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Camp
Greilick Summer Camp Photos
July 2007
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| Summer Camp for Boy Scout Troop 156 was at Camp Greilick (in
the Traverse City area) from July 15-21. Our first
stop was at the Clare, Michigan McDonalds. The Clare McDonalds had two
invasions that day. The first one was our Boy Scout Troop. The
second one was the Michigan National Guard. Another day in the life
of a Boy Scout. Boy Scouts get opportunities that other boys who aren't
wearing the uniform wouldn't get.
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Boy Scout Troop 156 takes command of the Michigan National Guard's
missile launcher. |
| A lot of Troop 156 had the chance to look at the trucks after
they finished their breakfast. Then we headed northwest. We arrived
at the Camp in mid-afternoon.
Welcome
to Camp Greilick ---> |
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Our troop checked in, turned in their
medical paperwork, and were led to their campsite. Tents were already set up for the scouts to use.
This year there were the usual canvas platform tents that everyone lived in for
the week.
<---Troop
156 at our assigned camp site |
| At Summer Camp Boy Scouts don't have to cook. The meals
are prepared by the staff and are served at the camp cafeteria. Our first
meal was dinner.
Camp Greilick's Mascot - George the Moose, located in the
camp cafeteria. ---> |
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The
newest scouts in the troop attended Camp Greilick's Quest program in the
morning. Quest is a
program where new scouts can earn many of their requirements for the Tenderfoot,
Second Class and First Class Rank during the week of summer camp.
<--- Troop
156's Quest team |
| During
the first day of the Quest program, the new scouts received
instruction in orienteering ---> |
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<---Troop 156 Boy Scouts learning lashing
skills at the Quest program.
Lashing
is the Art of securing wood together using rope instead of nails or screws. |
The Quest Instructor showing a knot to a Troop 156
Scout --->
Quest
also included first aid and lifesaving skills.
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There were many merit badge classes
available for the Scouts. A
week long summer camp is the best place for a Boy Scout to earn merit
badges. A minimum of 21 merit badges is
needed for Eagle Scout. One of the merit
badges offered at Camp Greilick was the Metalworking Merit Badge.
The camp had a working blacksmith forge, the first one we had seen at camp in
years.
<--- Blacksmith Frank Leasure demonstrating Blacksmithing
skills to a class of Boy Scouts
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To earn the Blacksmithing Merit
Badge, Scouts had to
complete three projects: a small cast iron spoon, an aluminum bowl, and a small metalworking project of their
choosing (the most popular
was a candle holder).
The Scouts had to heat the cast iron to
2,500 - 3,000 degrees
until it turned orange. Then they shaped it by beating on it with a hammer
step by step until it was the shape required. This was a four day class
for most scouts.
Making the aluminum
bowl. The bowl started as an aluminum disk the Boy Scouts put into a
form. Then they hammered it evenly for quite a long time. When it
was deep enough and finished, the last step was to take some metal dies and
hammer in initials or their name. --->
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Well, it's not exactly all work and no play. There
was
plenty of time for recreation too. There were opportunities to swim, canoe, rowboat and
kayak.
<--- A Game of Egyptian War
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There were also opportunities to shoot 22 rifles, shotguns,
muzzle loaded guns, and archery.
Muzzle loaded rifle shooting was an interesting time.
Powder was put into the barrel, then a pad, then a round ball. You have to
push the ball down into the barrel until it reached the right depth. The
person helping you load and shoot the rifle had to light the powder once you
aimed the gun.
Troop 156 Scout about to take a shot with a muzzle loader
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Firing up the Camp Stove |
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Thanks to our acting Scoutmaster, Senior Patrol Leader and
Family --->
(Sorry about the unsteady camera hand!)
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BSA
Troop 156
