Encampment 2015

Encampment, our community-wide annual scouting camping trip, was another successful experience. This year I volunteered to take Bridget's troop for the whole weekend instead of just that day like last year. Bridget was really excited to have me camp with her. The theme this year was classic GS Camping, and Bridget's troop was archery. Emma and Rachael's troop was glow sticks, and Megan's was whittling. Rachael was torn because this year she would miss Encampment because she was going to Hershey Park with her middle school band for an adjudication. She did have a great day.

Eight girls from Bridget's troop signed up to go to encampment, 4 all weekend and 4 just for the day on Saturday. So they all came over our house to make a banner, t-shirts and swaps in our backyard. Bridget diligently painted her target shirt and put her swaps together. The packing list was a little more daunting. Bridget started to stress out gathering things and getting things to fit in her duffel bag. I came home to work to whining and complaining and I yelled at her. It took me a few minutes to realized that she was just anxious so I readjusted myself and could then help her readjust herself. Packing became fun with better attitudes. Emma and Megan are seasoned encampment packers and got through their lists without any help.

Friday I picked Megs and Bridge up early from school, grabbed Em and all of our gear and we gathered a few more scouts from Bridget's troop and we made the longer than usual drive to the campgrounds. I delivered everyone to their campsites and Bridget and I got comfortable in our cabin. The first night includes an ice cream social, where the 300 girls swap. Bridget had made her 20 archery themed swaps and found her own way to approach and exchange swaps with fellow scouts. Last year she waited to be approached or went in with her friends but this year I saw her ask girls she didn't know. she always waited until there weren't other people talking around her or large groups and it worked really well for her. It was hard to fall asleep that night.

Our cabin mates had a hard time shutting out the morning sun and sounds and they were up by 5:30. We spent the day hiking around from archery, to row boating, to the rock wall, with stops at knot tying and food prep. Bridget and I passed Emma a number of times on our way, but not Megan. I volunteered to run an errand in the hopes of finding her and sure enough there she was getting ready to climb the rock wall. Bridget didn't attempt the rock wall but she experienced everything else with joy.

By our evening flagpole Bridget's troop was exhausted. Her troop was in charge of the flag ceremony and they worked together to take the flag down. Bridget unclipped the American flag. Em and Meg joined the rest of the troops for the evening bonfire and bridging ceremony, but my group hiked back to the cabins to go to bed.

In the morning we all went to the amphitheater were the junior troops did skits about "Leave no Trace" Megan had the lead of Katniss in her troops Hunger Games Themed skit. She was fantastic, complete with inflections and projecting her voice. After that we all went to the pool for the pool noodle raft regatta. At our knot station we practiced knots and tied 12 pool noodles together to make a raft. We drew names and Bridget was chosen to paddle in the raft with Aurie. They were in the last heat and got a good start, but then the front end with Bridget on it flipped over. She struggled to right the raft and succeeded as her partner kicked furiously. They flipped again a few feet later and by this time were dead last. but they kept at it and crossed the pool. Lots of other rafts were disqualified because they didn't finish or they fell apart, so I was really proud of them. The troop won the Best Design Award.

After brunch we gathered the last of our gear and drove home. We were stinky and tired but happy. Jim, Rachael and Hanna greeted us and helped us drag in the gear.  Hanna had stories of playgrounds and lunch at Target and Rachael shared stories of Hershey Park. It was good to be together again.