The first practice hike for the Lincoln Trail will begin at 8:00am on Saturday, March 29, 2014.

We will follow the same path as last year’s first hike:

• Start: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Turnaround: Shedd Acquarium
• End: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Distance = 6.6 miles.
• Estimated Completion time: 11am, depending on the pace of the slowest Scout

Please arrive before 8am. We will spend ten minutes stretching, and we will hit the trail immediately after that.

What should Scouts bring for the hike? As always, remember the Scout Motto: Be Prepared. For the short practice hikes, be sure to bring:

• Water.
• Energy bars.
• Hiking boots.
• Wool socks.
• Rain poncho.

Chicago Police Officer Assata Olugbala will be participating in the 2013 Cycle Across Illinois. Officer Olugbala also happens to be a mother of Troop 534 “Hey!”

The ride consists of about fifty riders and will begin in Alton, Illinois on July 17th and end at Chicago Public Safety Headquarters on July 21st. This annual ride is the largest fundraising event for Illinois Concerns of Police Survivors.

Members of Boy Scout Troop 534 “Hey!” participated in the annual St.Jude Police League Memorial March on Sunday, May 5, 2013. Video

Note: The two police officers in the photograph are mothers of Troop 534 “Hey!”

The parade took place in the Gold Star Memorial Park located near Lake Michigan at McFetridge Dr. The park is a tribute to fallen and injured Chicago Police Department officers.

Happy Mothers Day from the members of Troop 534 “Hey!”

“If every mom in the world knew how awesome they were, every problem in the world would be fixed.” ~Kid President

This is the first of five videos featuring The Starter League founders Neal Sales-Griffin and Mike McGee.

Summary: Griffin and McGee wanted to learn how to build web apps, but they couldn’t find adequate resources. The duo turned their frustration into a successful business.

Remaining videos can be found at Built in Chicago.

Some have wondered why Troop 534 is so steeped in tradition. Our reasons are well articulated by this sign at the University of Michigan’s Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, MI.

Tradition is our strength, forged over decades of self-sacrifice, of commitment to others and a greater cause.

Tradition is our accumulated experience.

Tradition is success and failure and how we handle both. It is time tested values and morals and ethics that define us.

Tradition is who we are and what we stand for.

Tradition is our future’s foundation.

Well said, University of Michigan. And thank you Edward T. Hightower (Troop 534 Eagle in 1979, Michigan MBA in 1995) for sharing this quote.

The first and second practice hikes went well for our troop. We have two more practice hikes before the Lincoln Trail:

• Sat, April 13, 2013 at 8am (11.0 miles, turnaround at Navy Pier)
• Sat, April 20, 2013 at 8am (6.6 miles, turnaround at Shedd Aquarium)

Every hike starts at 39th Street and Lake Shore Drive. We begin stretching promptly at 8am, and we start hiking immeditely after that.

See you there!

The first practice hike for the Lincoln Trail will begin at 8:00am on Saturday, March 30, 2013.

• Start: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Turnaround: Shedd Acquarium
• End: 39th Street & Lake Shore Drive
• Distance = 6.6 miles.
• Estimated Completion time: 11am, depending on the pace of the slowest Scout

Please arrive before 8am. We will spend ten minutes stretching, and we will hit the trail immediately after that.

Eagle Scout Matthew Gully received the following congratulatory message from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Congratulations Eagle Scout Gully, and to your family as well!

How does a BMW get built? What roles are played by robotics, and which functions are managed by human hands? See the answers for yourself in this 15-minute video:

The video was shared by Edward Hightower, Founder and Managing Director of Motoring Ventures. Hightower earned the rank of Eagle in Troop 534 “Hey!” in 1979. He holds a B. S. in General Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Mr. Hightower visits Chicago from time to time. Scouts who plan to pursue a career in the automotive industry should make it a point to meet him.