Hello all! Brenden and I returned from Camp Bartlett Friday night to a empty front room, kitchen and family room. It was crazy. Brenden did great for his first scout camp. He earned a rank advancement and four merit badges. He got a partial on the Rifle merit badge. It is tough. He had to get five "quarters". A quarter is a grouping of five shots within the diameter (roughly) of a quarter. They give you five rounds, and you shoot at the top left target on the paper, fifty yards away. Then if you shoot more than five rounds, you move to the next target, or shoot at the target the counselor tell you to shoot at. If you have more than five rounds in a grouping, that group is not eligable as a "quarter". His first attempt he received five rounds (.22) and was, as they say in Major League "just a bit outside". Yeah, he missed the paper. But he learned and improved every time, and on the final day he got three quarters. I am very proud of Brenden and all the hard work he did. He got his First Aid, and Emergency Prep merit badges (required ones), and he got his Leatherwork and Basketry merit badges. He said his favorite by far was the Rifle merit badge. Bishop Johnson told him we would go out shooting really soon and finish that one off for him.

I was able to complete one length of boondoggle, multiple pieces of dutch oven Chicken, roast, and trimmings, and several servings of cobbler, upside down cake (pineapple), and roasted marshmallows. We had a father there who was in charge of a menu and spearheaded the cooking. Don't worry dad, the scouts were assigned to cook and clean up, we didn't spoil them that much! :-)

All in all the camp was a great success for Brenden and for our troop. (52 merit badges, First place in the tug-o-war, John Coulter race (relay) , troop skit and yell). I will attempt to throw on the photos of the camp and the house as soon as I can.

Kevin