A HOT AND HUMID DAY AT BERT ADAMS!! So, far Bert Adams is living up to its reputation… like the Peachtree Road Race – Heat, Hills, and Humidity! We arrived yesterday afternoon and immediately were welcomed by our Camp Guide Ryan who took us on a tour of camp and escorted us to our swim test – everyone passed as swimmer! (Which means that they can play on the super water obstacle course, which looks fantastic!)
We then headed over to the dining hall, had our first meal at Bert Adams – chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and the always missing dessert. Wonder where that goes…?
After dinner the SPLs (Zack and Anderson) went to their SPL meetings while the rest of us explored the camp and finished unpacking. We then headed over to campfire, which was great – until it was interrupted by thunder and lightning! The scouts doing add drop scrambled to the dining hall to adjust their schedules, while the rest of the troop ended up sheltering in the pool locker rooms for 30 minutes, making new friends.
Speaking of new friends, we have three provisional (i.e., guest scouts that aren’t here with their own troops) with us. Freddie, Harrison, and Alex are all new friends and are proudly wearing their 455 red (they’ve nicknamed them “jolly rancher red”) shirts. So, yes, the colors were a little brighter than we anticipated…
When I got back to camp after most the rain had passed, I realized my tent was not tied properly, so my entire cot was drenched. Lesson learned (the hard way): Check your tent. Most scouts were better prepared for the rain than I was, which is a good thing.
In any case, if you are wondering how your Scouts are doing…..the answer is ALL FINE! I will try to write a quick Note-To-Home each day, since most of your sons won’t tell you much. This is typical:
Dad: So how was Summer Camp?
Scout: Fine!
Dad: What did you do?
Scout: A lot of things!
Dad: Did you meet any new friends?
Scout: Yeah
Dad: How was the food?
Scout: OK
So…. if you son is a “man of few words,” perhaps my little musings will bring you up to speed about some of the things that we enjoy here at Bert Adams Scout Camp.
We got here yesterday a little before 1PM, no drama on the checkin and we sailed through Health Forms check-in without a hitch. So THANK YOU to Laurel for wrangling those forms and thanks to all of you for cooperating.
We’ve also enjoyed seeing members of Troop 455 around camp on staff. Nick Anthony, Jack Murlin, and Benne Ackerman are all here on staff in different roles. It’s great for the younger scouts to see the older scouts teaching and leading at camp.
Our SPLs are at work getting us together for the week….. we’ve posted the schedules for classes, maps, the duty roster, camp inspections, and more. Lots of things to remember, but the older boys are doing a good job of taking the younger scouts under their wing and getting them to where they need to be.
The boys are still working on setting up the camp, and hopefully they will be able to finish their camp gadget and “entrance” sometime today (it’s part of the daily camp inspection, which is an important part of getting the honor troop ribbon for the troop flag). Distractions and short attention spans abound, but the SPLs are trying to keep them focused while still letting them have fun. An important balance that if they figure out, I’ll ask them to teach me!
We’ve also set up a little “snack bar” at camp (this year, lunches are being delivered to the campsite), with water, ice, and Gatorade packets (to help encourage hydration). Also available are some snacks like chex mix and granola bars, etc., to tide hungry boys through an active day.
The boys are also planning nightly cracker barrels (informal troop get-togethers with activities, campfire, and snacks) for each night. More details on those when the details emerge (the SPLs have plans, but planning vs. reality is something they are learning to deal with).
Today started cloudy, then we had a little rain, and as I sit here in the campsite typing this up before lunch is delivered, the sun is starting to peek out. I’ve avoided the weather report on my phone and have just been relying up on the “weather rock” here at Bert Adams for my forecasts (ask your son).
Breakfast this morning was pancakes, sausage, cereal, juice, with lots of “swapping” going on at the tables. Cereal and milk are always available as an “extra” and granola and grits are there as well.
Speaking of food….. you will hear a report from me about what we eat each meal but PLEASE don’t worry that your campers are having a high-carb-high-fat week. They are….mostly….but that is because BASC HAS to feed them food they will eat. And most hungry scouts will eat potatoes, mac n cheese, rolls, PBJ, etc. The organic and healthy routines can resume next Sunday at home.
For the time being, we are making sure that they are “fueled” and “hydrated” and that is one of the most important things. They need sustenance for the amount of energy they expend during the day. Personal Fitness is more strenuous than Social Studies, and Scouting is HUNGRY WORK!
The boys are off to their Merit Badges this morning, and there was a lot of excitement as they trotted off to “school” on their bikes, with their day packs and water bottles (and hopefully rain gear).
Our first year scouts will be participating in Rawhide, which is a wonderful opportunity for learning all things a first year scout should know. They divide up into “patrols” there, and this gives our T455 scouts an opportunity to meet scouts from other Troops. If your scout is here for the first year, you can be sure that he will learn a LOT in Rawhide. If you ask him what he learned, he will probably say “Nothing” or “Not Much…..” but you should KNOW that’s not true!
So perhaps these daily “check-ins” with you will give you a small glimpse into the window of the wonderful world of all things Bert Adams.