"We're back"

The 2005-06 year was over and Troop 399 headed back to Yawgoog with a different look in 2006.  The next generation of scouts in 399 took over the leadership roles.  John F. and Dan R., who are in their fourth and third years at camp took over the roles of SPL and ASPL respectively.  Patrol Leaders included Scott G., Bobby D., Sean H.,.  All of them under five years of experience at summer camp.  In fact only one member of the troop came into Yawgoog this summer as a veteran and that was 2005 SPL Mike L.  The troop did a good job at camp in '05.  We earned a high total of merit badges, many scouts advanced and we had a great time.  But for a year where the Bow's average attendance was low, we did not place well in competitions.  We only put 12 medallions on the board, good for fifth place.  Not really what we had expected.  So no one in the troop knew what to expect with all new leaders and only two venture patrol members at camp this year.

When we boarded the 2:00 ferry at Orient Point it was a bright sunny day on the north shore of Long Island.  Things started out on the right foot.  All the scouts were prepared and ready to go that Sunday afternoon.  The summer was still relatively young and the ideas and pictures of Yawgoog preparation from June we're still stuck in our heads.  We were psyched.  All the other New York troops were around us on the ferry, we noticed almost all of them, especially the ones in Medicine Bow.  That included Troop 242 Riverhead. We were somewhat friendly with them in 2005.  We played challenges with each other and had a great time.  They tied for fifth with us last year.  So we were ready to kick off week of friendship between the two of us.  When we stepped off the ferry in New London, Connecticut, memories of past years showed up in my head.  Some of them weren't all that good as New London usually meant the end of the week at camp and usually for 399 the end of the week at camp meant another loss in the troop of the week competition.  But once I saw that wooden gate with the words CAMP YAWGOOG on it, all I could think was, "Wow, we're back at camp...".  It got me and the rest of my patrol leaders excited to see the guys counting down the minutes until 5:30 when we could first enter campsite Wetuomuck, our home away from home.  Everything was just how it always was; the latrine with campsite Cautantowit, the wooden benches around our rock fireplace, the green tents, and the memorial path at the front of the site.  Week three of Yawgoog 2006 had begun and we were ready.

The havocs and annoyances of Monday were back like they are every year and this time they were worse.  We couldn't find five tables together at the dining hall eliminating us sitting together.  The weather was better than it was in recent years but there was too much going on for anyone to notice.  We were running around the campsite like crazy getting ready for the swim qualifications at the waterfront and troop photos at the dining hall.  There were some changes going on at camp that were visible.  The biggest one being the move of the roosters from the Medicine Bow field to inside the dining hall.  Troop Tournament was back.  The Big B was a separate event and now a competition.  Most of the troop passed the swim tests so that was good but the scouts did not want to listen to their leaders so it was aggravating to keep them under control.  Things weren't any better at the Monday Night Retreat Ceremony where the entire camp lined up for the ceremony in the field.  Dan and myself had troubles keeping everyone quiet which led to even more aggravation.  If not for the calming of the Monday Night Retreat Ceremony we would've been in trouble.

Not much happened on Tuesday.  The scouts were a little bit easier to control and they listened a little better but nothing big happened.  It was a beautiful day in Rockville that day so at least the weather was on everyone's side and even the food was pretty good.  That was the biggest shocking change so far.  The food was actually pretty good.  It was definitely the best I've had at a summer camp.  Things looked pretty good after our arch rivals Troop 138 West Kingston lost to a fellow NY troop in the Tournament.  As the day went on, we had three top priorities on our mind; make sure the scouts listened, make sure everyone's organized and that we can play frisbee.  Frisbee was the sport of Troop Tournament once again so every chance we got, the guys were out on the Sandy Beach field playing frisbee.  Everything that we wanted to get done Tuesday happened.  Everyone got organized and everyone listened.  Our frisbee team looked strong.  We were back.

Everyone woke up to pouring rain on Wednesday morning, something very unexpected by everyone especially after the great weather we had Sunday through Tuesday.  The weather wasn't that big a deal in the morning as most of the time, we were under the canapé, in the dining hall and at merit badge classes.  But when we came back from lunch we had to bake our apple pie in the rain for the first event of the week.  It was tough, I'll give you that but it was fun.  We were helped out especially by Alex M. who used his baking skills and rolled question marks out of doe for the pie to match the week's theme of Clue the board game.  All the trivia questions and events were based on that theme.  After turning in the apple pie for the judging we headed back to camp to enjoy a well cooked meal by the Lombardo's.

Thursday's weather didn't look all that great either.  We didn't know if we would ever play in our first round of Troop Tournament.  The weather also made it tough to guarantee a First Class inspection of the campsite, something that the troop had earned the first two days already.  But somehow through all the mud and rain we did manage to squeeze out a First Class inspection.  So far we were happy with the results in the competitions so far.  Believe or not, for the first part of the week, it was the New York troops who were on top of the competition.  For the first tine in over three years, two NY troops placed in the top three of the Bake Off.  Our apple pie won third place behind Gaspee Plateau's oreo cream cake and the brownies that placed first from Troop 242 Riverhead, our allies in Medicine Bow.  But at some point one of us had to start to emerge as the better NY troop.  That would happen today.  The fact that there was still pouring rain pretty much eliminated any thought of a Troop Tournament game today.  But about half way through the Lombardo cooked lunch at the campsite, we saw the sun for the first time since Tuesday supper.  A member of the CIT Corps came running down to our site to tell us that Tournament was on and to be at the field in five minutes.  So we ran to the Tim O'Neil Field ready to play Troop 242 Riverhead in Round One of the Tournament.  We managed to come out with a 5-0 victory and everyone played great sportsmanship.  Troop 399 was going back to the semifinals.  That night however everything started to go in the wrong direction as the Scavenger Hunt started.  There were not many scouts at the campsite due to the Indian Lore campfire so not many scouts helped participate in the Hunt.  We came out with a fourth place finish which wasn't good for an extra medallion.  But worst of all, Riverhead, West Kingston and Glocester finished 1-2-3 making the troop of the week race a four-way tie for first place.

The sunny weather from Thursday afternoon carried into Friday.  There were two big things going on Friday.  The Big B or Bow County Fair and the Semifinals of Troop Tournament.  In the first year of the Big B on Friday afternoon, Troop 399 did not start out so swell.  The troop watched two fourth place finishes in both the wheelbarrow race and egg-on-a-spoon race.  We were in trouble.  We needed to first place finishes just to finish third place.  We were on the right track when Mike L. and Joe M. carried the troop to a first place finish in the three legged race.  Then the final event came.  The tug of war.  We sent out Mike L., Paul B., Sean H., and Craig M. for the competition.  We were up against Troop 138 West Kingston, so far they were the troop leading in the Bow County Fair.  But we took command of the tug of war.  The shoes of 138 members were practically buried in sand as the flag inched closer to the 399 side of the rope.  But after about 30 seconds of tugging, the refs called game so that the staff could prep for their Merit Badge classes.  They called it a tie.  We did not place in the top three.  Had the PCs waited 30 more seconds, we would've won the extra medallion and knocked Riverhead out of the top three.  So now it was a three-way tie for first place between West Kingston, Glocester, and Riverhead.  But we had something that none of those troops had, a chance to win an extra medallion in Troop Tournament.  So I sent Paul B., Mike L., Joe S., Paul M., and Adam S. onto the field to play Troop 22 Johnston for a spot to the finals.  We were down 2-0 fast and things did not look good at all.  But a Paul B. throw to Adam made it a 2-1 game.  Then a diving catch in the end zone by Mike tied the game at 2.  Things kept getting better from there as Paul M. put two more points on the 399 score giving us a 4-2 lead.  Mike finished off the game by throwing to Alex L. to secure a trip to the finals and another medallion.

Saturday was the last full day at camp.  There was a bright spot or two but not enough to cover up our last efforts to secure the troop of the week title.  By lunch, everyone had finished up their last merit badge classes and that ended the learning/activity portion of the week at summer camp.  We got some good news today at Lunch, learning that we had placed first in the Medicine Bow trivia competition giving us another medallion that only Glocester, not WK or Riverhead could get.  Things only got worse though as half the scouts and all of the venture patrol went home ending their week at summer camp.  Thus leading to a 5-0 embarrassing loss in the finals to Troop 432 Floral Park from NY.  Now with just more than half the amount of scouts originally at camp, we had to place in the water carnival.  We didn't.  Joe S. placed second in the first event, but everything went downhill from there.  The Saturday Night Show, the second to last event of the week, was about to begin.  Once again, the camp Medicine Bow staff was in charge of the program this year.  We had a great time screaming the troop and camp cheer on the way to the theatre and watching a great show.  The theme was "Ani-maniacs" including some appearances from pinky and the brain (Bill Lange).

It was Sunday morning.  The skies were cloudy, the weather was humid, it was the last day at summer camp in 2006.  We did an excellent job in packing away the campsite and personal equipment so we were ready for the results at the Award Presentation Lunch.  When we finally heard Elmo the Elk give out a big yawn, the dining hall went quiet awaiting the results for the Troop of the Week Award.  The first thing he said regarding the award was that it was so close that it was a tie!  They had the SPL's of West Kingston, Glocester, Riverhead, and North Babylon (myself) stand up at the front of the room ready to hand out the awards.  The first troop Elmo called was for Troop 44 Glocester.  Glocester, who had remained a dark and almost invisible force the whole week came out with a on bang at the end and took a top three spot in the final four events (Water Carnival, Trivia, Big B, and Scavenger Hunt).  Troop 44, which already had the most Troop of the Week ribbons in Medicine Bow history just added another one to their flag.  So there were three troops left, us; the troop that nobody really took seriously as that much of a threat, Riverhead; the troop that never finished with more gained than lost medallions, and Troop 138 who made a big comeback after last year.  The winner was our arch rivals Troop 138 West Kingston.  Rhode Island came back and won.  Troop 138's dynasty lived on, having won the Troop of the Week Award three times in four years.  In 2005, where New England troops dominated the competition, the troops lined up in placing order from Troop of the Week to last place.  But now that 399 and 242 (tied for second) broke the barrier between the two troops of the week and Gaspee Plateau, they randomized it and still put the troop of the week winners in the front.  We were put second to last.  So after marching away with an Honor Troop ribbon, we knew we were robbed.

But there were many bright points to our week.  We came out and shocked everyone because we only had two venture patrol members that week and there was a brand new set of patrol leaders and still managed to place second.  We earned many merit badges, lots of scouts were ready to advance, we almost had 100% swimmer-level tag set and most important of all, we had fun and lots of it.  Although this was the most devastating finish, I would still say it was my favorite week at camp in my four years.  So next year will be my fifth and troop 399 will have plenty of unfinished business.