Scouts BSA Troop 222 for Girls

Tag: Camping

  • Welcome to the Stone Age — Our first Camporee was a Smash!

    Troop 222 “rocked” the Stone Age with Oog and friends at the Fall Camporee

    Scouts BSA pose in front of trailer
    Showing off our loaded trailer as we head out after a successful weekend

    We headed to Ransburg for our first Fall Camporee, and this trip included our troop trailer for the first time!

    The Stone Age Camporee was organized by Troop 202 of Carmel, and featured scout skills activities with a Stone Age theme. We arrived in time to check out our campsite before the sun set — but we had to set up camp in the dark. This was a new challenge and proved a little difficult — be everyone managed to get their tents set and ready for a chilly night’s sleep.

    Girls set up a tent in the dark
    Setting up a tent in the dark is a little more challenging, but we got the job done.

    Our morning started quite early because we wanted to make sure we were up and breakfasted before flags and the activities — which meant it wasn’t light yet when we started setting up our kitchen and cooking. But the chill in the air didn’t slow us down — and we made it in time!

    Scouts cooking breakfast at sunrise
    Scouts worked on breakfast as the sun rose

    We visited stations in the morning and afternoon to test our Scout Skills, including lashings, casting, orienteering, knots, construction — it was such fun!

    We painted t-shirts to remember our stone age weekend
    We used lashings to put together a Stone Age car, then raced it around a track
    Each scout used one hand — one left and one right — to complete some basic scout knots
    We dressed our SPL as a Stone Age person — or at least a representation of one

    In the evening, we enjoyed a fun campfire program with skits and songs in Stone Age style. Then we went back to camp for a long-awaited treat — stuffed bananas. We’ve meant to make these for a couple of campouts and finally got to do it! Each scout made one, and they all enjoyed eating them, too!

    We stuffed bananas with chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers, wrapped them in aluminum foil and then cooked them over the fire. Then it was delicious snack time!

    Pretty sure everyone slept really well after a long and active day — and someone’s scoutmaster overslept by almost half an hour Sunday morning! (Whoops!) Breakfast, Scout’s Own, and awards — a chance to celebrate success for the troops in the games and activities. It was especially nice to have First Year Patrols recognized in each activity!
    And what a success! Our troop WON the First-Year award in “Lend a Hand” — the activity where two scouts were paired to tie knots, each using one hand. Adult leaders got awards, too! Our adults were awarded for the Monkey Fist Festivities because we ALL made Monkey Fit knots. But then! The big one! Our Adults were awarded for Adult Participation in the adult stations (all of us did all of them — a memory game, the monkey fist, the Lend a hand knots) and (drumroll please) our troop received the Top First-Year Patrol award!

    Stone Age Camporee was fantastic! What’s next?

  • Should have written it sooner, but the rest of camp was amazing!

    Daily camp summaries seemed like a great idea, but once you get finished with the week and don’t get it all written down… well, time flies and it doesn’t happen. So after the first couple of days, we present…

    THERESTOFTHEWEEK

    Highlights include:

    Hammock time — hanging out in the hammock, chilling, laughing. This is when we get to catch our breath.

    Girls in a hammock
    Hanging out in the hammock in the shade is a lot cooler.

    Wednesday is Troop Night, and we went into Bedford to the Golden Corral. An air-conditioned restaurant was a great treat — as was the chance to pick whatever we wanted to eat (and drink) — and desserts. The family behind us was celebrating Grandma’s 94th birthday, and we joined in singing “Happy Birthday” to her, much to her joy.

    Happy diners!
    What have we done? Caffeine?

    Firecrafter — a council-wide camping honorary — gave our scouts something to do when we weren’t in classes or activities. The first level of Firecrafter (Camper) involves Scout skills and service — and we had helpers in camp as well as at the Firecrafter shelter. Two of the boys from 183 next door had Firecrafter programs for the final rank, and we got to enjoy them in our camp area!

    The Safety Patrol and the Dragon played a role in Adam’s program
    Stuart demonstrates the features of his headlamp in Sebastian’s program.

    The Ransburg Triathlon was Thursday night — and several of our scouts joined in! Who knew so many of our girls wanted to paddle their way through the challenge, but it was a blast!

    Scouts with leaders Annie and Troy (and cheerer Callia) had a great time canoeing in the triathlon. Camper also ran and biked to finish the challenge.

    Friday, we had camp clean-up duty and took on the Jackson shower facility — it only took about half an hour to clean the bathroom/shower rooms. Thanks to everyone doing their part, the showers were safe and clean for everyone — but we felt pretty tough for doing our cleaning job!

    Mission accomplished! The Jackson was clean when we were finished!

    Camp was amazing. We finished a bunch of merit badges, got involved in camp life, and tried a bunch of new things! Troop 222 took on Ransburg and emerged proud, strong, and excited for whatever is next!

    Scouts gathered at the Ransburg Office chimney
    We made it through an exciting week — this was our last picture together before we headed out on Saturday!

  • Summer Camp commences: The first full day of camp

    Flag raising

    The morning at camp started at 6:15 — for most of us. Some of us were up before that, but everyone was up at 6:15 when SPL Nora got everyone up. It was smacking the tent doors and calling out “Good morning! Wake up!” that got everyone going.

    Nora wakes up the troop.
    Callia and Nora are ready to head up for breakfast

    Hoppers reported to the dining hall at 7 am to get everything set up. Hoppers set the table, bring the food to the tables (we eat family style). Each table seats eight, and so our troop gets TWO TABLES! (They’re not both full.) Our hoppers are waiting for us when we get sent in.

    Each troop gets dismissed in turn. We start with grace, led by Chaplain Ken, and then some sort of silly song — on and on and on, until the leaders get the sign from the dining hall that the tables are ready. Then the troops are challenged to act the most like something silly. For the first couple meals, we were charming enough to get sent early…

    After breakfast, the whole camp gathers at the flagpole for flag raising. Then first meal group heads back to camp to get ready for classes, that started at 9. Annie was also taking some classes, and Scoutmaster Jenny went to the Leaders’ meetings, which included camp information and some short presentations.

    GIFT BAGS

    Nora made gift bags for each of the scouts in the troop. The bags included personalized bookmarks, flamingo necklaces, bracelets, and more. They were so great! What a thoughtful thing for her to do as an SPL! She even hand-lettered a tag for each girl, and the adults got gifts as well.

    Stuart brought friends for the entry for our campsite: Jim and Francesca!

    Francesca
    Jim
    Our Fancy Founding Flamingoes — “Don’t forget the sunglasses!”

    Monday was a long, hard day, and by night, we were all pretty tired. Going to bed got a little rough, but we worked through our challenges, and I took the time to read another chapter or two of Nancy Drew before bed. (There was logic to my choice: Nancy Drew books are filled with some suspense, but — spoiler alert! — there are a whole lot more books to follow, so we all know that Nancy will be fine to sleuth another day, but Nancy’s problems might serve to distract the scouts from their own fears or concerns.)

  • Summer Camp orientation: My head is spinning!

    Troop 222 Scouts are ready to go to Ransburg for summer camp!

    One of the biggest events for a Scouts BSA troop is going to summer camp. Everyone packed their own stuff — and we gathered to load the trailer and get on the road!

    Scout camp is an amazing chance to earn merit badges, work toward rank advancement, meet other scouts, sleep at camp — all the things. But we were all nervous about it as well. First time at Ransburg Scout Reservation!

    We got to camp and had a whirlwind orientation — they checked health forms, told us (very quickly) how the dining hall runs — hoppers and A meal and everything — and waterfront orientation and a quick look at the Jackson and the Trading Post and off to Bison Trace, our campsite.

    Troop 222 scouts and leaders!

    Mr. M had parked the trailer, so all we had to do was check over the tents, unload everyone’s totes, move into our tents, learn about the campsite, check out the area, and OH MY GOODNESS we need to get to dinner!

    We waited at the flagpoles for dinner; while we were there we met other troops who were also waiting. That was fun to start figuring out who’s there and everything. But what ho? There’s a patrol with the same patrol patch as we have!

    The Fancy Founding Flamingoes meet the Fresh Flamingo patrol!

    The evening ended with an all-camp campfire. It was so fun! Everyone was there, and there was energy and excitement and all those camp counselors and all those “inside jokes” that we would understand at the end of the week (“not with that attitude”).

    Stuart captures Hannah and Evelyn dancing as everyone filled the campfire area.

    By the time campfire was over, it was time to head back to our campsite and head toward bed. Scoutmaster Jenny brought a book to read with high hopes of reading several chapters before lights out — distract everyone, get us tired, and, of course, get our minds off being away from home and in unfamiliar surroundings. (Spoiler alert: four chapters)

    Lindley shows off her tent

    Off to bed — lights out — camp starts in the morning (and breakfast is at 7:15).

  • New Scouts Camp Out (at New Scout Campout)

    New Scouts Camp Out (at New Scout Campout)

    New Scout Campout was our first camping trip, and it sure was memorable!

    Maybe some people wouldn’t have fun camping on a rainy and cold March weekend, but the excitement of our first outing made it all worthwhile.

    Our site was Walking Bear campsite at Camp Kikthewenund (“Camp K”). We set up our tents on the platforms they use for summer camp (the tents they use aren’t up yet) and spent the day learning different scout skills that we need for our first couple of ranks.

    We learned first aid, hiking safety, how to raise and lower the flag, and knife skills. Mr. Sherrill gave everyone a knife to use, and once we demonstrated knife safety, we got to keep them. We got our Totin’ Chip and promise to make wise choices with knives.

    Mrs. D was our grubmaster for the weekend, and she cooked some delicious food. We all helped, including with cleanup. And in the evening, we had a campfire — and did some skits we’d practiced. And the dump cakes? Did we need THREE? But did we eat all three of them anyway? (Clearly, we did need them and we did eat them.)

    Sunday morning when we got up, we found that the raindrops on our tents had FROZEN overnight! It was cold. No one got a lot of sleep, but that’s what Sunday naps are for. We broke camp and cleaned everything up and had a Scouts’ Own service, and made sure to take a picture before we left.

    New Scout campout was great — and we can’t wait for more.