In fact, so much has happened that I'm going to break all the stuff that's happened up into chunks! HaHA! Now you will have to CHECK this blog MULTIPLE TIMES to know all of the stuff that has been happening! BWAHAHAHA!
So with very little further ado, I introduce to you:
What Ian Does, Part I: Away at Camp
Now, in order for this description to be perfect, I will need you to close your eyes, and focus on the things that I will tell you.
No, not really. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that reading doesn't really work with your eyes closed.
But I do need you to use your imagination, as there are very few pictures of most of this stuff. Now...
'Twas the twenty-second day of June.
Ian was in his father's car
As the road rolled by and we made our way
To the Poconos, which is pretty far. (two and a half hours.)
He came to a place called Camp Minsi,
Where Boy Scouts come to learn new things.
Ian went there just last year.
He learned a lot of songs to sing. (Camp songs.)
This time Ian was a CIT,
A job at which he just debuted.
Helping counselors was what he did
In exchange for lots of food. (CIT stands for Counselor in Training.)
Ian stayed for two whole weeks.
He moved pipes and gathered wood.
Ian helped at arts & crafts.
Cherry cobbler.
(Yep. That says CHERRY COBBLER. Poems don't always have to rhyme.)
Anyway, camp was fun. I made a friend or two and played Magic: the Gathering. I had classes on how to be a good staff member. I acted as a victim for an amputated finger, lacerated arm, and some other things for First Aid classes. (One of the other CITs at one point had red-dyed petroleum jelly put on them to look like blood.)
The CITs have their own little area of camp to sleep in, with canvas over metal frames maybe ten feet to a side. There's enough room for two cots and people in them. However, we also get access to the staff site and its washers and dryers and showers and to know the staff password to the computers in the lounge.
During week one, I went to almost each different area of camp (such as the shooting range where they teach archery, shotgun shooting and rifle) and helped out for two or three hours, depending on what the counselors wanted me doing.
During week two, I stayed at Handicraft (where they teach stuff like basketry, pottery and chess) in the morning and Scoutcraft (for things like camping, cooking, and wilderness survival) in the afternoon.
The cherry cobbler? They wanted me to eat the leftovers, which was great except it was right after a big lunch. Not fun.
Life at camp in general: Camp begins on Sunday at noon, for the staff at least. We help the Scouts coming that week to get to their sites and help them get settled in. We then have a barbecue dinner and then a campfire, with a variety of skits and jokes and songs done by the staff.
Scouts take up to six merit badges in the week, with almost hour-long classes each day, starting at 9, after morning colors (putting the flags up) and breakfast for an hour at 7:30. People do also have the option of waking up earlier to jump in the lake 6 to 6:30. If they do this every day from Monday to Friday, they get an award.
At noon there's lunch for an hour. The dining hall, in addition to feeding the Scouts, has fans in it, so people like it. After every meal at least one staff member leads a camp song for everybody to sing.
From one to two everybody has a break, or "siesta."
Then there are three more hours of merit badges. Closing colors and dinner are at 6 to 7 pm. Evening programs like open swimming or shooting are run then.
Tuesday night, each troop can send people to compete in a decathlon of competitions put together by the staff. The activities are fun, and the CITs got to be in charge of one event!
Wednesday afternoon, any campers who want to can go on the "muck hike," which is a trudge through swampy dirt-water-mud-stuff for a few miles. If you bring a long stick and a buddy, it's terrific, and you get a patch for it, too. Afternoons also include "high adventure" activities like white water rafting for those 14 and up.
On Thursday night, the campers make food for themselves and the staff, and are judged in an "Iron Chef" type competition.
Friday night includes another campfire, with skits and acts put together by the campers.
Saturday is the day when everybody packs up and awards like the decathlon winner, cleanest campsite, and iron chef winners (meal and dessert) are given out, as well as merit badges and patches. Basically everybody clears out by noon.
Camp also has a store -- air-conditioned -- that sells ice cream, candy and slush puppies! It also sells stuff like rope and activity kits, I suppose...
Any questions can go as comments at the bottom of the post, I believe.
Stay tuned for part II!
He moved pipes and gathered wood.
Ian helped at arts & crafts.
Cherry cobbler.
(Yep. That says CHERRY COBBLER. Poems don't always have to rhyme.)
Anyway, camp was fun. I made a friend or two and played Magic: the Gathering. I had classes on how to be a good staff member. I acted as a victim for an amputated finger, lacerated arm, and some other things for First Aid classes. (One of the other CITs at one point had red-dyed petroleum jelly put on them to look like blood.)
The CITs have their own little area of camp to sleep in, with canvas over metal frames maybe ten feet to a side. There's enough room for two cots and people in them. However, we also get access to the staff site and its washers and dryers and showers and to know the staff password to the computers in the lounge.
During week one, I went to almost each different area of camp (such as the shooting range where they teach archery, shotgun shooting and rifle) and helped out for two or three hours, depending on what the counselors wanted me doing.
During week two, I stayed at Handicraft (where they teach stuff like basketry, pottery and chess) in the morning and Scoutcraft (for things like camping, cooking, and wilderness survival) in the afternoon.
The cherry cobbler? They wanted me to eat the leftovers, which was great except it was right after a big lunch. Not fun.
Life at camp in general: Camp begins on Sunday at noon, for the staff at least. We help the Scouts coming that week to get to their sites and help them get settled in. We then have a barbecue dinner and then a campfire, with a variety of skits and jokes and songs done by the staff.
Scouts take up to six merit badges in the week, with almost hour-long classes each day, starting at 9, after morning colors (putting the flags up) and breakfast for an hour at 7:30. People do also have the option of waking up earlier to jump in the lake 6 to 6:30. If they do this every day from Monday to Friday, they get an award.
At noon there's lunch for an hour. The dining hall, in addition to feeding the Scouts, has fans in it, so people like it. After every meal at least one staff member leads a camp song for everybody to sing.
From one to two everybody has a break, or "siesta."
Then there are three more hours of merit badges. Closing colors and dinner are at 6 to 7 pm. Evening programs like open swimming or shooting are run then.
Tuesday night, each troop can send people to compete in a decathlon of competitions put together by the staff. The activities are fun, and the CITs got to be in charge of one event!
Wednesday afternoon, any campers who want to can go on the "muck hike," which is a trudge through swampy dirt-water-mud-stuff for a few miles. If you bring a long stick and a buddy, it's terrific, and you get a patch for it, too. Afternoons also include "high adventure" activities like white water rafting for those 14 and up.
On Thursday night, the campers make food for themselves and the staff, and are judged in an "Iron Chef" type competition.
Friday night includes another campfire, with skits and acts put together by the campers.
Saturday is the day when everybody packs up and awards like the decathlon winner, cleanest campsite, and iron chef winners (meal and dessert) are given out, as well as merit badges and patches. Basically everybody clears out by noon.
Camp also has a store -- air-conditioned -- that sells ice cream, candy and slush puppies! It also sells stuff like rope and activity kits, I suppose...
Any questions can go as comments at the bottom of the post, I believe.
Stay tuned for part II!
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