Cub Scout Fall Campout...

Jayclimber

Well-known member
Moderator
#1
So we have a fall campout in two weeks and I figured I'd start a thread for it.

It's a little different this time, no pig roast as in past years and not on Scout property. One of our dad's belongs to a local Rod and Gun club and they offered their entire 42 acre facility for the weekend! So we can do some things that we normally wouldnt do at our Scout camp.
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It will be a family campout and for anyone wanting to we will have BB guns and air rifle to shoot (2 dads are certified NRA RSO's) and we will do a fishing derby. We also are going to have a "Blue Tarp" challenge where each den will get a blue tarp with stakes and unlimited twine and we will have a contest for shelter building! Here are the awards I made this afternoon!
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Saturday dinner is gonna be old school one pot meal of chili with Dutch oven cornbread with a Paul Bunyan breakfast of pancakes wrapped around a sausage link!

I'm really looking forward to this one!
 

Jayclimber

Well-known member
Moderator
#6
Its the day! We go this afternoon to camp for the weekend! Lows are going to be in the 30's with highs in the mid 40's. It has rained the last two days and we'va had strong winds but that should be over this morning. Son is packed and I'll finish this morning!
 

Jayclimber

Well-known member
Moderator
#11
Finally settled back home! Gear is cleaned up and ready for another trip in 2 weeks!

We had the blue tarp challenge and shelters were built... This one was voted most creative! 5 Kids in a 6'×8' tarp!
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Kids learned to tie square knots and bowlines! Had a good old fashioned knot tying race, it finished in a "tie"...
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Took a hike on the property to practice leave no trace ethos and to collect trash as a service project for the hunt club letting us use their place.
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Had a giant bonfire to end the daytime fun...
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It got a little out of control and it took 3 of us with buckets and a hose 30 minutes to put it out. We were shocked the local township fire department didnt show up. Lol...

The kids had an absolute blast and I think one of our new den leaders is on board with what we do. We are a little different in our approach to scouting and she embraced it over the weekend. She is the first mom in 4 years to camp with us and she owned it.

Couple of take a ways...
First this was a bittersweet weekend for my den and myself and my co-leader. It was our last campout with our cub scout pack. We start our transition to our buy scout trip in 2 weeks and will be doing meetings with them from here on out. So we are going from adult lead programming to boy lead programming. So us adults start to take a support role.

Second, out of a total of 55 people (adults, scouts, and siblings), only 14 stayed and camped one or both nights and of those 14 only 3 adults and one scout camped outside... The clubhouse was made available to sleep in and most dads and scouts took advantage of it but it might have been good to try camping outside but that's maybe a personal thing for me. I do wish more of the participants would have fully embraced the weekend and gotten the full weekend experience including the overall comraderie and atmosphere of scouting. Scouting gets compared to sports alot and it isn't a truly fait comparison. You can really just show up and tie a know, eat and leave. Its about bonding, learning to work within a group, watching others, helping others, and this is equally important for both scouts and adults....

Its alot of work to put on a scouting event and my group is blessed with a few really dedicated individuals that really make it happen. Its mentally and physically exhausting to pull it off but very rewarding. I wish more adults (parents) would buy into this and jump in to help.

Finally, I'm tired. We got home earlier today and after getting stuff put away and ourselves cleaned up I fell asleep for 4 hours. I've never done that after a trip. Maybe a 30 minute cat nap but not knock down asleep. I have to be gonest and say I'm kinda looking forward to moving on to boy scouts from the aspect that the boys do it all with the older scouts taking over the teaching. I think I gave it my all forbthe last 4 years and can comfortably sit back and now watch and smile and help when needed.

Thanks for following along gang.
 

240Geezer

Old dude with a ‘tude
Gold Subscriber
#12
Thanks for sharing Jay. Boys are transitioning to a higher level and I hate to say it but maybe you’re transitioning to another level as well.
Circle of life and all.
(Don’t shoot the messenger)
 

Donfini2

Slayer of hops and barley, lifelong hill William
#13
Looks like a great trip!
I think the leadership roles need more guidance, it might be an opportunity waiting for you to seize.
A companion guide written that explains the roles as you stated it above challenging the dads to become better men at the same time.
Add a series of boot camp courses to it.