Brrr… 21 degrees! Boy Scout Troop 497, sponsored by Blanco United Methodist Church, went to Winter Camp at Lost Pines in Bastrop, January 1st – 5th , to earn Merit Badges and learn Leadership Skills. The Scouts worked on several Merit Badges, including Archery, Climbing, Rifle Shooting, Emergency Preparedness, Communication, Radio, Astronomy, Forestry, Personal Fitness, Citizenship in the Community, and Cooking. Each Scout took three or four of these Merit Badges depending on their interests, a few Scouts took five classes. In some cases the Merit Badges can be finished at camp and others must be finished outside of camp. Once all the requirements are finished, the Scouts will be awarded Merit Badges at a Court of Honor.
Along with all of the Merit Badge work, all of the Scouts managed to work in a little community service time planting pine saplings in some of the many areas that were burned around Bastrop.
Personal Fitness, Citizenship in the Community, Communication, and Emergency Preparedness are Eagle Scout required Merit Badges. The others are Merit Badges to pique the interest of Scouts to see if they may want to continue learning in those fields or perhaps make one of them a hobby or a career.
Scouts get up at 6am and usually get to bed about 11pm. Besides classes there are campfires, skits and cracker barrels to attend. Each part of the day is arranged to teach leadership and community service to these “Leaders of Tomorrow.” They learn these lessons well.
Scouts Attending: Joaquin Olmedo, Mitchell Barnett, Morgan Lockwood, Wes Stephens, Adrian Lamphier, Mark Kuebel. Adult Leaders: Bret Barnett, Steven Lamphier, and Joe Lockwood
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