Boy Scout Troop 343

We are Boy Scout Troop 343 at Hampton Cove, AL. Our charter organization is Cove United Methodist Church. We meet weekly at Cove Untited Methodist Church on Monday 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM.

TROOP 343 MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Troop 343 is to attract and develop future leaders of America by combining high adventure experiences and activities with leadership opportunities and training, while teaching the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

TROOP 343 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Attract scouts who are leaders in academics, athletics and other extra-curricular activities and to encourage such scouts to excel in such other endeavors;
• Provide fun, physically and mentally challenging high adventure outings;
• Provide leadership opportunities and experiences for scouts of every age and rank;
• To teach the scouts to become responsible, fair and effective leaders and to understand the meaning of being a good team player;
• To instill in the scouts the values of the Scout Law and the Scout Oath and to cause such values to be placed in action in the scout’s daily life;
• To provide highly qualified and well trained leadership who, by example and counsel, will strive to instill these values in the scouts;
• To instill an awareness of nature and conservation and to practice the Outdoor Code

This is a BOY-LED TROOP.  The Senior Patrol Leader, not the Scoutmaster, leads the troop.  He is elected, by the troop, to head the Patrol Leaders Council.  All of the elected and appointed Scouts in leadership positions must be allowed to do their jobs without interference from well-meaning parents and Scoutmasters.

This is a high adventure troop.  This means the scouts, themselves, chose activities which, while not unsafe offer them plenty of excitement.  Troop 343 has:

• Spent 6 days and 5 nights on the Appalachian trial, hiking over 30 miles
• Spent 10 days and 9 nights at Philmont, hiking approximately 100 miles
• Spent 3 days and 2 nights on the Arkansas River, white water rafting
• Rode 62 road miles on bikes in one day
• Rode 20 mountain trail miles on bikes in one day
• Spent 2 days and 1 night in a wild cave, underground
• Snow skied for 3 days, staying in condos and shared facilities (thank goodness!)
• Cycled 300 miles in 5 days down the Natchez Trace
• Canoed 51 miles in 3 days on the Current River in Missouri
• Canoed 50 miles and earned the 50 Miles Afloat award on the Buffalo River from the Grimes Canoe base
• Goes Whitewater Rafting on the Nantahala and Ocoee Rivers every August
• Many other hiking, camping and other outdoor adventure activities

Scouts progressing through the various patrol and troop positions will learn LEADERSHIP SKILLS that benefit them as citizens in whatever their chosen profession.  A Scout develops leadership skills as he advances from the relatively straightforward jobs within a patrol, to the more complicated and demanding jobs at troop level.  Peer pressure is the greatest incentive for the Scout to do a good job.  If the Grubmaster fails to buy enough food for a campout, someone goes hungry.  He is unlikely to make that mistake twice!  The hardest thing for adults closely associated with the troop to do is to let the boys make mistakes, and realize the consequences.  There is no better way for a Scout to learn a sense of responsibility!  Of course, we are not going to let a Scout get hurt, but going hungry or getting cold teaches a valuable lesson better than any lecture.

Since the troop formed in 2005 we have had nine scouts reach Eagle Scout.

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