Summer Camp Readiness for Ten Mile River/Aquehonga

Getting ready for summer camp is a lot of work for your adult leaders and trying to answer questions one-by-one is time consuming. This page is a collection of information you need to know to get ready to attend summer camp at Ten Mile River/Aquehonga. If you have a question which is not answered here, reach out to the trip leader or scoutmaster. But read this page at least twice to make sure you didn't miss something before asking.

General Information

  • Every scout and adult planning to stay in camp must have submitted two copies of the full medical form (parts A, B, and C) along with the camp-specific extras and a copy (front and back) of your insurance card. Remember to keep a copy for yourself. You will not be allowed to stay in camp without a medical, those are camp rules.
  • All scouts should wear their Class A uniform for the trip to TMR. Uniform of the day will be shorts and class A shirt. You should also wear your swimsuit underneath or have it easily accessible as we will be going directly from registration to the swim test.
  • There are no meals until Sunday dinner. Pack a lunch for Sunday. You can, of course, also bring snacks (which must be stored in the bear box and must not require refrigeration).
  • Check-in begins at 12:00 noon. Please try to arrive by then or (very) shortly after. Troops are required to check in together, so until we have all arrived, we cannot begin the check-in process.
  • All scouts should bring at least one Class B shirt. If you did not receive one yet, contact the scoutmaster has your name on the list and you will be given one at TMR. Old class B shirts are fine, but bring your new one for any team activities (e.g., the softball game, etc). 
  • All scouts should have a tent partner. Since tents only sleep 2, if we have an odd number of scouts, it's not possible for everyone to have a tent partner. Senior scouts rank Star or higher or age 14+ may, if there are enough tents and an odd number of scouts, sleep in a tent alone. Having a buddy is an intrinsic part of being a scout.
  • Please log in to TroopMaster and make sure your contact information is up-to-date. That information will be used for emergency contact information.

Gear You Need

  • Sleeping bag and pad (put the pad on the cot, trust me, you want this). Alternate is a couple of blankets. Temperatures can be anywhere from 45F to 80F at night this time of year, there's no way to tell at this point. New scouts will be given the opportunity to pitch and sleep in a troop tent to satisfy the Tenderfoot requirement. You will need the sleeping pad for that, too.
  • The TMR tents are canvas over a metal frame. Bugs come and go, including mosquitoes. Purchase a mosquito net and some string. This is how I sleep in the TMR tent and it works quite well to avoid being bug-bitten. Mosquito net: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___86662
  • Scouts who wish to bring their own tent may do so if and only if (1) all scouts in the tent are Star Rank or higher, and (2a) the tent is 100 square feet or less with at least two scouts, or (2b) the tent is 65 square feet or less with one scout. Any exceptions must be pre-approved. Do not assume that because you received an exception in past years, you can just bring up a Taj Mahal tent and it will be okay. Space is limited in our site and must be coordinated among the whole Troop. Note: your scoutmaster stays in the TMR provided tent which is 65 square feet. If he can live in it and have fun for a week, you certainly can, too.
  • If you are a new scout or do not already have a trunk/footlocker, the model we used to recommend has been discontinued. This appears to be the replacement: https://www.containerstore.com/s/black-ultra-storage-trunk-with-wheels/d?productId=11003008. We recommend this in in part because it is known to fit underneath the cots at TMR which helps on floor space. If you obtain another footlocker, make sure it is no taller than this one (13-inches). Alternates include https://www.amazon.com/Contico-23-gallon-Storage-Locker/dp/B000R8DIFE, and https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sterilite-92-Qt-Footlocker-Storage-Box-18429001/204303284
  • All scouts and adults attending must bring their own mess kits (including cup and flatwear) and a mesh bag for storage, drying. I haven't yet moved this information over to our new web site, but the old page with mess kit options is here: https://sites.google.com/site/stanselmtroop13/home/gear/mess-kit-suggestions.
  • We will be using Troop 13 patrol boxes. They have been inspected. You have new, high-quality gear in these boxes. They will be inspected at the end of the week. They will come home clean. In the fall, patrol boxes will become the responsibility of patrol leaders; that means patrol leaders will take them home after any trip that uses gear from the box and will return it clean and dry.
  • Toiletries and personal hygiene: a scout is clean. Ahem. You are expected to bathe and brush your teeth daily. The swimming pool is not a substitute for a shower. 

Merit Badge Related Items

  • Most badges require written work. Due to the number of scouts, councilors will generally only review your written work and the record of your class participation. Plan to talk/discuss/answer questions during the classes and plan to write out your answers in the merit badge workbooks.
  • The troop library will be present, you may sign out merit badge books from the library to be used in-site only. You can also bring your own booklets.
  • You should print worksheets for all merit badge classes you are signed up for. The camp cannot print them for you if you forget.
  • You should bring a notepad with paper for any additional writing you may need to do. 
  • You should bring pens and pencils (note the plural form...).
  • Some merit badges require the purchase of materials in order to complete project work. These include Leatherwork, Baskets, Wood Carving, Space Exploration, and probably some I'm forgetting about. The fees are listed in the TMR Leaders Guide which is available online at https://www.tenmileriver.org/aq
  • Please log into TroopTrack to check for your status on partial merit badges. If you wish to try to complete a partial, you must obtain a new merit badge card and also speak to the TMR instructor on day 1 or 2.

Activities

  • The adult leaders will work with the senior scouts to plan several evening activities for advancement, particularly the requirements for new scouts to attain the rank of Tenderfoot.
  • Indian Cliffs is available on Wednesday afternoon. If you are age 13 or older and wish to experience rappelling, please let me know; I have to reserve the spots with TMR. We will take a group for the afternoon session from 14:00-17:00 so you will miss all your afternoon merit badge classes that day.
  • There will be an opportunity to earn the Totin' Chip, which will earn you the right to carry pocket knife on scouting events. More importantly, this is a requirement for any scout taking wood carving. Time will be announced later. Please read the relevant sections of your scout handbook before coming to TMR, pp 402-409.
  • There will be an opportunity to earn the Fire 'Em Chit. Please read the relevant sections of the scout handbook before coming to TMR, pp 410-415 as well as http://bit.ly/1majGga

ATV

  • No scout has indicated an interest in the ATV program. If you are eligible (all information and forms referenced at at https://www.tenmileriver.org/atv), you must 
    • let me know
    • bring payment in cash
    • complete the online safety course and bring copy of your completion certificate
    • bring a copy of the waiver, signed by your parent/guardian
    • bring a signed copy of the rider rules agreement

SPL Election

The SPL Election will be held Sunday afternoon or evening. Eligibility includes having attended NYLT. As before, candidates must also have been at least First Class Scouts for 4+ months,  Potential candidates will be announced via email 2-4 weeks before camp.

You must be present at TMR to run; running TMR will be your primary but not sole responsibility. As SPL, you will be expected to hold at least 3 PLC (aka green-bar) meeting during your term and to participate in 75% of the Troop activities. The newly elected SPL his ASPLs will meet with the Scoutmaster during the week to go over details of the job and what leadership in the troop entails.

Post election, the scoutmaster will work with the new SPL to assign a troop quartermaster. All patrols will select a patrol quartermaster who will interface with the troop quartermaster for supply requests. Only the troop quartermaster and adult leaders may retrieve supplies from the troop trailer. 

Patrols

Patrol assignments will be adjusted and communicated via email to the whole troop 2-4 weeks before camp. Adjustments are sometimes necessary depending on how many scouts are attending. You are responsible for monitoring your email and responding in a timely fashion with any questions. Your scoutmaster and other adult leaders have a lot of work to do to get ready and will be rightly annoyed if you ask questions that were clearly answered in earlier emails.

Patrol Leaders will need to set the duty roster for the week, please see page two of https://media.trooptrack.com/troop_documents/26815/document/original/2016_TMR_Weekly_Schedule_and_Duty_Roster.pdf, print that out and bring it with you. Every task will have two names assigned, you always have a buddy for a job. Given the small-ish patrols, that means every meal will be all hands on deck. Duties include

  • Grub master - picks up food
  • KP - washes patrol dishes (not personal mess kits!)
  • Fire - builds cook fire
  • Wood gathering - gathers wood for the next meal
  • Latrine - cleans latrines, checks supplies

Patrol Leaders are expected to participate in the above; scout leaders are servant leaders.

Each day, one patrol will be responsible for policing/cleaning the Aquehonga camp area from the headquarters roughly between the headquarters to the old nature lodge and then over to the new nature lodge. That is the area assigned to our site.

Expected Behavior

You are scouts. During camp, I expect you to behave consistent with the Scout Oath and Law. If you find yourselves, say, arguing over who should be doing KP, cooking, etc., I will be happy to assign your patrol (not you, your whole patrol) "special training." In general, this will be doing KP for the adult patrol.