Cub Camp 2011

This year when deciding where to go for Cub Day Camp (either Camp Discovery or Camp Lewis), my husband asked me just what we got for $90/boy or $1700/ward? My response was, "Two days of Archery and two days of BB Guns." To which he responded, "Could you do it yourself cheaper?" Heck, yes! So it was decided that we would offer our own Cub Day Camp to be held up at Camp Currie, run by our Young Men, with me in charge. Now every Cub Scout knows that if Sister Mueller is involved things usually don't work out quite to plan. I must say that didn't happen this time. YEAH!

I was worried two weeks ago that I wasn't going to have enough Young Men to staff the 5 classes we were offering each day. But by last week, I knew I would have plenty. Towards the end of the week I had Young Men coming out of the woodwork asking, "Sister Mueller, do you still need me? Can I come and help?" I wasn't going to turn any of them down. So by Friday I had a surplus of Young Men, which was all good. I think I counted 28 Young Men that helped in some way this week, even if they came for only one day.

We had 18 of our Cub Scouts attend, and there were 22 from the Prune Hill ward. Sister Southerland and I met at Roundtable and over the last two years have become friends. When she heard that our ward was going to do our own camp, she asked if her ward could join? She and her assistant were a Godsend! I don't think I could have done it without them. I heard a lot of compliments from the adult leaders/parents, especially from Prune Hill. They were impressed that we could get 28 Young Men to give up a week of their time to help run a Cub Scout Camp. They were impressed that they all wore their Class A Uniform all week. They were impressed by their conduct and how the Cub Scouts just loved them. I must say that the Evergreen ward does have some very outstanding young men. Koodos to their parents and the Young Men's Program.

As it turned out, we had each Cub Scout pay only $45 instead of the $90. For this fee, they got 3 days of Archery, 3 days of BB Guns, a legitimate wooden tool box that they got to make, a wonderful Knot Board with samples of the various knots they learned to tie, a cool secret decoder, serveral chances to run across the rope monkey bridge, Bottle Rockets, Stomp Rockets, Stretcher races, a First Aid kit, a Solar System mobile, and a kite. It was a lot of fun. The boys also passed off a ton of things, and I know that they will remember this camp for a long time.

I will try to figure out how to post a slide show of pictures.

Trek 2011

This last week the two older boys, Edward and Andrew, got to experience one of the funnest youth activities the church does for them - a re-enactment of the Mormon trail, or a trek. The youth are dressed in pioneer garb, taken up to Mt. Hood and the Barlow Trail, given all their gear (which fits into a 5 gallon bucket) and a sleeping bag, and then they hike part of the same trial the pioneers did as they came into this land for 3 days. By the time they are done they are exhuasted, dirty, and hungry, but they have also been spiritually fed. It is a wonderful experience.

Jennifer has gone on two Treks before, but now that she is an adult, she had to stay behind. That just meant that she got to go up with Ed and I when we met the group to welcome them into "the Valley". Ed was helping with the final meal, cooking up over 250 lbs. of Manti Chicken and 11 cases of corn on the cob. I helped serve the corn, so I wasn't able to get a lot of pictures, so I was glad Jennifer was there to take some for me. The boys had a blast, as did most everyone who went along.