A Scoutmaster's Blog

Camp Watchamagumee was the place to be for the Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 during the weekend of May 17-19. The six Scouts, including four new members, and two adult leaders may have got a bit damp during the evening hours but they had a lot of fun during the day.

Friday night was a pretty laid back schedule. The troop left Melrose about 6:30 pm. The boys spent the evening setting up camp, reviewing fire safety rules, and enjoyed sitting around the campfire until the first drops of rain send them running for the safety of their tents.

The Scouts had a busy Saturday schedule. After breakfast they worked on their advancement and began building their primitive shelters that would would sleep in that night. It did not take long to discover that the boys did not bring along enough tarps and plastic sheets to build what they wished to build. After a lunch of baked beans and hot dogs roasted over an open fire the troop played a round of nine holes of disc golf.

Saturday afternoon was time for the annual Egg Drop Competition. Each of the Scouts received a raw egg. Their challenge was to create a package for their egg using other natural materials found around the campsite. These packages would than be dropped from higher and higher distances until only one egg remained. Daniel Klassen was this year’s Egg Drop Competition winner. He took home a Boy Scout campfire cooking grille as his prize.

The next event tested the Boy Scouts fire making skills. Each boy was to start a fire and keep it going long enough to burn through a string seven inches above the ground. Matches were not allowed for this contest. The Scouts needed to start their fires using flint and steel. A strong wind turned out to be the villain of this event. Even though the Scouts created hundreds of sparks, the wind blew out many of the flames the boys were hoping to use to start their fires. Alex Engelmeyer was the troop’s winner of this competition.

The boys finished the afternoon by finishing their primitive shelters, playing a couple of games, and making a great supper of fried potatoes and spaghetti and meat sauce. There was not much food left over. The boys had worked up quite an appetite.

A short chapel service was held at 7:30 that evening. This was followed with the boys moving their sleeping bags and pads into their primitive shelters for the night. As the Scouts gathered for the evening campfire they learned a troop song about Camp Watchamagumee, heard the story of the Purple Gorilla, and learned how to protect themselves from a wolfen attack.

Half of the Scouts discovered that their primitive shelters did not do a sufficient job of keeping them dry once the rain showers moved in overnight, but a couple did stay in their shelter for the entire night. Important lessons were learned which will be used the next time they build a shelter, which could be as soon as their June weekend outing.

Attending the Watchamagumee outing were Boy Scouts Alex, Daniel, Zack, Adrian, Sam, and Macoy. Adult leaders for the weekend were Scoutmaster Jim and assistant scoutmaster Eymard. Committee member Steve provided program assistance. The troop would also like to thank Melvin and Vern Klassen for allowing them to use their land for the outing.

More pictures of this outing can be found on the troop’s website.
http://melrosetroop68.org/yearlygalleries/yh13.html#Camp_Watchamagumee .

This year’s weekend camping trip to Kings Lake near Freeport, Minnesota, was not a typical troop outing. We arrived Friday night, as usual, and set up camp. We left Sunday morning, as usual. Saturday was anything but the usual.

Only three members of the troop attended this outing, and one did not arrive until after breakfast Saturday morning. We began the program with some map and compass work for the Second Class Rank. When it came time for the hike we decided to walk into Freeport, have an old style ice cream malt at Charlie’s Cafe, and walk back to camp in time for lunch.

We jumped into the car after lunch and went to Albany to play disc golf at North Lake Park. We played nine holes before going back to camp to clean up a bit. It was time to go to the graduation party of our oldest Boy Scout, Dakota. He invited us to stop by for supper. We, of course, could not turn down that opportunity.

Back at camp, the evening began with a leisurely pontoon boat ride around Kings Lake. The Scouts branded the Boy Scout logo onto an old canoe paddle, several times, which was then cut up into smaller pieces to take home as souvenirs. It ended with everyone sitting around the campfire. The boys must have been tired because they went to bed before the sun set in the western sky. It may not have been a typical weekend but the boys had fun and enjoyed the program. Isn’t that what really matters?

The weather forecast did not give the impression that this month’s troop activity would be much of a winter outing. The temperature had been above freezing for most of the week. A lot of the snow cover had already melted before we left for camp on the evening of Friday, March 18. The forecast for Saturday had temps in the mid 40’s, with rain Saturday night into Sunday morning. It was looking like the Boy Scouts would have to change a few of their planned activities.

The Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 arrived at Camp Stearns about 7:30 Friday night. Five deer greeted us as we rode through the camp. The campmaster surprised us when he told us that the sledding hill was still open, but that is was very icy. The boys were happy to hear they could use the hill because that was one of the highlights of the weekend.

We did not have much daylight left when we arrived at camp so we quickly unpacked the vehicles and walked to the sledding hill to check out the snow conditions. They hill was still snow covered but it was extremely icy. The Scouts were able to slide down the hill on their belly, without the use of any sleds. They looked like a group of penguins. They returned later in the evening, after organizing their gear, with sleds for a proper sledding activity. The evening ended with the boys watching the movie “Dragonheart” in the lodge.

The older Boy Scouts worked with the younger Scouts on their advancement requirements Saturday morning. After lunch, the boys picked up snowshoes and frisbees from the camp staff, and walked to the disc golf course. A couple of deer greeted the Scouts on the fourth hole. The troop usually plays nine holes while at Camp Stearns, but since the broomball field was a mud pit, they decided to play the entire eighteen holes. This was the first time that many of the Scouts had worn snowshoes so that added a new experience to the game.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with rest, relaxation, and board games. Following a supper of steak, potatoes, and corn, the Scouts went back to the softened sledding hill for another hour of fun. The evening finished with the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”.

The troop awoke before 7:00 Sunday morning. By 8:30 am they had finished breakfast, had packed their gear, and had loaded the vehicles. It was time to go home and relax from a fun filled weekend.

100 Days of Scouting: Days 39-41.

Boy Scouts will do a lot of things for the first time. It could be the first time tying a bowline, or the first time climbing a wall, or the first time away from home for a whole weekend. Even adult leaders will do many new things for the first time. Most of the time these “first times” are so enjoyable that the boys cannot wait for the “second time”.

I have been surprised when Scouting introduces the boys to a game that they have never played even though it has been around for generations. It makes me think that sometimes the boys need to get out of the house more often.

For example, I have been playing disc golf for decades. I find it to be fun, challenging, and a great way to get some exercise. The first time I suggested to the troop that we play disc golf at summer camp I received quite a few “what are you talking about?” expressions from the boys. I explained the rules to the Scouts and we have been playing the game ever since.

Two Boy Scout camps that we attend, Camp Stearns and Many Point Scout Camp, have disc golf courses. If we spend a weekend somewhere without a course we will create our own. Last year, we played nine holes in the winter while wearing snowshoes. It was the first time many of us had worn snowshoes.

Another “first time” game was while the troop was staying at Camp Stearns one winter weekend. I suggested to the boys that we play broomball. The Scouts had never heard of the game but were willing to give it a try. They had a great time playing it and it is now a part of our winter outing every year.

As a scoutmaster, I always enjoy the moments when I have a chance to introduce the Boy Scouts to something new. When you look back at your own Scouting career, what were some of the games that you introduced to your Boy Scouts for the first time?

100 Days Of Scouting: Day 25.