Kawida Lodge Fall Fellowship. October 7 to 9, 2016

Kawida Lodge Fall Fellowship - October 7 to 9, 2016

Location - Camp McKee

My Scoutmaster Trophy (that made) from the event.

Total Mileage - Roughly 145 miles round trip.

Weather - Amazing Weather!  Low 80s on Friday with mid 60s Saturday morning.  Low 70s on Saturday with upper 40s on Sunday morning.  No RAIN during the event!!

Clothing - Shorts and Scout uniform most of the day Saturday.

Shoes - Keen Sandals on Friday and hiking boots all day Saturday.

Tent - I slept in my Slumberjack tent.  

Sleeping Bag - My red summer bag that I used as a blanket.  I also used my new fleece liner that I zipped up around my shoulders.  I was cold on Saturday night, so I pulled my US Army wool blanket out of my truck.  I put it between my liner and my bag.

Main Activity -  I brought the boys with me early Friday to help set the camp up for the weekend.  We arrived around 11:30 AM.  Scouts and Scouters started arriving at 6.  I helped the Lodge Adviser with registration until just after 7 PM when the voting started for 2017 Lodge Officers.

There were 14 members of Troop 215 at the event.  A few years ago, it was only my oldest son Thomas and me from Troop 215 who went to Kawida Lodge events.  I'm sure Troop 215 was active in Kawida Lodge before we first became active, but since I wasn't a leader in Troop 215 until December 2013, I don't know what the troop did at OA events.  We had 10 Scouts at Fall Fellowship this year.  Two of the Scotus were not OA members (and had a special invitation from the Lodge Chief).  We also had 4 registered adults from our Troop at the event.  Three of the adults were the Key 3 of Troop 215 - the scoutmaster (me), the committee chair (M. Cleland), and our charter organization representative (C. Miffin).

My oldest son, Thomas, was there that weekend to fulfill his duties as Awards Committee Chair.  He had to work with his committee adviser, B. Newell, to choose awards for Arrowmen who will be recognized at Winter Banquet.  He was stressed about his job as committee chair, but he did a great job.  I was told by the Lodge Adviser that this is was the first year in many where the awards were completely picked by a scout.

The event was set up like a Camporee, only the theme was Star Trek. It was really cool.  The Scouts went from station to station to do different scout skills.  They did everything from compass course to medical station to shooting rifles.  

My job on Saturday was as a staff member.  I didn't have a station.  On Saturday morning I drove the Lodge Adviser, T Haydon, around in the Gator (4-wheel utility vehicle) to check to see that all the stations were set up properly and to make sure that the Scouters had all the equipment they needed to run their stations.  

On Saturday afternoon I drove the Lodge Chief, A Reynolds, to test the scouts in Scout Knowledge.  Aaron and I still used the Gator, only we attached to cardboard trashcans on the sides of the gator to make it the USS Kawida Starship.  The question that Aaron asked was <other than Baden Powell, name two founders of Boy Scouts of America.  Three accepted answers were Dan Beard, Ernest Thompson Seaton, and James West.  William D. Boyce would also have been accepted.  Another question was name two founding members of the Order of the Arrow.  E Urner Goodman and Carroll A Edson is the answer that was needed.

The event ended on Saturday afternoon.  At 10:30 on Saturday evening, there was a Brotherhood Ceremony in the Brotherhood Ceremony Ground that we call Allowat's Place.  It was very impressive since it was dark.  The candidates and ceremonialists could only be seen by light of the fire.

Sunday morning there was a Scouts Own Service led by a Scout from Troop 269 of Frankfort.  There was also a Tecumseh Chapter meeting.  Tecumseh Chapter consists of Scott, Franklin and Woodford Counties.  Tyler was elected as the new Vice Chief of Tecumseh Chapter.  Afterward we cleaned up.  There was an LRC on the porch of Stamler Hall after everything was cleaned up.  

I took some food that was left over from the event back to the Soup Kitchen.  I took some fruit, some baked potatoes, and salad that had been unopened.

Extra Gear - I brought my long underwear.  I really needed it on Saturday night.  I also took my rain jacket that I used on Saturday night while watching the Brotherhood Ceremony.  I use my camp cup that I have attached to a carabiner during every campout and every event with Kawida Lodge.  At one point on Saturday I thought I lost it.  I had set it down in the dining hall on the stage.  Right after that I drove the gator around with the Lodge Adviser.  At lunch time I couldn't find it, and I thought I had it attached to my day pack that I had in the back of the gator. I thought perhaps it was loosed in the back end of the Gater, and when I hit a bump in the road, it flew off into a ditch.  You should have seen me frantically looking for it.  I have become attached to the stupid cup.  It didn't take me long to find it.

Saturday night before and after the Brotherhood Ceremony, I drove the Gator again to get equipment from the OA building to Allowat's place.  It was VERY cold driving the Gator at night.

Meals  - (a new line for my blog). 

Friday morning I stopped at the IGA grocery store in Clay City and picked up a package of ham, cheese singles, a loaf of bread and some Pringles chips for me and the boys.  That was our lunch when we arrived at the camp at 11:30.  We ate on the Picnic Shelter.  After lunch I had Tyler put it in a refrigerator in Stamler.  It would also be our supper that evening.

Friday Cracker Barrel - I didn't really look because I didn't eat anything.  I seem to remember that there were meatballs, chips and cheese sauce, and brownies.

Saturday morning was pancakes, bacon, some fruit.

Saturday lunch was good, but I don't remember what it was.

Saturday supper was bbq pork that was smoked on site by a caterer.  We also had baked beans, mac n cheese, and one other thing. Great supper!

Saturday Cracker Barrel was baked potatoes, and left overs from the meals.

Sunday breakfast was fruit bars, fruit, milk.

Nights Camping - 2.  I set up my tent in my usual spot in front of Stamler Lodge.

Next Campout - Troop 215 will be camping/hiking at Red River Gorge on October 21 to 23, 2016

Total Camping nights in 2016 - 19 nights so far this year.

An event on Saturday where the scouts had to burn the lower string, but couldn't burn the top string.  It is more difficult than it looks.  They had to gather material to start a fire to start the event.

Campsite 13 where most of the Scouts from Troop 215 stayed on Friday night.

Fleet Admiral stopped a "starship" to check for spies.

A blindfolded event where the Scouts had to pick up a cup of hazardous liquid (water) with stings being held by 4 people.

Front port of Stamler Hall on Friday before anyone arrived.

This was the opening exercise to see which team went to which station first.

Tecumseh Chapter Meeting on Sunday morning.  

Troop 215 waiting for parents to take them home.

Receiving the gift from Troop 215.  Toothbrush and tooth paste.

The Fleet Admiral (Lodge Chief) cutting wood with a crosscut saw.

An event where the scouts had to respond to a medical problem.

Scouts Own Service on Sunday morning

This is what my new trophy looks like on the wall of my office at work.

Kawida Lodge - Fall Ordeal - September 9 to 11, 2016

Kawida Lodge Fall Ordeal - September 9 to 11, 2016

Location - Camp McKee

Total Mileage - Roughly 145 miles round trip.

Weather - High of 89 on Saturday.  Cold Front came through around 6:30 Saturday afternoon.  Rained for half an hour.  It was 59 on Sunday morning at 8, and had risen to 70 degrees when I left the camp at 11 AM.

Clothing - Shorts & tshirt - Scout uniform shirt during ceremonies

Shoes - Keen Sandals - I took my hiking boots, but never wore them

Tent - I slept in my Slumberjack tent.  I still love that tent very much!  It is a double wall tent.  It is the perfect size for a Scoutmaster!  The cot fits inside, and I could put a chair in there too if I wanted to have it.  It is not a great tent for backpack camping, but perfect for car camping.

Sleeping Bag - My red summer bag.  It is a little better than the green one that I took to camp.  I used it as a blanket.

Main Activity - I attended a late meeting on Friday night at Karrick Lodge with the Lodge Adviser and a few other people.  We talked about where I will be serving next year with the Lodge.  I ended up standing in the parking lot of Karrick watching the constellations until 3 AM with the Lodge Adviser talking about life.  I was able to get 4 hours of sleep that night.  

Saturday I helped a couple of Brotherhood Candidates memorize the obligation and the OA Song.  We helped with digging of the drainage ditches at Campsite 3 with the Ordeal Candidates and the Elangomats.  Tyler (my son) was an Elangomat for the first time.  He really enjoyed it!  He even joined the Elangomat Committee.  He did a great job.  The ceremonies (Brotherhood and Ordeal) took place at the OA Slab.  I like it when they are held there.  It makes it easy to hear the ceremonies.  Hearing the words of the ceremonies, even for those who have been through the ceremonies in the past, are vitally important.  It is more than just the obligation that makes you a member of the OA.  Service is a key to being a member (of course), but also hearing the ritual is vitally important.  The Brotherhood Ceremony is my favorite ritual of the OA.  It talks about the "burden".  It also explains the two bars on the end of the arrow.  

Saturday evening when it rained, I went to my tent to take a nap.  I was so tired!  There was a group of scouts on the porch of Stamler Hall laughing really loud.  My tent was only a few feet from the porch of Stamler, so I didn't get to sleep, but laying there seemed to help a little.  When I went back in to Stamler, I talked to Frank and JD about 2017 NYLT.  They had invited me to be a staff member of NYLT, but I had to turn them down.  The Lodge Chief stopped by where we were sitting to talk about an event he is planning in 2017.  He wanted our input.  He called it the "midnight club", but it took place at 9:30.  By 10:30, I was brain dead.  I excused myself, and went to bed.  I slept until 8 AM.

Sunday morning, I woke up as the call was being made by Shaffer to get the scouts in to Stamler Hall for prayer before breakfast.  I got out of my cot, went to the porch of Stamler Hall, stretched for 10 minutes, which helped, and then got ready for the Scouts Own Service.  I'm kind of in charge of making sure the Scouts Own Service takes place.  The day before I asked C. Cassady of Troop 269 to do the Scouts Own.  I talked him through how to develop a service.  He talked about being Obedient.  He did a great job on Sunday morning!

Sunday morning at Scouts Own, I looked up to notice Tyler was wearing his scout uniform, but not his OA Sash.  After it was over, he told me that someone stole his sash.  He said it was laying on his bunk, and he thought someone walked off with it.  I went to where his bunk was set up, and asked him to look through his backpack.  I also asked him if it was in his sleeping bag.  He said no.  He was really worried that someone took his sash.  I told him he could get another one.  His objection was that his sash was really special.  It had been through a ceremony, and a new sash would not have been through the ceremony.  He asked everyone if they had his sash.  Later on while I was taking down my tent, he walked out where I was.  He was wearing his sash.  He said he found it in the bottom of his sleeping bag.

Extra Gear - I stuffed my gear in my new Osprey Duffel bag.  I really like it.  I had no need for extra gear.  It was a great weekend.

Nights Camping - 2.  I was tempted to sleep in Karrick Lodge with the other adults, but I stayed in my tent.  

Next Campout - Hatito - Cub Family Campout Georgetown September 16 to 18, 2016.  Troop 215 Scouts will be teaching First Aid to the Webelos just like they did last year.  I'm also in charge of the Scouts Own Service.  I will have some of the Scouts who were in my Communications MB class last week to put together and carry out a Scouts Own.  This will complete a requirement for the MB for them.  I'm only camping out 1 night at Hatito.  Thomas and Tyler will be playing the band during the Homecoming Game, and I've decided to take the to the campout on Saturday morning instead of showing up at 11 PM to set up the tents.

Total Camping nights in 2016 - 17 nights so far this year.

Camp McKee waterfront on Sunday morning.  Tyler Baker took this picture.  

Call Out ceremony Friday night - Tyler was a runner.  In this picture he is introducing the candidate.

Ordeal Work.  Tyler is in the red shirt in the middle of the road.  He was an Elangomat, which means "friend" in Delaware Indian language.  He was the guide for the Ordeal candidates.

This is during the Ordeal Ceremony on Saturday afternoon.  This is the first step of the Order of the Arrow new members.  

New Ordeal members are receiving their sashes.  Tyler is on the end.  As an Elangomat, he does everything with the Ordeal Candidates, including what he eats, where he sleeps, and he even is part of the ritual as if he was a candidate, although he is able to wear his sash that he received at his Ordeal ceremony in April 2016.

Ordeal members, Ceremonialists, and Elangomats for the picture that is taken after each ceremony.

Indian Flute at the beginning of the Brotherhood Ceremony.  In this video the candidates arrive at the end the video.  

Kawida Lodge Summer Ordeal - August 12-14, 2016 - Camp McKee - BlueGrass Council BSA

Kawida Lodge Summer Ordeal - August 12 to 14, 2016

Location - Camp McKee

Total Mileage - Roughly 145 miles round trip.

Weather - Hot During the day - Warm during the night.  It did not rain.  There was a 50% chance, but the rain went around us.

Clothing - Shorts & tshirt - Scout uniform shirt during ceremonies

Shoes - Keen Sandals - I took my tennis shoes, but never wore them

Tent - I didn't sleep in one.  I brought it, but since it looked like it was going to rain, I didn't use it.  I slept on the porch of Stamler Hall.  The first night I slept on my cot, and the second night I slept in my hammock

Sleeping Bag - The green one that I use during the summer.  I used it as a blanket.  I didn't need it the first night while sleeping on the cot, but needed it the second night while sleeping in my hammock.

Main Activity - As the Associate Lodge Adviser for the Camping & High Adventure Committee, I advised Ben G. on a high adventure event that will take place at Camp McKee in November.  I also helped Tyler and Robert plan the Scouts Own Service, and I helped and encouraged Craig to memorize the Obligation so he could go through Brotherhood Conversion.  Before the first Ordeal Ceremony, I was asked by the Lodge Chief to bang the drum once (First Aid box) during the ceremony.  Everyone jumped (including Aaron!).  I also was a runner for water for the ceremonialists.  Ceremonies on Saturday afternoon lasted from 3 until about 6:30.

Extra Gear - I didn't need extra gear.  I did, however, see another leader with a Osprey Duffel Bag that I am going to order for myself as soon as I can.  Everything will fit inside it, and it won't be awkward like my backpack.

Nights Camping - 2.  I could have slept in the dining hall, but I didn't because I knew it wouldn't count as nights camping if I slept in a building.  Therefore, I slept outside, even though I don't have a bug net over my cot or hammock. The bugs had a feast out of my flesh.  I am hoping to get a hammock with a bug net perhaps from Sheltowee Hammock Company that is a local company that has great hammocks.  I'm going to see if I can get the owner of Sheltowee Hammock Company to do a demonstration during our high adventure campout this coming November.  I will talk to the Lodge Adviser about if first.

Next Campout - Kawida Lodge Fall Ordeal September 9 to 11, 2016

Total Camping nights in 2016 - 15 nights so far this year.

Brotherhood Ceremony in a beautiful place.

Summer Ordeal Schedule

Call Out Ceremony

My son Tyler as Nutiket.  He did a great job on his first time as a ceremonialist!

Nutiket waiting on the new candidates to arrive.

Candidates being led into the ceremony by Kichkinet

Nutiket speaking to the first group of candidates before they received the obligaiton

Second group of candidates receiving obligation

New Ordeal Members receiving sashes

New Kawida Lodge Members with ceremonialists

Brotherhood Ceremony uncropped

My hammock on the porch of Stamler Hall.

E Urner Goodman Camping Award that was awarded to Kawida Lodge.

Summer Camp 2016 - Roy C. Manchester, Benton Kentucky - June 12 through 18, 2016

Location - Camp Roy C Manchester,

Sunrise into the camp on Thursday morning.

Troop 215 prior to departure for camp.

Entrance into the camp

Troop 215 shared campsite 1 with Troop 4 out of Paducah Kentucky.

Group photo with both troops that stayed in Campsite 1

Campsite 1 from the head of the bay

Mileage - It was roughly 290 miles one way from Georgetown to the camp.

Weather - Heavy Rainstorm only on Wednesday.  It was 87 in the afternoon on Wednesday, and a heavy rainstorm that brought .54 inches of rain in an hour arrived at roughly 3 PM.  Following the rainstorm, the weather dropped significantly.  The rest of the week was ok.  Sunday 93, Mon 95, Tue 89, Wed 87, Thur 95 (hot) with heat index at 109 at 4:30 in the afternoon, Fri 84, Sat 86 (although we left camp at 8 AM.

during the rainstorm

In the picture are the two scoutmasters of Troop 4 making sure their tents didn't fly away.

The reason we chose Camp Roy C. Manchester is because of the High Adventure Sailing program that they have at the camp.  Every odd year our troop chooses a camp that is out of council.  In 2014, we went to Camp Friedlander in Ohio.  On the way home I talked to our Outdoor Chairperson about camp that takes place on a boat.  I think that was all we knew about the camp up to that point.  It sounded great.  In 2015, we went to Camp McKee, which is our council camp, and we will return there in 2017.  

We had 6 scouts from Troop 215 participate in the High Adventure Sailing at camp this year.  My oldest was one of them.  He has done high adventure camping for the past 5 years instead of regular camp.  Last year he went to Philmont Scout Reservation.  This year he spent Monday through Friday on a 25 foot Catalina Sailboat with 3 other scouts.  No adults on his boat.  They trained on Sunday and Monday morning, and returned to camp on Friday afternoon.  I would have given anything to be able to do something like that as a scout.  That sounds like quite an adventure.  Thomas said that is was as good as Philmont.

These are the sailboats that the camp uses for the High Adventure Sailing Program

This is a picture of two of the sailboats returning to camp on Friday afternoon.

Clothing - Shorts and tshirt. I brought my raincoat, but I take my raincoat on every camp out.  I wore it only for a few minutes on Wednesday afternoon.

Shoes - Keen Sandals.  They seem to be my camp shoes.  I wore my tennis shoes when I decided to take a hike around the camp on Tuesday afternoon, and I wore another pair of shoes when I was walking around the muddy campsite on Wednesday afternoon, but other than those two times, I wore my Keen Sandals all the time.

Camping Style - I slept in my Slumberjack Trail Tent 4.  I put my cot inside the tent.  I put down my inflatable camping pad on my cot.  At night I kept my camp chair inside the tent.  I slept in my underwear and a tshirt since it was hot.  The first night I slept without my tshirt, but I couldn't slide around easily on top of the sleeping bag, so I put a shirt on for the rest of the week.  Friday night I rolled my tent up and put it away since we were leaving early Saturday morning.  I slept in my hammock.

Inside my tent during the storm. It stayed bone dry!

My hammock rig.

Hammock City on Friday night.

Sleeping bag & Sleeping - Summer bag.  I used it as a blanket on Wednesday night when it dipped down into the 60s over night, and also on Friday night when I slept in my hammock.

Main Activities - On Sunday at the Scoutmaster meeting, I volunteered to help teach Pioneering Merit Badge.  I thought I was volunteering to be an assistant to a camp staff person.  I showed up Monday morning, and discovered I was the only teacher.  I was given an outline of what I was supposed to teach, and through it, I figured it out.  After the class on Monday, I would work on my lesson plan every morning before class to make sure I knew what I was teaching, and how long it was supposed to take.  I don't think I would have gotten through the merit badge if I hadn't done that.  Tuesday thorough Saturday I had help from Don LaFollette, who is the Scoutmaster of a troop from Madisonville.

Pioneering Merit Badge on a completed project

Climbing on the project

On Thursday we worked on the scale model requirement of the merit badge.  The scale model part of the merit badge should take each scout a few hours.  I had 50 minutes to teach it to 13 scouts.  We knew that the only way to finish the final merit badge requirement (project) was to set up the main project of the merit badge on Thursday after class.  Tyler and Robert (scouts from 215) didn't have a class at 10:20, so they stayed around to help.  I talked them into working on the base of the project, and they worked on it for about an hour.  This enabled them both to finish the merit badge one day early, and it also made them teachers during the class on Friday.  It was fun to watch the scouts get excited about the project once it was finished.

Tyler and Robert on Thursday.

Prior to camp, Tyler said that he didn't know anything about knots and he didn't like to tie knots.  Now he's excited about knots, even though his strongest knot as of now is the bowline knot.  A hitch is a knot tied around an object like a tree, and a knot is a knot that is tied around the rope.

bowline knot

Tautline hitch

I had a lot of fun teaching Pioneering Merit Badge.  I can't wait to teach it again!

Tuesday I decided to take a walk around the camp.  I went from one side to the other to look at where the merit badges were being taught and to see if my scouts were in class.  It was early afternoon.  I showed up in the Aquatics area around 3:15.  That morning Tyler told me that he was bored with Motor Boating Merit Badge.  I wanted to find out why.  When I showed up in Aquatics, the merit badge teacher, Patrick, was telling the class that he had to take the class out on the boat, but he had too many in the class to be able to do it all in one day.  I volunteered to help.  For the rest of the week I was at Aquatics at 3:20 to help teach, and I was on the water teaching motor boating to Scouts on three of those day.  Tyler ended up loving the class after that.

Extra Gear - Swimming trunks!  I swam Monday, Tuesday, Thursday.  It was weird at first getting used to fish bumping into my legs as they swam around in the swimming area.  I also went canoeing with one of our scouts on Thursday.

Tyler working on cheering up some of the younger scouts.

Tyler and MacKenzie the camp nurse.

OA members of Troop 215 (without the two adults who also were in camp at the time).

Night time volleyball fun.

2016 Camp Roy C. Manchester Staff at closing campfire.

Prior to Sunrise Monday Morning.

Monday morning sunrise.

Monday morning sunrise.

Nights Camping - 6

Total nights camping so far this year - I now have 13 nights camping in 2016  

Next Campout -  I think the next scheduled campout is Summer Ordeal at Camp McKee in August.

This was the last summer camp that Dad and the Baker Boys will be at together with the boys as scouts.  Next summer Thomas will be 18, and also next summer, Tyler will be Counselor in Training at Camp McKee (if he is hired).  It is something I'm not really ready to think about!