Update 4

Sorry that I have not been able to keep up the blog with the regularity of Mr. Bassett.

We are down to 18 scouts and 6 adult leaders spread out over two large campsites.  I presume that week 2 is a little quieter than week 1. All Scouts and leaders eat in one patrol—which has made for some challenging cooking and cleaning issues. We’re working it out. SPL Drew, and his ASPL’s have done a terrific job of making sure that we eat on time, and are (kind of) cleaned up on time.

Monday Morning: In my nearly 40 years of scouting, and countless numbers of morning wake up calls involving bugles, banging pots and pans, and an occasional tent being dropped on the scout(s) who has taken it upon himself to grab a few extra minutes of sleep, I was awakened to a far cooler, and profoundly more pleasant wake up call; Cal plays his acoustic guitar in front of each tent. So far, we’ve been awakened to “Vertigo” and “In the Name of Love” by U2, and by Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. It’s a great wake up, with my kind of music, and the results are better. The result is a VERY happy Scoutmaster, and far less of the shockingly un-Scout like language that can spew from a tent when metal spoon meets metal pot inches from a sleeping Boy Scout. BEST. WAKE-UP. EVER.

Another great addition to Many Point for week 2 is BIKES! We don’t have to leave 10 minutes early for everything.  Biking around camp has been great. On Tuesday, we took an 8 mile Bike Trek up to Administration on the “old road”, that goes directly through Flintlock, Yeti Swamp, and Ten Chiefs beach (the program camp immediately to the north of Flintlock). Scoutmaster Greg took the trekkers to see Gaylord’s lodge, built in the 20’s as a hunting lodge. Robert Gaylord was a lumber baron who donated the land to Scouts that is now Many Point. After a short time at Gaylords, we started back towards Voyager after a short stop at the Tents In The Trees outpost to look at the Robinson Caruso style treehouses. Scouts can sign up to spend a night in the trees. VERY COOL.

On Tuesday all members of Troop 346 participated in at least one leg of the Iron Man competition. The Iron Man is Many Points version of a triathalon: It’s a ¼ mile canoe, 100 yards swim, and approximately a 2 mile run. I’m still waiting on official results, but Troop 346 was well represented at the finish line.

Also on Tuesday night was the special party that we host for the staff every year. We made dutch oven desserts and funnel cakes for the Voyager staff. As a former staff member, I can tell you that the staff loves to get Troop invites like this. They entertained us with songs, and we entertained them with massive volumes of sugar and fried doughy goodness.

Wednesday greeted us with a stringer of Walleye from Mr. Oas, Mr. Westerlund, and David Beck (of course, the scout caught the most and biggest fish).  Delicious!

Thursday we have 3 Birthdays (what are the odds?) Jack Westerlund, Jack Peters, Noah Goset. HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Here is a list of things that the adult leaders apologies to parents in advance

• ·         Texas Hold’em.
• ·         Uncontrollable urge to sharpen your knives
• ·         BEGGING you for another pocket knife
• ·         Perfect square knots in all your mini-blind pulls
• ·         Moldy socks at the bottom of their dirty clothes
• ·         Using the large tree in your backyard as a bathroom
• ·         Little curls of wood (from whittling) on your front porch
• ·         That smell
• ·         Those shoes

Until next time.

Greg Sanderson