Happy Friday!
Yesterday’s early morning activity was a camp to cove run at 6:30 am. Mr. Mayberry ran to represent 570.
It was our “in camp” eating day which meant food was delivered to us but we were on our own to prepare it. No cooking supplies were provided so we had some interesting solutions to cooking our oatmeal….. was it instant? Didn’t really matter, that was how we prepared it.
After morning classes, we had grilled hot dogs for lunch, then on to troop time.
Our first session was time to go through the Fort Duckabush Museum. Camp Parsons was established in 1919 and they have an amazing number of photographs and artifacts going through time. A few boys took advantage of a ¼ mile run to check off a Tenderfoot requirement.
Then the boys participated in Nature Jeopardy! Two teams squared off to answer questions like “how were the Hawaiian islands formed?” and “Name three types of trees that grown in this area”. The game ended with a very close score!
Immediately following the Nature Jeopardy, the First Class and above scouts had the opportunity to participate in a very special outing. Mark and Sandy Lane generously offered to host the boys at their cabin across the canal. The Scouts checked out kayaks from camp and paddled themselves 3.5 miles across the water. They returned this morning just in time for breakfast. They had an absolutely amazing time.
Meanwhile, back at camp, we had fantastic hamburgers and veggies prepared by our younger scouts earning their meal prep rank requirements. Tons of food and all of it gone!
After dinner, vespers, then Beach Party!!!! Dancing, beach volleyball, more pier jumping and canoe swamping – a good time had by all!
Our evening entertainment was a play put on the Parsons Players (aka the staff), “Star Wars”. They did an excellent job. The buzz going through the audience during scene changes was funny. The boys were really enjoying it.
Today will be the last day of classes so the boys are busy trying to wrap things up and get requirements signed off. There are at least 140 Merit Badges being attempted this week. This afternoon will be the camp wide Hullabaloo – a challenge relay for the troops. With tonight being the final Campfire.
Tomorrow, we’ll have breakfast and pack out. Depending on which ferry we make, we should be back at the school between 12 and 1 pm. Your scout will call ahead when we have a better time estimate.
Pictures up on TroopWebHost!!
Your tired adult leaders signing off (!) …
Greetings Troop 570!
Pictures up on TroopWebHost!
Amazingly sunny day! Jam packed with aquatics fun at the waterfront. 6 AM a few hardy souls from our troop joined in on the sunrise canoe trip to Octopus Point – Brad Devin, Jack Tribolet, Jason Schindler, Brandon Lane, Sam Parker and Arthur Taylor along with our Scoutmaster and made it back in time for breakfast.
After Merit badge classes and French Dip sandwiches for lunch, our first troop time was canoe swamp. And was it was all fun and games from the pier viewpoint, it was WAR on the water. All teams for themselves trying to sink the others. No one was spared!
Next up was the pier jump! Face your fears! A 140 foot plummet (or maybe 14 feet) but regardless it was a LOOONNNNG way down. Lots of mugging for the camera, special yells on the way down and attempts for the largest splashes.
Quick towel off and dress in uniform for dinner. After dinner the scouts had an opportunity to earn either the Fingerprint Merit Badge or Art Merit Badge. Some older boys, with both already earned, went for Patrol Power which is a team building low-cope course activity.
If that wasn’t enough for the day, we hosted a friendship fire complete with skits, songs and s’mores. What’s a camping trip without s’mores?!? By that time, some boys were asking to go to bed!
We’re past the mid-point and still having a good time.
For those parents interested in joining us for Friday’s events, arrive by 4:30 to meet us at our campsite, Mt. Olympus, and then walk over at 5:30 for dinner at the dining hall. Don’t forget to check in and pre-pay for dinner at the trading post before heading to our campsite. Wear closed-toed shoes! There is limited parking in the lot. Our troop will be responsible for the closing flag ceremony for the entire camp, just before dinner. At 8:45 pm, there will be a camp-wide closing campfire – always worth seeing.
- Your tired adult leadership…
Greetings Troop 570!
Monday, started off with a bang with games! Ultimate Frisbee, sharks and minnows and capture the flag on tab. We have some scouts on wheels – they are FAST! And have great hands for catching. Some got great air jumping for the Frisbee.
The troop hit the shooting range. The over 13 year old scouts tried their hand at rifles. All were shooting for dime club – you’ll have to ask your scout how he did. And our Archers headed for Archery. No arrows were lost and no scouts were injured!!
Then the boys had free time! Kayaking, swimming, more shooting ranges, work on merit badges and any other activity offered. Skies were cloudy but not our spirits!!
Today, started out with Pier jumping at 6:30 AM!! 10 brave souls from our troop jumped into the water from the pier 20 feet up before most of camp was even awake. When they returned they looked mighty cold – but rightfully proud of themselves.
After a fantastic breakfast, the boys headed to their morning classes. Then, after lunch, we had troop time. Troop time today was a ¾ hike for berry picking in the arboretum. They picked a ton of huckleberries – or at least a couple of pounds. The berries were folded into cake mix then baked in Dutch ovens. The boys had just enough down time during the cooking demo to succumb to fatigue after all the activity….. check to see if your scout was awake or asleep. Unfortunately, we had to head for dinner before they were entirely baked so we headed to dinner and had berry cake delivered for dessert.
This afternoon had SUNSHINE and a lot more water sports, ice cream from the trading post and resting on the porch by the adult leaders.
Final troop time of the day after dinner and dessert was the bouldering wall for the younger scouts and the climbing wall for the older scouts. Four intrepid scouts attempted the he-man rope challenge. Many have tried but few succeeded – including our own Luke Robledo!! Luke was helped along by the entire troop cheering him on!!
We ended the evening with free time around the camp. Boys continued to work on merit badge class “homework” and a group of the boys earned their “totin’ chit” lead by our own Arthur Taylor and Arden Chaing.
With the boys finally tucked away for the night, the leaders can finally retire as well and look forward to another full and fun day tomorrow.
Signing off until the next entry!
Greetings Troop 570!
Sunday afternoon was a bit of a whirlwind as we got settled in to camp, got our campsite set up (our site was changed when we got here so we had a few logistical challenges to overcome), got the boys checked in and swim checks done on the waterfront (refreshing!), and signed up for all of the merit badge classes for the week.
We had a great initial camp campfire program last night in the beautiful firebowl (which overlooks the Hood Canal) put on by the Camp Parsons staff. Some good skits, songs - including some new material!
Boys went off to their 9am classes without too many hitches. We are off and running!
More later!
Greetings Troop 570!
Your scouts and adult leaders are attending Summer Camp at Camp Parsons on the Hood Canal from July 29 - August 4, 2012. While we are there, we will be sending updates back to you on this blog to give you a little bit of a flavor of what we have going on and the adventures we are having (and the lack of sleep we are getting!)
Enjoy! And feel free to comment. I will make sure to share them with our adult leaders each night.
Wish us luck!
Wednesday
International Flag Ceremony - This week at camp, we have been fortunate to have a troop from
Paul Bunyan Lives! The scouts cooked a Dutch oven corn bread with M&M’s and marshmallows (interesting…), used a 2 man cross cut saw, moved a humungous log with a block and pulley, split wood, and made steaks and pounded them in the ground. Whew! Try to get to them to do that at home.
The Omache Triathlon—our own
Sharpshooters all! The troop tried their hand at rifle and archery during troop time. Half doing rifle and half doing archery. We had a few Dime Club and archery sharpshooters added to the camp list.
Dutch oven Dessert-o-rama! On Wednesday, the troop cooked our lunch and dinner in the campsite. After our wonderful meal of hamburgers, chips, watermelon and a vegetable Dutch oven concoction, the Scoutmasters along with their assistant scout took on rustling up some dessert. 9 amazing Dutch oven desserts were enjoyed by the troop and most of the camp staff who appeared magically once they were ready to eat.
Thursday
Canoe Swamp II – the boys liked it so much the first time they signed up for it again! We had about 10 boats out there vying to be the last one standing. Nobody went unscathed or dry! The two Geezer boats are licking their many bruised wounds but everyone had a great time in the water.
Fireman Chit - as a troop we worked on fire safety and fire-building techniques, earning a card to prove their knowledge.
There are lots of budding pyromaniacs in the group. Some of the older boys who already had this went to the shotgun range to take out some clay pigeons. Nearly all of them were able to hit at least one!
As a troop we went to the rifle range (most of us) and the archery range (some who did not want to shoot rifles). We have some amazingly accurate shooters in our troop!
But the real highlight of that troop time was the fact that the Japanese troop was also at the archery range with some of us and it ended up being an amazing time of international scouting diplomacy! Pictures a-plenty, exchanging of scarves, and whatever else they could find. It was a very special time and it was truly a privilege to watch the interaction. More on this later…
Scout-led campfire Thursday night. Troop 570 was well-represented in the lineup with a few skits and songs that received great reviews. The Japanese troop also performed a festival dance with color kimonos on, to the delight of us all!
Friday
This morning right before flags, Japanese Troop 3 presented Troop 570 with a ceremonial scouting kimono, signed by their entire troop and presented by their scout leader. A very special moment for us all. We have made some new friends this week and they wished to show their appreciation for that.
Wrapping up the merit badges classes in the morning heading into the last afternoon of “challenges”, Charlie’s Challenge to be specific. About 90 minutes of patrols going around the assembly area taking on small challenges laid out by the staff. Patrol flag, patrol yell, patrol spirit and patrol unity on display!
Tonight we will have the closing campfire and start turning our thoughts and preparations for heading home on Saturday morning. It has been an honor and privilege to be with your sons this week. Troop 570 represented themselves with distinction this week and made and impression upon the staff.
Your Troop 570 Geezer Blogging Crew
(More pictures up on the troop web site!)
Men at Work! For our camp service project, the Scouts and Scoutmasters of Troop 570 man handled tree rounds, moved chips, covered the trail, and sawed some downed trees on the trail. Big kudos to the younger scouts of the troop, who carried tree rounds either half or all of their weight!
Predator versus Prey—The troop played a round of predator versus prey with one predator and everyone else prey. Sounds lopsided, but that predator had a lot of power. In the end, the prey won out by attacking all at once.
Canoe Swamp—troop time also brought the infamous Canoe Swamp where the boys get in canoes without paddles and try to sink each other in boats. The Geezers made a good showing, but had trouble getting off the dock area. The canoes, it seems only hold 650 pounds. They sank immediately. But, never fear, they recovered in time to go on the attack. Many great strategies were used, however, in the end, all were sunk.
Capture the Flag—the most participants in the smallest field ever played a rousing game of Capture the Flag. Our troop of 50 played against a troop of 33. Much posturing, little advantage. They played to a stalemate after an hour. But as one young scout said, “That was so much fun!”
More pictures at:
https://app.doubleknot.com/openrosters/ViewPhotoAlbum.asp?PhotoAlbumKey=8075&orgkey=213
Your Troop 570 Geezer Blogging Crew
Greetings All! Your Troop 570 scouts and adults are adjusting to camp life up at
Camp food represents and eclectic variety of food groups (:^) but everyone seems to be getting enough to eat. Especially when the Troop 570 bank open up for withdrawals and they head off to the Trading Post to help supplement their food(?) intake.
One of our troop time activities on Monday had half of the boys working on the low COPE course for some group challenges and the other half completed either the Art or Fingerprinting merit badge! Even some of the Geezers had the opportunity to take on the challenges of the High Cope, and came away completely intact with very little therapy needed. At the end of all that a camp-wide drill took place as part of the Emergency Preparedness merit badge, which several of our boys are taking. SPL Kevin Schindler had our troop all lined up but was missing one scout – until he found himself (:^).
We started three in-camp merit badges last night for those that wanted take on some more! At 8:45pm until around 10:00pm, three scoutmasters counseled three separate sessions on Camping, Pioneering and Music merit badges to about 20 of our young go-getters!
More tomorrow…some pictures at:
https://app.doubleknot.com/openrosters/ViewPhotoAlbum.asp?PhotoAlbumKey=8075&orgkey=213
Your Pigott Geezer reporting crew
Greetings Troop 570 family and friends! The first day was a whirlwind of activity as we got much of our logistics for the week sorted out and got our camp site setup. Seeing AJ Calder, Elliott Heaton and Clayton Dietz on staff was fun and the boys got a big kick out of it. The weather cleared up nicely and was quite warm and sunny but late afternoon. Swim checks went fine and the water was actually “warm”, relative to the cloudy day that it was to start. The evening campfire was put on by the staff and brought out some old favorites (with some new twists and creativity) and some other new material. We will see if the creative juices will flow from that exposure on some of our future outings that require skits and songs (:^)
Half of the camp arrived this morning (LDS units) so we were actually HALF of the total camp for Sunday! It looks like all of our boys got signed up for the classes they wanted and were off to the races this morning working on Scout Skills requirements, merit badges and such. Acting SPL Kevin Schindler is doing a great job!
We will report more tomorrow, along with some pictures too!
Your Troop 570 Geezer crew.
Greetings Troop 570!
Your scouts and adult leaders are attending Summer Camp at Camp Pigott north of Monroe for August 2011. While we are there, we will be sending updates back to you on this blog to give you a little bit of a flavor of what we have going on and the adventures we are having (and the lack of sleep we are getting!)
Enjoy! And feel free to comment. I will make sure to share them with our adult leaders each night.
Wish us luck!
The fun continues, although I think that everyone will be happy to be home soon. It will be a quiet ride on the bus home (we hope).
This is our last blog entry for this year, so here’s what is upcoming:
Be sure to attend our next Court of Honor where all of your Scouts will receive their Merit Badges and other awards.
Signing off,
Your Troop 570 Camp Easton Blogging team
Wednesday was busy!
Your increasingly tired Troop 570 adult crew…(but enjoying it!)
We are loading up pictures on the http://www.troop570.org/ website to give you and idea of what is going on here and what the camp looks like. Check them out at this link:
https://app.doubleknot.com/openrosters/ViewPhotoAlbum.asp?PhotoAlbumKey=7476&orgkey=213
New pictures added each day as we have time! Enjoy!
Wow, the days are packed here at
Your Camp Easton Adult Crew
Greetings from
Troop 570 has been very busy. You probably guessed that since we haven’t actually posted until now!
Here are a few highlights – although this entry will be a bit longer than normal, since we have a couple days of catching up to do and have had some technical difficulties!
Signing off for now,
Your Troop 570 Blogging Crew
Welcome to the new Troop 570 Summer Camp blog! In here, we will be posting information about our Camp Easton adventures during the week so that our readers can keep up with what we have going on at camp. With almost 80 of us going to camp, I would think we would have plenty of interesting things to keep you informed on!