A Weekend of JLT

This weekend was the second of our Troop JLT (Junior Leader Training).   We arrived at around 9:30 AM Saturday morning, with the session starting at 10:00 AM, running through 7:30 AM Sunday morning. 

We had almost the full contingent of 1st year Scouts at training.  14 boys in all of the 22 new scouts, with 4 additional boys as instructors.  We had four adults attend the entire weekend overnight, and a couple of additional adults show up throughout the day to provide some adult leadership. 

We started out the session with a great ice breaker, having the boys introduce themselves and tell the group about their favorite Disney princess.  Watching the boys laugh and have a great time talking about their favorite princess was a terrific way to start the session.  The boys then watched a quick video, received some introductory comments (songs from the boys instructors were also a big hit).  After introductions, it was off to the “Blind Square” and and “Blind Triangle” game.

It was then off to more videos, and the “My Friend, the Potato” game.  The boys had a lot of fun introducing their potato.  I think the boys really picked up on the importance of differences amongst each other on this one. 

We then had a short break for lunch time, and little did the boys know that lunch was another “exercise” in organization and teamwork.

After lunch, we started back up the videos, and then the boys acted out skits on a “tent scene” to learn about problem solving.    The boys had a good time with the skits, and I certainly hope they learned something from them.

I think the most popular activity of the weekend was “Nine Magazines”, where the boys had to figure out how someone not in the room can know which magazine the boys in the room picked.  Very popular game.  The good news, none of the boys gave up during the entire activity, even though it took almost an hour to get all of the boys to understand solving the trick!  None of the boys gave up, even though they were getting frustrated as more and more of the boys started figuring it out while they still couldn’t.

We then moved on to an activity around why duty rosters were important, roles within the troop and patrol, and a few more skits from the boys to act out what they learned.  After the skits, it was time for the final two activities of the afternoon session, “Willow in the Wind” and “Trust Fall”.   Again, hopefully the boys learned something from having to trust the boys in the group to catch them.

After the afternoon videos and activities, we had nothing but team building events and games the rest of the evening.  We ordered pizza in for the boys, and then turned them loose for basketball, football, kickball, and a game room with ping pong, pool table, air hockey and foose ball.  Some brought a couple of DVD movies from home, so a few of the boys had “movie night”.  They all participated throughout the evening in team activities however. 

We were up at 6:30 the next morning to pack our gear, clean up the gym, and eat a quick breakfast before the parents started showing up for the boys.  Overall it was a very good weekend for all of us.  Unfortunately, it took well past 1 AM to get the boys all settled in and quiet, and getting up at 6:30 made for a very short night, a very long Sunday, and a very, very restful sleep Sunday night.  We’re looking forward to awarding all of the boys their JLT certificates at Troop Thursday this week.

Where does the time go?

What a crazy time of the year.  We are full force in to the Scouting recruiting season for both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts (yes, still).  We’ve already had our first two pack meetings (September and October), and are finalizing plans for our Webelos Campout with the troop and our Webelos Open House.  So much to do, so little time to get it done.  Throw in to the mix all of the den planning, personal stuff going on right now, and oh yes, my real job, and I barely have time to breath.

Our September Pack Meeting was our annual Cub Olympics.  It was an opportunity to allow the new boys and the older boys to interact in a bunch of outdoor games.  We had several young adults from a local Scouting fraternity assist with running our athletic games while the Committee Chair, Cubmaster and adults were indoors going over the paperwork and fundraising for the upcoming year.  Our October Pack Meeting was our annual Halloween party, with Trick-or-Treating and games for the kids to play throughout the meeting room.  It’s always a good time for the boys and their siblings, and always ends a little hectic because the kids have been eating candy for an hour and a half.

For the den, September brought the conclusion of the Citizen badge, and October was the Naturalist badge (great program by Caesar Creek Army Corps of Engineers), and the start of the Outdoorsman badge during our first campout of the new year.  We had a great weekend with full attendance from the boys!  I’m thrilled that 7 of the 8 boys from last year are returning to start their Webelos years.  Hopefully they will all make it through the Webelos program and get to Crossover and one of the Boy Scout troops in the area.  I’d be remiss if I weren’t honest and say I’m a little selfish and would like them all to come join Troop 750.  We’ll see where it leads.

For the Boy Scout Troop, September was very busy with a zipline campout and service project at nearby Ft. Ancient/Camp Kern, and October was our Fall Court of Honor, and the Hopewell District Fall Camporee at nearby Armco Park.  The turnout was a little low for the Fall Camporee, not sure the golf concept went over well with the boys.  The Fall Court of Honor was terrific, with the boys officially getting recognized for all of their efforts during summer camp.

November is our annual Turkey Campout for the Webelos, and December will bring our annual end-of-year lock-in for the boys.  November also brings the Troop Open House, primarily for incoming Webelos, but also for any boy interested in Scouting.  We’re using to showcase some of the past events of the Troop, as well as some outdoor demonstrations and a flag retirement ceremony.

The weekly troop meetings have been terrific, particularly the first year program.  Most of our first years are close to Second Class Scout, with a few trying to finish First Class requirements.  Our two senior Scoutmasters running the First Year program are really doing a terrific job with the boys keeping them interested and advancing at the same time.  This weekend will also be our second and final JLT of the year. 

As I mentioned, it has been a very busy time for us.  Add to the above the September and October Roundtables, the ASM meetings, and the Den Leader meetings and it’s been crazy busy.  I’ve mentioned this before on my blog though.  I can’t think of a better way to spend my free time/volunteer time.  Getting to spend quality time with the boys has been an awesome experience.  I love the fall time, not only from an outdoor camping/hiking standpoint, but from an overall recruiting standpoint as well.  The Pack did a great job with 33 new boys, and hopefully the Troop will have a couple of great Webelos intro meetings.

I’ve challenged myself to not wait another 30 days before I update my blog again.  My updates have certainly been down during August/September/October timeframe. 

It’s about the boys!

Today was the first den meeting/patrol meeting for our Webelos.  We met early this afternoon.  All but one (we have seven boys now, but will end up with 9-10 after recruiting) showed up.  It was really an amazing meeting for me.  We covered all of the summer activity badges (summary sessions for Traveler, Family Member and Fitness), discussed the September activity badge (Citizen), discussed some of the beginning Boy Scout stuff (Boy Scout sign, salute, motto, slogan), and briefly discussed Boy Scout Merit Badges and the tie to Activity badges.

Words can’t explain the feelings and emotions I was going through as I was engaging with the boys.  Words can’t explain the feelings and emotions I was going through as my assistant den leader discussed the origins of the Boy Scout organization and the boys and parents both were listening.  The boys were “in to it”, and so were the parents.  So much input, interest, enthusiasm.  The boys contributed so much to the meeting, I ended up scratching some of the agenda to roll with the direction the boys were taking the meeting.  It was so engaging.  For those of you who have watched Avatar, it’s the moment where Jake Sully rides in on Toruk before the war starts.  I can almost say it gave me chills.  The boys contributed so much to the meeting and this is the moment I was waiting for!

Which leads me to this post.  It has always been about the boys for me.  If there was a training conflict, a schedule conflict, just down to the wire, for me anyways, the boys always come first.  I’ll sacrifice a training day if it means I get to spend time with the boys.  It’s always been about the boys.  This is why I do what I do. I can honestly say talking to them, engaging with them during the meeting, listening to what they were saying, made me realize I love what I do.  They recharged my batteries, rekindled the fire, gave me the energy I needed to keep doing what I need to be doing.

I’ve had 5 of the 7 boys since Tigers.  I’m thrilled that the boys and their parents have stuck with it until now.  My hope is that they all make it to crossover, and hopefully most crossover to Boy Scouts rather than dropping out.  I know that the next year and a half will be the most challenging as the boys age, but I’m also hoping the boys have found enough with Scouting to want to stick around. 

This is what it’s all about for me.  Engaging with the boys, seeing the growth, the understanding, enough so that you actually see the “ah hah” moment with the boys, making them a better person.  They now get it.  They now understand.  There were so many moments today I had to stop myself and change direction because the boys were so engaged and understood what I was trying to convey I had no choice but to adjust the agenda and finish the direction they wanted to go in (which was the right one!).

I was also thrilled to find out today that one of the parents that have been with me since Tigers has jumped at the opportunity to start his own Tiger den this year with his new Tiger son. We all obviously gave him a hard time, all in jest, but I was thrilled he stepped up.  Again, this is what it’s all about for me.  Someone, a volunteer, willing to step up to try and make a difference. 

George Burns once said, "When you stop giving and offering something to the rest of the world, it’s time to turn out the lights."  That is so true. Anyone can call himself a servant-leader, but that description is meaningless unless it’s accompanied by action.

There have been some rough meetings, and some rough years as I’ve taken the boys from Tiger to Webelos.  Several times I’ve thought to myself to just throw in the towel, resign, give it to someone else, I’m sure if you’re a leader you know the feelings I’m referring to.  Meetings just don’t go the way you want and you ask yourself why put yourself through this.

Well, for me, today was perfect proof why we do this.  It’s a perfect way for me to start the new year with new Scouts, and has reenergized me for the year.  Yes, I know,  next meeting could go the opposite direction and end up in smoke, but the good meetings are enough for me to keep going.  They are boys after all!  I love what I do, and am a Scouter for life.

Make a difference.  That’s my message for today.  Conforming to someone else’s standard of excellence isn’t an option; they set their own bar, and they set it high. If you want to be a difference-maker, your bar of excellence should be higher than anyone else’s. In other words, you should expect more out of yourself than anyone else expects out of you.  The boys deserve it.  Push yourself.  Today was a perfect example of how this is supposed to work.

Some just don’t understand…

In a word, STRESS.  I’ve been a volunteer with BSA now for 7 years.  Now, before you read any further, read the first sentence again.  Please understand what that means.  Volunteer, as in unpaid position, not my day job.  It’s hard for some to understand what that really means.  Everything that I do with BSA, and everything else other leaders are doing, they are doing on their own time, taking away from other things they could be doing.  I’m doing this on my own time, without asking for anything in return, unpaid.  As a leader, that’s asking a lot, and those participating in BSA, particularly if you are not a leader, but more importantly as a leader, you need to understand how important it is to let that sink in.  All of the meeting planning, all the advancement planning, all of the outing planning, all of the TRAINING, all of the leader meetings, this is all done on volunteer time.

Why is this important to understand?  Some apply a considerable amount of pressure to get training.  Some apply a considerable amount of pressure to attend more meetings and outings.  Some apply pressure when meetings don’t go as they think they should, and take it out on the leaders.  Expectations are off the charts in some cases and that’s wrong.  They come up with clever marketing then push and push.  It’s like “boot camp”, where there is so much you need to learn and do over a 6-8 week period that you take no breaks and get no “down time” until your done.  While I can appreciate the intention, it’s wrong.  We’re volunteers.  Yes, I know some may be thinking if you don’t have the time, quit.  Quite frankly, you are probably in the camp that tries to get it all done quickly and force others to do the same or miss out and make it up on their own.   If the volunteers quit, and you don’t have any other parents step up (how many are in THAT camp???), what kind of program are you running?

Please don’t misunderstand.  Yes, training is important.  Yes, meetings for the leaders are important.  Yes, proper planning is important.  I fully support and agree with the trained leader concept and attending meetings and planning, as well as time in training, all make better leaders, or at least it should.  On the other hand, consider the time commitment.  I sometimes look at calendars and wonder how we’ll get it all done.  August is just one example.  Between Cub Scout meetings, Boy Scout meetings, Eagle projects, Advancement outings, troop outings, and a parade, we were busy almost every week and every weekend.  The last thing I wanted was to get pressure to finish my training because “we need trained leaders”, and I certainly didn’t need to get pressure to attend everything on the calendar because “we need leaders present”.  I woke up every morning thinking, do I have anywhere else I need to be?  I had very little time to relax, and that leads to increased stress and poor health.

A lot of my adult friends are under pressure at work, or out of work.  Some are worried they are losing their jobs.  Some are under pressure because of other things going on in their personal lives.  You can understand what may be going on.  No one wants to lose their job, particularly these days.  Some of my friends that lost their jobs over a year ago are still doing side jobs because most aren’t hiring.  No one wants a personal life that feels like it’s out of control because you aren’t making the time investment to hold things together.  In a word, back off!

In a nutshell, I just wish more would stop and think before acting.  Just because “you” have time, doesn’t mean others have time.  Plan accordingly.  We tried to schedule a 5-mile hike for the boys back in early July.  We put a full schedule together for 6 adults and asked the adults to check the box for the weekends they weren’t available.  Two of us looked at the mess, looked at each other, and said we’ll probably have to schedule two because there wasn’t a single weekend available where we all had time.  This was over a three-month period!  The last thing we wanted to do was schedule an outing and then apply pressure for everyone to fit it in.  Our Packs and Troops schedule things out months in advance.  You want people to do things, give plenty of notice and spread it out.  Don’t expect your volunteers to do it all in one month.  It won’t happen or worse, it will happen but the volunteers won’t like it.  That will lead to resignations or meetings where everyone needs anger management.

I have a great deal of respect for other volunteer leaders with BSA.  They are taking time out of a more than likely busy life, fitting it in around their job, doing what they need to do to help boys, boys that are not their own, whether is one out of eight, one out of fifty, or one out of one hundred.  Time to plan meetings, outings, training, events, all at a level of effort most people do for a job they are paid for, and volunteers do it for no charge.

Let’s stop and say thanks more often, and more importantly, consider other things leaders may have going on in their lives and learn to appreciate what they are doing.

It’s Been A Crazy Summer…

Almost a month has gone by since my last post summarizing summer camp.  What a summer it’s been.  It’s really hard to believe the kids start back to school this week and summer vacation is over.  Between Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and personal/family time, I feel like I haven’t had time to breath!

So, what’s been happening since summer camp?  We wrapped up a really good July with a week up at Cedar Point Amusement Park.  It was great quality family time.  Nothing like being trapped in a hotel room with the family with no where to go, no where to hide.  The kids were forced to sit and talk to mom and dad!  Seriously, what a great trip.  We’re really glad we have the passes that let us get in to the parks. 

From a Scouting perspective, our Webelos worked on the Family Member activity badge, and our Boy Scout received his merit badges and rank advancement (Tenderfoot) from summer camp.  It was really great to get to talk to parents about summer camp.  Most said their sons had such a great time at camp, their sons were scouts for life.  This is what it’s all about for me.  I’m not in this to see how many patches I can put on my own uniform, and certainly not in this for myself.  It’s about the kids, my own and their friends.  Giving quality time to them because I typically work and travel so much. 

August brought the Fitness Activity badge for the Webelos, (Art for the Webelos II), and a Canoeing Campout for the Boy Scouts.  We took a trip to Indiana for an 8-mile canoe trip down the Whitewater River from Brookville to Cedar Grove.  The boys had a terrific time canoeing, swimming and camping.  They got a little wet Saturday night sleeping under their tarps but still a great trip. 

We arrived in Brookville Friday evening to set up camp.  Saturday morning we were up early to pack up camp, stow our gear in the canoes, and head 8 miles down river. 

There were lots of people on the river Saturday, including two other Boy Scout troops. We had to stop at one point and use our axes to cut some dangerous fallen trees out of the river.   We had a terrific lunch break on the river, then pulled in to Cedar Grove late afternoon and pitched camp again.

August was also our Pack Planning month.  The Pack held their annual planning meeting this past Thursday and there are pages and pages of notes, but at least the year is planned.  Lots of things going on this year in the Pack.  We have two remaining in the pack, both Webelos (Webelos I and Webelos II).  Our Webelos II is pretty much done with the pack at this point.  He’s ready to join the Boy Scout troop. 

September will bring the beginning of our Pack year, a Zipline campout for the Boy Scout troop, my Woodbadge training, and a host of other terrific stuff, including Outdoorsman for the Webelos.

Boy Scout Summer Camp, Part 3

OK, so third and final installment of summer camp is here.  This will wrap up our week as a troop at Camp Friedlander.

I mentioned earlier we were dealing with one really homesick boy at summer camp.  I made a quick phone call to his dad and told him that we really felt we could get him through the week but needed to know the ground rules.  Dad was very supportive and asked us to do what we could because his son needed it.  After a very long talk with the boy late Tuesday night, this boy became the model camper Wednesday through Saturday morning.  We held award for the troop Thursday evening and we awarded him the “most brave” award while in camp.  He was smiles ear to ear that night, and did a great job in camp.  I really think the awards ceremony on Thursday evening for the troop pushed the boys to the end of the week.  We had about 12 different awards (T-shirts, Firestarters/Sparkers, water bottles, BSA glow patches) and awarded the boys in the troop that really stepped it up during camp.

We had another incident during the week that stood out.  Sometimes you don’t think about why certain rules are in place but in this instance, I can see it made a complete difference.  The rule I’m talking about was related to no cell phones with the boys at camp.  One morning one of the first year boys came up to me, eyes all bloodshot, extremely tired, asking me to please call his mom and let him talk to him.  I couldn’t understand it.  He’s been camping before and was a model first year scout.  It turns out after a call to his dad that he had a cell phone, and was texting his mom and sister all hours of the night.  Once we took the phone from him, he was a terrific camper and was fine the rest of the week.  We also found out that one really bad night in the cabins resulted in the boys thinking there was a poisonous spider in the cabin they needed help with, only to find out this mom was texting guidance on spider identification, how to kill it, and what to do if the adult leaders in camp wouldn’t help.  It was messy, all because the boy was texting his mom.

On another afternoon, a mom of one of the boys showed up with a bag of clean clothes and mosquito nets.  When we asked what she was doing, she said her son had told her a number of the boys needed stuff.  None of the adults in camp had called anyone, so we questioned the boy only to find out that he too had a cell phone and was texting his parents and calling when we weren’t around.  It really wasn’t fair to the other boys that a group of boys was getting clothes washed and supplies brought in.  We told the mom that we would take it and tell them it was a care package rather than allowing the mother in camp.  We also confiscated this phone and told ALL of the boys that phones were not permitted.  These two incidents were really disruptive to the troop and patrols.  What the parents through they were doing to help was actually causing issues with the patrols and troops.  We have our work cut out for us next year during the parent meetings.

Again, the rules now make perfect sense to me.  The troop can’t function correctly with the hover parents, even if they aren’t hovering in person.  There was also one messy situation with another hover parent that agreed to help a couple of nights in camp.  I now know why troop leadership really takes the position they do trying to keep these types of parents away from the boys (making his bed, forcing him to work on rank advancement and more merit badges, escorting him to all of his merit badge classes and sitting in the classes with him, ignoring other boys in camp, taking away the “open/free time” to work on more merit badges, filling out the blue cards for his son, trying to force boys to take a hike so he could get a second-class requirement fulfilled for his son).  The boy was a model camper early in the week but completely fell apart once this started.  Again, very messy and one we’ll have to deal with.

Overall though it was a great week for the boys.  During the debrief session with the camp staff, we did have some general comments I’ll also share here.  The camp staff did a great job listening to our recommendations and promised to do better.  That is, several of the merit badges ended on Wednesday, leaving several of the boys with nothing to do Thursday and Friday.  What was frustrating was that in several instances (like Rowing), it would have been simple to just extend and let the boys out on the water, or make up some games to play, rather than releasing the boys back to their respective camps.  How can you say you’ve earned your rowing merit badge after three days, and not let them go out and row to get more practice on Thursday and Friday?  Anyway, the camp staff were very receptive and promised to make some changes to schedules to keep the boys engaged all week.

Because this year’s camp was so successful, the troop leadership has decided that we will continue Camp Friedlander every year for anyone that wants to attend, but primarily for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year boys.  We will also schedule one additional trip during the summer months that will allow the older boys a chance to have a fun trip (Boundary Waters, Sea Base, Blue Ridge Mountains, White Water). 

Can’t wait until next summer…

Another week of Scouting goes by…

What a busy summer so far!  It was our first full week back from camp and what a busy scouting week.  First, our Webelos.  Yes, we have two in Webelos, one a Webelos II, the other a Webelos I.  The Webelos II had a 2-mile den hike up at Caesar Creek Stat Park/Campground, and began working on Arrow of Light requirements. 

We ended the evening with a family-style picnic and fishing outing!

The Webelos I began work on Family Member Activity badge.  We completed Traveler last month.  Next month will be working on our first outdoor related activity badge, Outdoorsman. 

Monday brought an ASM meeting with the troop to discuss the remainder of the scout year, as well as a debrief on summer camp.  Overall it was a great camp for the troop.  Thursday brought our regular troop meeting, our annual Cornhole Tournament.  Saturday brought the first of the summer Eagle projects for one of our troop members working on Eagle rank.  We have several more scheduled this summer.

Overall a very busy week.  Can’t wait to see what next week brings!

Do A Good Turn Daily. Have you completed yours?

Boy Scout Summer Camp, Part 2

Wednesday was “hump day” at camp.  We were dealing with several home sick boys, so Wednesday morning the adult leaders “assigned” themselves to several of the boys to check in on throughout the day.  This way, we can still chaperone all of the boys, but while in session, we could use our master schedules to find the sessions the home sick kids were in and go to those stations to check in on the kids.  We worked through it, one of the boys making a stellar comeback from a very rough start of the week.  More on that later.

The boys really enjoyed having the Israeli Scouts in camp for one very obvious reason.  They had GIRLS in their patrol.  Wednesday evening, the Israeli Scouts put on a music/dance program for the boys from 9 PM – 10 PM.  Why so late?  They wanted a good turn-out (lights out wasn’t until 10:30 PM) and from 7 PM – 9 PM each evening was “open time” for the boys to go do anything they wanted in the camp.  All stations were open for free climb, free boating, blobbing, kayaks, rifle/shotgun, archery…you get the point.  Everything was open and this was the boys time.  The Israeli scouts were kind enough to schedule their party after open time.

Surprisingly we had a good portion of the boys want to work on rank advancement Wednesday evening.  What we typically do in camp is ask the Board of Review team to come out on Thursday evening to conduct BORs in camp for any boy advancing and wanting Scoutmaster Conferences.  So, the troop knew Thursday was fast approaching.  As I mentioned in Part 1, we had 11 boys advance, including BORs.  We have two more that are just missing BORs.  They decided to go to Outpost Thursday evening (more later on that).  Several of the 2nd year boys took time out of their free time to work with the 1st year boys on Tenderfoot.  Most just needed whipping/fusing and knots.   No pushing or prodding from the adults, the boys did it all on their own.

The only really “bad” comment from the boys during camp was that our camp was a long walk.  Since we have such a large group going, we had to pick a camp that can accommodate a large number of boys and adults without splitting up the boys in separate camps. Camp Kroger is one of the furthest camps, but also one of the only camps with cabins. 

Camp Kroger had lots of room for the boys and the adults.  In Kroger A Camp, there were 2 cabins that held 8 boys each, and 8 tents that held two people in each tent.

In Kroger B Camp (all in the same entryway), there were two cabins that held 8 boys each, and 2 tents.  We had enough room for all of the boys except 7 to sleep in the cabins, and each adult had their own tent.  Pretty nice accommodations for camp.

Friday evening arrived and it was time for parent/family night.  From 5:30 – 7 PM, parents/family are allowed in camp to eat dinner with the boys.  It was a great turnout.  It was hard to determine who was having more fun, the boys getting to eat dinner with their families and show them around camp or the families getting to see everything.

Friday evening it was time for the closing campfire and awards.  So at 9 PM everyone piled in to the amphitheater.  Families are invited to that as well.  There were songs/skits, awards, and a very good Order of the Arrow “Call Out” to close out the campfire.

Saturday morning we had everyone up by 6:30 for packing and clean up.  We had everything loaded and ready to go for a 9 AM trailer pull out.  Then it was through the camp lost and found for last minute pickups and claiming, then assignments with drivers to head out of camp and back to the church for parent pick-up.

What a week.  The boys and the adults had a great time.  No one got severely sick, no one got hurt (except some feet problems from walking around in wet socks/shoes), no one went missing.  All in all a great camp for everyone.  The boys enjoyed themselves so much they asked us to schedule next year’s camp before we left, which we gladly did.

Boy Scout Summer Camp Packing List

I’ll digress a little and cover our Troop packing list for the boys going to summer camp.  After spending the week with the boys, it was evident we need to make some changes to the packing list.

First and foremost, take the time to put your name on EVERYTHING.  We had 39 boys in camp all wearing the same green shorts and the same red T-Shirts.  As you can imagine, knowing sizes didn’t help a bit.  It helped immensely if the tags inside the shirt had a name or initials.  But, when I say everything, I mean everything.  Towels, backpacks, knives, boots, water bottles.  You get the idea.  Everything needs an identifying mark because they all look the same.  I can’t tell you how important this is, and what a mess lost and found was at the end of the week for gear that remained unclaimed with no names.  The boys bought knives at the Trading Post, the same black folding knife.  They all look the same.  Carry something to mark your stuff after you buy it so someone else doesn’t pick it up.

OK, now for the gear.  What will we tell the boys to bring with them next year to camp.  I say next year because our packing list didn’t have some things on it that the boys definitely needed.  Would appreciate comments if you see other things missing that should be taken to camp.

1 footlocker (wild animal proof) with combination lock (not a key lock because keys get lost or worse, locked inside).

Completed medical form signed by parent or guardian and physician.

Two Summer Scout uniforms which includes shorts and short sleeve shirt and several Scout T-shirts.

At least ten pairs of socks. (Some Scout socks for use with summer uniform).  Dry socks are hard to come by at the end of the week.

Towels (2) and washcloth

At least five changes of underwear

Swimming trunks

Laundry Bag for dirty clothes

Sleeping bag or sheets and blanket

Poncho or raincoat – A MUST

Extra pair of shoes (For wet weather) – A must

Soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste and comb

Flashlight with extra batteries

Scout Handbook, Merit Badge Books

Notepaper, pencil or pen (Self addressed envelopes with stamps)

Personal First Aid Kit

Mosquito repellent – roll-on, pump or cream only – No aerosol cans

Sunscreen

Canteen or water bottle

Hat

Small backpack to carry around books, crafts, clothing, swim towel, etc.

Optional:

Camera and Film (Disposable camera (Waterproof if desired)) write your name on it with indelible ink.

Compass

Pocket -knife with Tot N Chip card (Sheath knives not allowed.)

Fishing pole and Tackle (Do not bring live bait- camp will have available)

Backpack and backpacking tent (if needed for specific merit badge requirement)

Personal cooking utensils (if needed for specific merit badge requirement)

Long-sleeve shirt and long pants (if needed for specific merit badge requirement)

Hiking boots (if needed for specific merit badge requirement)

Boy Scout Summer Camp, Part 1

What a week!  We have just returned from what I believe was a very successful summer camp at Camp Friedlander.  11 rank advancements, over 230 merit badges for 39 boys.  Of the 39 boys that attended, 19 were first year scouts/first year campers, 11 were second year scouts.   We had 8 third year scouts, and one senior patrol leader (in his last year of scouting).

We all met at the church parking lot Sunday at noon.  It took us about 45 minutes to load everything up and head to Camp Friedlander.

Once we arrived at Camp Friedlander, we met with our Troop Guides, a couple of great Venture Crew members, Monika and Jeremy.  They did an awesome job with the boys throughout the entire week.

We had to all go through the medical form/medicine line, then took the troop picture, then got the quick tour of the grounds.

From there we got the briefing on Rifle and Shot Gun Shooting.  More on the story on the great Rifle instructor later.

The first day in, there wasn’t much to do other than get settled in to camp, go to dinner, and attend the Opening campfire that evening.

We made it back to camp Sunday evening and tried our best to get the boys settled down.  Two of the leaders (yes, one of them was me) were up until 2 AM with several of the boys that were having difficulties settling down and going to sleep.  Nerves got the best of them, missing home, missing air-conditioning, missing their own beds.  They didn’t care for the cabins we were in.  Most of the boys loved the experience and had no issues sleeping in the cabins all week (bunk beds for 8 boys in each cabin).

Monday morning it was up for flag ceremony, breakfast, chapel and first merit badge stations for most of the boys.  Some of our boys (the third year group) attended COPE.  More on that below.

The camp really has a great layout, although it is a long way end to end.  The center of the camp is the Trailblazer shelter, really designed for first year campers and rank advancement (Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, and 1st Class rank).  From the Trailblazer shelter down to the Outdoor Skills/Climbing/COPE Course is about a mile, and from Trailblazer shelter down to the Rifle/Shotgun range was about a mile.  So, about two miles end to end.  There was a Native American Village, an Aquatics section, Archery, Rifle/Shotgun ranges, Climbing tower, Chapel, Trading Post and of course the Mess Hall, as well as the COPE/Ropes course, Handicraft, Swimming Pool and First Aid building.

Afternoon sessions the rest of Monday, as well as “Open Session” from 7-9 PM that allowed the boys to go and do anything.  Handicraft, boating, kayaking, blobbing, mountain scooters, open swim, underwater basket weaving (yes, there was actually a course on that!), rifle, shotgun, archery, etc.  Basically, anything that was running that week was open every night from 7-9 to allow the boys time to relax and have fun.

After open session, it was formation, roll call, and bed.  Long day for all of us.  Unfortunately Monday night was another tough night for several of the boys (home sickness). 

Tuesday we started all over again with the same rotation.  The Mess Hall crew did a great job on the meals, and the staff did a great job with meal time entertainment (songs before announcing SECONDS!). 

Several of the 1st year boys ended up on stage during one of the lunches to sing a song to the entire mess hall.

Another great thing about summer camp at Camp Friedlander is that there is plenty for the older scouts to do.  We took eight third year scouts with us and they were able to choose from both ACE (Advanced Camper Experience) and C.O.P.E. (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience).  For C.O.P.E., the boys learned teamwork, communication, trust, leadership, decision making, problem solving and self-esteem through lots of activities each day including low ropes, high ropes, a climbing wall and climbing towers/rappelling.

We didn’t have anyone take the  ACE course but the program is designed to give a challenging camping experience to older scouts age 14 -17.  Its aims are on advanced skills, physical fitness, service, and adventure experiences to challenge and advance their basic scouting skills.   It’s for older scouts that are good swimmers, do not need Merit Badges to advance, and have been at two or more summer camps before.  ACE Participants have a chance to improve their leadership skills through team building activities, and also provide meaningful service throughout the week.

More later to let you know how we rounded out the week.  Needless to say, the boys had a great time (and the adults did too!).