2008 NW Division Merit Camp

Click on a picture to get a larger view

Here is my annual report on the Merit Camp. We have conducted this camp every year since 1991.

We had 104 boys total in attendance. 88 of the boys were regular campers working on merits each day. They were divided into 8 patrols and did all the cool patrol stuff during day one and in their spare time thereafter. We had patrols named:

And we had 16 Junior Staff comprised of older boys, that had earned their GMA and were returning to RRAA to help out. They helped with cabin inspections, honor guard, cleaning, errands, council fires, and anywhere they were needed.

Generally, each day the boys worked on a different merit. Some more involved merits required two days, sometimes two merits could be taught together. So, at the end of the week, each boy who passed all his work, completed 3-8 merits.

There were 62 full and part time staff member during the week. Often, we had subject experts come in for a day or two to teach a specific merit. For example, Dr. Dan Bixler (GMA 13/221) joined us for the last two days and taught the medicine merit.

The camp them was "I have called you by name." Each morning our chaplain, Pastor Royce Beckett, lead in a devotion that tied to the boys personal devotion reading that they had completed before leaving their cabins for breakfast. A junior staff would also share his personal testimony at each morning service. The day include 8 hours of class time working on merits and some free recreation time in the afternoon. Each evening after supper and the evening class session there was some type of council fire service, either as a group or on a couple of night, as individual patrols. The junior staff and boys led the council fire on Thursday evening, and did a great jobs.

Saturday, we held an awards reception at Warrensburg A/G in which probably 200 parents join us to recognize the boys' accomplishments. The Squealing Squirrel Squad won Honor Patrol for the week and received a coyote hide to commemorate their accomplishment. Each patrol award their patrol standard to their patrol advisor at the ceremony.

The weather was great, including the 6+ inches of rain on Tuesday. When we left on Saturday, the bank sign said it was 109 degrees. Great weather for a camp!