Cub Scout Camp

Summertime is that magical time of year when there is no school. You get to stay up late. Ride your bikes all day. Throw the ball around. Fireworks for the entire month of July (trust me the neighborhood is proving that last statement). Then there is scout camp. I have gone with Alex the last couple of years to Cub Scout Day camp so it’s not the overnighter, but still, it’s a scout camp. We were supposed to do Alex’s first overnighter this year but that was our first night on vacation so he, sorry pal, you’re missing it. Last week was Connors first adventure at camp.

Connor is his own person and he is not afraid to tell you that. It’s one of his most endearing (and hair pulling) traits. With an event like camp, we had to slowly tell him about it. Build up to the event type of thing. So, with Alex’s help, we started telling him about all the fun things at camp. He would react in horror at the boats or the hike. It was a fun give and take for three days. Finally, the night before the camp arrives and the new battle was the time he had to wake up. Most people don’t like getting up at 615AM during their summer vacation, so his objection was warranted but ultimately ignored. On the ride to the church to meet with the rest of the troop, I promised him he would not have to do the boats but he did have to try everything else. Compromise is a great thing. Well, I think telling him he was riding with his friend Ben helped a little bit also. We arrived at the church and with all health forms and release forms filled out; we headed up to Camp Kiesel.

Due to my awesome planning and navigation abilities we arrived at camp, 35 minutes before we could check in. My bad, but at least we were able to commandeer the best picnic table spot for the troop. BOOM! Camp Kiesel is your typical scout camp; there is shooting BB guns, bow and arrows, nature hike, tug-o-war, obstacle course, canoe rides, and new this year wrist rockets (not to be confused with man-bands, mancelets or brocelets. See yesterday’s post for joke reference. Thank you.).  This year we were lucky we started and ended with the two big events; archery and BB guns.

Like I stated we started with archery and once Connor grasped the concept, he did really good. While he was no William Tell, he didn’t slice his finger open like his older sibling did his first time out. For reference, Alex held his arrow like a pool cue and the fletching sliced his finger as it slid past. 

We then did a respect nature course and tug-o-war.

 After a kids vs. parents tug-o-war and many tears, we took a break before bead making.

Ok, I understand that scouts teaches about knot tying and the outdoors but why do they need to know about bead animal making? More importantly, don’t they know that many Dads’ will be accompanying these boys? That is why this:

Turned out like this:

This is not a Dad event. Scouts are about nature, knives, knots, hiking, and the such. Not beads. Wait, they say this is an exercise in following instructions and dexterity of the fingers to help with the knots. Oh, I see. Moving on.

There was the nature hike, where they learned about what the good and bad plants were in the area, then the dreaded canoes. Connor did not want to do the canoes under any circumstances and after our Disneyland experience, I learned not to press the issue. I asked him if he was absolutely sure he didn’t want to go and that was the end of it. We watched the rest of the boys from shore, when the meltdown happened. He felt stupid and dumb that he didn’t go. That is when I told him, “Buddy, I am proud of you for not going. You made a decision and didn’t let anyone talk you out of it. That is a great trait to have. However, now that you see there is nothing to be afraid of and it’s not as bad as you think, do you want to go next year?” His reply, “I think definitely I maybe will try next year.” I’ll take it.

We had lunch, then shopped at the trading post (Mandy was thrilled with the sling shot we purchased) and then had the obstacle course. The obstacle course consists of a rope bridge, running over and through some tires, walking a balance beam, and ends with a wrist rocket shooting range. Connor again was having nothing to do with the rope bridge. He didn’t even want to try and after some convincing and pleading, he decided to at least try. The first attempt, he wouldn’t even go up on the ladder. So he came back down and wanted to try when no was looking. The second attempt, he climbed all the way up and decided it was too high. While, I was disappointed he wouldn’t go across, at least he tried to and climbed to the top.  He still was able to do the wrist-rockets and thought it was great practice for the sling shot he purchased.

We ended the day at the event he and quite frankly, all the boys wanted to do: BB GUNS! I need to get this boy his own rifle. He was a regular Earp brother out there. He was all over range, nailing his targets. He grasped this concept quicker than anything else all day. I was proud (and slightly alarmed) at how good he really was with the gun.

After guns we had the closing flag ceremony. Note to Camp Kiesel counselors. When it’s time to go and it’s in the low 90’s and you are running 15 minutes over, cut out a song or two (or five) and let’s go home.

Camp was a success I think. Based on the conversations Connor and Ben had on the way home, the boys definitely thought so. We can build on this and hopefully we can get him to do all the events next year. At least it wasn’t an overnight camp.

 

 

 Wait, Alex has an overnighter next year?