Camp 2009 Recap

A quick recap of Summer Camp 2009

First, recognition of the adults who attended, without whom we would not be able to offer camp. The following adults were an integral part of camp operations, working in various roles around the clock, from the break of dawn until the late evening to assure a smooth week with ample structure and time for relaxation and fun.

Some of these volunteers are folks who have kids in the troop - Dads who give their time, whether it be a day or a few days or a whole week, to help run camp. Among this group are also men who don't have a son in the troop, but may have a relative, or who have been part of the organization in the past and are still giving back and are committed to continuing the legacy of Troop 2 scouting. Some help with set up and knock down on the weekends, and help us coordinate the cub scout visit on Sunday which has become a huge success. Some help with the packing and unpacking before we leave Weymouth. Some help by providing the use of equipment, trailers, or something as simple as a stack of postcards for the boys to send home mid week. Some help by teaching classes, pitching in with daily operations, or working in the kitchen to prepare and present meals and clean up afterward. All worked hard to keep the camp running efficiently and safely, and I greatly appreciate their time and energy.

These adults are listed below, in alphabetic order

Bausemer, Chris

Bruynell, Buddy

Chase, Brian

Chase, David

Clancy, Charles

Jeanjaquet, Rob

Keenan, Joe

Kelley, Jack

Kelley, Jim

Lantz, Eric

Lyne, Andrew

McCabe, Michael

McCallum, Doug

Murphy, John

Obrien, Shawn

Osario, Nick

Pennisi, Mike

Phillips, Roger

Robinson, Keith

Schneider, John

Wallace, Scott

Yergeau, Chris

Zeigler, Richard

During the week we had a variety of activities for the boys.

Saturday we set up the island -it rained in the morning and on the way up, so it was a dismal morning and difficult to move some of the wet equipment, but it burned off after lunch, and gave way to a beautiful Sunday. We took some of the boys off island for religious services, leaving some on island for quiet contemplation services, and hosted cub scouts from Pack 2 for lunch and an afternoon of swimming at the island.

That evening we had a campfire, and starting Monday we ran 4 periods of merit badge classes. During the week we watched 3 movies, had two more campfires, had a hike, welcomed 8 new scouts to the troop, and visited Sculptured Rocks twice (with a stop at Frosty's for ice cream the second day). Many of the scouts had an opportunity to go tube riding, and the weather was cooperative all week, with the exception of two days where it rained heavy but not for the whole day, typically giving way to scattered clouds and great cool air for sleeping in the afternoon. We had a surprise swim at canoe rock, a night swim at the main beach, canoe wars and an abbreviated gauntlet game. We also had ice cream sundaes, and tried new foods, a new kitchen layout, and thanks to a generator, had electric lights available in the kitchen and lean-to which came in handy during the days where the skies were dark. We also sent postcards home (thanks to Buddy Bruynell) and celebrated Derek Wolforth's birthday with a nice cake.

Merit badges offered this year included Swimming, Rowing, Canoeing, Lifesaving, Basketry, Wilderness Survival, Forestry, Motorboating, Small Boat Sailing, Nuclear Science, and Genealogy. Elective work on Scout Lifeguard, Mile Swim, Kayaking and Snorkeling was also available. Older scouts had the challenge of balancing teaching classes with their own participation, and did a great job working with the newer scouts. Most scouts participated in 3 badges, however some may have completed 5 or more given scheduling and badges offered. Some badges were started at camp and will finish in the coming weeks. In all a good balance between badge work and fun time was achieved.

Older scouts (3rd year and above) also took part in a service project for Wellington State Park, completing an irrigation channel in the parking area near the beach restrooms to control ground water and limit mosquitos.

On Saturday we broke down camp, and began the task of moving materials back to the mainland to be repacked. Thanks to all scouts and adults who stuck around through late Saturday night and Sunday to help with this effort. This is a big part of camp, and while some attendees leave early for various reasons, we're grateful to those who stick it out to the end to assure the camp is knocked down, packed up, and shipped over to the mainland for the return trip to Weymouth.

If your son is missing anything, please let me know - we are still digging out the equipment, and will pull together the various towels, tshirts, and other items that accumulated over a week for the "lost and found" auction.

Sunday we left the island in the early morning hours as the fog from a brief evening storm lifted, leaving no trace.

Personally I am grateful to all the participants, scouts and adult leaders, for a safe and productive week at Cliff Island. As our programs grow and inevitably evolve we're consistently performing above and beyond expectations, and this year was another great example of teamwork and dedication.

It was also an interesting year from another perspective. As you may know, several years ago our Scoutmaster, Ron Parry, died unexpectedly.

While many of us feel his presence as we go through our days on the island, I had several incidents that were quite unexpected. On Saturday as we unpacked the gear for the week from the box trailer I noted that Ron's name was underneath my hand as I carried the gong off the trailer.

On Sunday as we prepared the tags used for marking participants locations on the island (in/out tags) I retrieved the bag from the box I'd tossed it into when we packed in Weymouth, and when I looked I realized it was an older bag of tags, as the only visible name in the bag was Ron Parry's tag. Apparently saying "hello".

Later in the week I pulled one of the old lanterns out of the lantern box to light it, and noticed the initials RWP scratched on the tank - Ron's lantern, ready to guide us again.

And then as we were breaking down the kitchen, I noticed a note on the old lean to that said "Hi Ron" that someone left in the late 90's.

To me, it's clear Ron is still part of the organization, showing up at the most unexpected times to sort of nudge us or show us he's there, and he is a large part of the reason so many of us have stayed involved. His legacy is the example of dedication and devotion. As we left the island and headed to the beach, I was pleasantly surprised to see one of our Eagle scouts (Jay Murphy) on the beach - he had made the drive up from Weymouth to help a bunch of tired men and boys load the equipment - it was yet another example of that devotion to the Troop, and was greatly appreciated.

In closing, if your son has any suggestions or questions from his experiences this year, please let me know. And the same for parents - if there are any questions, concerns, or suggestions for improvement, we'd love to hear them. We look forward to another year of planning and learning from our experiences, to continue moving forward.

We've booked camp for next year, from July 17th to July 25th, and will assemble then for another week of fun.

Sincerely,

Brian Chase

Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 2