From Sizzle to Soak: Day 5 at Scout Camp

Finally! Relief from the heat with about a 20-deg drop in temperature from the prior day. Unfortunately this came with a very wet day of moderate to heavy rain. It was a productive day though with the troop completing a Conservation Service project. The day ended in a downpour but we hosted our Friendship "Flood" for the staff, our 770 Newtown neighbors, and others.

We woke up to rain and that was pretty much the rule of the day. The morning flag ceremony was cancelled as it was a heavy downpour by that point. So, we headed straight to breakfast and then headed off with rain gear to Merit Badge classes. thankfully, it did lighten up or even stop for a short reprieve at times throughout the earlier part of the day.

Morning MB Classes:

After lunch and their PM merit badge class, we headed over the Clark Field to meet for our conservation service project. At the far side of the field is drainage ditch. Due to runoff and debris, the ditch had several blockages that obstructed proper flow of runoff. Our task was to clear the ditch of said blockages. We got to work quickly with rakes and shovels, and were done in about 30 minutes or so. The project included a "subproject", hereby named Caden Dam, where Caden used some bigger rocks to narrow the flow through a wider area. On our way off Clark Field, some of us stopped by to visit Dog, the resident tortoise. Overall, our ranger was pleased with the results. Completion of service projects by troops throughout the summer have a huge impact on the camp. It is a great way to give back, and is also a fundamental requirement for those trying to acheive a troop level award.

Conservation Project:

We had a highlight dinner (for some) with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and cranberry sauce. But the big surprise was that the Hoyacks joined us for dinner. Our scouts and especially our leaders were happy to see them, as was their daughter Claire of course. After dinner, we all headed back to the site to prepare for our Friendship Fire, or rather our Friendship Flood given the conditions. I fried up 8 dozen donuts with the help of Mr. Renzi. We also served 4 gallons of hot apple cider, and some hot cocoa. Starting around 8pm, staff flowed through our site, lured by the aroma (and word) of the sugary treats. Some of our scouts delivered donuts to Nurse Dave and his staff who could not leave their post. As the staff rolled through as our guests, many led out site in fun songs (see videos below). Our fellow Newtown troop 770 also visited. As our troop then fanned out to other sites, they spread word about our spread and we were visited by a smattering of scouts from across camp. It poured throughout the night, but the rain could not dampen our spirits.

Friendship Flood:

We ended the evening looking forward to our last full day of camp including Land and Sea games. Off in the distance Saturday awaits and reuniting with our families (and our beds). But we look forward to enjoying the great moments that the last day will bring.