Troop 602 travels to Camporee!!

Have you ever been deep in the woods and heard the unusual sound of quiet?  No television, no games, no worries...just boys being boys?  Well - I HAVE!!  This weekend Troop 602 loaded up the bus and headed to Clinton, Louisiana to Camporee 2012.

The first fire of the campout!!

If you ever would have told me that four boys and three adults could fill a trailer with that much stuff and use it all I wouldn't have believed you, but now I do!  We arrived in camp Friday evening and began setting up camp.  In Boy Scouting its up the boys to make their own camp, set things up and do everything themselves, so although we were there for guidance, we let our boys go.  They did a fantastic job.  They were even kind enough to share their fire pit with us old geezers AND light all the fires and cook the meals - as we only had one fire pit to use and limited firewood.

                         

                               The BRAVE spider slayer!!

Everyone in our small Troop plays an important role and camping is where they really come into play.  We have our Senior Patrol Leader Hunter, who worked to coordinate the boys getting camp set up (and was the MEGA SPIDER SLAYER!), our man in charge of team spirit, Hilton, who did his best to keep everyone up and at em during rotations, Max, the historian and clerk, who will be receiving the 170 photos this camera happy mom took, and Grubmaster Gabe...who worked in the food department to keep everyone healthy and happy (as well as full).
 



Camp Avondale is a great place, with lots of land to spread the boys out over.  Thanks to the awesome leaders of the local district scouting troops for volunteering their time to lead the activities for the boys and to those in charge who spent so much time preparing.  We were "loaned" a wonderful Scout named KC from Jack at Troop 119, and we were BLESSED to have him.  KC helped our boys through the day, gave them advice and shared his years of scouting knowledge with us.  One of the beautiful things about scouting is the way the boys are taught to open their minds and hearts to the other boys in the organization and share everything they can with them.  We are looking forward to having KC join us at some of our future meetings. 
As we are a very new and small  troop, we didn't have enough boys to make up a "team" for some of the events and our boys joined in with others.  I'm proud to say that although they didn't receive official camp ribbons, both age categories were on winning Tug-O-War teams, the older boys even going against the Scout Masters and beating them (yes, I do have photos of that!!!).  We will be making sure the boys get an award for their winning participation in that event.  In all of the other events I was very proud of their work, as they have only had three meetings together as Boy Scouts.

Celebrating a victory with his boys!

 

 

                                    

As part of our stay, we participated in a service project.  We were allowed to choose between leveling out the fire pit or trimming the shrubbery around the bathrooms.  The boys spent about an hour out there cleaning out that space, and I am proud to say that our campsite was left a clean, tidy and safer place for their work.  As a bonus they found a freshly shedded snake skin in the trees, which the brave Scout Master Nina extricated for them (and ickily enough it's in my house now!!!!)

Gabe and Assistant Scout Leader Truett (otherwise known as DAD!!)

Ah that Scout Master Nina, always has her duct tape handy!!

I think we wore them out!!

 Sitting around the fire talking to these boys, watching them put aside all of their differences and work together, listening to them sing and cheer on other boys they haven't met before, all of these things remind me of WHY I scout.  As adults, our lives are busy and sometimes we wonder WHY we get ourselves involved in so many things.  These boys remind me why. Scouting is not about the NOW, it's about the future.  It's about teaching boys to be men, GOOD men, who work hard (and play hard), who live life as they should and give back whenever and where ever they can.  It's my firm belief that that time we spent in the woods this weekend was an investment in the future of four AWESOME young men, and I can't wait to invest in them some more!!

The EPIC battle, Mother Vs Child!!

Child always wins!!

 The following group of pictures I don't even know how to caption.  These were taken as the boys worked through their stations.  They built a fire from a 2x4 they had to cut up and make into tinder and fuel, the goal was as few matches to burn through both ropes.  We only used two matches, but didn't get that 2nd rope, although it was SCARED of us and achieved some definite char!  We will get it next year!!

                                     

On to knots, demonstrate the seven basic knots and build a chariot.  Ok, after some consideration and retying we got all the knots, and LOOK at those boys go!! Max would like to know if they can come cart him around school like this please!!

On to Athletics!! Nothing like a track star as your shoe in for running the races! 

Each boy did their part in the races and made us all proud!

                                       Hey, Max...paddle faster, the banjos are getting louder!!