SCOUTING SMOKE SIGNALS

The circulation area of The Waynedale News was very well represented during the fourth session of the season at Camp Chief Little Turtle. Troops #22 from the Southwest Conservation Club, Troop #38 from Calvary United Methodist, and Troop #302 from Monson Chapel/Beagle Club were all in attendance. And this group did represent Waynedale quite well.

Troop #302 won the Dutch Oven Cook-Off with a turtle delight cobbler and they brought the Blue Ribbon Grand Prize home to Waynedale.Troop #38 was hot on their heels in second place with a black forest cake topped with nuts and melted marshmallows. It almost seems like people paid attention to Ray McCunes advice and recipes for Dutch Oven Cooking. These Scouts are learning how to treat themselves very well while camping. And at the COPE (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) course the combined Scouts worked up enough of an energy level to attempt to launch Scoutmaster-naut Jerry Lloyd on a sub-orbital journey from the Flying Squirrel. All worked well though, and Jerry has his feet firmly back on the ground.

The campsites are inspected daily by the Commissioner Staff and various competitions are held. Troop #302 won the “Gateway Competition” for the week by building a drawbridge entrance to their campsite. Commissioner Jim Fox said that there were many good gateways, but Troop #302’s stood out far above all of the others. And that is a hard competition to win. Way to go Troop #302!

While Troop #38 took the high ground at their adopted Iroquois campsite they left Troop #22 deep in the woods at Apache campsite. After one day Troop #22 had affectionately renamed their site “Skeeter Valley” and the Unit owned a brand new screened in dining fly. Rumor has it that ASM Jack Shepard was doing some fogging until he noticed a large mosquito laughing at him and making threatening gestures. Time for Plan B.

What with Scouters being Scouters and all, there was certainly some fellowship during the week. Commissioner Jim Fox was surprised that he had packed so much for the week. He was even more surprised to find that parties unknown (Bill Lamb, Jerry Lloyd and Earl Kumfer) had managed to tie everything that he had brought together most artistically with lots of bright ribbons and rope adorning the tent.‑And Jim was astounded that the guys were thinking of his welfare so strongly that they had firmed up his sleeping bag with 2×6’s for a sound nights rest. What a bunch of kidders…

Too many Scouts got too much done during the week to list every achievement here. But the Shooting Sports were popular, the Waterfront (swim,sail,paddle,dive) was quite active, Mountain Bikes, Ecology, and the Alanya Program were all packed. This Council and these Scouts enjoy a 1,200+ acre Camp with three lakes, a great staff, and the Pigeon River on property. And they were all over it.