Wrapping up a Summer of Scouting

This summer turned into a Summer of Scouting. 

Flags at the Blood Bank
Between Memorial Day, Flag Day, and July 4th there are opportunities for putting up/taking down flags at the Nebraska Community Blood Bank.  Summer Camp was the week of Flag Day but Ralph and Henry did their part for Memorial Day and July 4th.

Summer Camp

The Troop's Summer Camp was Camp Hohn at Lake of the Ozarks Scout Reservation.  It was a "cook in camp" camp (more adults are appreciated).  It had also been a few years since I went to Summer Camp.  Add those two factors together and I decided to go.  We left Lincoln on Saturday, June 10 and stayed overnight in Warrensburg, MO at a United Methodist Church.  

After attending service in the morning we drove to Camp Hohn.

It was the first week of camp and the camp folks were still working out the kinks of providing enough food to the campsites.  We were short breakfast items one day and the boys ended up honing their pb & j making skills. .

There were plenty of opportunities to hone skills at the camp stove as well.

Henry took canoeing, climbing, model design and building, and scouting heritage.

Ralph finished Digital Technology he started a while ago, took chess again, and completed signs, signals, and codes and animation. 

One night we had a troop outing to the archery range.

The troop also signed up to compete in the water polo tournament.

OA Callouts

Henry was nominated for the Order of the Arrow last Spring and was called out in late June when we "just happened" to attend our local camp on the night of callouts.  Henry along with 2 others in his patrol were called out.

Ralph had a part in the ceremony as well.

NYLT

Henry attended National Youth Leadership Training at the end of June.  Ralph was attended as a staff member and had been preparing for it for months leading up to the it with monthly zoom and/or in person meetings.

July 3

Ralph was given the opportunity to retire flags at the City's Fourth of July Celebration (Uncle Sam Jam) with other scouts.

Seabase

Ralph went to Seasbase, a high adventure scout camp near the Florida Keys towards the end of July.  It was a crew of 6 youth and 2 adults with 2 of the youth coming from Georgia.

The name of their adventure was called "Out Island Adventure".  The crew (along with the assigned island mate), paddled a Polynesian war canoe more than five miles to a primitive barrier island located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary known as Big Munson Island.

There was opportunity to kayak, snorkel, fish, and shark fish.

Order of the Arrow Pow Wow

In early August Ralph, Henry, and I attended the Order of the Arrow Pow Wow.  This was Henry's chance to complete his Ordeal, my chance to do Brotherhood, and Ralph attended as a general member - coming straight from Seabase basically.