In November 2019, over 60 members of Troop 581 traveled to BSA’s Camp Shenadoah for its 4th Annual Advancement campout. Each year, the troop holds this campout over the 3-day Veteran’s Day weekend. Located in Swoope, VA, Camp Shenandoah offers great facilities including the use of its dining hall, shooting range, 8 person cabins for adult leaders, and lots of platforms for Scouts to set up patrol areas. Historically, this campout is one of the coldest of the year with temperatures routinely reaching the mid-teens. This gives the Scouts a great opportunity to practice their cold-weather camping skills. Friday night did not disappoint, and overnight temperatures dipped down to 18 deg. By the next morning, Scouts and adult leaders alike were ready to hold a flag ceremony and get the day started.
Troop 581’s program for this campout was focused on merit badges. Scouts could register for as many as three different merit badges. This year, they could choose from Fire Safety, Astronomy, Environmental Science, Backpacking, Rifle Shooting, Movie Making, Game Design, Cooking, Camping, Robotics, Search and Rescue, Pioneering, Chess, and Engineering.
In typical fashion, each patrol had to be prepared to cook meals for the weekend. However, on Sunday evening, the adult staff provided its usual early Thanksgiving feast for the entire troop. The troop did not have use of the dining hall’s kitchen due to a lack of propane to run the stoves. So head chef Chris Eichfeld and a supporting staff brought out the deep fryers and fried 3 turkeys and prepared all the sides and served the troop.
By Sunday, temperatures had reached a balmy 65 degrees (a first for the troop at this campout) and Scouts took advantage of the weather to finish up merit badge requirements, play a game or two of Gaga Ball and explore the camp grounds.
On Monday, the troop packed up, cleaned up the facilities and headed home for some much-deserved rest. This is one of the most anticipated campouts of the year and Camp Shenandoah didn’t disappoint. But Troop 581 is always planning the next adventure. Next on the calendar, Wilderness Survival. Look for our review soon.