Looking forward to Conclave

[JosephMD]

This weekend I will be attending the Section NE6A Conclave at Goshen Scout Reservation Hosted by my lodge, Amangamek-Wipit 470.  I'm looking forward to spending time with over 400 arrowmen, 17 of which are from my chapter.  It is our chapter's largest contingent in a while (since I rejoined at least).  5 adults and 12 youth is not a bad ratio and at least two of our guys have staffing jobs, one on the cook crew and the other plans to put his BSA lifeguard to use staffing the waterfront.

 

Our lodge is large and it dominated registrations by two to one over the other two lodges combined.  Attendance is down overall from the over 600 who attended the centennial NE6A conclave, that can be explained I suppose by it not being an extra special centennial celebration (will NOAC suffer the same fate?) and because our council camp is a really long drive for everyone, but especially the other two lodges to the east of us.

 

The weather doesn't look like it will cooperate, with Saturday, the program day being cold and rainy, quite cold for May in the mid Atlantic.  Maybe that'll keep the water skiing line a little shorter!  I have a feeling that after trainings there will be a lot of cards and board games being played. 

[Hedgehog]

Enjoy!  My son and I are both doing our Ordeals this weekend.  I'm hoping the rain stays away until Saturday so we can sleep under the stars on Friday night.

[Oldscout448]

I thought hedgehogs didn't mind the rain!

[Hedgehog]

I thought hedgehogs didn't mind the rain!

 

 

I don't mind the rain, I've got a nice Marmot rain jacket and pants.

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2016 by Hedgehog

[King Ding Dong]

I hope yours is better than the Conclave I went to last weekend. Nothing happened. A few PowerPoint presentations, some prepackaged uncrustables for lunch. Yep that about sums it up. The consensus was it was the worst Conclave anyone had ever been to. Fortunately my lodge was not the host.

 

The most enlightening aspect was a 23 year old ASM was bragging about taking advantage of some "stupid" kid at the patch trading tables.

[JosephMD]

I hope yours is better than the Conclave I went to last weekend. Nothing happened. A few PowerPoint presentations, some prepackaged uncrustables for lunch. Yep that about sums it up. The consensus was it was the worst Conclave anyone had ever been to. Fortunately my lodge was not the host.

 

The most enlightening aspect was a 23 year old ASM was bragging about taking advantage of some "stupid" kid at the patch trading tables.

 

I will let myself be taken advantage of at the patch auction, but that's because I know the funds benefit good stuff.  That can always be a problem with adults and youth trading patches though.  When I was a youth, our chapter adviser was asked to step down and the word was that unfair patch trading was at least part of the reason.  These days, we have the Internet and its trading groups, my son does it a lot, I really have no idea what he is trading, but he avoids trading anything he doesn't have more than one of unless it gets him something he really wants.

 

I know our lodge shows team has been working really hard on the entertainment, they've done a great job with shows at the last few fellowships, each being better than the last.  The weather might cooperate enough to keep the shows dry.

[JosephMD]

Whew, had all my transportation and carpooling worked out, and poof, one of my drivers got into an accident last night, they are OK, but we are now short a vehicle.  Fortunately, I had already decided to take my wife's minivan to transport the two youth members who I had already planned to drive.  Looks like I'll have three more.  The lodge will give me transportation funds now in the form of a gas card because I'll be transporting at least 4 youth.  I think I'll spend that buying the youth lunch on the way home on Sunday.

 

I knew it was a good idea not to go down early.  My son caught a ride with some other scouters who were leaving this morning to help get things set up with some good weather. 

[jpstodwftexas]

Whew, had all my transportation and carpooling worked out, and poof, one of my drivers got into an accident last night, they are OK, but we are now short a vehicle.  Fortunately, I had already decided to take my wife's minivan to transport the two youth members who I had already planned to drive.  Looks like I'll have three more.  The lodge will give me transportation funds now in the form of a gas card because I'll be transporting at least 4 youth.  I think I'll spend that buying the youth lunch on the way home on Sunday.

 

I knew it was a good idea not to go down early.  My son caught a ride with some other scouters who were leaving this morning to help get things set up with some good weather. 

And 1 other Adult  

[JosephMD]

OK, what is up with my backspace key?  Lost another wall of text.

 

Well, it was great, wet, muddy, chilly, but still great. Seems that most scouts had a blast.  Our chapter's contingent of 17, 12 youth & 5 adults was the largest conclave attendance from our chapter in recent memory.  I can only imagine how much more fun would have been had with great weather!