By Mindy Ragan Wood
Staff Writer
Boy Scout Troop 347 doesn’t have enough drivers or vehicles for their monthly camping trips and their ability to make out-of-state travel has come to a standstill.
The troop is conducting a campaign for a passenger van on GoFundMe and planning fundraising events at their church sponsor, Piedmont First United Methodist Church.
Assistant Scout Master Jason Atha said they have been grateful to the community for their support and the donors who provided a bus several years ago, but the repairs are too costly and parts are scarce.
“We do have a bus that was donated to us and it’s the one that’s been in all the parades but it’s obsolete basically. The repairs we have had done, we need to do more and the parts aren’t available any more. The shop has had it and they’ve been really good but they’ve had it since August. We took it on a camping event in January and we limped back and gave it back to him to find parts. The parts are hard to come by,” Atha said.
Since the bus has fallen into disrepair, troop parents have pitched in to drive personal vehicles but there is not enough room and not enough drivers to ensure all troopers can attend outings. Some trips are up to two hours away.
“We’ve had parents drive to a campout and drive home, then come back on Sunday to pick everyone up. It’s nice that they’re willing to do that, but they shouldn’t have to,” Atha said.
The troop of 24 boys hopes to raise between $15,000 to $18,000 to purchase a late model Ford E350 15 passenger diesel van.
“It would get better mileage on gas, better power and we can keep it longer because they hold the miles better. If we did that, we can come across decent diesel mechanics in the troop. Also, I’m the only one with a CDL license and you have to have that to drive bus. With this, anyone can drive it,” Atha said.
The van would also be able to tow behind a trailer containing camping equipment and luggage. The troop is using a donated Nissan pickup to pull the trailer but Atha said it’s a matter of time before the overburdened transmission fails.
The troop hopes to have the van before the end of summer when they will travel to Colorado for the opportunity to meet troops from all over the nation and earn merit badges.
“They’re getting to the age of multi-state trips and a van would be fantastic for that,” Atha said.
Any funds that are donated in excess of the van purchase amount will be donated to the Piedmont Service Center.
