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Camping with the Boy Scouts By
Shanna Nielsen
While many Utahns take advantage of the beautiful campgrounds that decorate the state, the Boy Scouts of America make the trek up to the mountains come rain or shine. Brian Seeley, of Logan, UT, said, "I have so many memories from camping with Scouts. Particularly, I remember the Klondike derbies. They were overnighters in the winter. We would build snow caves to sleep in; I just remember always being so cold." Dale Thomas, Kings Peak District chairman, also remembers those frigid winter camps. "We were camping in the winter once and it got down to 22 below zero. We stuck it out though. We built snow caves and managed to stay pretty warm," Thomas said. Thomas' troops have also had some interesting encounters with animals. "One time a raccoon climbed into my truck and chewed a hole in the radiator hose. I had 14 boys with me and we were stranded. Another time, the boys put a lizard in my tent. For me, that is scarier than running into a bear," Thomas said. While scouts and leaders alike seem to have a lot of fun in the program, they also learn many things. The scouts purpose "is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of citizenship, and to develop personal fitness." www.bsa.scouting.org "Scoutmasters try and take their troops out once a month all year. We get the opportunity to teach a lot of survival skills," Thomas said. However, for scouts and leaders alike, camping isn't always all fun and games. Tom Waseleski, an associate editor for the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, remembers a story from when he was a leader in the Boy Scouts of America. In August, Waseleski wrote, "Bee-bee-bee-beep! Bee-bee-bee-beep! I grope for the travel alarm in the upper corner of my cot. Bee-bee-bee-beep! Flicking the shut-off switch, I make out the time -- 5:45. Not my usual wake-up during a week's vacation. Metal springs creak as I worm out of the sleeping bag and slip into the clothes spread on the canvas chair. I lift the tent flap. Beyond the trees the lake, the fog and the dawn merge into a milky light. A few birds are up and chirping tentatively, but from the rest of the tents, silence. Time to trek up the hill to the leaders' shower. It's another day at scout camp." While the boys are taught survival skills, they also are also taught many other things that with mastery, could earn them merit badges. Merit badges enable a Boy Scout to advance in rank. "An Eagle Scout is the best you can get. Below that there is life, star, first class and second class. The boys try really hard to get their Eagle Scout though," Thomas said. Seeley, who is an Eagle Scout, remembers when his troop built a fire in their tent, "It was a huge, canvas army tent with a fireplace in it. We thought we'd stay warm so we lined the tent with straw and built a fire. In the night, someone*s sleeping bag caught on fire and then the whole tent did." The leaders also hope to teach the Scouts values and obedience. When the Scouts disobey, they are disciplined. As a former scoutmaster, Dale Thomas jokes, "I've had to throw a few kids in the creek." "Ultimately," Thomas adds, "I'm not much for disciplining the boys. Besides, in my experience, they usually mind their business and work hard." "One thing we did that was really hard was the fifty miles hikes, " Seeley said. "I remember sleeping on rocks and getting so dirty. I would never be so excited for anything as I was to shower when I got home. Afterwards, the drain would be clear full of sand." The boys work especially hard at earning merit badges. Scouts can get badges in a wide variety of things including farm management, flowers, insects and dentistry. "There is also a cooking merit badge so each scout gets a turn to make a meal. So, I often wake up to the smell of burned eggs in the morning. When I think of camping with scouts, I think of the smell of burned eggs," Thomas said. "I remember burned pancakes and eating ramen noodles every single day for lunch. Also, we made hobo dinners each night," Thomas said. Hobo dinners are a godsend for people who either don't like to cook, or, like scouts, don*t have a lot of time or money. Basically, they consist of meat, potatoes and vegetables wrapped up in tin foil and thrown on the fire. Seeley also remembers his leaders, "we had one leader, Bishop Weatherston, who would get up at five in the morning and start building the fire. He would prance around singing church hymns or folk songs all morning trying to get us up. He was probably 5 feet 9 inches and 140 pounds wet; we called him the mountain goat because he was always spry and in a hurry." As a leader himself, Thomas enjoys the experiences he has had in the Boys Scouts of America. "I love being involved with Scouts. You know, I think anyone who gets really into it has a good time. Some of the most spiritual experiences I have had have been with Boy Scouts," Thomas said. Obviously, this sentiment is widely accepted. In an open letter of thanks and encouragement to Scouters from the Chief Scout Executive Roy L. William, "scouting can't solve the ills of the world, but character and leadership can. I believe there is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in. I'm sure you have seen it in the eyes of your Scouts on occasion, and you realize they get it. That's when we get our pay." In July 2001, over 32,000 Boy Scouts gathered together at the National Jamboree. Many of these boys will learn a great variety of things and will look back on their experiences as a Boy Scout with a smile. Seeley does. "I've taken a lot of things with me from Scouts, I've learned many things, including the love of camping."
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