Troop 1106 Embedded Civilian Report

Day Three – July 9, 2008

Today is to be my last day here in camp, and while I really will miss it, I can’t help but smile at the thought of my own bed. We have had wonderful weather for the most part. It rained this morning lightly for about 30 minutes, but I have yet to need my poncho. That is a wonderful thing.

Unfortunately the whole process has yet to become seamless so we encourage the boys in their chores. Here is Kevin trying his best to clean the latrine without actually having to touch anything other than the handle of a toilet brush. Bro N. told him to be sure to flush when he was done….

We got a 40 yesterday on inspection so we are working on improving our score with some camp improvements. Here they carry a tree limb to add to our walkway. A “swing” was also added. While I’m not sure they will get any points for it, it kept many of them engaged for quite some time. Every one is fed and off to class again for the morning without any major events. On a Wednesday that is pretty successful in my mind.

As I prepare to leave I know that the boys are in good hands. This is the “big red box” being hauled back to camp. The box is filled with food stuffs from the boy’s tents each night and taken to a car to help us avoid visits from friendly woods critters and not so friendly woods critters.

Having checked the scores we note that our two day totals have us in about 2nd place in troop of the week. High score yesterday was a 42. With two 4th place finishes that gets us roughly into 2nd. They volunteer for shower clean as a service project. While it takes them a good portion of their lunch, they see it through. As my farewell gift to them I get lunch ready for them so that they can quickly eat and get off to classes. A final word with my boy and I’m back on the road to civilization. Thanks to the scouts for letting me join them this week. Thanks to all the leaders who took time off work to be there with them. Thanks to all the staff who despite the bad pay and long hours help the boys meet their requirements. I look forward to getting the report of the final 2 days and 3 nights.

Camp Marriott - Goshen Scout Camp Day 2

Troop 1106 Embedded Civilian Report

Day Two – July 8, 2008

Our day got off to a very eventful start today at 2 a.m. when a powerful thunderstorm rolled over us. We had a couple very close encounters with lightning strikes. It wasn’t close enough that it made my hair stand up, but as Jacob said, “If I can hear lightning, it must be close.” There were two strikes so close that the tents shook as the ground rumbled. You could then hear the wall of water coming towards us. Bro. Nichols looked out and said there was pea gravel size hail coming down pretty good. I will say I was quite impressed that even though most of them woke up, I didn’t hear a single scream from any of our tents – what manly boys we have. Of course, the strike was so loud, it might have drowned it out, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

As I sat there and listened to the rain, glad for the noise to drown out the snoring, I was taken back two years to when it rained and half the tents leaked and left the boys with wet sleeping bags. I wondered what the damage would be when we arose. Fortunately, while it was powerful, it was also short lived.

When I arose in the morning it looked like it had rained. And that was all. Not a single scout even reported any leaks. Sorry, I wish there was something more dramatic to report to the folks back home, but sometimes there isn’t. Actually, since many doing the reading are mothers, maybe that is exactly what they wanted to hear.

The first full day of camp was underway. We rousted them out of bed at 7:15 to go pick up breakfast. Between then and 8:45 they were busy with eating, cleaning the camp, cleaning the latrines, washing dishes, fireman duties, and “camp beautification.” Our first day score was a 33 out of 50 for camp inspection (we lost big time for not having our fireman sign posted and for not having camp improvements). Brett, Matt and Jalen ended up with dish duty and trooped through till the end even though they were a little late for class. As a general observation, this group of young men seem to move a little slower. They seem to get the job done, just not quite as efficiently as one would think possible.

Once again luck was with us and the boys didn’t have any trouble getting into their classes. The 9 a.m. archery class has about half our troop while the others are in first aid, canoeing, and others. Archery staff loves to shout so you can hear the archery class over much of the camp yelling the rules back at the instructor.

We have a couple of boys who need some extra time working on their swimming and who are in a class to learn more. The class was only marginally better staffed than the personal fitness class and fortunately, Bro. N agrees to get in the water and work with the two boys from our troop. I’m not sure they will finish the week knowing how to swim, but they were making improvement and Bro. N got to get into the lake when it wasn’t free swim so everyone benefited….

Brother C. continued with his BSA training. Trust me, most the time they were in the water, but it was a lot easier to get a picture of his class before they got back into the water after lunch. Instructor was the lady on the left who was in charge of the waterfront. She had a nice 15 lb weight instead of the 10 lb weight in the requirements to use in pulling up from the bottom of the lake. The other two gentlemen are classmates/victims/rescuers. Upon returning at then end of the day, Bro. C informed us that the lake was about a foot lower than the previous day – he had swallowed that much lake water!

Tonight was going to be foil dinner night. It meant that even us heater stack troops had to cook dinner. Because there were 13 of us, we determined that we would need two fires. Bro. Ramsey worked on the adult fire and the fireman worked on the scout’s fire. In order to eat and get down to classes after dinner the firemen needed to get the fire started around 4-4:30 so it would be ready to cook at 5-5:30. Bro. Ramsey worked during the day to gather firewood. He had turned over a log and a copperback snake was sitting there and started striking at him. He managed to avoid the snake, the same could not be said for the snake avoiding him….

When the food arrived one fire was nearly ready and the other was – um, not really burning. The cooks were having a discussion that at times included how to proceed but at no time actually involved proceeding. The rest of the boys were debating the best structure for a rope swing camp improvement. The leaders took their food and prepared their dinners and got them cooking. The boys followed along, somewhat later. The timing actually worked out ok for most of them because when the leaders finished they were there able to cook on our fire since theirs had never really gotten going…. Giant thanks to Bro. Ramsey for all his work on the fire – we had amazing coals to cook on. Giant thanks to Bro. N for providing a secret ingredient that made my foil dinner one of the best I have ever tasted. I would tell you what it was, but it wouldn’t be a secret then.

At 7:00 the lifesaving merit badge had their clothes strip. They have to take off a button up long sleeve shirt, pants with a belt, shoes and socks and get about 10 feet into the water within 20 seconds. Having watched this a couple times, I must say, it is a little disturbing how quickly some of those boys can get out of their clothes…. I think the kids who go to church have a definite advantage because they are use to coming home right after and changing clothes in mere seconds! Jacob was a respectable 15 seconds. Robert also did well at 17 seconds. Record for the night was 7 seconds. Those parents might ought to worry…
Some of the boys took off to go fishing. I think that almost all of them caught at least one fish. Bro. R is apparently quite adept at scout camp fishing as a carry over from his days as a scout when he spent the majority of his time doing just that at camp….

We returned to camp and Bro N was making his famous cherry/pineapple dump cake. The coals were still burning bright and while it wasn’t his fuel of choice, it turned out quite tasty. I had to have 3 servings to be sure it that all sections of the desert were equally fine. I am truly a selfless servant. They were.

We concluded our day with scoutmaster minute from Bro. N who told us about when he was young and how he was prompted to put on his helmet just before he had an amazing motorcycling accident which he lived to tell about because it was on. As we set around the final dying embers reminding the scouts that it was quiet time (remember just last night how they went right to bed….), I reflected back on my last full day at beautiful camp Marriott and was glad to have had the chance to visit again.

Troop 1106 Embedded Civilian Report

Day One – July 7, 2008

Troop was to arrive at 4:00 am at Scout Master’s home. We are unfortunately running late and are worried about holding everyone up. At five minutes after 4 Jacob is the third scout there out of nine which will be going. Scoutmaster is hustling in and out of his house, looking like some of those zombies in that Michael Jackson Thriller video. Story goes that his evening flight home the night before was canceled so he had switch flights. The airline then overbooked the flight he was rescheduled for and then offered him a night at a hotel and $500 to fly back the next day. Since he is home you know the opportunity cost of scout camp for him just got quite a bit more expensive! To top it off, his plane was late and so he arrived home at 1:30 am to start packing for scout camp….in fact, his suitcase from his trip goes straight into his van to go to camp with him…

With our commander already in sleep deprivation mode before we even begin the tour it is fortunate that we have seasoned vets in the next slots. Blake C*, who has attended a myriad of camps from coast to coast is second in command and nearly the last to arrive. I guess he can lead from behind… Doug Ni*, a fellow civilian, is third in the chain. As a long time friend of the scout master’s wife’s family, there are some who question whether his position is one garnered from merit, “family” favors, or possibly even blackmail.

With everyone finally ready to head out, we take the obligatory dark of night/extremely early morning group picture (red eye included), pray, and spit into vans. They looked for someone to take point and when then asked for a volunteer I was the only one who forgot to step backwards and so receive the dubious honor. It is my third year to head down, but after the Wayne Janzen special “longer-way-4x4-dirt-road-short-cut” last year, I haven’t actually traveled the route in a couple years. I make a special effort not to run over any long dead stinky skunks (see last year’s report). The youth in my car consisting of Jacob H*, Alan M*, and Robert H* settle into an extremely long and detailed discussion about Smash Brothers which include discussion of various characters with generous helpings of extreme boasting concerning various exaggerated skills and/or feats. I wonder how 4 a.m. start time didn’t work to keep them asleep. A half hour later I wonder how long this conversation can possibly continue and debate with myself whether if think I have enough benedryl (sleep inducing) in the back for all of them and how best to fake all of them into believing they are having allergic reactions that would require such medication. I solace myself in the fact that I’m sure the other vans have the same issue. When we stop for gas I find out that all the other cars had sleeping boys, other than Bro. Ramsey’s, which had a sleeping man not in the back but actually driving, but who managed to battle through and stay on my bumper anyway. We are getting close – I almost recognize a small creek that was a raging torrent at least 3 feet higher the last time I passed by this way….

We arrive in beautiful camp Marriot to check in and … they aren’t quite ready for us. I’m not sure, but I’m afraid this might be foreshadowing…. We are told to follow our site person, I would tell you her name, but since it was the last time I saw her in our camp I don’t remember it. She tells us we can choose from 14, 2 or 6. We inquire about “our” camp - #9 – and are told we can’t have that camp. We miss Bro Janzen, not for the first or last, but certainly our most poignant time. Boys learn the valuable lesson that it isn’t always what you know but WHO you know. The nine boys pick their tents and tent mates (Jacob & Alan, Marcus and Kevin, Matt & Jeremiah, Robert solo, Brett and Jalen) and get into swimsuits for the swim check. It is actually surprising to me (but probably not their mothers) how quickly their tents resemble their bedrooms at home. How is that possible after just 10 minutes?

We stand in line for med check. We do swim check. Lake is cool, but not cold despite the protestations of some of the boys to the contrary. Lunches are boxed and include two sandwiches (rubbery chicken), apple sauce, chips, cookies, and two kool-aide jammers (don’t worry Moms – looks like the boys will be well fed. Worry wives – it looks like your husbands will be well fed…).

It is clear that the camp is based on military principles as all day has been a hurry up and wait. Finally, at 2, classes start and it appears that all our boys got into the classes they wanted, including Marcus and Kevin getting into motor boating.

Dinner is buffet style at the food area where we are served turkey in gravy, instant potatoes (I hope these were at least once real Idaho potatoes), green beans, and something the approximate viscosity of pig’s feet with what appears to be celery in it that I believe was intended to be stuffing. I abstain.

Evening classes run from 7- 9 most nights, but are shortened to 8:30 tonight. Flag ceremony to retire the colors and then they hike us around half the camp before arriving 10 yards from where we were previously standing at the campfire area. The fireflies in the trees in front of the lake give the impression that the trees were strung with blinking Christmas tree lights just for the occasion. The staff light the two fires, but only one fire lights. They have us sing some songs but only 1 works. The staff do some skits, but we are at scout camp, and it is just the second week, so further “refinement” will be needed on most of them before they are ready for any audience. We are happy to be able to help them practice.

After that the LDS Commissioner speaks about how scout camp is a safe place (given that fact that we are only about 5 hours into camp and I have found myself clearly inside at least a half dozen blood circles which spontaneously erupted around me when a scout decided the stick they just picked up should be whittled in some sort or fashion – typically into as sharp a point as they can make it – I have to question his assumption…) and how the gospel is a safe place (I concur), we are asked to leave the now very dark fireside to walk back through the dark woods on uneven paths to our camps without flashlights.

After arising before 4 am, not sleeping during the trip and the excitement of the first day of camp, we arrive back at camp at 10:30 and the boys are begging for bed. We pray and the boys get into their tents. Less than 10 minutes later there is not a single voice coming from single tent. If they would just do this every night….

This reporter is also headed to bed. It was a relatively uneventful day – which is a good thing. Weather was very nice and we are all settled in. I’ll try to get this update out ASAP, but given the remote location, I can’t be sure when that will be. More installments to come….