Saying Good-bye, Saying Hello

Saturday morning started at 4:30 for me. After the closing campfire, the staff goes into the staff lodge and pulls an all-nighter (or at least a most nighter until 1 or 2 in the morning) filling out completed and incomplete "blue cards". This year, Mr. McGrath printed our "blue cards" on fluorescent green stock, which made it easy to spot ours. When staff is done with this process, they put the cards in our mail box for us to retrieve the next day. A couple of times, I stayed up with the staff until they were done and then sorted our card. I'm getting too old for that, so instead I get up early to retrieve the cards. I went to the lodge about 5, put on the lodge coffee pot, and sort our blue cards in the screened in safety of the staff lodge. It was very quiet and peaceful. I check off the advancement sheet to make sure we have all of our card (we were only missing a few), put the completed (passed) cards in a pile for Mr. McGrath to enter into Scoutnet, and return the incomplete blue cards to Scouts so they know what they completed and what they still have to finish. If your Scout brings home and bright green incomplete "blue card", PLEASE make sure they don't lose it, and remind them occasionally, that they should try to complete the remaining requirements. If they have any questions, they should contact Mr. McGrath.
The rest of the camp started waking up at about 6:15. No breakfast for anyone this morning until all the packing was done. All but six tents, all but two stoves, most of the cots, and all of the Many Point tarps had to be taken down and folded up to Many Point standards. All of the personal bins and equipment were gathered up and the camp sites (especially Two Harbors) were policed. The bus showed up at 9:30 and the preparations continued. Finally at about 11 the job was declared done and everyone got to stop for "breakfast"; Bagels, pop tarts, and juice boxes (no dishes!). Finally, they loaded the bus and the bus pulled out about 11:45. Mr. McGrath and I headed north to admin to check the troop out for week 1 and check the troop back in for week 2, while Mr. Isham and Mrs. Coleman watched the Scouts until Mr. Hundwardsen and Mr. Oas arrived.
Week two we have 12 scouts (we were suppose to have 14, but there were two last minute cancellations) and about six adults.
Mr. McGrath and I arrived back at the site about 12:45. The Scouts had packed up the trailer with all the spare equipment and pretty well secured the leadership area. Scouts started heading off to the showers and a few to Tamarack (a near by resort). I took a shower and relaxed with everyone else. Nick was done with staff activities at about 2:30. As I went off to pick him up, Mr. McGrath went with two of the Scouts to go fishing at Round Lake (the lake our campsite is on). Nick and I went to do laundry in Detroit Lakes and met everyone here at Ice Crackin for dinner (mostly many forms of Thunderburgers and liberal amounts of pop). I decided to take advantage of the wireless to do this last update before I head home tomorrow. As I get more pictures from people (PLEASE SEND ME YOUR PICTURES!) I will post them to our website. That's all for now from Many Point Scout Camp...Jon Yearous