch the big one.



Our older scouts above 1st Class will pack it out onto the Foothills Trail for high adventure and a few days of steep miles, gaining altitude the hard way, but it will be worth it when you see the sight. (Click here for Google Earth or GPS info on the Foothills trail.) Here is another great site on the Foothills Trail.


Scouts and scouters you don't want to miss out on this trip. It will be one you'll talk about in your scouting memories. Sign up now and prepare for a numinous, spring adventure under the mountain stars. Just imagine...

The Few survive 20 mile hike!

A few hardy scouts survived our hike on the Lake Moultrie dike. Here we see our intrepid troop after the first mile! Fortunately the scouts recovered quickly as we had miles to go before we sleep...


You can see our trail here on the Palmetto Conservation site. We began at Bonneau Beach and hiked to the camp site just past mile mark 16. Up early and on to the finish just past mile 24.


Just after we had picked up a head of steam crossing the railroad bridge on the Santee Diversion Canal, we ran into that rarest of beasts in SC, the dreaded Dike Cattle!!!



















You can see at the top photo that the beasts refused to let us pass at first, but after I called my scout shock troops forward to remove their socks...the beasts left us the high ground and departed for the lowlands in disarray. What a victory and we were only 2 miles from the Swamp Fox's grave at this part of our trail!

Our support crew of Tim Kiel and Rick Hall did an outstanding job of supporting our scouts. Chris Brooks also played a great support role, but a bad cold prevented him from visiting our hike/camp site. After a superb dinner, we had a blazing fire for about one hour, when the heavens opened up and all right thinking scouts and scouters ran for ready shelter. Night operations had begun.

We awoke the next morning for breakfast and to find that a bunch of eager Webelos from Pack 20 had joined us for the remainder of our hike. The scouts crossed the Old Santee Canal seen below and all successfully made it to the parking lot near the Diversion Canal joining Lakes Marion and Moultrie.


















Another great adventure with Troop 20, sorry many of you missed out.

Webelos Invade Troop 20!

Yes, it's that time of year when Webelos (We'll be loyal scouts) begin to prowl scout meetings looking for the perfect troop to join. We had the privilege to host two groups of Webelos on Monday night's troop meeting. Pack 9 and Pack 20 both had a host of Webelos assaulting the scout hut of Troop 20, and asking what do Boy Scouts do?








On this Monday before a 20 mile hike, the Webelos got a chance to practice new skills in caring for sprained ankles and other 1st aid problems common to hiking. They probably also gazed in wonder at these older, larger scouts who would dare to hike 20 miles in one 24 hour period. I believe that the Webelos will be up to the challenge as they seemed totally enthused by their participation in instruction, games and fellowship with real Boy Scouts. Troop 20 is preparing to welcome a new group of scouts and prepare them for adventure, fun and learning...

Etiwan District Presents Dan Miklancic with District Award of Merit and Troop 20 awarded Centennial Quality Unit

Congratulations to our own Dan Miklancic who was awarded one of the two Etiwan District Awards of Merit on Thursday night, 12 February, at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian church fellowship hall, site of the Etiwan District banquet.

Dan was recognized for his dedicated work with the Boy Scouts. He has served two years as Scoutmaster, three years as Assistant Scoutmaster and two years as Troop Advancement Coordinator. Dan was also noted for his volunteer work with home school students and youth at his church, East Cooper Baptist. His example to scouts and scouters has been exemplary. Dan's planning and leadership resulted in a superb Etiwan District camporee last fall at Santee Coastal Reserve.

We are blessed to have a Scouter of Dan's caliber in our troop. As I entered the fellowship hall for the banquet, Dan was sitting at a table filling out a blue card before presenting it to me for a signature...Congratulations Dan on an award well deserved!!!

Congratulations also to John Epperson, who received the other District Award of Merit for service as Pack Roundtable Coordinator and his service to the Cub Scout community. John has been along with our troop on several campouts along with his son, Star scout, Cameron Epperson... indirectly Troop 20 took both District Awards of Merit last night, a nice reflection on our troop which received a Centennial Quality Unit award at the banquet. Keep up the great work scouts, scouters and parents!!!

Summer camp at Ho Non Wah, 14-20 June

Troop 20 will attend summer camp at Ho Non Wah the week of 14-20 June.
Total cost if paid before May 15 is $185 (after is $195). We will be taking the first deposit of $50 beginning 09 February. Payment schedule is Feb - $50, March - $50, April - $85.

There are two High Adventure programs at Ho Non Wah for scouts 14 years or older: the 50 Mile Canoe trip and the Sailing trek. Scouts must be 1st class and meet other requirements (see Ho Non Wah web site for more detail, left of page on the blog).

Camp conducts a Woodsman program for 1st year scouts that concentrates on the fundamental skills and principals of Boy Scout camping.

Other scouts will be selecting their merit badge selections and other activities in the next few months.I will be putting out a more detailed letter to parents within the next month. Again, Ho Non Wah's web site is listed on my favorite links located at the top left of my blog.

Stephen Mattox Eagle Project - Volunteer Now

From Stephen: If you are in need of some achievement service hours, join me during my Eagle Service Project near the Red Roof Inn. This area will service the new Mount Pleasant Waterfront Park.
Call me or email me if you can help any Saturday in February from 9AM--2PM. RSVP is required by Thursday of each week as I will call you to confirm. You will need to bring your own personal hedge clipper or shrub pruner. Bring your own personal gloves as they are strongly recommended. There are sharp thorny vines, therefore you will also need to wear thick jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and a hat! A sandwich lunch will be offered. Thanks Stephen Mattox

Read more here on the town's commemorative brick program to honor veterans past and present.

Tres Froid Weekend on the French Santee

Had a Great Trip on the French Santee!
A little on the chilly side (mid 20's on Saturday morning), but no one suffered frostbite.

On the right you see the troop as they relax briefly after breakfast and our flag ceremony.

Our first trip on Saturday morning was to Battery Warren on the South Santee River. The scouts managed to drive a couple of deer right between the scoutmaster and Mr. Smith, who were standing about 15 feet apart.


The afternoon was spent in a trip to Hampton Plantation. Behind the scouts in the picture is the old plantation house and the oak tree on the right is the Washington Oak, named because GW on a stop at Hampton for breakfast on his southern trip in 1791 was asked by Mrs. Horry if it should be cut down, GW offered the opinion that it should not. The tree stands today as a monument to our 1st President.

One out of state visitor reading an exhibit on the French Santee at Hampton was heard to say, "But of course, Santee is French." I'm not sure what it is French for, but our Santee Indians would not have been amused.


On Friday and Saturday nights we had prime visibility to look at star clusters, the Orion nebulae and the moon through a 5 inch reflecting telescope.

Big thanks to former scoutmaster Joe Coates for his cooking for the adults and cooking lessons for the scouts. You can see on the left that Joe's kitchen was well equipped and well manned!

I would also like to thank Jack Cochran and Al Aiken for coming out on Saturday for skills instruction of our younger scouts. We had a few scouts who were able to finish up some requirements for rank advancement due to their efforts.


The trail on the French Santee ended on Sunday after our Huguenot Scouts Own Service, when the troop departed on a preplanned 5 mile hike. We took compass bearings and took a few short cuts through the forest from the forest service roads. One scout had a fashion casualty and so we sent half of our group directly back to base. The remaining group, seen in the picture below, found out that maps printed off the internet are not necessarily complete. They had to make a 1/2 mile detour through the pine forest to the Old Georgetown Highway and stopped shortly to rest (not eternally, though a couple were ready) at the Brick Church (St. James Santee) . This group ended up covering 7.8 miles, learned many valuable lessons (don't hike with the scoutmaster anymore) and were very tired, as we returned for a late recovery at home base...finally back at the scout hut at 3:30 PM (original recovery was 2:30 PM).