Boy Scout Summer Camp

Sam and I were packed and ready for 6 nights of Boy Scout summer camp at Camp Sequoyah.  We waited till after church, so we were about 2 hours behind the troop, and when we arrived, we had to take all of our stuff to the campsite, walking this HEAVY load about 1 mile to our home "Uncle John's Place".  We took the wrong turn twice, neither of us knowing the correct way, and apparently not asking the right people in many cases. 

 

But we finally made it, and laid our stuff down, to hike back to find the troop.   Sam's days were pretty much scheduled from wake to sleep.  Breakfast @ 7:30 AM, "Eagle Bound" classes from 8 to 12, then troop activities from 2 till 5, supper @ 6:30, then most nights an evening activity.  Sam's "Eagle Bound" classes helped him earn 4 merit badges, and 2 required for the Eagle Rank.  He is not a strong swimmer but pushed himself really hard to qualify as a swimmer (Very hard test even for me) on Tuesday.  So he earned Swimmer, Leatherworking (Sam earned this with camp legend "O", a 96 year old man on staff for many many years), Fingerprinting, and First Aid badges this week. 

 

Monday night was "Adventure Valley", which was basically a 1/4 mile obstacle course through mud, rocks, and walls.  Sam made it around about 3 times.  We had two boys lose shoes in the mud, never to find them again.  Tuesday night was a 5 mile hike around Lake Cross, where I ended up in the back of the line with one of my Webelos, Cole.  Now Cole came to this hike in flip flops as his shoes were ruined during the previous nights mud run.  After finding him some boots to use, he cracked me up as it was a constant "Mr. Scott...I need my insoles...I will never make this...Am I hallucinating, or are those trees bending into the lake"   Man, he was cracking me up.  Wednesday night was family night, and I think the heat and long days finally hit Sam hard.  He was struggling and having stomach issues and headache issues.  I will admit, it was miserable hot on Wednesday through the end of the week.  Sam got a little better on Thursday, and that night was waterslide night...and was much better by Friday as we both starting talking about how great it would be to be back home.  Great week, but we were both glad it was over that Saturday. 

 

Sam was able to shoot a 22 rifle, and practice archery.  He is much better at both of these than me...I am glad there are no pictures of my targets.  Sam's tent mate Brandon was the only one of our troop to swim the 1 mile swim.  I went and watched, and that is pretty impressive, that 11 year old boy was in the water swimming for 52 minutes.  Sam earned his card for making fires and for having a pocket knife (That same night one of the other new boys cut his finger pretty bad and had to go to the med hut).  Sam got him a new knife at camp, and a cool Sequoyah hat. 

 

Sam learned to be on the Kitchen Police (KP) duty, and how to get all the tables ready for the troop, and make sure every one gets full.  The KP team would go get more food until everyone was full.  Showers were pretty nice at the campsite.  Toilets were good also, but when both stalls are full, there can be accidents as we did have. 

 

As the scouts are led by other older boy scouts for all their classes, my role was mainly just to make sure they got to the right spot, take medications if needed, then hang out in the leader hut with my "Eagle Bound" partner Preston. 

 

And things I heard while at camp...

- In reference to a toilet accident by one of the younger campers, Preston said "Only happened to me once as an adult, and it bout gave me post traumatic stress syndrome...I mean I was messed up for weeks afterwards.  That happens again, I would just drop that load in the median"

- In same toilet accident conversation, Preston said "I believe your butthole has eyes, and it knows when it is getting close to that toilet"

- In reference to a boy that kept getting away from us, and wandering off on his own, another young scout said "That boy needs to be taken to a vet and have a chip installed"

- In reference to the older scouts warning the younger that the scary fire stories were coming, the young scout said "Oh yeah, it's about to get hard core over here"

- "I know all about puberty, I've got a pimple on my back"..."Oh yeah, I've got bumps all over"

- Eagle bound scout asked Preston "Can I pour water on my head"...Preston responded "Yeah, but it might give you itchy butt if it goes down your drawers"

- When trying to find the Scoutmaster George, one of the older adult leaders said "Oh yeah, I saw him in the shower this morning"...then he quickly said "Wow, now that did not come out right...Let me start that over again..."

 

Hot Hot Hot...and lots of poison ivy...but I did laugh a good bit, and enjoyed this opportunity to spend a week with just Sam.  Skipping next year, as I will most likely start a yearly trip once Dave gets in boy scouts.