Start Thinking About Summer Camp
Dear Scouts,
Later this week the Troop will take its first spring hike in Rock Creek Park and Scout will see the first beginnings of the blooming of nature into the fullness of beauty. Rain or shine, it will be enjoyable.
Despite the fact that your week of summer camp with fellow Scouts is about three months away, it is not too soon to start thinking, learning and planning for that week. Some Scouts in our Troop have been away at camp for a week before, but for many, this will be the first time being away from home at what seems a far-away place. For some Scouts, it might seem kind of scary.
So I’m going to talk a bit about what summer camp is and what you can expect to experience. Sometimes thinking and talking about things with your friends can make it all see a lot less frightening – and after a while, you may come to really look forward to going with the Troop.
What To Expect At Camp
We are going to a Scout camp called Camp Olmstead at the Goshen Scout Reservation. It is located in Virginia just south of Shenandoah National Park, which many of you have been to. We will probably ride a bus there together.
When we arrive we will move-into a campsite that will already have nice tents set-up for us. These a big tents called “wall tents” and are set-up on wooden platforms.
We will eat our meals in a dining hall along with about 500 other Scouts from all across the Washington, DC area. There will be other all-girl Troop and all-boy Troops, but they will be in other campsites.
During the day we will participate in activities that are both fun and allow Scouts to pass advancement requirements and even earn some merit badges. The best part is that you will be doing things together with the other girls in the Troop! The things you can pick from include swimming, archery, hiking, canoeing, sailing, Native American lore, basketry, leatherworking, rowing, wood carving, mammal study, conservation, and just about any other topic you can imagine.
Camp Olmstead is a big, beautiful place and has a big, beautiful like on it. We will have our own Troop evening campfires and participate in camp-wide campfires with over 500 other Scouts! And because we will be at camp on Independence Day, we will see a special fireworks display right over the lake.
For those of you who have never been away from home for a week, you can attend summer camp with your fellow Scouts with confidence. You will never be alone – ever. That’s because we follow the buddy system. The Scoutmasters and the women and men on the Scout Camp Staff will be there to keep you safe and show you how to have fun. The Scoutmasters will be there to talk to you and make you feel comfortable. After a few days, you will be having so much fun you will not want to go back home at the end of the week.
What Camp Will Be Like (With Videos!)
All you need to do for now is to dream about how wonderful it is all going to be. You can even go online and see pictures of where we will be going. Here is the view from the air, just as you are an eagle flying over where you will camp, swim and boat:
Here is what the fireworks look like over the lake:
Here is a video that shows a lot of the program areas from across the many camps at Goshen Scout Reservation:
These pictures show only all-boy troops, and even use the old term “boy scout camp” to describe where we will be going. That’s because 2019 is the first year all-girl troops will camp there. Next year we will see pictures of Troop 248 girls in these pictures!
So begin dreaming about how much fun it is going to be. Think of how much confidence you will gain from mastering these new Scout skills. Think of the bravery you will gain by venturing with your great friends for a week at camp. Think of how proud your special people at home will be when you return with your awards and the stories of how you received them.
Sincerely,
Scoutmaster Burkhardt