| Mid-April brought
the Troop to District Camporee at Kyle Lake. Kyle Lake
camporees have provided such wonderful weather events as blistering
heat, snow, ice, rain, straight line winds and tornados. One
year the wind actually picked up a tent, including Scout, and
dropped it in the lake. Not to be outdone, we arrived just
after the rain started and set up camp. The first order of
business was setting up the dining tent and putting the walls on.
We used that to keep the equipment dry while everyone got their
tents set up. |
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It rained heavily all night
long and into the next morning. On Saturday, the rain changed
over to 25 mph winds under a cloudy sky. The troop went about
its business, preparing meals (thanks to the members of the Pit Bull
Patrol who were in charge of meals) and teaching hiking skills.
After lunch, the Troop led a group on a 5-mile hike. |
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| In the cold air,
everyone burned a lot of calories and there was very little food
left over. We also used up 20 packets of hot chocolate mix in
about 30 minutes. Everything we had was
covered with mud. We had to move the dining tent 10' to the
side when the inside became too muddy to use. |
 |
At the Saturday
night campfire, two new Scouts crossed over to join Troop 521.
They were welcomed with their new red tabs and Troop 521
neckerchiefs. We also had two of our senior Scouts called out
as candidates for Ordeal membership in the Order of the Arrow. |
 |
You'd think that
the weather was already exciting enough but there was more to come.
The temperature began dropping during the afternoon and the wind
kept blowing. By nightfall, the temperature had dropped into
the mid 30's and the humidity and wind had the wind chill well below
that. A light mist began falling and in the light of
flashlights we could see that it was frozen. The sound of
heavy rain falling on the tents the night before was replaced with
the sound of sleet. By Sunday morning it was snowing.
What a weekend!!! |
