Quality Time at Camp

Since I last posted I've been up to one of our Boy Scout Summer Camps twice (Bear Paw in Mountain, WI). It's a nice camp about 2 1/2 hours drive north and is ecologically similar to Lost Lake back in Clare, MI (lots of sand, pines, ferns and so on). Both trips were one night overnights on Fridays.

The first was to attend the Order of the Arrow Fall Conference (Conclave...). The highlight of the weekend was the work project of destroying a building. Our group started with about 10 guys growing to about 30 as members were drawn to the sound of destruction like moths to a flame. It took us less than three hours to take a cabin from being there to having nothing left but the concrete slab it had lived on. All of us were sore afterwards. It was also the dirtiest I have been in a long time.

I also took the opportunity to see Awase Lodge (the lodge here) induct members into the Vigil and see a different team perform the Ordeal. They both left something to be desired. While they were technically proficient, the ceremonialists lacked the stage presence and ability to inject life into the ceremonies that I grew to expect as a Chippewa Lodge member. In time I may take the opportunity to work some with this.

This weekend I returned to camp as a favor to our Program Director to help with Dad and Lad. That was not all that exciting, but it wasn't bad either. I ran the slingshot range until 5 of the 6 broke and then watched over the water bottle rocket station. I was able to leave early to head down to Brian's football game (they won 67-0).

Outside of camp, it's been a lot of working to get ready for the fall including a pair of Round-up/Popcorn trainings last week. Those were a lot more successful than last year. Hopefully we can keep the positive momentum we have built up into the end of the year.