Last month the Troop traveled great distances to camp – okay it was a local trip in the Annapolis Area to Elks Camp Barrett near Annapolis. We had originally planned to camp at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware, but we did not “win” the lottery for the two youth group camping sites there. The Elks were eager to support us camping at Camp Barrett, especially since one of our older Scouts was going to be there working on his Eagle Project as well.
We used this change to provide our younger Scouts with the opportunity to try some hammock camping, which is usually reserved for older Scouts. Despite the rainy weather, the Scouts enjoyed hammock camping and you could hear several of them planning their future advancements so that they could do this more often. Our SPL and one of our ASMs instructed the younger Scouts in the fine arts of selecting an ideal spot for your hammock, as well as proper install of everything from the straps to the actual hammock to the very important rain fly! It rained most of the weekend, which changed our plans for our hike at Bacon Ridge, so the rain flies were critical equipment.
During the camping trip some of the Troop helped out one of our older Scouts on his Eagle Project while the rest provided some service to ECB by helping them clear out their pavilions for Spring cleaning in preparation for summer camp this year. Despite the minor challenges, it was a great weekend, with some unique menu items that we haven’t tried in a while or ever. The Scouts, including two of our newest Scouts, had fun and came home with a better understanding and appreciation for hammock camping!
