Half way already?

Apologies for the late blog this week. I hope that you all enjoyed getting paid to actually do your job for a change…

First of all, I would like to set of another set of imaginary CATCOUK fireworks. The camp has made it to the end of another week, but more importantly, every Scout that took the Sailing merit badge completed it!!!! We’re starting to make a habit of this!

Well, I’ve had a pretty good week. More mornings of relaxing sailing, and afternoons of… well nothing actually. So Administration have seen to that. I have been ‘promoted’! I know hold the position of ‘commissioner’, which basically means that I go around Scout Troops, and listen to their problems, before going and kicking the relevant people to sort out their problems. But I’m sure this will all be in next week’s post, as I have just been given the position.

So why, oh why was this week’s CATCOUK fest so late? I suppose you’re all expecting a long winded post to explain myself. Well tough luck. I don’t have that sort of time anymore. I have to go and listen to some Scoutmasters moan (or sometimes just have a nice conversation, I am the unofficial director of happiness after all)…

But the abridged version goes like this.

My sponsor troop (T29 Dunellen, N.J.) are on their summer camp this week. They were unable to book into Ockanickon, so they went to our archrival camp, Resical Falls. Of course when I say archrival, I just mean that they are one of the closest camps to us. We’re in no danger at the moment. We see 500 Scouts in a week, and they see nearer to 300.

It was interesting to see another camp in action. It would be unfair to compare the campsites, as the programs offered by each camp are different. So lets do it anyway!

Resica Falls defiantly has a better check in process than us. It was very smooth, although our guide was a little inexperienced. They also have a far better swimming pool than us (but it is brand new). Also, Resica has a huge amount of land (a leaflet I read said nearly 5 000 acres!), so you can explore the grounds at length. They also have some cool water falls.

However, we appear to have a more experienced staff (mainly owing to the fact that we steal all of their good staff every year). Our program is also far better organised. One of their comments at a leaders meeting really made me laugh. The Dan Beard (a small kid starter program) director was taking numbers of his program. He’s counting up the numbers from Scout Masters, and his face drops. “Er… guys. I have 51 Scouts here. I can’t take this many.” Now this seems a reasonable statement to make. 51 children sound like a lot. Except for the fact that our amazing Dan Beard director Kevin ‘Karen Sugarpie’ Ott (Otter) had nearly 150 Scouts last week.

That’s just one small example. The other big issue that Resica have, is that their boating lake is a mile’s walk up ‘Heart Attack Ridge’ (a huge hill). Whoever built the campsite should be shot. Everything else in their main programming was close to the site, and well thought out. So why not build the campsite closer to the friggin’ boating lake?!?!? Sigh.

But it was a really good weekend.

At this point, I should point out that I am now half way through my US experience. And I feel the need to thank the people responsible for this. You could all thank them too, as they got rid of me out of the country for three months. Bill Mischke, the camp director (taking very good care of me, and has the driest wit known to man), Chris Quinn (Troop 29 Scout Master, and coordinates my moving about in the US), Cindy Quinn (Chris’ wife, and my adopted Mum), Bill Vincent (and family, who have taken me home twice), Ian Jones (NTC guy that organises things from the UK), and all the staff at Ockanickon. Special mention also to Ken Riley, who liased the whole American exchange program in the first place, with Troop 29 with the NTC. Without all of whom, none of this.

Well I hope things are still holding together in Britain. Missing you all (and by all, I mean Ernie, and Monty).

Hopefully next week will be on time.

If you can think of something to write right now, why not leave a comment and extend this incredibly short blog.

If you can’t think of something to write about right now, why not leave a comment saying so, and extend this incredibly short blog.

Quote of the Week: ‘Thank God for that. I wasn’t sure if it was hot in here, or if I was having a Heart Attack!’ said my sponsor troop Scout Master (Chris Quinn), as he inquired if the car’s Air Conditioning was on.