Color Wars

Color Wars

 

     This month, the troop had a classic campout at Camp Achewon. Yes, you guessed it, Color Wars! This troop tradition is all about teamwork and patrol competition. It’s a weekend of Scout skills, unknown challenges, and unexpected judging.

 

     When we got to Achewon on Friday night, it was already getting pretty dark. Once we had finished the unloading of the trailer, it was time to get rolling: literally! The trailer drove to the parade field, and the three small carts were taken to the beginning of the trail to the back campsites. Patrol boxes, personal gear, tents, and much more were unloaded from the trailer and loaded into carts and people’s arms. The Scouts worked quickly on getting their things to the campsites so they could set up. This continued for most of the evening. After everyone was done, they relaxed a little at their campsites and then went to bed.

 

     Saturday was packed full of activities. After everyone cooked their breakfast, we had our morning flag ceremony. Then we had some time to finish up at our camps, and then the fun began. It started with a round-robin. The patrols did activities like a Scout quiz, a chariot race, soccer, and much more. It was all for points, with many things being timed. Then the patrols prepared for flag stealing, though it was eventually canceled due to it not working out. Lunch, luckily, still happened. We had some free time before cooking dinner. Dinner was going to be judged. Patrols made everything from quinoa salad (a brave thing to try) to chili dogs, and many other dishes as well. After a dinner that was anything but pointless, we had a little bit of evening time, followed by a campfire with skits (for points) and some Improv. Then Seamus shouted from the top of the hill behind the chapel. He announced the coming of the long-awaited game of camp-wide hide and seek.

 

     Confident, nervous, and everywhere in between, the Scouts discreetly slipped into the shadows, hiding in fields, behind trees, in ravines, and any other place one could possibly think of. At nine o’clock a cry went up to announce the beginning of the hunt! Youth staff members and adults grabbed their flashlights and charged into the eerie, desolate woods. They searched everywhere they went, some roaming around at random, others running here and there to places of interest. For the duration of a long, slow hour, the camp was in places lifeless and deserted, while in others it echoed with the occasional cry of someone being discovered. Oh, what a strange phenomenon, a time of both safety and heart-pounding terror, of both boredom and thrill! Yes, this was surely the game that everyone had so eagerly anticipated; a chance at glory and points or miserable failure!

 

     The Sunday morning sunrise announced an end to the previous day’s competitions, and the beginning of the packing process. The troop put away their sleeping bags and took down their tents. Scouts ate a simple breakfast. Some cleaned up the campsites, some took their things to the trailer, while others traveled to the staff campsite for their morning meds or to get Scoutmaster Conferences. Once most of the work was completed, we all met in front of the trailer to pack it up. This process was executed in a fairly quick manner, and we fell in. Seamus announced that the winners and point breakdowns would be revealed at an upcoming troop meeting. We went to the cars upon being dismissed. Then it was off to the Lock-Up, and eventually, home.