Cub Scout Day Camp takes place at Buffalo Trace Council every summer the second week of June. It draws a few hundred scouts from all over the area to have fun with a purpose. This year they gave all the scouts a gaitor that could be wet and worn around the neck.
Mason is now a Webelos I so it was his first year to branch off for the senior activities. Our group of Webelos included Mason, Alex and Luke.
In the first activity, they did a scavenger hunt which took them around the camp. One clue led them to the flag pole and they reviewed how to properly fold a flag.
Mason was so excited to do the pellet guns.
In woodworking they had to build a birdhouse. Unfortunately, the good kits that were ordered did not arrive in time so the council had to place an emergency order for substitute kits. These were extremely challenging to assemble and caused a lot of frustration for many. Mason and Alex opted to redesign the kit and create a house that birds would avoid. They had a blast.
Archery was a good challenge for all the scouts. They run a tight ship in this station and the rules are very clearly laid out to make sure it’s a safe and fun experience.
Our station after lunch was geared around fitness and the boys had to do a challenge run after rotating through a few other exercise stations with sit ups, lunges, and jumps.
The most exciting station was the last one on our schedule. These balls remind me of human hamster balls. Each scout got several runs down the field and then they came out for air and water. Because of the high temperatures, the balls got fairly hot inside but our scouts still seemed to have a lot of fun.
I did not volunteer on Thursday but I learned that the Webelos decided to stick with the other scouts for the day. A parent kindly shared this photo with me of Mason and Alex making disguises. Mason won a prize for his!
Bill was scheduled to volunteer the last day of scout camp. Walker helped out and I popped in and out. The Webelos got another turn at archery.
One of the biggest hits was the obstacle course and challenge. Even though it was really hot, the boys repeatedly ran it. They had to run through tires, climb up and over a wall, and then jump over the hay bales.
The best part was that the scouts started racing each other. There was, of course, some brotherly competition.
The closing event of day camp is always wet. The fire department comes with their giant truck and they spray the kids with the fire hose. It’s always so hot this week and most of the kids appreciate the rapid cool down. From a parent and scout leader perspective, this part of the event is mayhem at best. Kids are running in all directions, the ground is wet and then muddy and the sheer number of people makes it easy to lose sight of your child. This year we signed out all the scouts to their parents before the first drop of water fell. It was a great relief to know that our responsibility had ended and that each parent was responsible for his own child.
Mason is officially eligible to do one more year of day camp but I believe this will probably be his last. The weather in June is stifling hot and the scouts spend three solid days outdoors in the sun from 8 AM to 3:30 PM. After doing it for three years, he has gotten his fill. He has rotated through most of the exciting stations several times over. Part of me will miss this opportunity and another part knows that the summer will provide another one to have fun with scouts and friends.
What fun activities, I have never run in a human hamster ball!
That hamster ball looks like fun for the boys, but I don’t think my claustrophobic self could handle it especially in the heat!
Such a handsome grandson! Love the mustache and the up-side down glasses.