Living at Scout Camp

It has been a long time since I've posted anything, so I'll try to catch up.

JUNE 24TH THROUGH AUGUST 4TH I lived and worked at Island Park Scout Camp. Mark helped me "move in". Our trailer became my home away from home for the next 6 weeks. My trailer was opposite Cheryl Siedleman's motor home, and we had a nice area between them for chairs and visiting. The first week was girls week and I worked at the waterfront. The water was a chilly 66 degrees the last week of June. We had to watch for hypothermia.

There are so many things we take for granted, depending on how we were raised. I still remember the excitment of a young woman as she climbed onto the dock after her swim check. She exclaimed, "I am so excited! I have never been swimming in a lake before!" She and her friends were giggling and jumping around. Some of the reasons that we work so hard at camp; giving youth the opportunity to do things they have never done before.

Trevor Peterson, my nephew, worked at the Island Park Scout Camp all summer with me. We got excused from camp for a few hours on July 4th and watched the fireworks with our families at the Island Park Reservoir. It was chilly and the fireworks were great.

While I was at scout camp my son Jason accidently burnt down his duplex with a spinning flower firework on July 4th.

The place for the main campfire was totally awesome next to the lake. .

This is Teton Pete.

This is still at the campfire area after the moon rose over the lake. It is a beautiful place!

The staff uniform on Tuesday and Thursday. This picture was taken at Island Park Reservoir. And we could not wear open toed shoes at camp

The sail boats reminded me of Jason. That was his favority activity here at camp. We didn't have enough Counselor-in-Training staff, the 14 and 15 year olds, and so my niece, Abby came up to work the last 3 weeks. She loved it!

And this is the reason I worked at scout camp. I was the Director for Trail to the Eagle. I helped the young boys earn their Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, and 1st Class ranks. Here are two of the boy with the useful camp gadets they lashed. I taught the boys 3 types of lashing. It was rewarding to see them learn and grow, and get excited at they accomplished requirements. The days were long and exhausting. I arose at 6am each morning and often did not return to my trailer until 8:30 at night. Oh, and on Tuesday's we did a 5 mile night hike and I didn't get back to my trailer until 11:30pm! Until the last week; I was determined to earn the Polar Bear patch. I got up each morning at 5:40 and walked to the dipping spot in the "Warm River" (NOT warm!) It was freezing. We had to be completely under the water, stand and say the scout oath and law.