Summer Camp and the Flood from a Scout's Point of View
Written by: Star Scout Benjamin A. - age 13
Edited by: Scoutmaster Kevin Anderson
The local Boy Scout Troop 218 went to summer camp July 20th -26th 2008. The scouts left Windsor on Sunday, July 20th and traveled to Eden, VT, where Mt. Norris Scout Reservation is located. Windsor’s 7 boys shared the Mt. Ellen campsite with 6 boys from troop 205 in Sharon along with their leaders. It was raining on and off throughout the week as boys completed merit badges, and learned basic scout skills. Windsor boys worked on merit badges in Canoeing, Archery Shotgun, Rifle, Camping, Wilderness survival, Photography, Golf, Fishing, Leatherwork, etc. In camp they cooked meals, and went to evening camp programs featuring climbing on the camps own indoor climbing wall and lashing a catapult to launch tennis balls.
The boys had duty roster assignments and one duty was for the cooks at breakfast and dinner to go down to the camp’s commissary to pick up food and ingredients, bringing them back to our campsite and prepare the food for our group. Breakfast and dinner meals were served in our campsite after the flag ceremonies. For lunch, the troop sent down “waiters” to the dining hall who were boys from the troop that set tables and put out food on the table, so everything was ready when the rest of the troop got there.
On Thursday, July 24th, heavy rain turned the small creek running through camp into a raging river that soon went over the top of its banks and wiped out the main bridge and a foot bridge. The raging torrent of water flooded the parade field, a few program areas and two campsites. The parking lot looked like a rock garden. Trees, large stones, and dirt were carried onto the parade field by the flood. The road was pretty badly damaged, and the whole camp gathered in the dining hall while the road was being repaired. The decision was made for safety sake to evacuate the camp as a larger storm was due to hit in a matter of hours. The State Police and Red Cross took over and soon school buses came to take the campers to Eden Central School. Perhaps you saw some of the clips from camp on the local news that day. The Windsor boy scouts campsite is on a high point in camp and other than it being a “wet week” they had no problems at all. The Red Cross provided food, Cots and blankets to sleep on that night in the gym while the bridge was being repaired.
A couple of the Windsor boys went home the next day, but most stayed and completed the rest of the week at camp, finishing with a great campfire Friday night.
If you know (or are) a boy age 11 to 18 interested in year round scouting FUN call the Windsor Boy Scouts!
For more information you can reach our Scoutmaster, Kevin Anderson at 802-674-6465