On Friday July 27th 2007 those of us going on the canoe trip gathered at the church at 19:00 to spend the night. It was Ben Huffstickler, Chris Tillman, Mr. Tillman, Kevin Lifsey, Bill Lifsey, Ben and Pat Crump, David Sr. and David Jr. and Roxanne Turner, Jeb Watkins, Bleys Massey, Mr. Massey, Sam Williams, John Williams, Andrew Barrett, Mark Barrett, Philip, and myself (Dominick Minutole). The reason being was that we were going to leave the next morning at 06:30 for Pennsylvania. It was an uneventful drive on Saturday and we stopped several times to eat and use the restroom. For lunch we had sandwiches, chips, and cookies. When we stopped that night we stopped at a scoutmasters house and used the area above his garage to sleep in. It was packed in the tiny room. We slept in one room while the adults slept in another smaller room.

Sunday morning we took off for our base camp in the Adirondack Mountains. It was several hours before we reached the camp. When we reached the camp we set up the dining fly and our tents. We set up four tents two for the adults and two for us. We slept in our two patrols Sharks and Cobras. There was 7 Cobras and 5 Sharks the sharks got the smaller tent and the Cobras got the larger tent although because of their size we took one of the Cobras; we chose Andrew Barrett.

Monday morning we ate grits, and sausage and eggs mixed. Then we waited for John, Mr. Tillman, the Turners, and Mark to get back from grocery shopping and acquiring fishing licenses. They didn't get back till 12:00 so we ate hot dogs that still had their skins that we had boiled in a Dutch oven, we had chili, mayo, ketchup, and mustard to put on the dogs to eat with the dogs we had Sour Cream and Onion, and BBQ chips. After lunch we split into groups of two our groups were: Jeb and me, Sam and one of the Crump's, Chris and the other Crump, Andrew and Kevin, Mark and Mr. Tillman, Bill and John, Roxanne and David Jr., Bleys and Mr. Massey, Ben Huffstickler and Philip, and Mr. Turner by himself; then we went to the boat livery to get two additional canoes along with our eight canoes. After that we went to the other end of the pond and paddled down a very thin and shallow creek. Then for about fifteen minutes we fished out of the canoes in another pond. Then we went around a bend in the pond and took a right where an island and a piece of land split the pond to the other end of the pond to another creek. This creek was much deeper, wider, and longer than the other creek.

After going through that creek we waited for the rest of the guys behind us. Then we took a left toward a channel that entered into another pond then across the other pond to portage to another pond. The portage looked long on the map but was actually short and then canoed to another portage only about a hundred yard long if that to the livery on the pond where we had our base camp. After we canoed back to base camp we ate dinner then had cobbler for desert. After desert we took off for the showers to get cleaned up for the night. Tuesday morning we ate breakfast and took off on our longest trip all week this trip started out like our first, but instead of taking a right after the creek we took a left at the island. We headed for a short but steep portage. This portage was the roughest one all week. We couldn't use the wheel assemblies we had with us and we got confused when a snow mobile trail crossed the portage. Near the end of the portage a tree had fallen across the path so we had to lift the canoes over its branches. After that it was down hill through mud. When everyone was in the water again we canoed through a channel into two ponds when we were stopped by the ranger's assistant and were informed our group was too big and that we had to split up into two groups and canoe a mile apart. Also that if we were camping outside of our base camp we had to camp a mile apart.
After he talked to us he left and we canoed across a third pond or maybe it was all one big pond to a drainpipe which we then canoed through into another creek which led to a pond full of motorboats. On this pond we canoed though motorboat wakes and caught some air, which was very fun until we reached another creek, which led to a creek from the day before onto another pond and across the pond to the last portage to the boat livery.

Wednesday we canceled our over nighter due to the camps rules so we went to visit Lake Placid village. It was a boring visit where we only went to buy souvenirs, so two hours later we went back to base camp to fish out of canoes and paddle around the lake. Thursday morning we went canoeing on the same route we had taken Monday except we didn't take any portages so we just backtracked. Then we spent the rest of the day relaxing and fishing at base camp. The Friday Morning we ate breakfast and then broke down camp and traveled to Pennsylvania where we spent the night at a KOA campground. Then on Saturday we traveled the rest of the way home to warm showers and real beds.
Written by Dominick Minutole Troop 116 Historian 2007 on August 13, 2007

Spring Camporee 2007

Year Of The Cardboard Canoes


On Friday May 25th 2007 eleven of our scouts left for the spring camporee in Fort Mill along with five of our leaders. They were Wes Boone Sr., Wes Boone Jr., Colton Tucker, Taylor Hadley, Chris Tillman, Sam Williams, John Williams, Ben Huffstickler, Doug Huffstickler, Kevin Lifsey, Dominick Minutole, Pat Crump, Mark Barrett, Andrew Barrett, Ben Crump, and Bill Lifsey. It took us about thirty to forty-five minutes to get to the park. As soon as we got there we opened the trailer and started passing out tents. Everyone started to set up the tents except for the adult leaders and me. We set out the tarp for the camping equipment and sleeping bags. Once that was done the adult leaders, a few of the scouts who had nothing to do, and me started to set up the dining fly.

That night we ate Mr. Williams's famous peach cobbler for dinner. Right after the cobbler we had to go to watch a couple movies for safety afloat. The next morning we woke up at 06:30 to get ready for the flag raising ceremony. Shortly after that Sam had to go to the SPL meeting. Then later we went to the Canoeing Merit Badge where we were split into three groups the people who were have been in a canoe less than five time, the people who have been in a canoe five or more times, but had no instruction, and the people who have been in a canoe five or more times and have had instruction.

Colton Tucker, Chris Tillman, Taylor Hadley, and me were in the group that have been in a canoe less than five times. Ben and Pat Crump, Sam, Ben Huffstickler, Andrew, and Kevin were in the group that was made up of people that have been in a canoe five or more times and had instruction. I can only tell you what my group did because after we were split up the other group went directly to the waterfront to start canoeing. Our group went over the parts of a paddle like the shaft, blade handle and throat. Then we went towards the waterfront to learn the parts of the canoe. After that we went down to the waterfront to learn how to get in and out of a canoe and to keep from bridging a canoe. After that it was time for lunch after we ate hot dogs and chips for lunch it was time for the Cardboard Canoe Race there were a lot of canoes, but only three whale class canoes and one of them actually looked like a whale. There were only three canoes that actually looked like canoes; they were Troop 277, Troop 333 boat 1 and ours. We came in third in our class. We had put nine of us in the canoe at the beginning of the race. It was really fun during the race even though we got really wet. The reason we sank was because one of the guys jumped out in the middle of the race. After we got back ashore we asked him why he jumped out and he said it was because he thought he heard us say “tip the canoe” when it was actually the people onshore yelling to tip the canoe.

I was surprised that the canoe had lasted as long as it did although everyone agreed that the scout should not ride in the canoe next time. After the races were over we went back to the waterfront to work on the canoeing merit badge some more. Although only four of us went back to the waterfront. Taylor, Colton, Chris, and me were the only ones in our troop to go back. We learned how to go straight out and come back. That night we ate barbequed chicken and baked beans and grits. It was good although I didn't try the grits, but I was told they were real good also. We also tried the Reese's Peanut Butter cobbler. After dinner we went to the campfire to receive awards and perform skits.
We won 1st place in the cobbler contest with the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cobbler. We also won third place in the cardboard canoe race and were recognized as having the largest canoe and carrying the most amount of passengers. After that was the older scout program which only Chris and me went to, although I left shortly afterwards because the Benadryl I took for my allergies was tiring me out and from the days work.

The next morning as I usually do I woke up before everyone and got the fire started. We ate eggs, sausage, pancakes, and grits for breakfast. We got changed into our class A uniforms and Kevin left for the Chaplains Aid meeting. Next we went to the flag raising ceremony and then onto the chapel service. After that we went back to our campsite to change into our class B uniforms and our swimsuits for the merit badge secession that morning. Our group went into the shallows to learn how to swamp our canoes then refloat them and get back into them. Taylor and me were selected for our sizes to help the little guys empty their canoes. While we were waiting for them though we just swam and floated around in the area in our life preservers. After that we went to the deeper area to jump out of our canoes and get back into them. We also learned how to get our canoes back afloat after we swamped them. Taylor and me had to pull Colton into our canoe because him and Chris couldn't get back in their canoe. Then we helped several other people empty their canoes and get back in them. Then we took Colton back to shore, but had a small battle with another canoe whose occupants were trying to flip our canoe by ramming it. Unfortunately for them their plan backfired when another canoe came along that had been flipped by the same one that was trying to flip us. The canoe trying to flip us ended up getting swamped.

After our lesson was the regular canoe races, our troop had two entries in the race. They were Sam and one of the Crump's (I think it was Pat) and Colton and me. Before it was our turn we had to bring around Mr. Turners Orange Fiberglass canoe around to be loaded onto his trailer. When we got back from loading the canoe it was our turn. We got into the canoe and started paddling as soon as we went around the island on the lake we saw a snake. The snake in front of us was a Cotton Mouth. Even still we kept on going although our course did waver. When we got back Colton went to find out what our time was although I didn't get to find out until later. Instead I had to go to the canoeing merit badge to try and get another requirement. I didn't get the requirement because I swamped the canoe three times.

When I got back to shore the person who told me to go to the area asked if I got it and I said no. When I got back I checked the board to find out the troops times and found out that Sam and Crump had a time of four minutes nine seconds and that me and Colton beat them by twenty seconds with a time of three minutes forty-nine seconds. Colton and me showed Sam that we were better than him and Crump. We didn't win, but we showed Sam that he was wrong about us being slower than him and Crump. After the races was the second award ceremony then we had lunch which we ate sandwiches and cookies and chips. After lunch we packed everything up and cleaned up our campsite then left for home and nice warm showers and comfortable real beds.
We all had fun and hope to do the cardboard canoes again,

well I don't know about everyone else but I hope we will do this again.

Polar Bear 2008

On Friday January 11th our troop left for Camp Conley Clark from Tirzah ARP. When we got to Camp Conley Clark we started to decide where to put our tents and our dining fly. We set up the tents our tents up in two lines of three tents each. The Sam Williams, John Williams, Ben Crump, Pat Crump, and Me started to make dinner, which consisted of ground turkey, and ramen noodles. After that we sat around a campfire then went to bed. The next morning I woke up and started a fire then I started the coffee for the adults.

After that Mark Barrett and Me started to wake up the other guys. We were running way be hind when finally Sam, John, Ben Crump, and Me started break fast, which were burritos. Then we attended the flag raising and then started lashing a signal tower together with other troops for one of the activities. Afterwards we took our sleds and went to the first activity if the day which was the sled race. When we started we took off at high speed and made it around the first turn into the woods. As we started to pass by a tree the first two guys passed the tree with no problem then when Andrew Barrett, Ben Crump, and I went to pass the tree we came across a major problem. As soon as I came up on the tree we were yanked backwards and into a pile, then the sled ran us over. When we were finally able to stand up again we tried to get the sled untangled.

Finally Andrew just ripped the vine out of the tree. We started up again and then the sled flipped over with Dillan in it. We then started up again and were able to cross the finish line with a time of 2:22. We then went on to the next area where we had to build stretchers and carry a person over a distance and then back for a time. The next area we went to we went over first aid. The next area was to go over snakebites. After this we went back to camp for hot dogs for lunch for an hour. Then we were to leave again but Nick and I were chosen to participate in the cooking competition. After about 45 minutes we left with all our ingredients and tools for the competition. We cooked our Java Lava Cake and were the first ones done. I ran back to camp real quick to get bowls and spoons. We gave the judges a plastic spoonful each. Then we returned to camp and then dinner was started. We had BBQ chicken and mashed potatoes and green beans for dinner. We then went to the campfire ceremony where we performed a skit where Dalton, Colton, and Dillan did a dumb dance then I yelled for them to get off the stage and Dalton said no then Taylor and me chased them off stage. Then I left with some guys from another troop to play RISK. We may have lost but we had fun.

When I got back we had dessert and then sat around the campfire then went to bed. The next morning I started a fire then once again made the adults coffee. After we had pancakes for breakfast we went to the flag raising ceremony and received our awards. Then we packed up and left.