Morgan Wall/The News
Participants in the Dogwood Day Camp anxiously watch as their rockets are launched using water and a bike pump.
Morgan Wall/The News
Colby Mitchell watches as his rocket soars off the ground near the end of the two-day Dogwood Day Camp for Cub Scouts.
Morgan Wall/The News
Marshall Billings checks his rocket for damages after it lands on the grass at Fisher River Park.
Morgan Wall/The News
Remington Embry watches his rocket lift off near the end of the two-day Dogwood Day Camp for Cub Scouts.
Morgan Wall/The News
Cub Scouts anxiously await the closing ceremony to see if they won any awards during the Dogwood Day Camp at Fisher River Park.
Morgan Wall/The News
Cub Scouts wait to fill their rockets with water in preparation for launch Friday afternoon.
Area Cub Scouts got their own taste of a mini-scout camp last week as the Dogwood District Cub Scout Camp took over Fisher River Park Thursday and Friday.
The two-day day camp is a compacted version of the Cub Scout Camp held earlier in the summer at Raven Knob Boy Scout Camp. The scouts were able to complete many of the same activities, but this camp did not require families to take an entire week away from work to participate.
With the theme “Circle the Wagons” this year, the camp was open to any Cub Scout in the Dogwood District and according to Regina Mundy, program director, 10 packs were represented.
On the first day of camp, the scouts learned about shooting B.B. guns and bows and arrows, they played field games and completed arts and crafts projects, including a rocket made out of a two-liter bottle. On Friday, they enjoyed playing on a water slide. Campers also were able to have a hot dog lunch with their families in the shade provided by the trees at the park. At the closing ceremony, scouts were eligible to earn trophies for some of the activities completed during the week, and the Webelos were able to work on their readyman and forester pins to earn their rank.
Another main event on Friday was the rocket launch. The scouts filled their two-liter bottle rockets with water and attached them to a bicycle pump. Steven Simpson, Dogwood District executive, helped the scouts “power up” their rockets with air before pulling the plug and watching them blast off. The scouts had a competition to see whose rocket would go the highest with only one getting stuck in a tree.
“This is probably one of the best Cub Scout events for the money. We do this at very low cost,” said Simpson. “We try to offer all the same benefits as the Boy Scout camp to the local boys who are in Cub Scouts. You get the most bang for your buck.”
While a lot of fun goes on at camp, the scouts still have to come prepared. The dens have to go through inspection just like they would at scout camp. The camp is run mainly by volunteers who work with the first- through fifth-grade boys.
“We have a wonderful staff and it’s a real camp. They have to go through rigorous inspections,” said Simpson. “We have a lot of fun with these guys.”
An added concern of this year’s camp was the extreme heat pounding the area all week. Staff members were prepared for any occasion and made some modifications to the schedule to make sure the boys were not in danger of any heat-related illnesses.
“In years past, it hasn’t been this hot and we’re able to have more field events. This year, however, those wouldn’t have been as good as some of the things we could do in the shade,” said Simpson. “We’re extra careful this year with the heat and we haven’t had any problems. As long as we keep the boys filled with bug juice they’re good.”
“One of the ideas around it is to get scouts in the area together at an event to make new friends and have fun,” said Mundy.
Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.
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