September 2012: Camp Lou Henry Hoover

Here we are once again on the threshold of a new camping season, and 101 has once again returned from the field.

This month we visited Camp Lou Henry Hoover, a great camp located right next to Swartswood Lake near Newton, NJ. The camp is run by the Heart of New Jersey Girl Scout Council (yes, I said Girl Scout) and serves as their resident summer camp and is open all year long for weekend camping. Well maintained and open to not only Scout groups but also youth and business groups, it is a really nice place to visit should you need someplace nearby to camp. Cabins, lean-tos and tent sites are available, with equipment for loan from the camp itself. (Obviously, we didn't need any of this stuff.)

We arrived Friday night, relatively early (for us anyway) to a packed parking lot. I think we were all a little surprised to see about 100 or more Girl Scouts and Girl Scouters running around. Pulling in our first order of business was calling the ranger so he could escort us to our "primitive" site. He arrived and we started our small convoy out to the site - and as soon as we went 10 ft. all the girls realized we were Boy Scouts and started waving hello and yelling at us - we were suddenly more popular then the lead float at Mardi Gras.

The ranger escorted us out to our "primitive" site which we were lucky he was because we drove for almost a mile to get to it - and we were still in camp (though I honestly think we were on the edge of the property). Our "primitive" site included a dual, two-story lean-to with running water, sink, and flush toilets. Apparently, the GSA's definition of "primitive" is far different than that of the BSA's. So, we set up camp, started a fire (it was still pretty early) and sat around discussing...whatever. There really is no conversation rules when sitting around a fire. I made sure to remind our two scouts that they should be alone (i.e. sans a Girl Scout) in the sleeping bags in the morning,  and we hit the hay.

The next morning, while cooking breakfast under an overcast sky, the ranger arrived to bring us some paperwork, and informed us that apparently, we were the talk of the camp. The girls were asking him how many of us there were, how old we were, and if we were "cute" (and I thought boys were bad). Frankly, we thought it was all pretty absurd but funny. Our youngest scout (whom we all agree is the best looking of us all) had to be watched to make sure he wasn't swarmed by the girls - but he did offer to take one for the team and find our assistant scoutmasters dates!

While that may have been a worthy cause to spend the day as matchmaker, what we were really there to do was work on our swimming and water rescue requirements for rank advancement. So, we wrapped up breakfast, and headed over to Mrs. Emmetts' house and hit the water. While it was chilly sub-arctic, the two scouts completed all the water rescue requirements, as well as their swim tests on the first try with no issues! They were done so fast, that we then had time to hit the sailboats for a little sailing around the lake.

...and I mean a "little". As usual, there was enough wind to get out there, but the wind died just as we were heading in. So, here we are all sitting there in three different vessels for 30 minutes or more when I decided it was time to head back and get dinner ready. So, after paddling myself in, I grabbed the electric boat motor and battery and towed one vessel in while the other also paddled in. In launching the boat, I almost swamped the thing, so as a lesson, always make sure you take your time and have a counter weight.

We straightened up, said thank you to Mrs. Emmetts and headed back to Camp Cindy Lou Who Lou Henry Hoover for dinner. On the way in we grabbed some split, kiln dried firewood, and got the dinner fire going. While waiting for the fire to burn down to coals to cook on, we worked on Tote N' Chip requirements for one of our Scouts, Aiden. (The other Scout, Danny, already had his). After passing with flying colors and spending time splitting and cutting wood (which both did since practice makes perfect) we had a great dinner in the "lean-to" because of a brief, but heavy rainstorm.

Then it was sitting around the campfire passing wind shooting the breeze, and then to bed.

All in all, a great camping trip, and a very productive one at that. I'm very happy with the progress both Scouts made this weekend, having combined completed about a dozen or more requirements for Tenderfoot, Second and First Class ranks.

Now to head home, unpack and clean the gear for the next adventure: a cowboy themed weekend at Camp Winnebago!

Sorry, no pictures this weekend: both the SM and the ASM/Photographer left their cameras behind!