Goshen 2013 Adiou

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

We awoke to a foggy morning but with a clear promise of burning off and providing a beautiful day which it turned out to be.   The trek on the dirt (aka mud and tidal basin) road was a little slipper y at points, but I didn’t see any scouts fall nor any scout leaders needing hip replacements so everyone managed. 

Breakfast was pancakes, sausage and eggs.  If those didn’t suit you, we also had raisin bran (which it turned out suited none of the scouts at all, but suited all the leaders!).  For those of you who may be unaware, our scouts do what is called “heater stack.”  There are two options at Goshen – patrol cook and heater stack.  When I was a boy and walking uphill both ways to camp we always cooked our own food.  I was hoping my kids would do the same.  However, the food delivery is sometimes spotty and when the food arrives a little late it becomes very difficult for cooking, eating and clean up to take place prior to them having to head off to merit badge classes on time.  And since merit badges are the focus at scout camp, we focus on the cooking requirements at other camps during the year.  So the food is delivered fully cooked.  The scouts have to go down to the commissary and pick up what is typically a food box and a garbage bag full of items that accompany the heated food in the food box.  There are carts which have evolved over the year to the current gorilla carts we are using.  We then pray and the food is served by a patrol to everyone hopefully before it gets too cold.  Another patrol generally then has clean up which involves dumping any leftovers in the trash and washing any utensils and the plates and stuff the scouts used.  The food box then has to be returned to the commissary.  The food is of varying degrees of edibility but most times it is cafeteria quality food. 

I’m sorry to have to report this, but I did wander from one end of the camp looking for someone who was doing some activity, but the first classes of each merit badge generally involve sitting, listening, and answering questions about safety and first aid for the various merit badges.  As such, there was not as much as a spit wad fired, let alone a 22 bullet, arrow, or shotgun shell at the range.  And down at the water front there were no kayaks, canoes, or sail boats on the water.  There was not even much swimming in swim class this morning.  So, I have no action shots to share.  But I assure you, they will all be doing those things the rest of the week – unfortunately, I will not be there to report and show you them in action.

In a stroke of luck, just before lunch, the swimmers were swimming, the lifesavers were throwing life savers, and the sailors were sailing (well, it might be overstating it to call it sailing but at least the boats were in the water!).  Yes!!

Lunch at Marriott is two hours.  Since lunch never has to be cooked the theory is that scouts can take a siesta.  Wonderful theory which is ignored in practice.  Generally it involves some sort of horseplay or tomfoolery, asking the scoutmaster if you can go to the store (it’s closed till 1:30), asking what time it is (time for you to get a watch), or the ever present “building quorum unity.”  I myself would prefer if we all just took a hour nap. Then again, they might stay up later, so I guess you pick your poison.     Photo below shows some scouts doing "camp improvements" which invlove sweeping leaves using a pine bough to create a path.  I bet you don't see that sort of activity at home - note to Moms: consider sacrafice of tree branch to increase productivity.

After lunch I took four boys to COPE and climbing.  They got to climb.  I also heard that kayaks went out on the lake and shots were fired at the range.  Ahh, camp! 

And then, it was time for me to once again bid a fond farewell to beautiful Camp Marriott.  Tomorrow I’m back under flouscent lights looking at a computer monitor rather than under sunshine looking across the lake.   Of course, I haven’t been bitten by a mosquito or had to kill any spider at work recently, so there are some advantages.

Speaking of spiders.  There are spiders at Goshen.  In fact, there are quite a few spiders.  If fact, there are even some pretty darn big spiders and some poisonous spiders.  However, there are not near as many as your scouts may attempt to have you believe.  However, spiders do love a nice dry tent.  Which lead to some semi-acute cases of arachnophobia.  But, for the record, we had only seen (and killed) one black widow and I didn’t hear of any verified reports of any brown recluses.

Tonight the dinner is foil dinners.  I’m a little concerned.  You see, last night some intrepid scouts attempted to start a fire using a box of matches.  And when I say a box of matches, I do mean they used a whole box of matches.  Given that the wood was damp we will give them some latitude, but I’m not even sure they had any matches left over after last night.  However, I feel confident that they managed.  I only hope some remembered the secret ingredient!

Lest you fret due to you being a fretter in general or maybe the tone of my posts, let me assure you that your kids a having a good time at camp.  There have been numerous trips to the scout store for “required materials” (which seem to include chips and soda), fire play, sticks sharpened, lake swimming, food snarfing, creature capturing, and the various and sundry other things that boys love to do at camp.  They are in very capable hands of leaders who are concerned about them and like you when they are home, do their best to shepard them along.  Your prayers for good weather, brotherly kindness, and the patience of Job are all appreciated.   I'm thankful for those willing to take the time to be there so they youth can have this experience.  This is most likely my son’s last year at camp.  It has been fun to spend time there with him.  The good news for me is that my next son will start his scout camp experience next summer!

See some of you then!

Goshen 2013

Monday, June 24, 2013

Against what is almost certainly my better judgment and the strict advice of my Doctor, I am once again embedded like a lymes disease carrying tick into troop 1106 as they venture off to scout camp down in the land of Goshen at beautiful camp Marriott (where we don’t run, because, well, there is no running in beautiful camp Marriott).  As we gathered at 5:30ish i noted that the sky was fairly light and the scouts were not nearly as subdued as I would have hoped given that we have a 3+ hour drive ahead of us and a sleeping scout is nearly always better company than a boisterous one.   The novice yet knowledgeable Bro. White leads us as Scoutmaster this year.  His faithful side kick is Bro Haseldon who has experience in spades.  In fact, I believe that I heard him make reference to Moses when referring to himself.  I don’t know, he doesn’t have enough gray wavey hair for me to see him as Charlton Heston, but that’s just me.    Bro Wilhelm is once again there to join us with the 4 boys from his troop.  In all we have 24 scouts, meaning the leadership is seriously out numbered.  The mix is also interesting.  We probably have more teachers than I recall in prior years.  We have a lot of 2^nd years and then a couple rookies/green horns/greenies.  Obligatory picture while they are still relatively clean is taken, prayer is said and off we go. 

Somewhat unfortunately, the drive is relatively uneventful as we cross the Wayne Janzen drive (aka the Knob) and arrive before the rest of the cars in our group once again.  We are assigned camp#1 and the group excitedly chants “We’re #1” which echoes off the surrounding hills until we look at the map.  Camp #1 is a long way from….anything.  I’m not sure we can be in Marriott and be any further out.  Excellent.  That means they will be tired when nighttime comes if just from walking back and forth to the campground!

Scouts walk while their gear is driven to the camp site.  What follows is difficult to describe.  Chinese fire drill?  Protons in an atom?   Scouts have only tentatively been assigned tent mates so they hustle around pairing up, claiming tents, staking out patrol locations, and attempting to get the best cots into the best tents.  As it starts to subside, the asst. scoutmaster asks them to get into general groups by patrols.  This causes some anxiety and resistance.  This might be a record - I see my first tear well up in an eye at 10:27 a.m. on a Monday.  Not sure they spilled out, but the morning is a little stressful for some.

After what must be 10 or 12 hours in scoutmaster time, they finally get that done and we get orientation from our site leads – both young women.  Lest the mother’s (and priesthood leaders) fret, while very nice, one needs them to stock deodorant in the camp store and the other… well, I’m not sure if it shows or not, but indeed, the hair on her legs are a item of comment among at least the older scouts.

Unlike other years when they have asked us to get set up and return as quickly as possible, we are instructed that we have a time for med checks – 12:05.  I’m not saying camp doesn’t run on a schedule, but the impression that a 5 minute scheduling is realistic seems highly suspect to me.    It was a long ways off, but as I mentioned, I think this group took longer to get into tents than any prior group.  Amazingly, we all pass med exam and head down to the waterfront for swim check.  Just as we get there they indicated that the water front is closed so that they can do staff introductions.  Most of our crew have just taken off their shirts and shoes and socks and are less than enthusiastic about putting them back on to stand in the sun and listen to the names of the individuals with whom they will participate in a sort of mutual annoyance over the next week.  As such they  stay bare chested under the lake awning during the intros and are strategically placed where they can cut in line when the event is over and are subsequently able to get done relatively quickly after – well almost everyone, a few somehow get separated because the dock was a capacity and they trail a bit.

We dine on tube steak for lunch and then it is time to get them to classes.  Of course, very few of them know where they are to be and Scoutmaster has that information but of course they schedule a scoutmaster meeting for that inconvenient time.  But everyone eventually gets to where they belong.  I have taken a few scouts to the COPE and climbing area.  I have never been here before.  The climbing is done on a tower which is impressive. But seriously, after watching them climb up a rock face at Roc Enon, I’m underwhelmed.   It is in a nice grove of pine trees which gives a nice setting  Then again, there was no climbing yet since they have to learn about first aid, safety, and tying knots before they can climb.  The cope folks were chasing each other with water noodles. 

Back at camp there was tragedy.  The soda machine was out of service!  When I was there it was determined that part of the issue might be that the door was open…  That taken care of we will see if it is back operating tomorrow – there were also rumors that it was passing out two soda’s for the price of one.  Not what the quartermaster expected.  Since one cannot get a soda outside you have to go into the shop to get stuff.  And let me tell ya, this ain’t Wal-Mart.  They only let in a few folks at a time and once you are in there you are there for a while.  It takes forever for someone to check out.  Not sure why, but it does.  Two of our scouters went in and came out qualified for social security!  Ok, not that bad, but about 30 minutes to buy a soda.  Ah, the joys of camp. 

Dinner consisted of chicken that looked like it had been bleached, the flavor sucked out, smooshed, crushed, or processed, then frozen, then thawed, sprinkled with a little season salt and sent out to the camp with love.  However, not a single piece of chicken was left on the table (not sure how much ended up in the trash bag).

At 7:00 p.m. we gathered for FHE at the water front.  Just as we are getting down there a storm is coming in.  We can see the rain pouring down just off the other side of the lake.  The wonderful brother in charge knows that FHE is not to be skipped and so he is determined to continue.  The lightning strikes off in the distance are impressive and turns out – quite distracting to the scouts.  With the wind in the trees so loud that hearing the speaker is difficult, our own Grant Bankus takes part in the program.  He did a good job maintaining his composure in the face of both mother nature and distracted scouts!  We finally had a crack of lightning and burst of thunder which seemed closer and a scoutmaster jumped up and sent his troop off, at that point we lost about half the scouts from the camp.  Our boys remained calm in the face of the chaos (I’m sure they also realized that FHE simply cannot be skipped – especially the lesson part!).  The program finally ended and we made our way back to camp.  As we arrived the skies opened and down came the rain!  I rained pretty steady for about 45 minutes or so.  The scouts started in their tents while the leaders were under the group dining tarps having a lovely conversation.  After about 15 minutes the scouts got bored and came to join us, thus ending the peaceful rain and conversation and increasing exponentially the entertainment factor as the joys of having a new poncho were discovered.  And don’t believe what you read on the packaging – they certainly can be used as a toy!

As dusk faded to dark, we were treated to an amazing display of fireflies flickering on and off if the woods around our camp.  It was simply stunning.  I tried to capture it, but it really is something you had to be there to appreciate.  Not unlike scout camp.  I do my best, but it is really hard to capture all the sights, sounds, smells, and experiences of camp.  I hope this at least gives you a flavor of what we experience here.

It was a good day.  I think everyone got into the limited enrollment courses that wanted to.  No one was injured in the storm but it made FHE much more entertaining.  Tomorrow is another day.  Pray for good weather!  Too many merit badges can’t go if we get lightning.