The 2012 -13 Season

Every year when the weather starts to cool, there is some part of my DNA that start to become active. I have a Pavlovian response to cool and cold weather - it means nights under the stars, hikes, backpacks, cooking outside, and my personal favorite - shooting the breeze around a roaring campfire.

If I had my way (and I know there are others out there) I'd make an aftershave to smell like wood smoke. I think I'd call it..."Burn"... or maybe "Coals". Even as I write this, one of my neighbors has a fire going, and it makes me want to run out and sit around drinking some hot chocolate talking about life, the universe...everything. (I know, I know, 42).

Either that or there is a house on fire somewhere, but since I hear no sirens, that can't be the case.

For the new year, my assistants, committee chairman, members of Crew 100 and I sequestered ourselves for over 8 hours pouring over campsites, maps, information and websites figuring out our entire schedule for the next 10 months on a humid Saturday in August. I'm happy to report that not only did we schedule all our camping trips for the month, we also worked out what skills we were lacking in, and when and where to build them up. In some cases, the basic groundwork is there, we want to get more advanced - so you can light a fire with one match? Do it with none.

Yeah, I said it. (You parents will thank me when the zombie apocalypse comes.)

What do we have scheduled? How about:

1) Asbury Park Zombie Walk in October
2) Thanksgiving Dinner on our November campout
3) Day trip to NYC in Decemeber
4) Themed campouts!
5) Rifle shooting
6) Camping trip combined with a day at the Franklin Institute in Philadephia
7) Nature Rank Requirements
8) Orienteering Rank Requirements

... and that's some of the stuff we have scheduled on top of our normal array of wacky adventures. Did I also mention that every campsite this year is a brand new (to us) camp! It'll be pandemonium!

Sometimes I wonder who gets more excited for campouts - me or the Scouts. 

While all our Scouts are returning "veterans" this year, we are always on the lookout for fresh meat new recruits. If you know anyone, or you yourself are looking for something new and different to do other than play video games all day, come down on a Friday and see what the fuss is about!

This ain't your daddy's Boy Scout troop!