Wolverines go to the snow!


John,

I think I mentioned to you that I am the Scoutmaster in my ward.  I have been for two and a half years now.  It has taken me awhile to get a program together that is actually productive.  Now I am trying to do things that add a little spice to it.  One way of doing that is posting the pictures from our activities on the blog.  This is the first one.  I'm rather excited about it.  So, without further ado, let me explain to you the Wolverines of the Emerald Bay Ward:

When I was first given the call, I didn't actually have any Deacons to start a 12-13-year old scout troop.  I had to get started with the following 11-year olds:  They became the first Troop 680 Wolverines!

From left to right we have:  Scott "Bear Snack" Johnson, Jemesa "Nimrod" Snuka, Ryan "Cactus Jack" Turner and Kasey "the Spleen" Lester. 


We now have twelve boys in our Troop.  But the original four always wanted to do a snow camp.  I kept putting off until recently making sure they were all mentally and physically prepared for the cold and wet associated with snow camping.  The second counselor in our bishopric has a cabin in northern Arizona where there is the potential for plenty of snow.  And last weekend they got quite a few feet of it.

The boys had an early release day from school yesterday, so we were able to get an early start.  The first thing that needed to be done was to dig down below the surface of the snow.  Doing so, as you probably know, allows for an insulating effect.

Ryan Turner and Preston Bollwinkel get started on the dig-out.

The tents set up after the dig-out.

Depending on the source for the overnight low, we slept in temperatures between 18-24 degrees F.  I know I slept just fine in my mummy bag with and insulated sleeping pad.  I think all the boys did just fine themselves.  No one seemed to complain the next morning.

Troop 680 Wolverines hanging out in the snow!

We got up with the sun around 7:00 AM to fix breakfast and let the boys goof around for awhile.  This group of boys have varied interests and go to different schools, but they are one of the finest examples of a quorum I have ever had the privilege to work with.  The truly enjoy each others' company and work very hard to make everyone feel as if they are needed in the quorum.  Such unity is something that can definitely be fostered, but it is not something that can be taught.  For me it is an awesome privilege to behold.

Goofing around in the snow.

After the boys ate and broke down the camp, we headed over to a local golf course to benefit from the hills that surround it.  Those hills made for some fun sledding.

Getting ready to start sledding.

Command center at the top of the hill.


Antonio "Speedy" Perez


Bentley (soon to be named when he turns 12 in two weeks) Miner


Jemesa "Nimrod" Snuka


Onias "Air Raid" Snuka

Once they got a few practice runs under their belts, it was time to fly!


Curtis "DaVinci" Lunt


Kolby (soon to be named when he turns 12) Lester


Eric "Stealth E-Dawg" Durrant


Ryan "Cactus Jack" Turner


Preston "Snowman" Bollwinkel


Trying to snowboard with with a sled!  Never a dull moment.

There were quite a few wipe-outs, but no blood!  The beauty of this trip was that no one got hurt.  Everyone had a great time.  And that is part of what scout outings are all about.  We can talk more about it when you are called to Young Men's Presidency some day.

With that in mind, good night.

Comments

  1. DanikaJanuary 31, 2010 at 8:05 AM

    Glad you had fun. Looks way too cold for me! So how come you can take a whole scout troop to the snow and sledding and no one gets hurt and my husband goes out with you for 20 minutes on an ATV and ends up in Urgent Care?!?

    ReplyDelete

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