Troop 9 Past Events

CAMP NOBSCOT- January 2007

Mother Nature just loves playing games with Troop 9. After enduring freezing temperatures at our fall campouts, our cold weather hike and cabin campout at Camp Nobscot saw temperatures in the mid-50’s to high-60’s. If you’re asking yourself if you really needed to get a low degree-rated sleeping bag, keep it because our spring and summer campouts will be here before you know it.

Our adventure started with several drivers touring downtown Framingham before finding the right route to Camp Nobscot. Since the cabin was about a half mile from the parking lot, we had a little hike ahead of us. With our personal gear, we headed out, and after a brief view of the maintenance yard, we found the correct trail head and started for the cabin. With a little bushwhacking here, backtracking here and more bushwhacking later on, we completed the hike in a respectable 20 minutes. The shortest way is not always the easiest way. Anyway, we got try the easier but longer trail when we returned to lug the troop gear up to the cabin. As it turns out, the easiest way is not always the easiest way.

After bunks were chosen or tents set up, we had a late dinner of hot dogs and soup before retiring to the cabin or tents for the night. While it would still take a while for the scouts to quiet down, eventually the cabin became silent except for the rhythmic snoring of Bob M and the music (if you can call it that) coming from the scouts’ ipods or cd players.

In a rare act of benevolence, the scoutmaster held off the wake up noise until 8:00, although several commented that Mike H’s snoring kept them awake from about 5:00 on. Steven B, Mike D, Martin D, Matt N and Matt N helped cooked pancakes and sausages under the supervision of Tom P. Despite the mess created by the mammoth pancakes on the center grill, breakfast for 30 went remarkably well. Good job.

Tony, Anthony, Bill and Bob B then headed out with Mike D, Bradford C, Matt N, Matt N and Martin D for a hike of the camp to satisfy rank requirements. Their two hour tour took them to sites such as Toppling Rock, the Glarier Rock, fire tower and the smallpox cemetery. While they were hiking, the rest of the troop was preparing for the afternoon activities, working on advancement requirements or sitting for scoutmaster conferences.

As Bob H’s winning menu suggested, lunch was bring your own or hot dogs, soup and chips for a buck. Unfortunately, we learned that a paper lunch bag is not waterproof and that bread mixed with melted ice forms a paste-like substance.

After lunch, the scouts under First Class were split into two teams and competed in several of the Klondike Derby Activities. From all reports, the scouts in the teams and the ones running the stations did an excellent job, albeit a refresher was needed in fire building.

After dinner, Bob M, Bill M, Bob H, Anthony, Eric, John, Mike H, Joe and Tim star gazing with Eric’s telescope. After figuring the telescope out, rumors were that they could see the rings of Saturn. Most of the remaining scouts did who knows what in the cabin while a few with the remaining adults chatted outside by the fire.

Even though it was not on the menu, Phil once again made the philabuster for dessert. Despite wanting to wait for the star gazers to return, the constant begging and tears for the philabuster finally got to Phil. At risk to life and limb, some was saved for the star gazers.

A mega game of Uno was interrupted by a dastardly act of Eric, which involved the latrine and the philabuster. After that, things settled down and another cool sleeping night greeted our campers, along with the calls of those in deep slumber.

In what is becoming typical Troop 9 fashion, the younger scouts are putting the older scouts to shame in packing up first thing in the morning and getting ready to go. Despite the prodding by the Scoutmaster, clean up of the site took longer than expected, but time was made up with everyone pitching in to lug personal and troop gear down to the parking lot in one trip. In the end, mostly everyone had a good time and enjoyed the cabin and camp, and we made our arrival time of 10:45 at Pond Plain with several minutes to spare.

CAMP NORSE- December 2006

Twas a dark and frigid night when 13 scouts and 6 adults headed to Camp Norse for Troop 9’s December campout. These hearty souls were all that remained after the mass exodus from the Camp Norse Roster the night before. For many of these 19, this would be our fourth campout of the year and the third so far where the night temperatures would be below freezing. The 18 degrees beat the relatively balmy high-20’s of Norwich and Camp Squanto.

In short order and relative harmony, the tents were set up, gear was stowed away and a campfire started. Hot dogs, soup and hot chocolate kept the participants full and satisfied before they headed off to their tents and their sleeping bags. Everyone survived the night as no cases of hypothermia or frostbite were reported and everyone was present at breakfast. Rumors were that several scouts spent the night in the heated bathroom, but you know how rumors start.

The Lightning/Phoenix/Dragonforce and Stealth patrols all feasted on hot breakfasts while the combined No Name and Flaming Arrows had semi frozen donuts and mini muffins. Slip by with a cold breakfast once, shame on you, slip by again, shame on us. Surprisingly, while a good amount of hot chocolate was consumed, it did not approach the record amounts on past campouts.

With breakfast over and done with, the day’s activities began with advancement. Congrats to Mike C, Joe C, Kristopher S, Steve B, Brian M and Christian M for getting signed off on what they could, that is if they had their books with them. Many of these scouts are at the point where their advancement to First Class is almost complete. Drew, while not an official scout, picked up on a few things and if he joins knows what is ahead for him. Thanks to John, Mike, Eric, Pat, Tim and Scott for working with the scouts on their advancement.

Next was the trebuchet competition and it’s a good thing we will be starting the Pioneering Merit Badge soon as our knots and lashings definitely need some work. I don’t think the Clump, the Milkshake, the Loose-Fitting-Wraparound, the Looks-Like-A-Lashing, or Mr. O’s Very Special Knot are recognized knots and lashings by the Boy Scouts of America or any other rope tying authority with the possible exception of Fred’s School of Lashings for Morons.

The concept was to build a trebuchet (a catapult like device which flings objects through the air by use of a sling and counterweight) with materials provided. The directions indicated that the particular design we were following should fling peanut M&Ms 35 feet through the air. It turned out to be quite the puzzle to build these things (nothing ever comes out like the picture) and get them to work, but perseverance paid off and ultimately we had three trebuchet-like contraptions. In the distance competition, with a withering in-air distance of 5 feet and a generous downhill roll of 10 feet, the trebuchet of Mike H, John G, Tim, Brian M, Christian and Joey C won. After that, we just threw M&Ms to see which patrol could catch the most in their mouth and the Lightning/Phoenix patrols took the honors there.

The scouts then went off to play football as the adults remained at the campsite to ponder life’s mysteries, stare at the inside of their eyelids and start the dessert. A rustle in one of the tents indicated that there was a failure of the buddy system by the scouts, which was quickly remedied by Mr. O taking a walk to find the troop and have them come back to the site for the wayward scout.

After football, dinner was on. The combined No Name and Flaming Arrows had chicken nuggets and semi-thawed French fries (whose responsibility is it to check menus, oh wait, it’s mine), while the Stealth had hot dogs. The Lightning/Phoenix/Dragonforce feasted on stuffed pork tenderloins with an apple stuffing, baked potatoes and Dutch Oven cornbread. As the pork and potatoes were cooked in tinfoil, cleanup was a snap and hopefully the scouts saw what they could do with tinfoil.

The scouts and Mr. H then went off to play a game of manhunt by the fort and hooked up with a troop from Connecticut. Despite one minor incident, the scouts had fun and returned to the campsite and campfire where Phil’s Mess or the Philibuster made its first appearance of the scouting year. After eating their fill, everyone heading off to their tents for, judging by the amount of snoring throughout the campsite, a good night’s sleep.

Morning found us up early, packed and heading home where we dropped the troop gear off in record time (less than 5 minutes from when the tires hit the Pond Plain parking lot).

Did I say that it was 18 degrees at night and never got out of the low 30’s on Saturday? Well, the weather turned out to be a non-factor as the scouts and adults were well prepared and the cold did not appear to bother anyone. Well done to all participants for living up to the Scout Motto.