Pictured upper left, Troop 714 looks over the route they will take through the Bristol area on July 13. Pictured above, members of the troop are, from left, Greg Pendell, Brandon Clark, Gavin George, Robbie Pendell, and Tyson Clark. (Photos provided)

A lunch stop in Bristol’s Congdon Park will be part of the itinerary for a 100-mile canoe trip from Conservation Park in Three Rivers, Michigan to the mouth of the St. Joseph River at Lake Michigan. The journey is part of some local troops’ celebration of the 100th birthday of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

The trip is planned for the week of July 12-17. Initial plans call for the lunch stop in Bristol on Tuesday, July 13, a midway point between the Mottville and Elkhart Dams. The 40 scouts and their 10 adult supervisors will have to portage around eight dams in the course of their six-day trip.  The group encourages community members to come out to Congdon Park and “cheer” on the troop’s efforts on Tuesday, July 13.

The historic outing was organized by the BSA troops in the LaSalle Council that are sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The participants have been chosen from LDS troops in Warsaw, Goshen, Elkhart, Plymouth, Mishawaka, South Bend, and Niles, Michigan. The scouts have chosen this unique experience in lieu of a traditional summer scout camp.

All boys participating in the canoe trip must pass the BSA swimming certification, a BSA physical examination, and be a registered scout. Most of the boys are working to earn money for the trip, which will cost $100 per person.

Three of the scouts taking part in the canoe trip live in the Bristol area, even though they attend the LDS-sponsored Troop 714 in Elkhart. One of the three, Josh Null, 17, was featured in a Bristol Bugle article when he earned his Eagle Scout award. He is currently a student at Northridge High School. His father, Joe Null, is in charge of planning the river trip. His mother’s name is Lori.

Gavin George, 15, is an example of someone who has risen above the circumstances of a difficult childhood to qualify for an adventure that requires special abilities. His birth mother has a checkered and troubled past, so he has been raised primarily by his foster parents, Dennis and Beth Amos. A student at Pierre Moran, Gavin should serve as an encouragement to others to succeed in spite of adverse conditions.

Gavin George, of Bristol, receives his Life Scout Award from Chris Miller, Scout Master. (Photo provided)

Trevor Ward, 14, is the son of Jimmy and Wendy Ward of Bristol. His grandfather has been a big help on Trevor’s path to participating in the extraordinary experience planned for this July.