BSA Troop 451, Lewisville, TX

Wednesday, June 29 th , 2016 Another day, another early dawn and another lovely sunrise. It is great to be outdoors on a beautiful Missouri morning in June. The day is quiet then, before the boys awaken, and the peaceful moments offer a chance to reflect. It is well to keep in mind that summer camp is all about the boys – we adults are here to ensure that they have a successful, enjoyable experience. The fact that we enjoy it too is pure lagniappe . The morning was rather cool – enough so that jackets or sweatshirts were comfortable. The breeze that brought the change in temperature was the harbinger of oncoming rain but not before breakfast. The morning meal was, of course, preceded by the raising of the flags and once again, our Scouts proudly served as color guard to raise the Texas colors once Old Glory had been hoisted by the Camp Staff color guard. Our troop earned the privilege of the recognition by keeping a clean, ship-shape campsite that garnered top marks in ...

Tuesday, June 28, 2016 Gettin' Up Time In the cool hour of dawn, it is hard to recall the Amazonian heat and humidity of the day before. The sky begins to lighten shortly after 5:00 AM and the sun is up just before 6:00. The temperature is a welcome respite. In keeping with the dawn’s early light, the camp stirs early too. Even before it is light enough to see the ground underfoot, folks are up and heading to the storm shelter/wash house in hopes of enjoying a warm shower without a wait. The storm shelters deserve a digression here. Storm Shelters Owing to the potential for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, the good folks of the Pony Express Council of the BSA and Camp Geiger determined that each campsite needed a safe, tornado-resistant refuge. Scouting is an outdoor program and being in the outdoors entails, inescapably, some degree of risk. That does not preclude prudent precautions, however, and these shelters are just that. They are an effective means of reducing s...

Monday, June 27th, 2016 Our boys had busy days Monday as they settled in to the week’s routine. Notionally, the day begins with reveille at 7:00 AM but most folks are up and about well before, owing to the early sunrise. At 7:30, all troops in camp gather at the Cloud L. Cray Flag Plaza outside the dining hall to raise the Stars and Stripes. Then, it is in to the dining hall itself to break our overnight fast. After a breakfast of French toast sticks and sausage, the Scouts headed out to the first activities of the day. Our first-year Scouts attended the Trail to First Class session. This program is designed to train new Scouts in all the skills required to earn their rank advancements from Scout through First Class. For our first year Scouts, the first day or two’s sessions are largely review as they have covered significant portions of this material in our troop’s own program. Nevertheless, reviewing these skills is productive as it helps Scouts retain what they have already le...