<p>Our S just completed and passed his OA Ordeal last weekend and then at his next troop meeting was elected ASPL with an automatic follow-on to SPL.</p>
<p>Congrats to your son on both counts! The next step in OA is Brotherhood- luckily not quite as intense as the Ordeal. :)</p>
<p>He’s told me about Brotherhood and Eagle reqs. I think he plans to get these all in middle school sinec he’s only a sevvie now. Hopefully there will be something left to put on his college apps for the grades 9-12 years! :)</p>
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<p>That’s a good time for an injury :-). I made it through my Philmont trek fine, but two years later got injured in the middle of Rayado and was pulled off trail. No fun :-(</p>
<p>Who else remembers when WWW meant something other than World Wide Web? ;)</p>
<p>UPDATE: He is on his way for a week of summer camp. I hope that he has a great time. We had to take the trunks this evening to be loaded onto their troop’s trailer. Tomorrow I take the kid and load him up. I am excited for him. I am exited for my pocketbook. This camping/boy scout stuff is expensive. Thanks all for the positive responses I have recieved via this thread.</p>
<p>I am certain he will have a great time. I never heard one negative word from my son about any weekend camping trip, summer camp or High Adventure. This is the first summer since 5th grade (he just graduated hs) that he is not attending summer camp. I’m feeling sad about it; scouting provided so many great times for him.</p>
<p>The gear is expensive up-front, but it gets reused many times over many years. In the end, scouting was not as expensive as many other activities, and it was worth every penny. I hope your son’s experience is as good as my son’s was.</p>
<p>Hope he loves it! Look in your yellow pages for Army-Navy and thrift stores to buy used camping equipment. We bought new stuff when my oldest started Scouting because I figured it would be heavily used by 2 kids.</p>
<p>That’s great. </p>
<p>Be prepared to stop him at the clothes washer on his return. Everything will be grimy - probably extremely so - especially him. </p>
<p>Expect him to be tired and happy and showing off his accomplishments like leatherwork, metal work, etc. (The real accompishments - like learned independence and confidence are slower to emerge).</p>
<p>Enjoy the break (although it will seem unnaturally quiet for you).</p>
<p>Another proud mom of an Eagle here. Also a Triple Crown and Order of the Arrow guy, his favorite high adventure was also Boundary Waters. H was also an ASM for several years and I think loved the high Adventure trips at least as much as the boys. He had only done scouting for a short time as a kid and had fond memories.</p>
<p>I can second the amazing array of skills that these kids learn along the way. From the big stuff like leadership and how to portage a canoe down to the little things like planting pansies at the nursing home and selling popcorn to earn money for the troop—it makes for valuable life lessons.</p>
<p>There were times, especially in early high school, where S wasn’t as enthralled with the scouting thing because it wasn’t “cool”. That was hard. But as he said, doing scouting when it wasn’t cool was just another way to “build some character”. Always a good thing.</p>
<p>Enjoy the vicarious ride, quopoe, for however long it lasts.</p>
<p>I will warn you, though. One of the most emotional events of our lives was attending S’s Eagle ceremony. He gave a speech (this is NOT a public-speaking kind of guy) that was so moving and memorable to us, even (especially)dear old dad was in tears. It was an experience we’ll never forget. </p>
<p>I also believe that the Eagle did have a positive impact on college applications/scholarships, in spite of what some say about that.
PS WashDad: SIX palms. Wow.</p>
<p>My boys (DS and DH) left for summer camp this morning, one day late. DH and I were on a short vacation to the NE to get DD settled back in school after a study abroad, and DS was finishing his last week of working at another Boy Scout summer camp.</p>
<p>I seem to remember a letter from one of the colleges I was accepted to specifically mentioning Eagle and OA as something that impressed them.</p>
<p>Another Eagle mom here. There may not be as many grimy clothes at the end of the week as you think. Boys have a tendency to wear the same clothes for days on end… </p>
<p>Camp is the best way to earn badges. Much easier to do it all in a week. My son earned at least 3/4 of his badges at camp - probably more.</p>
<p>Nothing to add to the already excellent and obviously enthusiastic advice except to say that I just attended my eagle scout son’s college graduation and I was surprised and pleased by the number of parents of eagles that I met. This college – a very selective LAC – certainly values the accomplishment!</p>
<p>I went camping with the girl scouts when I was what, 6? and my d’s did as well</p>
<p>It is wonderful, and we need to give our kids the chance to take care of themselves in this manner</p>
<p>Lake Jr. joined the Boy Scouts this spring and will head to camp shortly. Must admit that the idea of overnight camp makes me hesitant, with all the past reports of inappropriate behavior and downright abuse. I went to a backyard cookout last weekend to meet the Scout Master (and Mrs. Scout Master, who regularly acommpanies the troop) and felt a lot better. I’ve also had “the conversation” with Lake Jr. Meeting the other scout families made me feel much more confident about the whole endeavor.</p>
<p>LW, which camp? </p>
<p>FWIW, while there is definitely some pushing-the-edge activity at Scout camp, I’ve never seen anything that awful. A good camp keeps the scouts really busy, and busy boys are rarely boys getting into trouble.</p>
<p>We drop John off at college on August 16, then I fly home with TallSon and we go to Camp Parsons on August 18. My eighth straight year at camp, and my favorite location for scouting in the whole world. The Parsons pier at sunrise: <a href=“http://www.seattlebsa.org/sbsa_CampingDepartment/CampingPages/CampParsons.htm[/url]”>http://www.seattlebsa.org/sbsa_CampingDepartment/CampingPages/CampParsons.htm</a></p>
<p>The one thing I noticed about the Boy Scouts was that more moms were involved than dads. I couldn’t believe it. Back in the 60s it was just us kids. No parents at all. I still am amazed to be alive to this day… 
Now it’s all these moms!! And, the new troop leader started making everyone pray, so I got out of there.</p>
<p>I am an Eagle Scout, I’ve been in the scouting program since the first grade and have gone on both World and National Jamborees, if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>edit:Hope your son has fun at Summer Camp. We’ve all made great memories there, I’m kind of sad I won’t be going this summer.</p>
<p>No fair WashDad, no fair. My son had to spend 4 weeks slapping mosquitoes and avoiding snakes, picking up deadfall and clearing brush from katrina, and its 95 degrees and 90% humidity.</p>
<p>his troop rarely goes to the Council camp (see temps above), they’re in the Smokies.</p>