Day two

I am in the Eagles Nest right now writing this post. Eagles Nest? It’s not a code name. It’s the leader resource center where adult training is held, our morning briefings, and just a place for the adults to hang out in air conditioned bliss. How many times did I mention this was for adults? That’s right. No scouts allowed. It’s like the faculty lounge for overgrown boy scouts.

Our day started with us being late for breakfast. We are the closest camp to the dining hall yet the last one to get there. Still don’t know why. Our troop volunteered for the song for this meal. Our first years, Tim Carter, and myself led the whole camp in a stunning rendition of Alive, Alert, Awake, Enthusiastic. It was fantastic.

The boys know where they are headed now, so the pressure is off. Everyone knows where they need to be. Summer camp looks a lot like a college campus. Except no girls.

A few of us went through Scoutmaster training part one today. We basically learned how to gently guide the boys to run the troop while we advise. We each introduced ourselves and why we were attending the training. The older boys did it for me. They said it would be cool to have Captain Kirk as one of the Assistant Scoutmasters. It makes you feel good to be a part of the troop aside from the first years you came in with.

We did a troop service project this afternoon and dismantled tents in a camp that will not be used for the next week of camp. Have you seen Aliens? That’s what it was like with all of the wood spiders in the tents. We had to battle one. You can see it and the aftermath of the battle below in the photos. THEY JUST WON’T DIE!!!!!

Everybody went off and did their own activities tonight. There was the Blob, Archery, Boating, Magic the Gathering tournament, fishing, rappelling. Our kids did it all. Mel, Ron, and myself hit the archery range. I haven’t shot in nearly 30 years. It was awesome.

The night finished up with an Order of the Arrow ceremony. Some of our scouts were inducted. It was a proud moment for all. Congrats to Tyler, Tarak, Jacob, Ron, and Brody.

Time to head back to camp. Faygo time.

End of day 1

Wow. What a day. Activities galore for all the boys and I don’t think there’s been a single complaint. We ran our first years through their paces today. They will be completing their totin’ chip and getting signed off on their orienteering. We only had 2 get lost. Seriously. They got lost.

In other news, I went fishing with one of our assistant scoutmasters. What a great time. I caught a few and it was very stress-relieving. His daughter caught a nice bass too. She wasnt afraid of the worms like some of our older boys were. Check out the pics below.

Sidenote – we had a fire drill today. They then served us refried beans at dinner. Coincidence?

That’s it for now. Time to get out the chips and Faygo for the boys. It’s a troop tradition.

P.S. The 2 boys that got lost finished the course. Only 2+ hours. Nevertheless, we’ll have a full headcount at lights out.

1st official day of camp

Day one is underway. Boys are off to their classes and seems like everyone is having fun. We had some of our troop volunteer to serve breakfast and lunch today. The inside track on that is we get to eat first if we serve. It’s great to learn all of the little things to make camp easier and a better experience. Especially for us adults. We love to eat, you know.

Our Troop at chapel

All of us hit Chapel tonight. Going gets us signed off for a part of the qualifications for the Quality Troop Award. That, of course, is not the only reason for going. Good fellowship as well.

Cuttin’ wood in the axe yard

Timmy prepping wood for the camp fire.

Moving in

We are at summer camp now. Just moving in actually. Starting camp isn’t just a matter of showing up and pitching your tent. ( the tent is already there for you). We arrive, review medical records with the staff, receive dining hall orientation, group photo, swim test, and shooting orientation. All this before we even move into the campsite.

As you can see from the photo, camp is clean and pristine. Just wait. Chaos will ensue.

Testing for mobile

Doing a quick test from the iPhone to make sure I can post to the website while at Summer Camp. Seems to work fine.

Overgrown Boy Scout #001

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Welcome to the Overgrown Boy Scout. A podcast for parents that don’t quite know much about scouting. This week intro the show, talk some news, give you a Tiger Cub skit, and a list of what to bring to summer camp.

Emergency Cub Scout System Tiger Cub Skit
Required:
6 to 10 scouts
Notes:
Make sure you practice so the Beeeeeps start and stop when they should and so that the punch line does not drag on too long.
Script:
All scouts but one stand in line. Lead scout is in front or to one side.
Leader: For the next ten seconds we wil conduct a test of the emergency broadcast system.
(line of scouts all make Beeeeeeeeeeep sound until the leader raises his hand.)
Leader: Thank you. This concludes the test of the emergency broadcast system. Had this been an actual emergency, you would have heard…
(line of scouts scream in panic and run around)

What to bring to Summer Camp
Click here to view the list courtesy of the Dan Beard Council of Boy Scouts of America

Subscribe To The Overgrown Boy Scout Podcast:

Overgrown Boy Scout is live

Welcome to the Overgrown Boy Scout section of the CaptainsCast Production Network. I wanted to do a podcast about my experiences in scouting and be able to help those parents who just don’t know quite what they have gotten themselves into. Believe me, I’m one of them. Look for scouting news, tips, commentary, and funny stories about all things scouting from Tiger cubs on up to Eagle Scout and beyond to adult leaders and volunteers. I hope you enjoy it.

Andy

The right call

Tonight I was supposed to take Ben camping with the scouts. ‘Supposed to’ meaning we ended up not going. It is Cub-O-Ree in our district where the entire pack, regardless of age, goes camping. It ends up being a ton of kids running & screaming through the campsite, tripping over tent lines, and causing stress for the adult scout leaders. Utter chaos. We had a forecast for rain all day and all night, so I was leery to go just for an overnight trip and get wet. When the skies cleared today & the sun was blinding, I thought I had made a mistake staying home. Ugh, what a disappointment. We missed out on camping and having some good father-son time. Now, as I sit here writing this, the torrential rain, thunder, lightning, hail, & high wind make me realize that for once, I made the right call.