BSA camp

By: Jay Yi

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. This is the scout law all scouts thrive to live by. About 1.2 million boys are associated with the Boy Scouts of America program, and I am one of them. Every year, our troop has a one week Boy Scouts summer camp. The BSA camp is very rewarding, cliché but it is true. I not only earned three merit badges by challenging myself in different outdoor activities, but also I practiced my teamwork and collaboration skills.

This year, our camp went to Camp Constantin, Graford (higher ranks go to different sites, such as sea base). The camp has an archery and shooting range, waterfront and much more. Typically, a scout going to the camp would pick up to 5 hours of merit badge activities to take part in. I chose Kayaking, Canoeing, Camping, First Class, and Second Class. Each was an hour long.

When not in our merit badge classes, we ate and had plenty of free time. Our troop loved to go to the trading post. Using money we brought from home, we bought all sorts of items and delicious treats (some of which were overpriced). This was not only a place to buy stuff, but a place that had air conditioning! Another way to cool off was either having a merit badge class at the waterfront, or coming to the waterfront during free time.

There was only one thing that changed every day: the special activities. They ranged from Possum-Fest, when you could use the waterfront, and ride on the blob (a favorite), to watching or participating on your troop’s fat bat and Nuke ‘Em team. Our troop held auditions for whoever wanted to play on the team.

Fat bat is baseball, but with a wiffle ball and fatter bat. Nuke ‘Em is a game where each side has 5 players on at a time, and each team takes turns throwing the ball over the net. If the ball lands on the ground, the person nearest to the ball is out. This goes on until everyone on a team is out. Unless, a person decides to be daring and try to catch the ball with one hand, then that team gets to add, “revive”, a person who got out.

Sometimes, there were activities such as an evening campfire, where the whole camp would meet up at a special place and have a “campfire.” The reason why it wasn’t a real campfire was because the camp was under a fire ban, which meant that we couldn’t start a fire without the ranger’s permission.

Overall, the BSA camp is a wonderful experience, where you forget daily tasks for a week, and have fun while completing requirements. Don’t miss a chance of coming to a BSA summer camp.