Hell week

Ha ha.. ok, so it wasn't THAT bad but I spent every day this week with a group of 7-9 year olds from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the BEEE-YOU-TEE FUL chilly Texas weather. It was known as Pirate's Cove Cub Scout Day Camp. And, by chance, do you just feel the sarcasm oozing off those words? Ha ha.... it was a tad warm.

The days started off with a short opening ceremony inclusive of a flag service, announcements and on one day, a moment of silence for those boys that lost their lives at the BSA camp in Iowa where the tornado struck.

This is John Woods doing his opening ceremony:


The purpose of the camp is to allow boys in each Pack to work together on some belt loops, craft projects, sing some songs, shoot some guns, tie some knots, create some codes, become better friends, and have a great time. For the most part, I feel like that was accomplished.

see?

They break the boys from our Pack into two groups (dens). One was all the Webelos scouts (4th and 5th grades) and the other den were all the tigers, wolves and bears. We had a total of 24 scouts registered from our Pack. Each Den was supposed to have a flag — I made two identical flags for our Pack that looked like this. Pretty cool huh for a 12 -1am attempt at greatness!


This is one of the ways to show you have Cub Scout spirit. Another way to show your Scouting Spirit is to sing songs or scream chants to the camp directors as they walk around the campgrounds while the stations were in session. They have (for lack of a better term) mardi gras beads to pass out to each den to put on their den flags.

Here's me and my boys learning a couple of new songs.


I’m pleased to announce that even with an entire group of unseasoned scouts that were completely new to the Cub Scout Day Camp experience -- MY Cub Den came in SECOND to all dens at Day Camp for having the most spirit with a total of 72 beads won! This was just ten shy of the winner… we’ll get ‘em next year. The winner of the Cub Scout Spirit award got to give the directors a whipped cream facial on the last day.

Any-who, the day got started with the opening ceremony and then we did 4 stations, broke for lunch, 4 stations and a closing ceremony/announcement and then depart. By the end of the 2nd station after lunch, my boys were plumb tuckered out! Here's one of the stations where we had some drama...

It's crazy that these boys did FINE when they were alone but add a parent to the mix and boy does it break out the drama. I have a couple that seem to get along away from their parents... But unfortunately, I just think it's part parental discord so there's really no pleasing anyone and I'm unfortunately stuck in the middle. I hate to lose either of them because one has such a great time in scouts and the other really needs it but I just have to trust that they'll make the right decisions for their sons when it comes to scouting because I will always protect the boys. IT's just disheartening though... for me, as a friend to the moms, my son as a friend to their son, for me as a den leader and as cubmaster... it's a very hard position to be in but I'm just going to have to play Switzerland and let them work it out.

Learning how to make bamboo fishing poles...


Us at another station -- look at Josh's face -- little freak!


Making catapults


Monday and Tuesday’s weather turned out to be the best of the week with overcast skies and minimal heat issues… the end of the week was a typical Texas summer day! We kept them cool drinking lots of water (the Boy Scouts Camp Staff did a fantastic job keeping all the coolers full and ice cold! Hats off to them!)

I had some great parents with me during the week too (all parents were supposed to volunteer at least one day). Tami Healy was there all week with her son Joshua (a new tiger to our Pack). Her two boys are just adorable! And, she and I have several GREAT people that are friends of ours in common. Crazy that we'd never met. She is just a sweet, down to earth, fun mother of boys! One of my scouts' mom was there Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I just love this woman. She's fun, energetic with such a fantastic attitude. We had some other parents there other days and it was really great to get to see them outside the den or pack meeting experience.

The last day, Friday, was probably the best one for everyone… not only did it mean less time in the heat but we also got have a field day…

And yes, even the grownups got in on the sack race (not me, they didn't tell me to wear a sports bra!)


But the best event before the grand finale would absolutely have to be the water canon fight (water balls)


AND of course, there was that little old thing of having a HELICOPTER land in Bear Creek Park.


The Scout staff helped load up the Egg Drop Contest entries and John Woods (who has a fear of heights) hovered above the field at 50′ dropping the egg containers.


There were quite a few from 317 (and other packs) that had survivors… Josh's survived too.


This was ALSO the day for the Spirit Award winners to deliver their pies. Pack 418 was the winner of the Cub Den Spirit Award but when they were doing calculations of beads and den flags, neither of theirs was present. However, we knew the right thing to do was let them win - sight unseen. For being trustworthy, they allowed the our cubs to partake of the pie festivities and this is a photos from that fun.




My dogs were barking by the end of the week and I had no idea HOW I was going to muster the energy for the female festivities tonight.... I'll keep you posted!