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Snapshot of Scouting this weekend


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Maine Jam happened this past weekend and there was JOTI/JOTA available. We had about 2,000 overnight campers for the weekend from all over our council, a few from Katahdin Area (eastern ME) and Daniel Webster (NH) and a parent/son from CT Rivers. In addition, we had roughly 3,000 day visitors (mostly cubs and their parents) during the day on Saturday.

 

We had heavy rain/wind Friday night, but it cleared out with unseasonably warm temps (70's--in late October in Maine--that's unheard of!) on Saturday.

 

This was Pine Tree Council's (belated in my opinion) 100th Anniversary of Scouting celebration.

 

Too many things happened to list. A few things did not happen--for example, the Mentos-Diet Coke guys had to cancel out, even though this was less then a half-hour drive for them--Coke failed to deliver the cases of 2L Diet Coke they needed to perform. Yes, those crazy two are from Maine. Don't know who I'm talking about? Where have you been the last year or so? (chuckle)

 

Link to their website: http://eepybird.com/

 

I served on sub-camp staff for the sub-camp my district oversaw.

 

I saw many, many smiles on cubs and scouts alike, so despite some communication/organizational issues, it was a success.

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District Camporee::: 20 plus Troops...300 plus Scouts...Climbing wall... tug-o-war... archery...hammer the bell...air rifles... log drag for time...two man saw on a 12" log...trebuchet (pumpkins are very consistant in size!)...run the obstacle course......Campfire... skits...cheers...songs...SM minute...

 

Drizzle on friday set up... help neighbor Troop that left the rope basket at home...Pour down rain at 11pm... Saturday sunshine... clear night... dewey Sunday morn...

 

Oh the aromas thru camp...Dutch oven brownies...Bacon and eggs... spaghetti... fresh cooked donuts... burgers and baked potatoes...beef stew...turkey sandwiches...chili...oatmeal and maple syrup...flipping pancakes for the first time...

 

New Scout Troop sponsored by Islamic Organization comes to first Camporee...

 

New Scout in my Troop comes back to campsite, flops on bench and announces "I'm bored" (see above list). Can't do this, doesn't like that, not good at that, too small for this... Take out my hatchet and start sharpening it with the file. Talk about need to keep hatchet sharp. Would he like to try? Totin' Chip requirements... Contact method. Now you try it. What's this called? Here's how to split kindling. Did you watch Joe and Scott make the fire last night? Make a tent peg. Pretty good, now watch this...make another, Even better. Hey, you can pass Totin' Chip can't you? Can I take this home? Big smile...

 

The only bad camping trip is the one I don't go on...

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My troop did 64 miles biking on the C + O Canal between Hancock, MD and Antietam Aqueduct (52 miles)and shared a campsite with a Troop from south of Ritchmond, VA. Had a great time. The weather was perfect. We then continued on to Harpers Ferry, WV.

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t'was a slow weekend for us...

we had 15 boys helping with an Elementary School Festival and 13 boys helping a local church with its fall harvest festival (homecoming)...couple of D.O. demonstrations, good community relations...etc.

 

Getting ready (next week)for a Caving/Hike campout (climbing and crawling under the mountain for the older scouts and Hiking on the mountain for the younger boys)

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No scouting for me this last weekend. Difficult as it may be to believe there are other things in life. My wife and I took a needed break from our resepective professions and scouting and everything else but us, and took off for the weekend. No cell phones. No email. Just us.

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Took the Troop to our District's fall camporee

After the boys got set up, I ran off to training.the skies opened up and it rained for 2 hrs.The boys stayed dry but I left my pack out. A direct lesson in what not to do for them! Otherwise a great campout. 1 of our boys qualified to go to the BASS jr. state compition. And yours truly got third place in the scout master contest(a collection of points from the days activites).I dont know the if boys or I was more excited.

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We took eight of our 13 new Scouts on their first campout. We had planned on a visit to "Troopland," our own camp complete with waterfalls and a natural wading pool. But with a 90% chance of thunderstorms Friday afternoon through Saturday morning, we moved the location to the shelter of a lean-to at a local Scout camp.

 

Despite the threat of rain, half of the new Scouts pitched their own tents and slept in them the first night, with the rest following their example Saturday night. They had a big surplus of personal tents, most of which were four-man Ozark Trails models. One pair of buddies slept in one tent and used the extra tent to store their gear. Two other Scouts slept in their own four-man tents. These inexpensive tents all have "bathtub bottoms" which prevented the wet sleeping bags that are so common with our own Troop-owned Eureka tents.

 

The Scouts were delighted with the food they cooked themselves, including tin foil meals for lunch and Dutch oven "Deep Dish Pizza Bake" for dinner. On the afternoon hike we discovered an unlimited open rifle shoot for $1 per Scout, which meant guns ten months earlier than I had promised. I thought that this would be the highlight of the weekend, but the near-unanimous feedback at "Thorns & Roses" was how awesome "Capture the Flag" is when played in the woods!

 

I promised them that they could stay up all night on Saturday if they agreed to a 11:30 "lights out" on Friday, but after a full day of activities the last Scout had crashed out by 11 PM Saturday :-/

 

The SPL was sick and one Patrol Leader stiffed us for the second time this month. The Dragon's Assistant PL acted as SPL and did a great job. Last night I asked the SPL to reassign the missing Patrol Leader as ASPL (a harmless position) so that the Dragon's APL could move back into his previous PL position (he had stepped down at a newly-trained adult Scouter's suggestion that he "give someone else a turn at the POR"). Ugh.

 

Snapshots of our "Snapshot of Scouting this Weekend" can be found at:

 

http://www.inquiry.net/625/outdoor/camping/2007-10.htm

 

Let me know if you can get the video files to play on your browser.

 

Kudu

 

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Our Troop was at our Disctrict Fall Encampment. I think the boys had a great time with the activities... I wouldn't know. The Scoutmaster and I stayed in camp and seam-sealed the new tents that were purchased for the troop.

 

One patrol didn't get their act together for breakfast on Satuday and the Scoutmaster and I shocked the Webelos leader who was visiting with her den when we told her that we weren't going to give them our leftovers and they'd have to go hungry till lunch. She understood though when we told her that they were having sandwiches for lunch so there was little risk of a foul-up there and we'd make sure the SPL was engaged in their dinner prep to better their chances for success. Worked out in the end, no one starved during their morning activities they managed to eat lunch and dinner.

 

Didn't stay for the closing ceremonies on Sunday. I had to be at another council property for challenge course instructor training. Only pulled one muscle so it turned out okay.

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We had our annual Webelos campout this past weekend with beautiful weather. We spent a couple hours in the morning at the Football HOF and the afternoon we spent hiking around camp for a five mile hike. It was better than perfect weather for a late October campout in Ohio!

 

Bill

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