For both Weeks 7 and 8, if you are driving to camp, make sure you will be there not later than 1 PM. Every minute after that can delay check-in for the troop. Late arrivals cause all sorts of problems including gear which must be hand-carried to the site. Note that Camp Bell is beyond Hidden Valley and is reached by a gravel road. Allow plenty of time to make the drive.
If you plan to pick your son up early, we have to know about it in advance. If the pickup person will not be a parent, then we will also need a form signed by the parent before the Scout can be released. Early pickups are as difficult as late arrivals, by the way. It means that gear must be hand-carried off the hill and if you have ever tried the hike to Washington or Winni, you will understand.
Pickup for both weeks is 9:30 AM. It is especially important to be there on time for Week 7 so we can get our gear moved to Hidden Valley and that campsite set up.
All Scouts must be out of camp from 9:30 AM until 4 PM on the Saturday between the weeks. If you are not planning on being there, then find somebody for your son to buddy up with and make sure that the parent handling the transportation has a note to that effect.
If your son is staying with the troop on the Saturday night/Sunday morning between weeks, supper will be served around 5 PM on Saturday with a brunch the following morning. Supper will be courtesy of the Rolfsons whose son is receiving his Eagle at a Court of Honor Saturday night.
For Week 7, label all baggage:
Troop 160 MA
Washington
For Week 8, label all baggage:
Troop 160 MA
Winni
Duct tape written on with a Sharpie makes a fine label.
When arriving at camp, look for the SPL who will be standing by the troop flag. At Bell we will be near the parking lot. At Hidden Valley we will be by the dining hall.
Have a Class A shirt handy for check-in and pictures. Scouts should have a day pack with a water bottle. For Hidden Valley, have a swim suit and towel in that day pack.
Re-read Jeff’s and my earlier notes about medication. Every year there is at least one Scout who packs his medications in his footlocker or who does not realize that vitamins and aspirin are considered medications. Everything must be in a ZipLock bag with the Scouts name written on the outside in Sharpie. What is in the bag should be in the original container and should be covered by a prescription. Include a note telling me what each medication is and when it should be taken. Make every effort to tie it to mealtimes, especially breakfast and supper. When the Scout gets to camp, I will take each of the bags and turn them in to the nurse. Epi pens and inhalers can stay with the Scout, but they must be declared. Don’t send medications in anything but the original container.
If you must get me a message during camp, I suggest texting my cell phone. Go to www.verizonwireless.com and look for the Send Text Message option. You do not have to login to use the free service. Even with that, I can almost guarantee a long delay between message and any return. Note that phone numbers are entered without any spaces or dashes. My cell phone is 617-620-5011 or 6176205011 in text talk.
Please obey the speed limit when driving to camp, but be really cautious once you hit Crystal Lake Road. The road is narrow and there are pedestrians. Moreover, the camp is very sensitive to the impression residents have of us. DRIVE SLOWLY. For Week 7, bear LEFT at the fork shortly after turning onto Crystal Lake Road and leave camp the same way. For Week 8 bear right at the fork onto Mountain Road and leave the same way. Whether to bear left or right is not a choice. The camp has represented to residents what the traffic patterns will be and we want to support the camp.
I will be around Lexington until 7:30 AM Sunday when I leave for the early meeting at Camp Bell. I will be back for one day on the 11th for a meeting. During the weeks at camp, I am sure my voice mail will fill up because I won’t have much chance to listen to it. There simply isn’t any cell coverage. You know my cell number–617-620-5011.
One last thing–leave the electronics at home. Cell phones won’t work. iPods and radios are a distraction. The troop does not carry electronics on outings. Ditto for video games. Just in case anybody missed that last, I will repeat it … LEAVE THE ELECTRONICS AT HOME. Bring a good book. Bring a little money and note that the DWC cash cards now work at both camps. They must be purchased at the trading post, but can be checked and refilled online. Scouts should bring their handbooks and if they have merit badge books for the badges they signed up for, bring those.
-Hank