Zebulon — If you ever wonder who is causing all the commotion at Zebulon Baptist Church on Monday nights, it is Boy Scout Troop 524.

The troop holds its weekly meetings in the church fellowship hall, but the group frequents the church grounds less than it once did. The troop used to take full advantage of the old sanctuary before it was torn down earlier this year.

The building was a storage facility for all the Scouts' camping supplies, and Scouts carry pretty much everything but a microwave when they go camping.

The church-chartered troop, consisting of just under 30 Scouts, had to find a new shelter for their supplies, and opportunity arose just down the road on the farm of Andy Gay.

The new shelter, however, is not a building. It keeps rain off the supplies, but has no windows. Its locks keep the supplies secure, but the shelter more resembles a hallway than a building. The shelter is a trailer, the kind found on the back of a big rig, and it’s packed from front to back with more than just camping necessities.

Now when the troop is ready to set sail on another weekend adventure, it meets at the trailer to pack for whatever the adventure requires.

“There is a tremendous amount of excitement in this troop,” Gay said of the group to which his son, Jake, belongs. “Having to relocate their equipment and gear to a tractor-trailer from a place much more accessible has in no way diminished this excitement.”

In fact, members of the troop have jumped up the ranks like nothing was out of the ordinary since the relocation occurred.

Roy Marsh, David Helbig, Alex Layden and R.J. Ellis were all promoted to Eagle, Scouting’s highest status, at the most recent advancement ceremony.

Gay said the driving force behind the steadfast group is its leaders, noting particularly the omnipresent efforts of volunteers Roger Woods and William Mabe, who each have 10-plus years of volunteering under their belts. Between the two veterans, Scoutmaster Earl Blackwell, assistant Scoutmaster Jeff Oliver and committee chair/volunteer Darcie Helbig, Gay said the troop is sound in leadership, noting on several occasions there aren’t many other groups of people in which he so firmly trusts the safety of his son.

“I am really amazed year after year at the effort these volunteers give. I mean, it’s amazing what they do,” Gay said.

“Between the sweat and time — they lay it out for these kids. They treat everyone with extreme fairness and are always so willing to help.”

The troop has not gotten as far as locating a new storage facility, just yet, but for now it is getting the job done, and having fun in the mean time.

“I guess the most important thing about Scouting is having fun — that and the outdoor experiences,” Jake Gay said.

Jake Gay said the only thing holding the troop back is having to make the trek to the farm to pick up supplies on occasion, but beyond that the trailer serves as a good meeting place.

Until opportunity arises, Troop 524 will continue to keep everything from troop banners to dutch ovens in the trailer just down the road, hopefully without missing a step.