Troop 1131:

Our scouts have started their merit badges and other activities, and except for a few who have asked to change their schedules, they seem to be doing well. The dining hall food has been good, even the fussier eaters seem to be enjoying the meals. I have not heard any belly aching. As in years past, the dining hall staff has allowed us to store our camp treats in the walk-in cooler and freezer. Geoff Abbott and Mike Tiffany drove into to Mount Airy to buy the few remaining items that we didn't bring from home, and last night, the boys enjoyed banana boats and s'mores around the campfire in our troop's campsite.

Archery is always a challenge as the bows require some strength to use properly. We had our troop archery shoot last night and about half the troop attended. For some of the new scouts, it was the first time using a "real" bow.

Our new scouts got together after lunch to work on their Tenderfoot through First Class requirements. We spent quite a bit of time updating handbooks, wound up giving Daniel Schmoker his Tenderfoot Board of Review. This morning, John Graham and Patrick Spahn lead the troop in a flag ceremony, and that is the last requirement that Patrick needed for Tenderfoot. So he'll have his board of review tonight.

Today, our new scouts will hike "up the knob," a rocky outcrop on the mountain that towers over the camp. Dan Klinger, Zach Stephens and James Tiffany will lead the hike, and most of the dad's will go along. It's not a long hike, but it is "uphill." The dining hall is giving us cold cuts to make sandwiches for the hike. One of the requirements for Second Class is a five-mile hike, but the knob hike will not satisfy that requirement, and it is unlikely that we can carve enough time out of the camp schedule to take a five-mile hike with new scouts who need it. We'll schedule a five-mile hike for September. Hopefully, that will be in time for most of our new scouts to get their Second Class rank at the Fall Court of Honor in October.

Bryan Burley and Ryan Kavanagh built an aluminum foil oven like we use to cook our turkeys on the pre-Thanksgiving camping trip. Each year we improve the design, and this year the oven incorporates more poultry wire to give the aluminum additional support. We used the oven to make the banana boats last night and tonight we'll make pizza in the ovens.

Some of the older scouts were disappointed when our troop was not selected for the troop rifle shoot. The camp runs a lottery the first night when troops' sign up for these "troop shoot" events and there's a "random" selection process. For whatever reason, we have almost always been selected for both rifle and archery! Despite the fact that "Dem boys from Virginia can sure shoot," we did not get the rifle, but will instead do a troop shotgun shoot Thursday.

The weather has been so-so; it's been the mild, but damp. We have had short showers throughout both days in camp, and the forecast is for more of the same. The lake at Raven Knob is spring fed. Some scouts love it and others find it uncomfortable. There are currents of cold water in the lake, but there are also pools of warm water. The trick is to stay out of the former and swim in the latter; however, there are no signs telling you where each is.

Philip Sternberg
Scoutmaster