Camp Chawanakee - Volume 5

The last full day of camp was Aloha Friday. The scouts spent the morning checking in with classes to wrap up any last minute items. In some cases, it was to make sure that all requirements were complete to earn a merit badge.

The afternoon featured a camp-wide competition called Chawanadayze. We were somewhat hampered since one of our scouts was on crutches, but we gave it our all to show our scout spirit.

It all paid off at the final evening flag ceremony where we learned that we were an overall winner for one of the thumbsticks, the Twig of Destiny. That evening was also the final campfire where certain recognitions were given out. Troop 370 was named one of the honor troops for our performance during the week. Our senior scout, Chris, earned the highest rank for Chawanakee campers. Ethan was surprised to be selected Pioneer Hike, which is given to one scout who best displays scout spirit from each troop. For this honor, he was able to sleep one final time outdoors with the other Pioneer Hikers in a "secret" location. During this campout, each award winner was asked to write what scout spirit means to them with these essays to be kept at the camp office for future viewing.

Camp Chawanakee - Volume 4

This volume features a water theme due to the many pictures taken of our scouts at waterfront classes like swimming, canoeing and lifesaving. Ethan was able to complete a couple survival swimming maneuvers that involved jumping into the water fully clothed and taking off your pants to use it as a flotation device. Later in the week, Ethan was able to earn his first merit badge, the Swimming Merit Badge.

In the evening on this same day, most of the troop went on the Canoe Outpost to the other side of the lake. This excursion featured paddling a canoe across the lake, camping outdoors under the stars, and campfire activities - also they had to wake up extra early to make it back for the regular breakfast time at 6:45am.

Ethan also got to shoot a gun for the first time, a 22 caliber bolt action rifle.  Perhaps next year he will try for his Rifle Merit Badge at camp.

The other camp activity that kept the scouts busy was making camp gadgets.  These are things that help improve the camp site.  These were important for the purposes of competing for the thumbstick because the gadgets resulted in bonus points.  Starting with the first gadget, the flag pole, the scouts also made a sun dial, towel rack, a four-hole mini-golf course, a weather rock, pine cone toss table, uniform rack, wash basin, gateway arch for our campsite, and a compass rose.  Ethan was quite involved in the making of most of these gadgets and came up with the idea on how to complete the rope webbing for the arch.

Camp Chawanakee - Volume 3

This volume of Camp Chawanakee videos introduces the "Turtle" formation, Mr. President, and the Twig of Destiny. The "Turtle" is what the scouts came up for their march formation to and from flag ceremonies. The idea was to have all the scouts form a turtle shell around their leader, Chris, the Senior Patrol Leader for summer camp. A game they came up with was "Mr. President" that involved pretending to answer a call from the President. The objective was to not be the last one to answer the call. Finally, the Twig of Destiny was the thumbstick that the commissioner that was assigned to our grouping of troops awarded to one troop each day of the camp. We won the thumbstick on Tuesday. Winning the thumbstick meant that we would have to add something to it before the next evening's flag ceremony where it would be given out once again. The overall winner at the end of the week would get to take the thumbstick home with them.

Camp Chawanakee - Volume 2

This is the second video in a series of five from summer camp for Ethan's boy scout troop. Camp Chawanakee is located on Shaver Lake northeast of Fresno in the Sierras. The camp runs for nine consecutive weeks. Apparently, our troop has been attending this camp for several consecutive summers now.

Camp Chawanakee - Volume 1

This is the first volume of videos from our time at Camp Chawanakee located northeast of Fresno in the Sierras at about a mile high.  This was our first boy scout summer camp. This video covers parts of the first two days at camp. The first day was check-in. There was the getting settled into our camp site, including the making of our first camp gadget: a flag pole. We also got a tour of the camp by Grant the "Plant" who was the counselor assigned to our troop.

Summer of Sketching

Naomi was busy earlier this month sketching for murals for summer camp at our church for the kids to color as one of their activities.  Here's a sampling of some of her freehand sketches.