Lisbon Scouts have memorable camping weekend

LISBON FALLS — The Arrow of Light den and one member of the Web1 patrol of Cub Scout Pack 109, of Lisbon, recently embarked upon their last Webelos Resident course as cubs.
The beginning of this Scout year has already thrown hurdles like pandemics, restrictive policies to maintain safety in the wake of the pandemic and people getting bored in light of those restrictions. Despite those hurdles, Bentley Bosse, Johnny Meagher, Jake Baird and Orion Murray recently went camping at Camp Hinds, in Raymond for three days and two nights with their leaders and no parents.

Johnny Breton, Orion Murray, Jake Baird and others learn outdoor survival skills. (Submitted photo)
The Scouts created menus and shopped for the items needed to prepare the meals, operating on a strict budget. The first night, leaders set up the kitchen and gave the Scouts a tour of it, explaining how and where cooking happens and how to clean up. The next morning, in a twist of assignments, the Scouts began doing all of the cooking and cleaning at the site. Jake started the day off with chocolate chip pancakes and sausage; Bentley made a chicken pasta dish that everyone had three helpings of; and Johnny made ham and cheese omelets by boiling the combination in a Ziplock bag, requiring on a pot to heat water. The boys used a three-tier dish-washing system developed by the BSA, with one bin of soapy water for cleaning, the second with hot water for rinsing, and the third with a cold water/bleach combination for sanitizing.
The weekend’s activities were to be performed free of electronics and involved hands-on activities in what turned out to be a wet environment. Tents were erected in strategic positions to avoid flooding, and each Scout slept in his own tent. The scouts put up the tents without assistance from an adult and learned first aid, CPR, how to survive in the woods, how identify trees, how to save lives during water accidents and how to tie specific knots useful in the outdoors. A range was opened, and the Scouts fired B.B. guns and used bows and arrows/
For fun, campfires and there was an all-inclusive movie showing. They watched older Scouts perform skits during the campfire, and they enjoyed already made popcorn and bought other items while watching “Goosebumps.”
They took home a T-shirt, a neckerchief and memories to last a lifetime. Not even the soggy weather and a day’s worth of rain could stop them from having a great experience. They even held their breath and took their masks off to pose for a photo.
For more information about these events and more, contact the pack at Pack109.lisbon@gmailcom or find Pack109.Lisbon on Facebook. For Information regarding Camp Hinds, just type “Camp Hinds, Maine” in your browser.