Did something a little different.
Getting the food ready
Got a volunteer guard
Done
Anyway, particulars are a 91lb swine, 4 bags of charcoal, 4 qts lighter fluid, 6 hours. That was it, it was pretty good, we fed about 70 people in the front yard.
getting pinned
telling first camping story. Our sole flashlight is in a outhouse, still, as far as I know.
Its a small troop, but they get 1 Eagle about every year and a half. I have 11-12 years in total, and thats enough, because there was exactly zero pencil whipping for badges done. Which means it is a lot of work for the parents. The troop Eagled boys whos parents weren't there as well. However, the trend is that if the parent isnt, then the boy wont.
We did a lot of stuff after I missed a meeting and became committee chair and in charge of the camping merit badge. Its been a PITA but still fun. Everyone lived through some of the stuff we did and I can guarantee that every one of those Scouts that was there for the 107 mi self sustained river trip in 4 days will never forget it. Its funny because at summer camp last year one instructor was telling everyone that they should be looking up to another troop that did 50mi in 6 or 7 days. I guess it got obnoxious until one of our guys asked "What did they do after lunch?". Kinda popped the bubble.
In my time we became the first troop in our council to make Boys Life in 35 years or so and my son was the guinea pig for every hair brained scheme, so he got to do even more of the work. He earned the Eagle, all of it. The only badge he didn't get that he wanted was cycling, for the trifecta of swimming, hiking, cycling. He did all of the rides, until he came up puking for the 50mi. It was fun seeing him mature. I dont think that there is another venue that a boy can do that as well. Sports are to structured and you are led by the hand. There is a big difference in being able to play with a ball and pack a bag with everything you need to live for 5 days correctly. If you drop the ball, you pick it up. If half your food and all of your bedding gets waterlogged on day two, life is really going to suck.
