Description

Our first camp out of the 2021-22 Scouting year will be our annual Guns & Arrows weekend! It will be held September 17-19 at the Bethesda chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA). Yay, no driving three hours and getting stuck in traffic trying to get to Sinoquipe! The drive-time to the campground near Poolesville, MD is under one hour from the church.

You’ll see there are things we know about this campout and things we don’t. 

Here’s what we know:

  • there WILL be carpooling, so parents, be prepared to sign up to drive Scouts and/or camp. IWLA is close enough that you could drive and drop if you want.
  • ammo prices are requiring a cost increase this year. It’s $60.06 per person for the campout. (Why the weird amount? Long story. Ask me sometime.)
  • bring your own tent. If you need a troop tent, let us know in the signup form
  • solo tenting again unless you and a sibling want to tent. Let your parent camp on their own!
  • (this is a biggie) parent drivers/attendees and Scouts MUST provide proof of vaccination OR a negative COVID test taken no earlier than September 15, 2021 (the Wednesday before the campout). Barring further guidance from BSA National, CUMC, or the Troop Committee, this is how we will be handling it
  • We’ll be masking when we can’t be socially distant. Thanks, delta variant!
  • We’ll be camping at IWLA campgrounds, we will have an awesome time at the archery range led by our USA Archery certified coach, ASM McLaughlin, and we will possibly provide IWLA with a service project (service hours, Scouts!), either late Saturday or Sunday morning, depending on the scope of the project.
  • Our parent coordinator, Patrick O’Reilly (oreilly@alumni.duke.edu), will be collecting the standard BSA forms as well as an IWLA waiver (see below). 

What we don’t know:

  • Patrol-cooked meals or backpacking meals? Don’t know. This might be the new SPL’s first big decision. If patrol-cooked we will be monitoring food prep safety like a hawk. We will provide hot dogs for lunch—campground is a hike from the ranges.
  • Safety Briefing: we will have a mandatory safety briefing for rifle, shotgun, and archery for all attendees. We have not yet decided on whether that will be done at the Troop meeting prior to the campout or at the campout itself; it is mandatory, though, as safety is paramount at this campout.
  • Will we get to shoot rifles? Our rifle coach, Bill Terry, will be attending for the tenth (!) year. However, the rifle range may be closed due to a construction project. More info forthcoming.
  • What is the service project? We shall see.
  • Will we have enough range safety officers to cover all the ranges? IWLA may be able to provide them, but please let me know if a parent happens to be an RSO, or knows  one who could attend for the day.

Sign-Up

Deadline: Monday, September 13 @ 7pm

If you are a scout or adult attending the campout

If you are an adult driving to the campout but not attending

  • Complete the sign-up form
  • Show up at the church parking lot by 4:30 pm on Friday, September 17. Do NOT drive directly to the campsite!