Boy Scout Troop 81

Richardson, Texas

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Past Events / Campouts - 1998

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Campouts/Events 2008 - Campouts/Events 2007
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Campouts/Events 2002 - Campouts/Events 2001
Campouts/Events 2000 - Campouts/Events 1999
Campouts/Events 1998 - Campouts/Events 1997

Troop 81

Family Campout

January 24-25, 1998

Dear Scout and Family,

You and your family are cordially invited to attend (rain or shine) this year's Family Campout, at Ft. Parker State Park in Mexia, TX. The park is approximately 90 miles southeast of Richardson.

Please take few moments to help us plan and prepare for this event.

Historically, the majority of family camp participants arrive on Saturday. So we have scheduled the campout to begin at 1:00 pm on Saturday. The morning would to arrive at their convenience, or take advantage of the recreational facilities including a lake for fishing, ample walking and hiking grounds or a visit to historic Ft. Parker. Please bring a sack lunch for Saturday.

The park has housing (heated barracks style to be separated by males/temales) and dining facilities for approximately 100 people. The Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast meals will be provided for you. You will need to bring bedding (sleeping bags or sheet, blankets, pillows).

The scouts will be demonstrating their scout skills while competing in a competition that is designed help them prepare for the upcoming North Trails District Camporee. In addition the Troop 81 Court of Honor will be held Saturday evening.

IMPORTANT: Please complete the following information, return it with your son, along with the appropriate payment, to the January 12, 1998 Troop meeting or mail it so that I receive no later than January 15, 1998. It is important that we have the information by that date. Call me if your son will not be at the meeting and you cannot mail it to me. Circle the appropriate answer.

 Because of budget limitations we need to have a minimum attendance for the campout to be held. A final decision on whether to have the campout will be rnade on January 16^th. (We have never had to cancel the campout in the past.) If the campout is cancelled, all funds collected will be returned. Also, after January 16^th, we cannot refund your payment if your cancellation puts us below the minimum attendance requirement. On the other hand, we only have sleeping capacity for 100 people. In the event that too rnany people sign up, we will accept reservations on a first in, first served basis.

1998 FAMILY CAMP

TROOP 81

January 20, 1998

Dear Family Campout Participant,
 

Welcome! We are delighted that you have decided to join us for the annual Troop 81 Family Campout. The camp begins after lunch on January 24, and finishes before lunch on Sunday. Enclosed are an agenda for the weekend and a map to Fort Parker State Park.

Just a few housekeeping items to make you aware of:

1. Transportation to the park is by family group and there is no caravan. If you need to arrange transportation, please contact another family who is going, since Troop 81 will not be responsible for transporting scouts. If your scout is traveling with another family, make sure that he is carrying a medical release to allow treatment if he is injured.

2. Please bring your own lunch for Saturday or stop and have lunch before you get to camp. The first meal served at camp will be dinner.

3. Dinner on Saturday night and Breakfast Sunday morning are provided and will be prepared for you.

4. Even though we are staying in cabins, it can get cold in January, so bring warm bedding and clothes. We have a large indoor facility for dining and other activities in case of rain, but do bring rain gear and shoes that can get muddy.

5. Dress for scouts will be class A, class B and class C. Don't forget scarves. Dress for the families is always casual including the court of honor.

We are looking forward to a fun weekend. Please call me at 972-414-8999 if you have any questions. See you there!

Craig Cox
Troop Committee Chairman

Note: The facilities of Fort Parker State Park available for families to use from Friday after 2pm, for no extra cost. You will be responsible for any meals, but the extra night together can be a very enjoyable time. The cabins will be set up for you to use.

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Lake Cypress Springs

     Troop 81 went camping at Lake Cypress Springs from 09/25/98-09/27/98 to participate in a water skiing campout.
     However, we could not get in the water because of an amoeba infestation. Instead, the troop built a monkey bridge and stayed out of the water. It was a very boring day camping next to the water and not being able to get into it. After we built the monkey bridge, the troop got to walk across it. Before we knew it, it was time for lunch. The afternoon was the same way: before we knew it, it was time for dinner.
     In the morning, we got up, fixed breakfast, broke camp and arrived home by noon.

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Shepard Air Force Base Annex

    Troop 81 went camping at Shepard Air Force Base Annex last weekend (10/16/98-10/18/98) to participate in a water wars campout.  On Friday (10/16) we met at Richland Bible Fellowship at 6:00 to get ready to depart on our camping trip.  After we had all the gear stored in the trailers, we headed out.  After a 1 1/2-hour journey, we finally reached Shepard Air Force Base Annex in the dark.  We set up our tents and went to bed soon after that.
    On Saturday, we woke up after a bugle sounded and a cannon shot.  After we had breakfast, we split up into groups.  The Trail to First Class scouts worked on their Firem'n Chit, their Totin' Chip, and any other Trail to First Class requirements.  The scouts that were taking the Camping merit badge went on a 3-mile hike.  All the remaining scouts filled water balloons and prepared for the water wars.  Next each patrol fixed their own lunches and relaxed.
     After lunch, we had the water wars.  Almost everyone had brought a water gun, and those who did not were put on a water balloon slingshot crew.  Next, we divided up into 2 teams, each team had a slingshot crew, a water gun crew, and a flag.   If you got wet, you had to go back to base.  If you got wet three times, you were "dead" for the rest of that war.  If you captured the enemy's flag, and made it back to your base "alive" with the flag, your team won  the war.  It took us four hours to play 2 wars.  Everybody had fun, until we heard the weather report.
    On the radio, we heard that a tornado, hail, and rain were heading our way.  What should we do???  The Patrol Leaders and the Troop Guides polled their patrols, and the vote to leave or stay was 6-6.Our Scoutmaster broke the tie by deciding to stay.  It turned out to be the right decision because all we got was rain.  The patrols fixed their own dinners and went to bed (we could not have a campfire because the logs were too wet.
    The next morning, we got up, fixed breakfast, broke camp and arrived home by noon.

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Camp Grayson

    When Troop 81 got ready to leave on the Orienteering and Firebuilding Campout (November 13-15) the weather report was in our favor, despite earlier reports.  The troop loaded up all the gear and headed out to Camp Grayson.  When we arrived, the first year scouts took the Sioux campsite and the older scouts took the Comanche campsite.  Everyone set up their tents and went to bed.
     The next morning, each patrol fixed their own breakfasts and prepared for the rest of the morning.  Everyone worked on tying knots until lunch, working towards their red, blue, and gold ropes.
     Then, each patrol fixed their own lunches, relaxed, and got ready for the firebuilding contest.  After lunch, the first year scouts went on a hike and the older scouts had a firebuilding contest.  There was a rope suspended five inches above the top of your team's fire.  Each team had to burn through the rope.  Whoever burned through the rope first won.  The rest of the afternoon was free time.
    After each patrol had fixed dinner and prepared new skits, Troop 81 had a troop campfire.  The stag patrol did a good job of dousing Scoutmaster Kelly.  The campfire was long, but after the campfire we had a little bit of time to roast marshmellows over another fire before bedtime.
    On Sunday morning, we got up with a bugle and two cannon shots!  Everyone fixed breakfast and prepared to leave ahead of schedule.  We had several hours before we had to depart, so some people dried out their ground tarps.  Everyone had some free time before we left so Sunday morning was pretty fun.  Troop 81 left early to get home before lunch.

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Winter Camp

Troop 81 left for Winter Camp at Camp Cherokee on December 26, 1998, one day early trying to get a good campsite. However, when we got there, most of the campsites were full. So, we claimed the best site we could find and set up our tents and the huge army tent. By this time, the sun had set, so we had dinner and got to bed pretty early.

The next day, the whole camp had the opening flag ceremony, opening festivities, opening campfire, and lots of free time.

On the third and fourth days until lunch, we had merit badge courses. In the afternoon, everybody had free time or continued some merit badges. In our free time, we could visit the patch museum, go to the rifle and shotgun ranges, go to any other area for show-and-do, go to the trading post, or relax.

Then on the next day we had the Polar Bear swim. The Polar Bear swim is when lots of people get up bright and early in the morning and go swimming in the freezing lake. Next, everyone had their last day of merit badge courses. After that there was plenty more free time. In the evening, Troop 81 attended the campfire where we doused several staff members (including one from our troop) with more freezing water.

On the last day, we packed up early and left as soon as we were ready and our campsite was clean, arriving in Richardson at about 1:00 P.M.

Throughout the campout Troop 81 did some pretty fun stuff. We had an intertroop football tournament, an intratroop football tournament, and a frisbee golf tournament.

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