Whippoorwill Tent Setup 2014

Whippoorwill Tent Setup 2014

This Saturday we went to Camp Whippoorwill to set up tents for the Girl Scouts. Unlike other things, this was not a service project, but a fundraiser for the troop. In other words, the Girl Scouts pay us to set up their tents.

We met at the church, waited around for the others, and got into cars to go to Whippoorwill. Once we got there, a man from the camp gave us instructions, as well as a demonstration of setting up a tent. So, for four hours, we worked. You may think that's a long time, but it is typical. Each tent holds four cots, though it could hold eight. The tents are made of thick canvas and are supported by a permanent wooden frame. Each campsite had plenty of them and there were also plenty of campsites.

For the rest of the morning and a while in the afternoon, we unfolded, spread, clipped, erected, and loaded. Some people took long, heavy poles made out of wood and attached them to tents, some clipped tents and tarps to wooden frames, and some hauled cots and mattresses to the tents and set them up. Most people did a combination of things, doing whatever was needed at the moment. After a while we got to the last campsite. It was the one with pioneer wagon-shaped tents. They had wooden bases and metal poles on which the canvas was laid. Eventually we finished spreading, tying, and loading those tents. It was time to eat.

Everyone went to the dining hall of the camp and got in line for pizza and soft drinks. We ate ten boxes of pizza and drank several bottles of soda. After a little while of feasting on these things, the troop and the camp employees thanked each other. Then we all went back to our cars and left. The Whippoorwill tent setup was pretty fun, and definitely rewarding.