Knot Scout Camp

Knot Scout camp was a great success!   We accomplished a lot with some of the boys earning 9 merit badges and as many as 4 awards.  Merit Badges worked on; Family Life, Citizenship in the Community, Emergency Preparedness, Aviation, Fishing, Safety, Disability Awareness, cooking and Weather.  Awards: The Historic Trail Award, Tot'n Chip, Firem'n Chit, Leave No Trace & The Paul Bunyan Award.

We Hiked the Historic San Pasqual Trail (Historic Trail Award).  We went to the woodland park pool and worked on swimming requirements for some of the boys and mostly just had fun.  we went on a 5 hour deep sea fishing trip which was special to all, as some spent more time feeding the fish with their breakfast and bait than catching the fish.  We spent much of our time in camp working on merit badges and awards.  The Highlight of the trip and I think the most fun was flying in the Cessna 172's.  All the boys had a turn at the controls.  Parents, start saving your money, some of them may want to be pilots someday?

Camp achievements.  All the boys advanced closer to becoming Eagle Scouts (Our purpose in having all this fun).  Parents participated and helped make the camp possible.  
We kept the cost to a minimum and cut the cost of camp to less than half of what regular camp would have been ($360.00).  I think we call this being Thrifty.  More importantly, I think the boys learned better how to get along with others.  How to participate as a team and help each other (Our service project at the camp).  How to better follow rules, though they still need to work on going to sleep before 1:00 AM.  Overall how to become a leader.

The Eagle Scout award is a symbol that a boy has learned how to first follow, and then how to lead others. Most importantly how to lead himself by taking on the mantle of the responsibilities of an adult.  It means he has learned his duty to himself, family and society.  

Thank you to those that participated:  Fidel Cruz spent the most time with us.  3 nights and several days.  Jim Pennock a night and a couple of days. Reid McWirter a night a day. Brian Bues a night and a day.  Scott McClellan a night and a day at the Airport as well as several hours at home doing "the behind scene" paper work, etc. Robert wilt and Bob Haskell each spent a few hours helping to reduce the insanity around the campfire and at the Airport.  Most of all Thank you to all the mothers who gave rides and worked behind the scenes making sure their sons were doing whats right!  If I forgot anyone, please forgive me.  My memory isn't what it used to be.

I hope all the boys had fun while learning at the same time.  Though few caught any fish during the fishing trip, I think this experience was the greatest teacher.  It taught patience and persistence.  Two of the  character traits most needed in our world today.  Some got sick but endured, some got tired of not catching anything and took lots of breaks, some continued fishing the entire trip, still not catching a fish, but they caught something most important.  They caught the spirit of "enduring to the end".

Also please forgive any typo's, my secretary is on vacation.

I hope you enjoy the few photos attached.

We will show more of them at the next Court of Honor.

KB Fullerton
Scout Master
Troop 634

San Juan River High Adventure

This year's high adventure trip was canoeing down the San Juan river in Utah.  Our group included Jordan, Kevin, Fidel, Leo, Brian, Spencer, Olavo, Chandler and Jared.  The adults were Br. Carter, Br. Beus and Bishop Larsen.  Br. Glen Berry from the San Elijo Ward was our river guide (he brought Jacob and Willis from his ward).

We drove all day Monday and camped on a bluff overlooking the river (below is the view from camp).

We traveled on inflatable canoes, two to a canoe.  Each canoe had a ice chest, dry box (for food, etc), 2 dry bags (for clothing, sleeping bag, etc.), water container and poop boxes (you can't leave anything behind on the river).  Br. Berry required us all to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts to protect us from the sun.

Our Senior Patrol Leader for the trip was Jordan, Cook was Kevin and Quartermaster was Fidel.  Jordan ran the duty roster, gathered us together for prayer and evening devotional, and organized sweeping the camp for "leave no trace".  The duties were water, fire and poop (Bring water container from a canoe, start the camp stove to boil the water, and set up the poop tent).  Fidel loaded up the vans and distributed the tents.  Kevin managed our group lunches (sandwiches, chips, oranges and candy).
Below, Olavo is tending to his fire duty, and just above his head you can see the poop tent.  It was always set up with a wonderful view (and as far away as possible).

Br. Berry is amazingly organized.  Each canoe is numbered and the water and coolers are opened in sequence.   The last day on the river, Br. Berry pulled out ice cream.  He kept it cold with dry ice.  We immediately started gnawing on the rock hard ice cream as we waited for the mid-day hot air to thaw it out.

Along the way, we saw petroglyphs and stopped at "River City", indian cliff dwelling ruins.  We also saw at least 6 big horn sheep, and other wild life.

The boys could always find something fun to do: throwing mud balls across the river, skipping rocks, standing in the middle of the river while they talked about who knows what, jumping of cliffs, etc.  Below they would climb along the cliffs and float down a mild section of the rapids (Moms - note that everyone is wearing a life jacket - which was mandatory whenever they were in or near the water).

We also hit some rapids on the river.  The boys all did well (meaning no one fell out or flipped their canoe).

  

Br. Carter and Leo were tied for "best running of the rapids" with Bishop and Br. Beus until we found out that they went down the rapids with an unsecured water bottle on their dry box.  If this proved true, it was decided they would be the best, since this demonstrated smooth operation of the canoe.

It wasn't until after the trip that we developed the film for proof of their claim (I know, "old technology"). Below is the proof, and the award of "best river runners" goes to them. I'm not quite sure what the expression is on Bishop's face. Is he posing?

We even had one canoe decided to go down backwards.  We won't say who they were.

The drive home was scenic.