Going... Going...

Today is the day before the day I leave for Scout camp for a whole week. A whole week in the mountains with 7 squirrely young men between the ages of 12 and 16.

They'll be sleeping in tents, cooking their own food, cleaning up after themselves including our campsite latrine. They'll have to walk to get anywhere, go to merit badge classes, and hopfully not get too bored with having to entertain themselves with out a tv, video games, ipod, cell phones, computers, etc.

They've been encouraged to bring their Duty to God booklets, scriptures, Boy Scout handbook, merit badge pamphlets, writing supplies, and the like, to fill what ever "extra" time they have.

I'm looking forward to finding out what things they forgot to pack (sarcasm), and helping them to look at the "bright side", namely- "The good news is, next time you probably won't forget."

I'm realy hoping to avoid any wild animal enounters.

I'm really not looking forward to finding out what I forgot to pack.

I'm hoping this week is spent helping the boys grow as young men and as a unit, and less time spent "babysitting".

It may not sound like it, but I'm looing forward to this experience. I do want to be an effective scoutmaster, and that means spending the time with the young men, and learning what I can do to help them acheive their goals, and in some cases, helping them figure out what their goals should be.

I should get back to getting ready to go. I'm sure I'll have some stories when I get back (at least I hope they'll be stories of good things and not bad things).

... Gone.