This past weekend, five boys from Pack 66 and their dads went to Camp Akela, an overnight camp for incoming Tigers through first-year Webelos. Camp Akela is held at Phillippo Scout Reservation in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.
Friday
Everyone tried to arrive by 6:00 PM on Friday in order to get in line for swim checks. (We agreed that it would be worthwhile to arrange swim checks ahead of time next summer; that meeting could also be used to distribute copies of the camp information and answer any questions.) Because there's no dinner served on Friday, the folks in our car snacked on sandwiches and granola bars, and candy bars, on the trip down.
We were in a couple of tent platforms in the northernmost section of Kaa, one of the southern camps, fairly close to the athletic field and dining hall. Most of us dumped our stuff then headed to the pool for the swim check. Afterwards, we went back to camp and unpacked. There was no big campfire program Friday night; that was set for Saturday night. We decided not to do a campfire of our own (we had one of the two fire rings in Kaa), so the boys played flashlight tag until 10:00 PM, when we did our bedtime business and got to sleep.
Saturday
This was the big day. It rained a little overnight. We got up, showered (our showers were at the pool building), and had a hot breakfast of sausage and french toast sticks with syrup. Then it was the morning flag ceremony, and discovering the boys' den assignments. All the boys of a certain rank are put into dens with a staff member as leader, to be guided to the different activities.
Thomas's den started with animals, which included pony rides, goats, a llama, chickens, and pigs. There was a talk ahead of time which addressed some of the achievements and electives for the Bear rank.
Then it was time for swimming in the pool. The water was clear and warm, and everyone seemed to have fun splashing around in the water.
Then we went boating. Because Thomas is a non-swimmer, he can't do the canoes; he is allowed in a rowboat as long as there is a swimmer to go with him. We got life jackets, and were part of six people in a rowboat. We let the boys row, trading off, and we spent a lot of time in circles as well as actually moving in some straight lines.
Then it was lunchtime! And what a choice: Foot-long hot dogs with tater tots. You can imagine what the boys thought of that. (There was also a salad bar, as there always is at lunch and dinner.)
After lunch, it was time for archery. The boys learned which was their dominant eye, since the instructor said that was more important than which hand was dominant. Thomas, though right-handed, is left-eyed. Even though not all his arrows hit the target, he was happy with the distance his arrows flew.
Then we had BB guns. Thomas scored at least one bull's-eye, and got several in the white area.
(There may be some electives where archery or BB guns apply, but after completing a round of either one, a boy qualifies for the Belt Loop for that activity. The belt loops were for sale at the Trading Post, but the pack will pay for it the first time a boy achieves it.)
After the shooting sports, it was time for more swimming! Each den gets two chances at the pool during the regularly scheduled activities on Saturday and Sunday.
After that it was time for the flag lowering. Then the southern camps got to eat dinner (breaded chicken patty with mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, a roll, and a personal apple pie) while the northern camps got to play some games. After dinner and games the whole of Camp Akela went to the main campfire ring to watch the staff do skits, lead us in songs, and generally provide some evening entertainment. As dusk fell and the bats came out, it was time to go back to our camps.
Saturday night we decided to light a fire in our ring, and discovered that the office paper of some redundant copies of the medical forms didn't burn easily! We eventually got the fire going, and told some spooky stories; then we doused the fire and walked out to the athletic field to look at the stars, as the sky was very clear. We saw the Big Dipper and other constellations, and even noticed a couple of satellites. Then it got breezy and cool, so we went back to our camp to go to sleep.
Sunday
The Cannon Falls, Minnesota, low temperature for Sunday, August 10th, was 48 degrees Fahrenheit! Normally it is twelve degrees higher. We woke with a shiver, had a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns, then showered. The morning continued with another flag ceremony, after which we broke into our dens for the last three scheduled activities.
First, it was crafts. The Bears got to make a tool chest of their very own. Then we went behind the cabin where we did the crafts, and the boys learned about pocket knife safety.
They were each given a knife and a bar of Ivory soap, and got a chance to carve whatever they wanted, learning to keep the knife away from their body, to make sure they had a safety circle before begining, and to rotate the work, not the knife. Then they dumped the soap shavings, and washed off the knife with water. Finally, they learned to sharpen the knife with a whetstone.
After reading the points of pocket knife safety and handling, they got to sign their Whittling Chip Card, which allows them to carry a pocket knife to Cub Scout activities. They should have the card when they have the knife. If any adult leader sees the boy violating the rules -- like walking with an open knife, or using a knife when they don't have a clear safety circle -- the leader can clip off a corner of the Whittling Chip Card. If a boy loses all four corners, then he has to re-learn the steps and the rules before he can get another Whittling Chip Card.
After the knife skills, it was nature studies; specifically, conservation, erosion, and the water cycle. They then played a tag game that fit the ideas, so that the "water" couldn't tag boys who were heavier than silt, then sand could be tagged, then gravel, then rocks.
Then it was time to clean up camp, to pack up our stuff and take it to the car. We had to return the campsite to the condition in which we found it. Then we got a "Get Out of Camp Free" card for our leader (yours truly) to use to get the health forms back, and patches for the adults and boys.
After cleaning up the camp, it was time for lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwiches with Sun Chips and a cookie. Then we had 90 minutes of free time to do anything the boys wanted; they could split their time between different activities if they wished. Thomas opted to spend the whole time in the swimming pool.
Then we got into the car and headed for home.
Next year, the Bears will be first-year Webelos. Instead of riding ponies, they will get to climb the 35-foot high climbing tower. And they can register to attend Webelos Outpost, spending Sunday night in a different part of Phillippo, and going home Monday afternoon. (I believe the boys get to cook breakfast for their parents!)
Everyone seemed to have a good time, and looked forward to going back next year.
