Here is a link to a slideshow of our first few days at camp.

Just click on START SLIDESHOW after the page loads.  The pictures can be sent to any number of online photo printing services should you wish to have any for yourself.

This is not even close to the complete story so many more pictures will be added after we come back from camp.  If you want to contribute any, just let me know.

Rain hit hard morning and evening during meals on Tuesday, but all three patrols held up well and put a hot meal on the table in spite of the weather.  The two New Scout patrols, the Fried French Fries and the Kamikaze Watermelons, are doing especially well.  The triple F’s actually beat the older Scouts, the YAK patrol, in camp inspections two out of the first three days!  There is something to bake at every breakfast and every supper.  Not one of those experiments in culinary excellence has been burned yet.

Woden spoons are awarded for the best patrol that day based on participation, food preparation, cleanup, and several other factors.  Every patrol has won at least one spoon with last night pretty much a dead heat decided only by the fact that on their own the YAK came down at supper to help the two younger patrols prepare their first difficult supper–the one called out in the Camp Bell Cookbook as Big Hunk Of Turkey.  One patrol stir fried everything on the griddle, while the other decided to make a stew.

The bugs have been worse than usual, but are still not objectionable.  Fortunately everybody brought bug spray with them.  The Daddy Longlegs spiders have been an interesting experience, but now we know they eat mosquitoes.

Pickup on Saturday is by 9:30 AM.  If your Scout is going home with another family, that would be nice to know early.  If your Scout is staying for the second week at Hidden Valley, he is welcome to stay overnight at camp Saturday night where some Scouts and leaders from both 119 and 160 will be staying.  That will save the parents of returning Scouts a trip back to camp on Sunday.  A light Saturday supper and brunch the next day are planned.  The Scouts should ALL be out of camp, however, between 9:30 AM and 4:00 PM on Saturday.  Either pick them up yourself or arrange to have them picked up for that period out of camp.  If they are staying the night at Hidden Valley that Saturday, they can stay out later than 4:00 PM of course.  Supper will be served around 6:30 PM.

All Scouts going to Hidden Valley should be there NLT 1:00 PM Sunday.

-Hank Manz

CHANGES

I am going to depart from the Don’t Make Changes After The Fact Rule and make a change.  We WILL serve a light supper to those staying over Saturday night.  We assume that everybody will have gotten a big lunch, but there will be a light supper that night.  The need for supper has been satisfied for three years by conveniently scheduled at-camp Eagle COHs, something I had forgotten.

Also a couple of clarifications:

1.  If you are staying over you do not have to be in camp by 4 PM on Saturday.  That is the earliest you can return.  I suggest getting back NLT 6:30 PM if you want supper and by 8:00 PM if you want it to be light when walking up the hill.

2.  Sunday arrivals at either camp will not be carrying trunks up either hill.  We will carry any packs or hand luggage, but trunks and other big gear go up the hill via camp Gator or truck.  Since most of you are arriving by bus at Camp Bell, the FedEx truck will probably be able to deliver the gear in the truck somewhere close to the campsite.

ADDRESSES

There was a mistake in the phone number for Hidden Valley in Letter #2, but fortunately the Director of Hidden Valley moonlights as a fact checker and sent me a correction.  Here is the correct information all over again.

CAMP BELL
(Scout’s Name)   Troop 160 MA
GHVSR – Camp Bell
2B Eileen Shore Road
Gilmanton Iron Works, NH 03837
Phone:  (603) 524-0436

HIDDEN VALLEY
(Scout’s Name)  Troop 160 MA
GHVSR – Hidden Valley Scout Camp
2A Eileen Shore Road
Gilmanton Iron Works, NH 03837
Phone: (603) 364-2900

Our campsite at Bell is WASHINGTON.  At Hidden Valley it is WINNIPESAUKEE, usually shortened to WINNI.

Instructions for new arrivals at both camps are pretty much the same.  Park in the parking lot.  Transport your gear to the pickup areas.  At Bell that is the base of the small hill on which the admin building sits.  At Hidden Valley that is Carter Lodge.  Look for the signs showing you where to deposit the gear for each campsite.  Then look for the troop which will be gathering around our flag.  At Bell we will be in the field.  At Hidden Valley we will be outside the dining hall opposite Carter Lodge.  New arrivals should not go to the campsites since we will not be there.  You should be with the troop on Sunday NLT 1 PM.

Saturday evening, those returning to camp to spend the night will want to be able to find Winni.  Signs are a little sparse.  It is at the top of the hill.  Go past Carter Lodge which is opposite the dining hall.  After a short climb you will come to the showerhouse.  Keep climbing.  At the top of the hill you will go by a program area on your right and if they have not replaced the sign, you will search in vain for a Winni sign among all the others.  Never fear, you are in the right place.  Press on and cross an intersecting road.  Skirt the campsite ahead of you to the right and when you come to a fork in the road (remember the Muppet Movie) go left and high.  There is a Winni sign there.  Now just keep walking. The road will flatten out, then dip a bit, then go uphill and to the right.  Winni is at the top of the rise on your left.

TWEEN WEEKS

Checkout at Camp Bell is on Saturday.  Be ready to leave by 9:30 AM so that the move to Hidden Valley for those who are staying will not be delayed.

If a Scout will be attending both weeks, he is welcome to stay overnight, but he must still be out of camp from 9:30 AM until at least 4 PM the same day so arrange for that either with you driving up or for him or for him to go with another family.  If you are going to let him go with another family, we need to know about that.  He does not have to be back by 4 PM, by the way.  4 PM is the earliest he should be back in camp, however, since there may be no leaders there until that time.

There will be a light supper served Saturday night for those staying over and there will be a brunch on Sunday which will be served for both 160 and 119.  We would like to get a hint of how many are likely to be there, of course.

Scouts staying overnight on the Tween Weeks Saturday will leave from Camp Bell, but when they return it will be to Hidden Valley in our campsite which is Winnipesaukee.  Any gear you bring back with you Saturday night will have to be carried up the hil.

MORE STUFF TO BRING

Anybody who will be taking Swimming, Lifesaving, or working on advancement up through First Class at either camp MUST bring a set of clothes consisting of long pants, a long sleeve shirt which can button up all the way, and some old sneakers.  These can be the same sneakers I suggested you bring earlier for activities like Challenge Valley.  If you don’t bring them, then you can’t satisfy all the requirements.  By the way–ALL New Scouts will be taking Swimming so bring those clothes!

All Scouts should be carrying personal first aid kits.  If the New Scouts bring one, it will satisfy one of your rank requirements.  You shouldn’t go nuts on these kits.  You aren’t trying to run a complete First Aid operation.  You are trying to carry a few things which will treat common injuries.  My own personal first aid kit contains the following:

- 5 Bandaids
- 2 4″ gauze squares
- 1 Really big Bandaid
- 2 Popsicle sticks (finger splints)
- 2′ of 1″ adhesive tape wrapped around the popsicle sticks
- ZipLock bag which can be used as a glove while treating wounds and then can be used to hold any waste
- 2 Alcohol swabs in foil packets

You could get along with even less.

ELECTRONICS

This was covered in an earlier e-mail, but it bears repeating.  Leave ‘em at home.  That includes cell phones which won’t work anyway.  Bring a good book to read.  Or a bad book.  I will be re-reading New Knights of the Realm by Robert Baden-Powell and First Aid for Boys by Norman B. Cole.  I got my middle name from the author.

MEDS

Another repeat, but meds are the things which trip us up more than any other issue.  It would be very helpful to have all meds for each Scout in a ZipLock bag with the Scout’s name on it.  Inside should be a slip of paper listing each medication and when it should be taken.  It would be nice if that schedule fits one or more of four times:

Breakfast
Lunch
Supper
As needed

If at all possible, at Camp Bell try to stay away from specifying Lunch for medications since the patrols may be quite far from the Health Lodge.  It is easier at Hidden Valley since we have all meals in the dining hall.

All meds should be in the original container and should be covered either by a prescription or a doctor’s note.  That includes epi pens and inhalers.  Scouts can carry the epi pens and inhalers of course, but they have to be shown to the nurse and they have to be covered by a prescription.

MONEY

Somebody loses money every year.  It is usually later found in unusual places like the bottom of the Scout’s sleeping bag.  Don’t take too much and investigate the Cash Card option.

PICTURES

Each Scout gets one free troop picture.  With that free picture will come information on how to order more just in case you want to send copies off to grandparents and friends.  For Scouts staying both weeks, they need to choose which picture they want.  If they want both, then I will need a check for $9 to cover that extra picture.  Make it out to Troop 160 and put Camp Picture in the notes block.  Don’t order multiple pictures at this time.  This is just for those who want both a Camp Bell and a Hidden Valley picture.  I have never seen a bad camp picture, by the way.

EARLY PICKUP

Early pickup, especially at Bell, presents challenges, but if you plan an early pickup you can make it easier on both you and us by telling us in advance.  There is no telephone or other communication system linking the campsites so it takes awhile to pass the word.  Besides giving us some advance warning, bring with you the early pickup form you will find at:
http://www.doubleknot.com/openrosters/DocDownload.asp?id=52152

See you all at camp!
-Hank Manz

First Camp Bell:

All but two scouts (Azeem and Rohen) are taking the bus to Bell.  If you are not taking the bus to Bell make sure you arrive at Bell before 1pm.  You should leave Lexington NO LATER THAN 10am.  Follow directions in other email.
For the bus riders:
Show up at 9:15 on sunday at St Brigid. with the following:
Trunk or gear packed a neatly.  It is going into the back of a FedEx truck and will meet you at camp
Meds (if you are taking them, see note below)
Lunch, you will eat it when you arrive.  No food eaten on the bus
Class A uniform

When you arrive at the church you will:
a) put your gear in a Troop 160 gear line (not the T119 line)
b) check in with Meg B. by showing her i) your meds with appropriate paperwork ii) your class A, and iii) your lunch
c) Help bring the gear out of the basement.  Mike Ames will direct which stuff goes
d) Load Troop gear in Truck
e) Load Scout gear in Truck
f) Hug parents
g) Hop on bus, say hi to bus driver, go to sleep, arrive refreshed at camp

Gear:
It is recommend to use a “tupperware” like container.  Matthew’s (and mine) is a 70 quart container which is about 16 inch wide, 26 inches long, and 14 inches tall.  The cots are about 13 inches high, so if you can get one 13 inches or under it can be slide under the cot.  These container keep the clothes dry.  The floor of the tents can get wet during rain,  everything about the floor stays dry.
No matter whether you are going up on the bus or driving, each piece of gear should be clearly labeled with a large label (duct tape works well).

*Scout Name*
*  Troop 160 MA*
*  WASHINGTON* (if going to Bell)
*  WINNI *(if going only to Hidden Valley)

Don’t get fancy.  Just put a label on the gear and put that information on it so it can be spotted easily.  If going to both camps, don’t put both campsites on it.  Just put WASHINGTON on the gear.

Pack well.  Don’t have a lot of loose stuff which can get lost.  And pack so that if it rains and the gear is left out for awhile, it will not be soaked through.  Trash bags as trunk liners can be a real help here.

***TWEEN WEEKS*

If they were at Bell and will be continuing at Hidden Valley, Scouts may stay overnight Saturday night before camp resumes, but they must be out of camp from the time they leave Bell around 9:30 AM until they rejoin the troop at Winni no earlier than 4 PM Saturday.  There are several ways to amuse yourselves in the area.  The laundromat has always proven to be popular.  Parents must arrange to be there to pick up their Scouts or arrange for it to be done even if the Scouts plan to stay overnight Saturday night.  Make sure that the leaders are aware of pickup arrangements.  Any gear left at Bell will be magically transported to Hidden Valley.

Brunch will be served to all Scouts and leaders staying overnight.  Supper Saturday night should be eaten *before* returning to camp, however.

*MERIT BADGES*

At least look at the requirements before coming to camp.  Some merit badges, like E-Sci, will be difficult to complete at camp if you have done nothing at home to prepare for the classes at camp.

*MEDICATIONS and ALLERGIES*

Once again, if it looks like a med, it is a med.  That includes thing like vitamins.  Before climbing on the bus or before leaving the parking lot at Bell or Hidden Valley, make sure that you have checked in all medications and repeated any allergies to the person assigned to collect that information.  The person who will be doing so for the trip to Bell is Meg Bonnell-Bradley.

Have fun.  See you at Bell.

Jeff Shorter
T160 camp coordinator