Troop 443 had an eventful and challenging experience at the Klondike derby from February 7th to 9th. Despite the freezing temperatures, they managed to cook meals, including chili, beef stroganoff, and Dutch oven apple crisp. They excelled in various competitions, winning the best pancake award at the rescue station, overcoming issues with the compass course, successfully starting a fire with wet wood, and securing second place in the sled race, missing first place by just seven seconds.

Although disappointed by the lack of snow, they found a small spot for sledding. The boys learned valuable lessons about teamwork and collaboration within their patrols and the troop. The new leaders stepped up admirably, following in the footsteps of the previous leaders who achieved Eagle rank last year. They are now prepared to welcome incoming AOL scouts from local Packs and look forward to future adventures.

The boys and several family members got to stay overnight on the Uss Pampanito in San Francisco.  The scouts learned very quickly how tight the spaces were on a submarine and how difficult it could be to get some sleep in close quarters.  While it was only one night for them - they quickly grew an appreciation for members of our military who have spent many nights sleeping in similar spaces.  They also got to see several sites around the bay area and Fisherman's Wharf.