Sir_Scoutalot

A few years back I opened what turned out to be a lengthy string on the use of cell phones at summer camp, which I opposed at the time. Cell phones are so prevalent now I'm not sure that's even a battle worth waging anymore. This summer I returned to summer camp for the first time in three years (now a scoutmaster "emeritus") and was a little dismayed to see units bringing in big screen theatre systems for their units to have their own movie nights. One of our boys thought he even saw equipment like this permanently installed in someone's troop trailer. I can only hope they weren't staging video game tournaments on them. I must be old school, but give me the card games around the picnic table or the all camp movie night shown on the hanging bed sheet. Can we not set some of this stuff aside for one week? With that said, this year's camp did not have a computer that the leaders could use to check emails and update the families back home. That technology gets my thumbs up.

My quick internet search came up empty, but I think there's a one or two page document/application out there that lists the requirements. I thought I had accessed it through the national site (www.scouting.org). If you can't find it online, I would contact your council office and see if they can help you locate it.

Thanks! The Signal Mountain address was good. They also sent me information on the Chattanooga Historic Hike and the Nolichucky Jack Trail.

Thanks! I will give that address a try. We actually tried to hike it based on the pdf a couple of weeks back. Unfortunately, the trail is poorly marked, we erred in our course, and had to hurry back down the mountain as we did not want to get caught up there after dark. With that said, I was shocked that we had several in our group that want to go back and try again. Would like to be able to see if there's updated info and that awards still can be ordered. Thanks again.

Wondering if anyone out there has a current contact information for the Blue Beaver Trail in Chattanooga, TN. Someone had posted a pdf for the trail, but when I mailed the PO Box in Hixon, TN my envelope was returned. Thanks in advance.

Good trip to Buck Toms. Would probably rate it a notch above Skymont. Nice waterfront (no pool) and some primo lakeside campsites.

We went to Skymont two summers ago and looking at Buck Toms for 2009, We have a unit campout there next weekend to check things out. Will post after we get back. We also have an Eagle Scout in our troop that worked several summers on staff at Daniel Boone. He raves about it.(This message has been edited by Sir_Scoutalot)

Second year Webelos. I got a lot of satisfaction in helping the boys find a troop that was best for them and crossing them over to Boy Scouts.

Sorry, I just saw you are from South Carolina. A few activities in the Chattanooga area that you might want to consider would be stuff in the downtown area like the TN Aquarium. There is also an IMAX theatre down there and several nice restaurants (bbq, pizza, etc). The Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain also does not take long but is a memorable experience. Finally, Chickamauga battlefield in just south of there in Georgia and has a nice visitors center and several scout hiking trails (patched offered) that start out as short as 5-6 miles and can be knocked out quickly. Have fun on your trip.

I assume you are talking about Raccoon Mountain Caverns in Chattanooga, TN. We have it in a three cave trip rotation with Lost Sea and Cumberland Caverns, also in Tennessee. I rate Raccoon Mountain as my favorite. Although it is the smallest of three (very small commercial area in terms of formations, etc), it seems to offer the best "wild cave" experience. They also offer the best gear in terms of padding, helmets, etc. The small size also means the total number of folks in the cave is smaller (often several hundred folks at the bigger caves ... yuck). They also lack huge sleeping areas, meaning they usually divide you up in to smaller sleeping groups. We went in January a couple of years back and were the only troop in the cave. That had never happened before. Staff was great. Not sure where you are travelling from. If you let me know, I might have some ideas for activities, etc. Also let me know when you are going. Scoutalot

As Tom Cruise once said, " Sea Base .... there is no substitute." So great I went twice.

Our council camp (Middle Tennessee Council - Nashville area) is Boxwell Reservation. It's actually a complex of camps. The two Boy Scout camps are Craig and Stahlman. Nice facilities and a very comprehensive program. In 2007 we went to Skymont, located in southeast Tennessee and operated by the Cherokee Council out of Chattanoogs. A little more rustic and off the beaten path, but we gave that camp the thumbs up as well. The camp offered a white water trip to the nearby Ocoee River and also had many nice climbing and rapelling areas nearby.

Which adventure are you doing ?

I think all the Brinton crews snorkel at Looe Key. Our Keys Adventure group did and we picked up an Out Island crew that day at Munson and took them with us. Very nice area for snorkeling. We also had a Coral Reef crew that went out of the base at Islamorada and they stopped at Looe on their way to Key West as well. We had hoped to coordinate it so that our crews could meet in Key West on the same day, but the staff was not able to accommodate us on that.

I think all the Brinton crews snorkel at Looe Key. Our Keys Adventure group did and we picked up an Out Island crew that day at Munson and took them with us. Very nice area for snorkeling. We also had a Coral Reef crew that went out of the base at Islamorada and they stopped at Looe on their way to Key West as well. We had hoped to coordinate it so that our crews could meet in Key West on the same day, but the staff was not able to accommodate us on that.

I think one of the keys is instilling in the eligible boys the expectation that they be active in the OA as a condition of being on the slate. Sadly, too many think it means completing the ordeal and wearing the pocket flap or sash. After that, encourage all members to attend the OA functions at camporees and summer camp, and get active in their chapter and lodge events. Ceremony teams and sending boys to events like conclaves or NOAC (national conference) can also go a long way toward raising the visibility of the OA.(This message has been edited by Sir_Scoutalot)

We just returned from Sea Base. We did the Keys Adventure and only spent one night on Munson. The night was heaven and was probably the highlight of the trip. The day was not (due to the strong sun and high temps). A few tips that may be helpful. I would suggest visiting with other crews returning from Munson and your crew mate on the night before you ship out. They can probably be invaluable in terms of activities that are fun and perhaps those that are not. I would recommend catching as much fish as you can as that's better than most of the food you will be provided with. You might also take some extra snacks from the dining hall at Sea Base or the ship's store before you ship out. I'd also recommend bringing some individual sports drink mix as the Gatorade they give you goes quickly and drinking warm water gets old real quick. I'd also recommend loading up on the cold water whenever the activity boats come to pick you up. They do come out there and get you to do activities like snorkeling, deep sea fishing, etc. As someone on this board once told me, there's no such thing as a bad trip to Sea Base. Have fun !

Former cheeseheads (1996-1999) ok? I scouted in the Four Lakes Council in the Madison WI area. Some nice scout properties up there. Boy do I miss the cool summers. Welcome to the forum.

The movie is worth a look, but I liked the book better. I also recommend Jon Krakauer's book Into Thin Air, which is even more tragic. Surprised that no one is talking about Chris' relationship with his father. I saw that as playing a key role in this story. I also thought it was interesting that the McCandless family was so open in advising on both the book and the movie. Certainly makes you think about the importance of being a good father.

I attended one before serving as a Cub Scout Day Camp director. I highly recommend it.

I have a small group working on the Second Class drug program requirement. Wondering if anyone can direct me to a good online course or other online resource the boys can review before we discuss the material as a group. Thanks in advance.

Our council (Middle Tennessee) is already taking deposits as well. My son went to the last one and was on the wait list for what seemed like forever. Luckily, our council added a third troop so that the boys on the list got the opportunity to participate.

Boxwell Reservation in the Nashville area is a big camp and offers a pretty comprehensive aquatics operation. This past summer we went to Skymont Scout Reservation. The on camp program was a small one, but they did offer a white water float trip on Friday to the Ocoee River. I also hear a lot about the sailing program at Camp Roy C Manchester in Kentucky, but that may be out of your range. Hope this helps.

None that I know of. Kind of surprises me because I'm in a large council with a lot of active scouters.

We are looking at taking a couple of crews to Sea Base in 2008 and need critiques on some of the programs. I took another group on Coral Reef sailing in the mid 90's and had a blast. Wanted to see what folks could share with me on the following: Bahamas, Bahamas Tall Ship, Florida Keys, and Out Island. Thanks in advance.