Troop 49 Trip Report
Inner Harbor,
Coast Guard Cutter
Taney
January 9-10, 2010
In the face of weekend of single digit temperatures and wind, and after ASM Dan
Fern ensured all uniform requirements were met, 21 scouts and parents from
Troop 49 departed OLPH at 8:15 am for Baltimore. Part of the group
stopped at the Walt Whitman Service Area on the Turnpike as planned, and others
bypassed it for the next one on the way. We all ended up at Pier V in
Baltimore at approximately noon. Paul Zakrzewski, son Mike and Tyler
Rigoli arrived early, Paul having taken the red-eye in from a business trip and
headed straight to Baltimore
from the airport.
After eating our bag lunches in the rather chilly parking garage, we split into
2 groups: one going to the National Aquarium right on the pier, and the others
to the Sports Legend Museum at Camden Yards, home field of the Baltimore Orioles
baseball team. The Sports Museum is located in the building which
formerly housed the Camden Yards railroad stop for the B&O railroad. It had
a cool mockup of the inside of a passenger train, and there was much baseball
memorabilia on display.
This building also had a few parts in U.S. history - it was where President Lincoln lay
in state for 1 day and also where the first casualty of the Civil War
occurred. Lincoln also was "kept" there prior to his
inauguration, as there was believed to be an assassination plot at the time.
The young scouts with us sat on the very bench where Lincoln once sat.
The scouts also enjoyed trying on real sports uniforms of the Maryland teams
and "recording" broadcasts of a baseball game. Those who went to the
aquarium enjoyed the various exhibits there. A few did comment it was a bit
expensive.
The groups reconvened at the Aquarium before boarding and viewing the 3
Historic Ships - the lighthouse ship Chesapeake; submarine Torsk, and the US Sloop-of-War Constellation, an
old-time wooden ship.
The Constellation also provided the opportunity to view a cannon firing
which the scouts enjoyed immensely (especially the tour guide barking commands
at some of their parents who assisted). This was of particular interest
given how the tour guide explained the many challenges faced by the brave
sailors manning the ship and the number of cannons on it. The ship had 4
levels (each colder than the next) which housed the various functions of the
ship (storage, sleeping, cooking, etc.) including a private bath for the
captain!
At 4:30 we observed a brave group of Cub Scouts and
families preparing to board the Constellation for their stay over. Given the
frigid temps, we did not envy them!
We arrived at the Taney at 5pm and our tour guide Earl advised us
on the itinerary for our stay. We were then led below (It was very toasty) the
ship to our sleeping quarters, scouts chose their berth by order of rank.
They had some interesting displays, photos, document, uniforms and artifacts
throughout the ship detailing the ship's adventures and missions. We observed a
poster of the same type of boat we toured while in Sandy Hook in
October. The Taney was christened in 1936 and saw active service until
1986. There was a TV playing some old Super 8 movie film taken onboard in the
1970's.
Among the activities the Scouts enjoyed were: Tour of the ship's equipment and
artillery, navigation, communication methods such as semaphore (remember the
signal flags?) and Morse code, a scavenger hunt, taking down the ship's flag,
and an exciting damage control exercise. The exercise consisted of using only 3
or 4 pieces of wood (4x4's) to secure a hatch in a area that was
flooding. Earl would render a scout or two "injured" and a
replacement had to jump in. ASMs Fern and Dishian also gave it a go, to
their credit.
These events kept the scouts busy almost until bedtime. They were
conducted before and after dinner, which consisted of pizza and string beans
(ever had that combo? Luckily some Dads had a few snacks to share), with ice
cream sandwiches/Italian ice for dessert. The ASMs played cards and
talked in the mess area during the scouts' activities. Lights were out at 10:30
and the scouts quieted down rather quickly and went to sleep.
Reveille occurred at 06:00, followed by breakfast of scrambled eggs,
bacon, cereal, juice and coffee (adults). Keeping true to its culinary
form, there was no ketchup on board the ship. Probably a first for many kids, a
meal with no ketchup :-). After breakfast we were
treated to a visit of the engine room, which is off limits to daily visitors.
It was extremely impressive, seeing the massive and intricate workings of the
ship below us.
Back on deck, we took a group photo, visited the ship's gift shop, and
disembarked (after giving Earl a group hug) at 09:15, heading for the Aberdeen Proving Grounds
and Army Ordnance Museum, a 45 minute drive from Baltimore. This place serves
as a military
museum of many tanks and big guns (arranged in a huge field) and
equipment captured by our nations' forces while at war. It was amazing
getting to close to the (some of it huge!) equipment some only see in
movies. NOTE: The museum is moving to Fort Lee, Virginia (not New Jersey) in
2011. At approximately noon, the last of us left for home, headed for the
nearest fast food stop on the way.
Respectfully submitted,
January 10, 2010
Jim Folkerts, ASM