What
a GREAT week at
Camp Cherokee. This was one of the best trips that I have
been part of since we joined Troop 17. Although we did not will the “Spirit”
award for the week, we did begin to find that we do have a great sense of troop
spirit within us. From dancing and singing at the campfires, to inventing
a troop cheer that was used at the daily roll call, they began to find that
idea of pride for the troop they are part of.
The
boys had a great time participating in camp events such as “The Blob”,
soccer, basketball, dodgeball and ever challenging orienteering course.
We
were able to maintain a 100% inspection grade for the week. One day we
even received a 101! Both our the patrols qualified for Honor
Patrol. I believe we were the only troop to have both qualify. We
also were the recipient of the OA Spirit Award.
Mark
Travis earned enough points to receive the Scoutmaster Merit Badge.
Robert Travis and Mike Mullins both sealed their membership in the Order of the
Arrow by participating in the Brotherhood ceremony. We were able to work
with many of the boys on advancement throughout the week. We had two boys
advance to First Class and one to Second. Lets keep the momentum moving
forward on this. There are quite a few Scouts who are only one or two requirements
from moving up. Merit Badge completion was extremely high (considering
the large number of required badges they took) and the partials were low.
Most of the partials are just
one requirement from completion. As
your sons if they took Emergency Preparedness and/or Personal Fitness.
They should be able to complete these easily.
I
cannot say enough about the way the boys behaved at camp. I believe they
were surprised at the way some troops acted and did not follow their
lead. They were polite and courteous with each other, the leaders that
attended and the troops they encountered. I believe most of them were
able to meet other boys who are Scouts in our district and council and that
added to the experience. I noticed them saying “hello” when
passing other Scouts.
We
had an outstanding group that attended camp and I hope to be able to experience
this with them again.
Rob
