There is no such thing as fair-weather camping in Troops 260 & 262. April showers didn’t keep the Scouts home. In fact, it helped them grow into resilient and strong individuals. The troops participated in their annual Sunrise Park campout on a cool, overcast, rainy weekend in April.
While the troops typically plan a new adventure each month, they also respect tradition. Sunrise is an annual tradition the scouts really enjoy. Camping ‘at home’ is great; you know what to expect, you get to claim your favorite camping spot, and you know where all the good hideouts are for nighttime manhunt games. On this trip Scouts were able to work on lots of advancement requirements, earn a few conservation hours by participating in the townwide Trash Clean-Up Day, and fine-tune their camp baking skills. They even decided to jump in for a swim, no matter how brief!
A few of many lessons to be learned for camping in less-than-ideal weather:
- Check the weather forecast, but don’t blindly trust it. The forecast called for a total washout weekend. In reality it only drizzled a bit during the day and rain was mostly overnight.
- Strengthen fire building skills. Scouts started their fires in wet conditions. Success on rainy days makes fire starting on nice weather days, when dry tinder is abundant, a breeze.
- Be proactive. Scouts took advantage of the dry times by setting up tents and multiple dining flies to provide shelter from the rain and keep their firewood and gear dry.
- Be prepared. Poor weather is always more tolerable when you are dressed for it. Scouts came prepared with rain gear and waterproof shoes. If they didn’t, they learned an important lesson, and sometimes learning the hard way is the best way to learn.
A special shout out to Park Superintendent, Tom O’Brien, a proud Troop 260 Eagle scout, for doing an amazing job maintaining the park. Sunrise Park is a wonderful local gem. Where else can you fish, take a leisurely hike around the pond or partake in a more rigorous hike up a mountain, all the while enjoying a bounty of wildlife and flora.
Having 30 Scouts show up for a rainy weekend campout is a testament to the Scouts’ commitment and love of what they do. Scouting is more than just fun adventures and camping outside (which we do lots of), it is also character building. If you or your children are interested in joining the fun send us a note, suffieldscouts@gmail.com.