Webelos are movin' on up...to Boy Scouts by Kristen Day

Webelos Scouts from Pack 805 held their crossover ceremony last week at Windham Middle School to celebrate their passage into Boy Scouts. The boys, many of whom have been in the program for four years, crossed the bridge with their parents to graduate into the Boy Scout troop of their choice. They were met with camaraderie by older Boy Scouts who welcomed them to the troop.

Crossing into Windham Troop 805 were fifth graders: Dean Preston, Aiden Day, Tyler Lewis, Ezra Stevens, Clay Hatch and Logan Williams. Crossing into Windham Troop 51 were fifth graders: Luke Tarbox and Sam Medina.

Paul Preston, Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 805, and Leader of the Webelos 2, said that Boy Scouts has done a lot for his family, and is gratified to see boys continue in the program.

“The Scouting program has been a way to bring my family together with others in the community. By setting goals and getting outside through Scouting, we have helped our boys grow into responsible citizens,” he said.

“Helping these boys grow into caring young men has been extremely rewarding for me. Through the scouting program we teach our children leadership skills, safety skills and core values while having fun doing it,” Preston continued.

Boy Scout Dean Preston, who recently crossed over, agrees.

“The best part about scouting is that you can do a lot of cool activities with your friends and you can have fun and get work done that helps you later in life without knowing. You get tricked into learning stuff!” he said.

“As a boy scout I am looking forward to taking the experience of Scouting up a level like we did two weeks ago when we learned how to build a quincee (snow cave) for outdoor survival,” Dean continued.