DON’T MESS WITH THE CHOPPER-MAMMA

Your 153^rd Scout Troop recently participated a fun-filled weekend of winter camping at Oba-sa-teeka. Winter camping is a great opportunity for our Scouts to put their skills to good use. After all, most of us can dress properly in the outdoors and can safely lay and light a fire, but to do so in winter conditions is another matter altogether. At this time of year a Scout can experience mild to freezing weather, brilliant sunshine or a steady shower of rain. Our Scouts need to be ready for anything when preparing for camp because an improperly packed backpack can be the difference between a great weekend and a miserable one.

And then there’s the issue of laying and lighting a fire. During the summer months it’s very easy to find a plethora of kindling, twigs and firewood. But under winter conditions, it’s much more difficult to do so. Chances are the kindling, twigs and firewood one discovers will either be frozen solid or soaking wet.

Two of our Scouts deserve praise and recognition: Scott and Andrew. They took on Scouter Lorne’s challenge to build an outdoor shelter with determination and enthusiasm and constructed an outdoor shelter that would have made Baden Powell proud.

The main task that afternoon was for each Scout to build a fire. Fortunately for our Troop there was sufficient material that all our Scouts were able to successfully lay and light one. The task of building a fire large enough to cook our meals over was made considerably easier as there was a large supply of fire wood nearby. During the course of the afternoon, Scouter Pat asked Scouter Sandra whether she had ever split fire wood. To our amazement, she had not! Imagine that! After a brief lesson on the proper manipulation and wielding of the woodsman’s axe, Scouter Sandra was chopping wood with abandon! She did such a remarkable job that Scott later re-named her the ‘Chopper-Mamma’.

The Saturday night meal was a feast to behold: steak, baked potatoes, vegetables, and, last but not least, Scouter Pats’ world-famous Peach-and-Raspberry-crumble done to a turn in his Dutch oven. The steaks were delicious. The potatoes were cooked to perfection and the crumble, delectable. Afterwards, we gathered round the campfire for jokes and song, hot chocolate and cookies.

The next morning was cold but Scott and Andrew were grinning like the Cheshire Cat for not only successfully spending the entire night in their own outdoor shelter, but for sleeping like two bugs-in-a-rug to boot! Not everyone slept so well however. Josh froze all night to everyone’s horror. It turns out that he slept in his summer sleeping bag (he brought his winter one but was unable to find it in the leaders six-foot-by-eight-foot shack – go figure!).

And then, during the day, it became apparent that Gabriel was freezing. Scouter Pat took him into the shack to warm him up to discover that he was not only wearing cotton socks, but he was also wearing the same pair as the night before! Thus followed one of Scouter Pat’s sermons on the benefits of wool and of changing one’s clothes. To his shock and dismay, Scouter Pat discovered that Gabriel did indeed have a change of clothes as well as a pair of winter boots, but he had lent them to Josh because his feet were cold. Josh had packed his boots but was unable to find them. Upon summoning said Scout to the shelter, it took all of, perhaps, 45 seconds, for our intrepid Scout to discover his winter boots. So, Gabriel got and A+ for charity and, shall we say, a somewhat lesser grade in clothing selection.

In sum, the weekend was memorable, fun and educational. While we are eagerly looking forward to our next adventure, we left Oba-sa-teeka with full tummies and fond memories. And, thanks to Scouter Sandra, whoever occupies our site next will be the lucky beneficiaries of a massive pile of split firewood!

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