Troop 28's goal is to have an overnight activity once a month during the school year, along with a week at resident summer camp at the Northeast Illinois Council's Ma-ka-ja-wan Scout Reservation in Pearson, Wisconsin. When there is scout interest and parent availability, we also try to do a week of high adventure and additional weekend campouts over the summer.
In addition, the troop has offered a variety of day activities for scouts including a variety of rank advancement, merit badge, and service opportunities for scouts. Some activities in recent years have included
Service Projects
- Laying wreaths on veterans' headstones at a Wreaths Across America cemetery in Gurnee, Illinois
- Marching in the Village of Glencoe's annual Fourth of July Parade (the troop was given the honor of leading the parade for Glencoe's 150th anniversary parade)
- Participating in the Memorial Day service at Veterans Park in Glencoe
- Handing out bananas at the start of the Ruck March to raise awareness of PTSD and depression among veterans
- Helping to move a roomful of canned goods for New Trier Township Food Pantry
- Conducting a flag raising and lowering ceremony for North Shore Place, a local senior home
- Clearing buckthorn at Little House of Glencoe
- Picking up trash on Earth Day for the Village of Glencoe and Glencoe Park District
Rank, Merit Badge, and Fun Activities
- Participating in a substance abuse awareness discussion led by trained professionals from Family Service of Glencoe
- A multi-session First Aid Merit badge program led by a Glencoe pediatric ER doctor
- Competing in the NEIC's Klondike Derby
- Competing in the NEIC's First Aid Meet (and placing third out of more than a dozen teams)
- Skiing at Wilmot Mountain
- Learning about leadership skills in a troop-hosted Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST)
- Completing the Engineering Merit Badge at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee and stopping for a tour (and treats) at the Sprechers‘ factory
- Navigating a one-mile self-guided orienteering course at Waterfall Glen forest preserve in Darien, IL or participating in an orienteering course with the Chicago Area Orienteering Club
- Meeting with members of the Glencoe Village Nominating Caucus to discuss citizenship responsibilities
- Completing a 5-mile hike to Homer's in Wilmette
- Snowshoeing at the Evanston Environmental Center
- Touring the Coast Guard facility in Wilmette for Citizenship in the Community
- Using the treadmills at the Glencoe Fitness Center to complete a one-mile run for rank advancement or the Personal Fitness Merit Badge
- Working on knife, firebuilding, and cooking skills at Little House of Glencoe
- Carpooling to the learn-to-swim, and Swimming and Lifesaving Merit Badge programs at Our Lady of Perpetual Healing in Glenview
- Participating in the First And and Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge programs hosted by the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity at Northwestern (where they simulate emergency situations, rather than teaching it classroom-style)
- Showing swimming proficiency at the JCC pool in Northbrook
- Carpooling to Merit Badge programs including the Three Fires Council annual Merit Badge University, and Monday afternoon programs at the Evanston Environmental Center
Other Day Activities
In addition to activities the troop has done in the past, there are a number of opportunities if there is scout interest and parent availability to organize. Some ideas;
- Carpooling to some of the local merit badge programs, when offered:
- Lake County Law Merit Badge hosted at the courthouse where a real judge presides over a mock trial and participants can tour the jail and K-9 units
- There are two Aviation programs hosted at small aviation facilities in southern Wisconsin where scouts can learn in real planes (and can fly when available)
- Rifle Shooting in Kenosha
- Climbing Merit Badge (variety of indoor climbing centers)
- There are also several local park districts, forest preserves, and nature centers that offer nature-oriented merit badges such as Mammal Study, Plant Science, or Sustainability
- There are several local opportunities to complete Archery, Fishing, Kayaking, or Canoeing over the summer
- A nature and wildlife identification hike
- Skating or broomball at Watts Center
- Scout nights at local professional sports venues (Blackhawks, Chicago Fire, Wolves, or Cubs) or at Northwestern
- Stargazing at the Northwestern Observatory
- Completing a Geocaching or Pioneering activity
- Teaching/hosting a merit badge program for Troop 28 scouts
