2005-2006
Camping 2005-2006
Here's a list of where Troop 505 went camping in 2005-2006:
Texas Rock Gym
Bovay Scout Ranch
Bastrop State Park
Goliad State Park
Camp Karankawa (Winter Camp)
Brazos Bend State Park
Lost Pines Scout Reservation
Camporee 2006 - "Turn Back the Hands of Time"
Pecan Park Retreat, San Marcos
Camp Constantin
Service Hours 2005-2006
Here's a partial list of how Troop 505 Scouts earned service hours in 2005-2006:
SVDP Festival of Ministries (Aug '05)
Construct sand volleyball court at St. John Presbyterian Church
SVDP Fun Fest (Oct '05)
CCSC Jingle Bell Express (Dec '05)
Wait/Bus Tables for Knights of Columbus Fish Fry (Fridays during Lent, '06)
Food and book drive benefitting Guadalupe Social Services (Mar '06)
Build 5 birdhouses and benches for Project Feeder Watch (May '06)
Camp Constantin - June 2006
Summer Camp for Trop 505 was on Possum Kingdom Lake at Circle Ten Council's Camp Constantin and Jack Furst Aquatic Base near Graford, Texas from June 4 through June 10. Loading the gear was easy because SPL and ASPL Liam T. and Gabriel S. had all the troop gear packed the night before. We were able to leave the scout house before 7 a.m. for the 6 hour drive to camp. Upon arrival, we were hit with the hottest day of the year, 101degrees. The extreme heat made the tour of the camp longer than expected, but the troop was able to set up camp at Skull Ridge , take our swim test at the swimming area in the lake, attend leaders' meetings, hike back to camp and be on time for the evening flag ceremony and dinner. Liam T. made a duty roster for each day's table waiters, whose jobs were to bring out the food to their assigned tables before the troop arrived and to clean up after the meal was finished. Scouts also had to supply ice and water at the campsite in the morning and afternoon to make sure everyone drank enough water. The opening campfire by the lake was lit by "Mongo". The staff had some very talented singers and guitar, fiddle, harmonica, and mandolin players. They put on some funny skits: disappearing head, God granting wishes to the ugliest men, latrine monster man, Napoleon Dynamite, aqua man, mud, jell-o, oatmeal, pie in the face, and candy buckets. The legends of Hell's Gate, Johnson's Peak and Camp Constantin were told. Lights out at 10:30.
Monday through Friday's regular schedule kept the troop busy with 6 merit badge sessions, 3 meals in the dining hall, adult leader training, Water Odyssey, class A attire for morning and evening flags, "Did you knows?", troop assemblies and long walks along the camp trails.
On Monday night we went to "Possum Fest" at the aquatics center for ice cream, and we were able to swim, blob, or canoe in the lake. Andy H. got a tooth pulled.
On Tuesday night the troop signed up for the Blob, and Trevor L., Andy H., Julian M., Audley H., and Mr. Lauten went on an overnight wilderness survival trip.
On Wednesday night, the Brazos Buccaneers Trail to First Class scouts Sam B., Nathan A., Jonathon J., Matthew R., John T., and Travis W. and scout leaders Mr. Burkett and Mr. Richards went on an overnight 5 mile hike to Johnson's Peak. In the morning, Mr. Lauten got fourth place in the scoutmaster shotgun shoot. The troop watched the movie Star Wars Episode IV outside the dining hall and had cherry cobbler and peach cobbler. Most of the scouts either fell asleep or went back to camp before the movie ended.
On Thursday we had "camp-made" root beer, and we had a troop shoot at the rifle range. The first year scouts worked on their basketry projects. Adrian J., Nathan A., and Gabriel S., worked on the raft. William S. and his Water Odyssey patrol slept overnight at Hell's Gate on their sailboat.
On Friday John H. and Liam T. competed in the sailing regatta. Scouts in the waterskiing program had all morning to ski on the lake. Mr. Lauten and Mr. Richards completed the mile swim. Troop 505 received good marks for the campsite inspection (we did need extra cleanup in the latrines and better litter pickup). Greg W. finished his sculpture project. J.J. S. got his canoeing merit badge.
After the BBQ dinner, we went to the Aquatic Olympiad. Troop 505 received the Baden Powell award for troop participation. Stephen B., Adrian J., Juan A., and Nathan A. got second place in the raft race. We fielded two relay teams consisting of a swimmer, runner, two rowers and two canoeists: Sam B., Juan A., Stephen B., Adrian J., Trevor L., Andy H., John T., Nathan A., John H., Liam T., Anand M., and Daniel C. The closing campfire and OA call-out concluded the evening festivities.
Saturday breakfast was at 7:30A.M. We changed into our new (and clean) camp T-shirts for the trip home. We were loaded up under the watchful eyes of Quartermaster Adrian J. and left camp at 9:00 A.M.
We liked: Shotgun and rifle, nature, class homework, resting in our hammocks, Schafkopf, sailing, Buccaneers, swimming, motor boating, The Great Divide bars, Bruce from Zambia, playing cards, archery, water skiing, the nights, the counselors, salad bar, dining room staff, the lake, games in TFC, Water Odyssey, staff, the food, free time, lifesaving staff, wireless internet for the leaders, and health lodge staff. We disliked mosquitoes, the heat, sour punch, and chiggers.
Special thanks to Mrs. Holm and Mrs. Heath for all their help in the dining hall and Mr. Campodonico for being the health officer. Mr. Taylor, Mr. Burkett, and Mr. Richards helped the new scouts with their requirements. Mr. Lauten did a good job as scoutmaster.
I really liked this summer camp and hope our troop can go back again.
Pecan Park Retreat, San Marcos
For the April campout this year, we traveled to San Marcos, TX, for our "Canoeing/Kayaking"-themed camping trip. We camped out in San Marcos from March 31-April 2.
We left Friday at around 6:45, after meeting at the Scout House at 6 o'clock to load the trailer and take attendance. Upon arriving, people choosing to sleep in a tent for the weekend set up camp, while a few of us, including me, slept outside. After some spurts of rain drizzles throughout the night, we woke up the next day at 7 AM to start the new day. Most of the patrols had a cooked breakfast, a good way to start our long day. At 9 o'clock, we went down to the livery to see a preview-slideshow of the river we would be boating on. We took a bus to the river after that and began our four-hour, seven-mile trip, soon after. The weather was great, and we had a great time. While most of the troop went in canoes, six of the older scouts got to go kayaking. Despite not getting to go down the small dam in the beginning, and getting partly lost when not knowing which branch of the river to go down, it was a blast.
After we'd finished, we set our canoes and kayaks by the road, and headed back to camp for some lunch. While the younger Scouts, mostly from the new Stealth patrol, went swimming in the river to knock off some First Class requirements and have some fun, the older guys hung around or played cards back at camp. At around 5:30 PM, we began cooking dinner. Everything looked great, (especially the adults linguine with clam sauce), and some patrols even made dessert after that. The rest of the night was relaxation and fun, and everyone was in bed by 10:30.
The next morning, we packed all our gear in the trailer, and we cleaned our campsite. It all went really well, and we got back to the Scout House to unload at 12:00.
Lost Pines Scout Reservation
For the February campout this year, we traveled to Bastrop, TX, for our "Wilderness Survival"-themed camping trip. We camped out at Lost Pines during the weekend of Feb. 10-12.
About fifteen campers, including me, got the chance to show our survival skills this weekend by building a shelter we had to sleep in. It also knocked off two requirements for the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge. The idea was that we could only bring the clothes on our back, a sleeping bag, ground pad, and a coffee can filled with what we would need most to survive. Most people working on the badge made their shelters by tying rope around some trees, and then draping a tarp or ground cloth over the line. The tarp would be staked to the ground for an easy, makeshift tent. It was especially hard for us and all the other campers who attended the campout this time, because of the intense cold throughout Friday and Saturday nights. Upon waking up on Sunday morning, I heard from an adult that it was 24º at the time. That explained why no water would come out of the water faucet when I tried to fill my bottle, as the whole thing was frozen. Overall, it was a good experience for those trying to get the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge, and also for those who just wanted a fun and challenging way to camp. Besides the Phoenix, Toad, and Pirate patrols working on Wilderness Survival, the new Stealth patrol was also at the campout. Although they didn't participate in the survival part, they had fun in other ways... Scout skills and cooking, for example. This was also only their second campout since joining Troop 505.
Camp Karankawa (Winter Camp)
Winter Camp for Troop 505 was held from Monday, December 26, 2005 to Saturday, December 31, 2005. After loading the vehicles at the Scout House under Senior Patrol Leader John M.'s directions, we made the hour and ten minute drive to Bay Area Council's premiere campground, Camp Karankawa. Using the two-wheeled carts made unloading the gear a snap. We pitched tents, set up camp and took a short tour of the facilities before the first flag ceremony and a barbeque brisket dinner served family style. Later that night, the staff put on a campfire program with many funny skits and songs. The most memorable ones were the movie scene about the Titanic lookout who got his lines mixed up, the jellyfish song, and the "you're 'two tents' skit."
Tuesday through Friday's regular schedule included the following items: 5 merit badge sessions, breakfast , lunch , and dinner served in the dining hall, morning and evening flag ceremonies, card playing, showers in the new bathroom facility, SPL and leaders' meetings, and merit badge homework.
Tuesday night we put on a campfire program for the staff members where Mr. Lauten made cobbler and hot chocolate, John M. started and tended the campfire, Trevor L. and Juan A. emceed the Buddha, 98, 98, the airplane and the pebbles skits put on by Daniel C., Julian M., Juan A., Pierce D., Trevor L., and Gabriel S.
On Wednesday we had an outdoor chapel service, planet and constellation party, and they showed the movie Star Wars Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith.
On Thursday, Mr. Lauten got third place in the scoutmasters dessert contest. A mock trial was held in which camp director "Joe" Fridye was found not guilty of having an unsanitary dining hall. We practiced our song for the closing campfire. SPL John M. gathered the troop for a campfire whodunnit inquiry. We finished our lashings project.
On Friday we finished our merit badge classes. Daniel C. launched his rocket. John M. snapped his ankle at sports playing Frisbee. Before leaving to seek medical attention, a staffer helped him complete his environmental science merit badge. Our final score in the campsite inspection was 86, above average and a big improvement for the week. The Troop's entry in the closing campfire contest, "Baby Shark," came in second place to the Jedi - Yoda skit. Other skits were the Staff's priceless skit, the longest song ever, and the final episode of Billy Bonca and the Chocolate Factory.
Under ASPL Juan A. (now the acting SPL) and Mr.Campodonico's instructions, we broke camp and loaded up all the gear. We left Camp K at 10:00 A.M. and got back to the scout house at 11:15 A.M. We never had to use the mud boots or the rain gear that we brought as we were lucky to have had no rain, snow, or mud the entire week.
