When Troop 81 got ready to leave
on the Orienteering and Firebuilding Campout (November 13-15) the weather
report was in our favor, despite earlier reports. The troop loaded
up all the gear and headed out to Camp Grayson. When we arrived,
the first year scouts took the Sioux campsite and the older scouts took
the Comanche campsite. Everyone set up their tents and went to bed.
The next morning, each
patrol fixed their own breakfasts and prepared for the rest of the morning.
Everyone worked on tying knots until lunch, working towards their red,
blue, and gold ropes.
Then, each patrol fixed
their own lunches, relaxed, and got ready for the firebuilding contest.
After lunch, the first year scouts went on a hike and the older scouts
had a firebuilding contest. There was a rope suspended five inches
above the top of your team's fire. Each team had to burn through
the rope. Whoever burned through the rope first won. The rest
of the afternoon was free time.
After each patrol had fixed
dinner and prepared new skits, Troop 81 had a troop campfire. The
stag patrol did a good job of dousing Scoutmaster Kelly. The campfire
was long, but after the campfire we had a little bit of time to roast marshmellows
over another fire before bedtime.
On Sunday morning, we got up
with a bugle and two cannon shots! Everyone fixed breakfast and prepared
to leave ahead of schedule. We had several hours before we had to
depart, so some people dried out their ground tarps. Everyone had
some free time before we left so Sunday morning was pretty fun. Troop
81 left early to get home before lunch.