Submitted by Steve Denison
(May 13, 2025) — Haddam Scout Troop 44 was excited to complete their annual Iron Chef during their monthly overnight campout from April 26 through April 27, 2025. The Iron Chef competition has been an annual tradition for Haddam Scout Troop 44 for many years to promote teamwork among the scouts. Each patrol competes within the troop to make the best meal possible cooked over an open fire. Each year the patrols are given a “secret ingredient” to use in their meals and they are graded on quality of food, presentation and cleanliness of the cook site, among other things.
This year, the Iron Chef secret ingredient was bacon, which inspired delicious bacon hamburgers, baked potatoes, and even bacon-flavored iced tea as some of the menu items. To add a fun twist in the competition this year, the Haddam Troop invited Scout Troop 13 from Killingworth to take part in the competition. After some intense cooking, and some savory taste testing, the surprise winner of the 2025 competition was the attendees from Troop 13 in Killingworth, who were presented with a commemorative iron skillet replica with Iron Chef 2025 imprinted on it.
The Haddam Scout Troop enjoys the use of more than twenty-five acres of land, which has become affectionately known as “Camp Gus.” The land is owned by a local non-profit established to support local Scouting and outdoor youth programs. The property is mostly wooded, but has a pond, activity field and established campsites for the various individual patrols, as well as for troop activities. Throughout the year, Scouts use the property for camping, fishing, archery, rifle shooting and ice skating in the winter, as well as a base for many hikes and outdoor activities.
Haddam Troop 44 is run by volunteers, parents, and some lifelong Scouts who are enjoying their time giving back to local kids. The troop consists of both a Boys troop (T44) and a Girls troop (T44G) that meet to learn outdoor survival skills such as fire building and navigation.
Scouting has roots in Haddam going back more than sixty years and teaches a wide range of skills, including character development, citizenship, leadership and physical and mental fitness. Scouting emphasizes values of honesty, integrity, and respect, and encourages youth to live by the Scout Oath and Law.
Scout Troop 44 is open to youth ages 11-18 and meets weekly in the basement of the Haddam Congregational Church on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. during the school year. If you are interested in learning more about the troop, please feel free to contact Steve Denison at (860) 373-4688 or sdenison@liberty.edu or you may join us for a Tuesday evening troop meeting. We would love to tell you more about the exciting activities we have planned for the rest of the year.
Photos by Steve Denison and Mark Pach
