Summer Camp Stories

[Stoutwalker 10]

Over the course of 11 years, I had the pleasure of working for three very different, and wonderful Boy Scout Summer Camps.

 

Now, I know all of us here must have (at least) one tale we can share of something amazing, touching, inspiring, or just plain funny that we witnessed at Summer Camp.

 

Here's mine:

 

My last year on staff at my local council's camp I was the Assisant Camp Director/Shooting Sports Director, and I decided to propose to my girlfriend (now my wife).

 

I called her father, asked his permission, and he sent her grandmothers ring to me (at camp, it stayed in the camp safe next to my shotgun ammo). Everyday I would open the safe, and sit and stare at the ring.

 

I knew she would be coming to visit me on that Friday, so I began planning.

 

The afternoon of the proposal, I ran all over camp, to each program area, and told the staff what I was going to do. I gave each area director instructions on what I needed the staff to do, and asked them to practice with them.

 

When she showed up, ostensibly to givem ethe car so I could go away for the weekend. I asked her to stay for evening colors. She didn't want to, she had to get to the theatre she worked at for a show, she was tired from her day job, she was a bit miffed that I made her come all the way out to camp so I could abandon her for a weekend with buddies upsate, etc.

 

I told her that I was performing the evening retreat ceremony, it would be the only time the summer I could do it, and I wanted her to be there.

 

Still, she resisted.

 

I BEGGED her to stay. Finally, she agreed.

 

I had a CIT ready to escort and distract her, and keep her away from the rest of the staff.

 

I met the Camp Staff behind the dining hall. We ran through the whole deal a couple of times. Then, I slid the ring onto my neckerchief, and I led the staff out to the flagpole.

 

I asked for troop reports, and each SPL in turn reported that they were there. I called the Staff to attention, gave the cmmand 'Present Arms' and as planned, all 40 of us dropped to one knee, and asked her:

 

"Erica, will you marry me?"

 

The answer was yes.

 

The staff jumped around us, for a huge group hug, and then they carried on with the flag lowering, and went into the dining hall for chow.

 

My wife and I, on our way out of camp, went in and did a victory lap through the dining hall.

 

One Scoutmaster at camp that week, came up to me after all was said and done, and admitted that I made him cry when I proposed to her.

 

(And, I did not go upstate. It was all a clever ruse! But I did drop her off at her theatre, and I made it back to camp for the campfire, and then home to spend time with my new fiancee).

 

That is my fondest memory of my years at Summer Camp.

[hacimsaalk12 10]

amazing, here goes.

 

i found it amazing that our aquatics director would have the guts to choke our SPL during a water polo match, then kick him out because he threw him over a rope.

 

that was REALLY amazing