kandas-adventures: Girl Scout Adventures

So the big weekend arrived with heavy rain and low temperatures. The girls were enthusiastic, however, and so was I.
We arrived Friday evening and the girls made their troop flag, took their written test (on outdoor skills and safety), we attended the opening ceremony, and headed back to the cabins in the dark around 9pm. It rained hard all night. The wind blew the rain in and we had to put garbage bags over our sleeping bags because they were getting wet. The bunks were "girl size" so my feet stuck out the side of the cabin a good 6 inches if I stretched out. If I curled up on my side my knees hung over the edge of the little bunk because it was too narrow. Oh well, better than a tent given the storm, I suppose. I'd given the girls a detailed packing list, which included what NOT to bring, such as any electronics. The moms, however, had to have theirs. (Not me, I just brought my camera).
I'd brought a pack of cards, but apparently they weren't necessary for the adults!
I was glad to see our girls and another troop playing a game together.
At night 2 teen camp counselors came to our cabin to sing songs. One of our girls had been frightened and crying for over an hour, so these teens sang the most beautiful Celtic lullabies, and soon the whole cabin was asleep except for me. I hadn't brushed my teeth yet, and couldn't tear myself away to go do so because the songs were so lovely. Later we were serenaded by 3 owls.
A all bundled up, since it was in the high 30s at night, and DAMP.

The next morning the girls set up their "stations" for the competition in the cook shelter. We were lucky to get it. The other troop was assigned the fire ring, but of course our troop insisted the other troop come under cover and share with us. It was too wet for them to get a fire started in the fire ring.
The girls review their assignments. For 4 hours the girls would be on their own with three judges, and during that time they would be expected to start 2 different fires, make veggie pastry in a box oven, chicken casserole in hobo packets, and grilled sandwiches in pie irons. They'd finish the meal with chocolate cake in a dutch oven. The judges would watch their every move, especially how they worked together and problem solved. They'd also have to demonstrate first aid, knots and lashing, leave-no-trace, knife skills, 10 essentials for hiking, cleanliness of their cabin, thoroughness of their clean-up, and more.
Troops being assigned their judges. Our troop was last to be paired with their judges, so there was a lot of tension for them!
Off they go! They had two older teen counselors and an adult leader for judges.
Leaders and parents were banned from the competition area, so we hung out in the lodge. Had it not been so rainy, we might have gone hiking. Instead, I caught up on my mending. Others read, knitted, and napped!
We returned to the campsite in time to witness the last minutes of their competition. The girls were lashing while a judge looked on.
After the competition we spent the afternoon with the girls, baking fresh bread in the box oven, working in the camp garden, and celebrating the fact that the sky had cleared and the sun was out! One thing the girls spent hours doing was whittling with their pocket knives. For many of them, A included, having a knife was a new thrill and responsibility.

Fresh baked buns and cocoa on a cold afternoon!
We made good use of the kettle, and were happy to have a propane stove in our shelter (some locations didn't have them). I'd brought my favorite coffee, filters, sugar, and a drip cone from home to fresh brew my own coffee. I even brought cream in a Sigg stainless steel bottle. The other moms laughed at first, but then came running when I offered to share.
Over the weekend we got to have 3 meals in the lodge. It was typical camp fare, and the usual procedures were followed: saying "thanks" (the PC term for prayers), family style serving, a hopper for each table, scraping the plates after, and each table singing songs and cheers in turn. For A, who'd never had the true camp experience, it was pure bliss. She was so excited to be there, despite the bland food.
Soon it was time for the awards ceremony. The competition is open to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. It was our first year, but some troops were back for the 3rd time and prepared to win big. What kind of hokey award would our girls end up with? The "Nobody killed anybody" award? The "Didn't burn down the cook shelter" award? The "Didn't give the judge food poisoning" award?
As expected, the overall (grand, second, third place) awards went to the older troops who'd come several years before. Then the theme awards were given, followed by the "consolation" awards (like "perseverance," i.e. "didn't prepare but didn't storm off crying"). Above, A is turning to look at us leaders when she realizes the troop who is being awarded the excellence in outdoor cooking is hers. We were all surprised to win it our first year trying.
I guess all that practicing in the rain and cold, starting back in November, was worth it!

Despite being winter, the girls are still active outdoors with Girl Scouts. Above, we're on a winter hike to Rattlesnake Lake.

The views in winter are quite stark in places. There's not much wildlife to spot, but the girls make a good effort anyway.

Since there weren't any real animals to be seen, a park ranger donned an elk antler and told a story about how the antlers and grown and shed each year.

Another ranger talked about bear safety...

Then a ranger wearing a skin came running into the room...

But Mishka the bear dog got him safely corralled so no kids were harmed.

Lots of fun, hands on activities... here the girls make plaster casts of animal tracks.

The girls at their "rededication" ceremony in January. They were supposed to have this in October, but no one wanted to volunteer to run it. I'm a believer in Girl Scouts, but our service unit is so disorganized and poorly run that it's a real challenge sometimes. Troops are disbanding rapidly and disillusioned leaders, parents, and girls are giving up. Very sad!

Meanwhile my two troops chug along. Here the Juniors (and little K, the tag-along) takes another stab at outdoor cooking. The girls assemble the box oven.

Fire safety and fire starting is reviewed. See that charcoal? Instead of briquettes, we accidentally got mesquite chunks, which burned hotter and burned nearly everything on the menu. Lesson learned!

We used a charcoal fire, a wood fire, and a propane camp stove, and cooked in a box oven, dutch oven (above), foil packets, and in a pot. As a leader, since we get no support or script from the service unit, it was like the blind leading the blind the first time we did outdoor cooking. This time was better, thankfully.