Please accept my apologies: the internet was down at camp all week, and we were unable to send or receive messages. I typed some notes on my hard drive while sitting in camp to send at the later time when we had internet coverage.
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These were written at Camp in my lawn chair . .. .I have done minimal proofreading, so as to
keep the “Camp feeling’ and “Camp integrity†of this e-mail.
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Before I forget, THANK YOU so much to Mrs. Zimmer for sending up cookies for the entire troop,
and Mrs. Klug/Dr. Dowd for sending ME goodies .. ..
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On Monday, Josh Solberg, Kyle Fisher, Jake Todd, and Mitchell Ingles did both morning and evening flag ceremonies. They did a fine job, and set the tone early for the rest of the week. Jacob Zimmer led both breakfast and dinner invocations. He really does such a nice job, and spends a lot of time and energy composing these.
******Keith Aylwin and Brandon Khuu spent many hours this week putting together and competing in cross-country orienteering courses. They were ALL over camp!
****Troy Aylwin was our one Scout to go for Wilderness Survival, and he also did Lifesaving. He spent the night out on Wednesday in the natural shelter he built.
******Reid Barkell did the High Adventure program along with Dan Peters and Josh Solberg. They did rock rapelling, high wire COPE, and black powder musket firing.
*****Lifesaving is such a demanding merit badge. Craig Bosworth, Troy Aylwin, Colin Davis, John Goodrich, Mitchell Ingles, Ryan Madsen, and Shane Stachwick all did a great job on earning this award.
******Evan Clarke, Kyle Fisher, and Jacob Zimmer were our horse wranglers this week, as they earned Horsemanship merit badge.
******Pioneering is a rigorous merit badge, and one gets REALLY dirty as they work with the poles and ropes. Building the projects in the HOT weather is quite a challenge. Keith A., Kevin G., Garrett S., Adam T., and Jacob Z. were the building crew!
*****Our “First year†Lost Valley Scouts did the swimming and first aid merit badges, along with a bunch of other handicraft merit badges. They all had excellent attitudes and worked very hard. They were Dylan Graham, Spencer Ingles, Erik Klingenberg, Nathan Kuypers, Stephen Lofy, Jonathan Parada, Brennan Straub, Andrew Izzo, and Adam Trubitt.
*****Nathan Khuu, Kyle Sample, and Jake Todd took on some tough merit badges, including nature merit badges.
*****A number Scouts took one of the toughest merit badges to earn: Archery. Our “Robin Hoods†included
Duncan Klug, Shane Stachwick, Brandon Khuu, Colin Davis.
******A special treat was having a Troop 301 Scout, David “Jordan†Mosely on the Lost Valley Staff.
He worked on the Shotgun Range, where Josh Solberg earned this merit badge.
******The Scouts (and adults!) had an absolute BLAST with the bike riding on the dirt roads of Lost Valley. It is so common for the Scouts to “Just go for a ride†to experience the nature that abounds in this wild place.
******It was hot, so the Troop swim on Monday and the free swims each afternoon were a blast.
******Rifle shooting was also very popular, and the Scouts were at our Troop shoot on Tuesday evening and every afternoon as they went for their “Dime Club†membership: five shots all within the small space covered by dime!
*******The Troop 301 Gateway was the talk of the camp: over 15 feet high, and a banner high over head. A swinging gate, and all the patrol flags were added as the week went on. It was quite a sight!
*******On Thursday night, the Troop with the highest score on camp inspections for the week at first at dinner. It was no surprise that the Troop with a perfect score each day took this award: Troop 301! This is truly a Troop award, as SPL Dan Peters with the help of his ASPL’s Brandon Khuu and Josh Solberg, had the assistance of EVERY Scout in making our campsite the best it could be. . . and the best in the camp!!!
*******For the Adventure Award, we were supposed to get 150 points as a Troop. We got to over 250 points with all of the activities and contests that the Troop did!
*******It was very special to have our Committee Chair, Ms. Mosely, drive up and spend NOT one but TWO nights with our Troop! The Jacuzzi and room service that we had promised her unfortunately never materialized. . . . .
*******On Friday, it was time for the triathlon . . .200 yards of swimming, and then it gets very hot and dry
with a bike around the lake and a 2 mile run. It was about 90 degrees. For the second straight year, Troop
301 had the first place relay team (Reid Barkell-swim, Dan Peters-bike, and Josh Solberg-run). The “Scouting Stars†(Troop 301 Scoutmaster Corps of Mr. Aylwin, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Zimmer-all complete with capes and various funny headgear) took fourth overall, and the team of Mitchell Ingles/Troy Aylwin/Andrew Izzo also had a strong showing. Finally, our Troop Ironman KEITH AYLWIN, TOOK FIRST PLACE IN THE IRONMAN (He did alll three events).
********Next came the Aquacade: an intertroop competition at the pool; tons of fun with hilarious events. Dylan Graham made nary a ripple in the “Smallest splash competition.†Ryan Madsen did a marvelous splash in the “Largest splash competition.†Mr. Aylwin got a 9 out of 10 in the “Scoutmaster belly flop competition.†( A big splat and an ouch!!). Aquaman Reid “Bing Bing†Barkell easily won
the “Windmill†swimming, as he had to do a stroke on his back alternating with a front stroke.
The Aylwin brothers took a strong second in the buddy swim.
******We were announced at dinner assembly: We took first place in the aquacade!
**Huge thanks to all the drivers and those that stayed up at Lost Valley: Mr. Clarke, Mr. Barkell, Mr. Zimmer, Mr. Stachwick, Ms. Mosely, Dr. Dowd, Mr. Aylwin, Mr. Davis, Mrs. Ingles, Mrs. Trubitt!
******PLEASE send them your thanks when you see them. They are so caring and wonderful with the Scouts!
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“By The Numbersâ€
1: By far, the best gateway in camp, and #1 in the Gateway Competition.
1: First place in campsite inspections, with a perfect score ALL week!
1: Mile Swimmer on the Grace side of camp: Troop 301’s Reid Barkell.
1: First place for Troop 301 in both the relay and Ironman Triathlon.
1: One Scout earned the extensive “Duty to God†Award: Kyle Fisher.
1: We got to see our first Troop 301 full summer Lost Valley staffer in action: David “Jordan†Mosely.
From the current interest, we could have another half dozen Lost Valley Staffers up there
next year!
1: First place in campwide Scout relay triatho n (Reid Barkell, Dan Peters)
1: First place triathlon Ironman, Keith Aylwin.
1: One Scout who completed Life Scout Scoutmaster Conference: Dan Peters.
1: First place in the Grace side of camp aquacade.
2: Two Scouts who completed their 2nd Class Scoutmaster Conference-Adam Trubitt and Erik Kligenberg
2: Second place in the Staff Hunt (out of over 20 Troops in camp).
3: Honor Scouts recognized by the camp from Troop 301: Dan Peters, Josh Solberg, and Brandon Khuu
4: Eagle Required Merit badges earned by Ryan Madsen.
45: Eagle Required merit badges earned.
150: Points needed for the20Troop Adventure Award
139 total Merit badges earned by Troop 301.
303: Points Troop 301 earned for the Adventure Award. (WOW!). This is a new Lost Valley record.
Priceless quotes:
**Dan Peters: “Leadership: Its about giving back.†(Dan led the Troop this week as SPL, helped numerous Scouts, and took new Scout Dylan Graham up to Castle Rock to see the sunrise on the last day. . .our Troop’s summercamp oldest and youngest Scout on a final morning Lost Valley adventure!).
**Garrett Solberg: “Yes, there are times that are hard, but how can somebody NOT have fun at Lost Valley!?!?!â€
**Mattt Ringle: “This Lost Valley trip is the best week of the year! I wait and look forward to Lost Valley all year!â€
Bryon Solberg