Troop 21 Highlights

The 1999 Webelos Woods was sponsored by Troop 28 of Prineville, Oregon, and was held at the junction of forest roads 27 and 31, along McKay creek in the Ochoco National Forest. Webelos Woods is a weekend event designed to provide Webelos Cub Scouts with the opportunity to camp overnight (as part of earning their Arrow of Light award) and to learn new skills from the Boy Scout Troops who participate. It is also a great opportunity for parents and Wbelos to "shop" for a Troop, and a great chance for Troops to "strut their stuff" and do some recruiting. Boys from Troop 21 also had an opporunity to work on their own advancement, primarily in food handling and cooking.

Troop 21 was happy to support Troop 28, and setup teaching stations for learning lashings, various techniques for outdoor camp cooking, and on how to make a capote (mountain man wool blanket coat). Troop 21 welcomed four second year Webelos Scouts from Pack 69 as our guests, and was also pleased to meet Webelos from other Packs in the area.

The Troop 21 campsite. The banner frame was lashed together with poles and rope, using a Japanese speed lashing technique. Thanks to Darrel from Woodbadge for sharing that technique.

Each patrol (the Frogs and the Flaming Beavers in this case), as well as the adult patrol, set up their cook boxes and dining tables. The tables were a real hit with visitors. Each table is cut from a single 4x8 sheet of plywood, and quickly sets up / breaks down for transport. Plans are available right here on the Troop 21 website thanks to Bob Myer.

No, it's not an alien abduction - just the Sun breaking through as the Scouts gather for the start of Webelos Woods Saturday morning.

A veteran Scouter from Troop 28 shows the boys how to send morse code using the wigwag technique. This uses a single semaphore flag - with waves on the senders right representing dots, and waves on the senders left representing dashes. Signaling, including morse code, semaphore, and wigwag, used to be one of the requirements for First Class Scout up through the 70s. Sadly, it was eliminated as a requirement, although the signaling merit badge remains. Knowledge of morse code is still considered by many Scouters to be a vital skill - especially as part of wilderness survival or emergency preparedeness. Remember the POW's paraded before the TV who managed to blink out the word t-o-r-t-u-r-e in morse code with their eyes? Signaling knowledge also helps prepare Scouts for hobbies or careers in amateur radio or communications.

The Troops and Packs gather for the official opening of Webelos Woods 1999.

Scouts Justin Taft and John Puntenney, along with Scoutmaster Ray Spreier, demonstrate using speed lashings to make a strong tripod.

This sturdy tripod holds the Troop 21 Weather Station. Yes, you can use a rock to tell the weather. Ask any Scout to show you how.

Life Scout Alex Spreier describes capotes, their history, how to make them, and how useful they are. The coats were a major point of interest, since the temperature had dipped to 15 degress during the night. Each year, Troop 21 holds a capote making workshop in preparation for our Winter camping activities.

Life Scout Schuyler Leonard demonstrates various outdoor cooking techniques.

(Clockwise L-R) - One of the cooking demonstration areas, with a dutch oven full of cornbread, muffins being cooked in hollow orange rinds, and rice being cooked in the coals in a paper cup (yes a paper cup). The completed cobbler - mmmm. Second Class Scout Alex Guererro - Randal demonstrates the proper enthusiasm upon having successfully cooked a hot dog wrapped in crescent roll over the coals. Steak / veggie kabobs and bacon wrapped filets being cooked to perfection over the coals. It's a well known fact that no Scout (or Scouter) has ever starved to death on a Scout outing.

The adult leaders are always happy to "demonstrate" for the boys that you don't have to live on hot dogs and top ramen when camping. ASM Jim Barker shows off a gourmet dutch oven meal of biscuits, garlic potatoes with veggies, bacon wrapped filet mignon, and chocolate pudding cake. Mmm... Scoutmaster Ray says to ASM Mike Whitney "hey, let's be sure to sign up for cooking again next year!".

(Clockwise L-R) - Meagan and Matt from the Subaru Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers (say that three times) demonstrate low impact / leave no trace camping and firebuilding methods to the boys. The Scouts huddle around the campfire as the temperature prepares to plummet into the teens once again. The Scouts fall out on a frosty morning - Alex says "wider is better". Schuyler Leonard stars in the "Scout Camp Project" documentary film.

	1999 Webelos Woods
	Ochoco National Forest