Pack 531 Summer Of 2002

Pack 531 had a great summer program in 2002! Our boys were involved in a lot of activities, learned a lot, and had a lot of fun. Here is a list of what they did, along with some photos:

In June, the second year Webelos participated in the Webelos Weekend program of the Gateway Scout District. We were lucky enough to go to magnificent Camp Tahosa in the Colorado Rockies.
	This was the most authentic camping experience our Webelos have had, and they loved it! Camp Tahosa is a little rugged, and we packed in our tents, found a nice, flat piece of ground, and set up for the weekend.
The boys loved the idea of making a home in the middle of the mountains, and it wasn't long before they were feeling right at home.
	The boys are separated from the adults during the days at this program. The adults get some leadership training from other adult experts, and the Webelos are given a real Scouting experience run by Boy Scouts on staff at the camp! The program was great, and we got back together at meal times for a great out of doors feast.
The setting of Tahosa is rustic and beautiful, and it was so good to be surrounded by the majesty and serenity of Colorado's mountain wilderness. The weekend was capped off by a terrific fireless campfire (due to this year's drought) in front of the lake Saturday night, and services Sunday morning in the breathtaking chapel overlooking the lake.
	It was a wonderful weekend, probably the best camping experience our Webelos have had. They went home tired and happy, and some of them are already talking about going back to Tahosa in a couple of years to work on staff for this great weekend program.
Later in June, Pack 531 had our annual summer picnic. A great time was had by all in Arvada's Knottingham Park, which is always a fun place.
	The drought kind of caught us off guard this time. The burning ban in Colorado extended to gas or charcoal grills in the city parks. So, our hamburgers and hot dogs were put away for another day. Through some quick thinking, we ended up with some great chicken wings from a local restaurant. Of course, we had the delicious side dishes everyone had brought. So, dinner was still a great success.
The boys and siblings had a great time, of course, on the playground and the open field. It was time for a little unorganized fun as we all relaxed and enjoyed the warm summer evening. At one point, they were even convinced they had seen a snake down by the stream.
In July, Pack 531 had our annual rain gutter rigotta. The boys came with their personal creations, ready to show and race in our midsummer's event.
	We fill two long rain gutters with water, and put them up on a couple of saw horses. The boys race two at a time, making a grand effort to push the boats along with their breath from one end of the gutter to the other.
Often, the most beautiful boat isn't the fastest, and it's surprising how well some of the unusual designs do. It is a free-for-all without many rules, and no prizes at the end (we save the formality for our Pinewood Derby in February). But, everyone always has a great time.
	To cap off the event, the rain gutters are lined with tin foil, filled with ice cream, and topped with toppings. The boys dived right in, enjoying the huge rain gutter sundae, but I saw some adults sneaking around with bowls. That's kind of cheating, isn't it?
Also in July, the Webelos participated with Troop 583 in an evening of canoeing out on Lake Arbor. It's a small lake in town, but is a great place for a canoeing experience. It was another beautiful warm evening, and the boys had a terrific time.
To cap off our summer, Pack 531 took a tour of the Two Ponds Wildlife Refuge in Arvada.
	Two ponds is an urban refuge, in the heart of Arvada. It is part of a system which is preserving the migration paths of water fowl in the United States.
We were lucky enough to have a guided tour from the ranger, who provided a history of the site, and pointed out habitat for animals like fox, coyote, deer, and water fowl.
	We also got some background on the wide variety of native vegetation here at the site. Although most of it is arid prairie, there is quite a difference at pond's edge.
There are a surprising number of fruit bearing trees and bushes, including some plums, and a bunch of apple trees from an orchard that was there years ago.
	Looking across the prairie of the refuge provides a magnificent unobstructed view of the front range.
The boys, siblings, and parents had a terrific time that day. But, after a while in the blistering heat of our Summer of 2002, we were all ready to go home tired and happy.

Pack 531 Summer Of 2002

Pack 531 had a great summer program in 2002! Our boys were involved in a lot of activities, learned a lot, and had a lot of fun. Here is a list of what they did, along with some photos:

In June, the second year Webelos participated in the Webelos Weekend program of the Gateway Scout District. We were lucky enough to go to magnificent Camp Tahosa in the Colorado Rockies.

This was the most authentic camping experience our Webelos have had, and they loved it! Camp Tahosa is a little rugged, and we packed in our tents, found a nice, flat piece of ground, and set up for the weekend.

The boys loved the idea of making a home in the middle of the mountains, and it wasn't long before they were feeling right at home.

It was a wonderful weekend, probably the best camping experience our Webelos have had. They went home tired and happy, and some of them are already talking about going back to Tahosa in a couple of years to work on staff for this great weekend program.

Later in June, Pack 531 had our annual summer picnic. A great time was had by all in Arvada's Knottingham Park, which is always a fun place.

The boys and siblings had a great time, of course, on the playground and the open field. It was time for a little unorganized fun as we all relaxed and enjoyed the warm summer evening. At one point, they were even convinced they had seen a snake down by the stream.

In July, Pack 531 had our annual rain gutter rigotta. The boys came with their personal creations, ready to show and race in our midsummer's event.

We fill two long rain gutters with water, and put them up on a couple of saw horses. The boys race two at a time, making a grand effort to push the boats along with their breath from one end of the gutter to the other.

Often, the most beautiful boat isn't the fastest, and it's surprising how well some of the unusual designs do. It is a free-for-all without many rules, and no prizes at the end (we save the formality for our Pinewood Derby in February). But, everyone always has a great time.

To cap off the event, the rain gutters are lined with tin foil, filled with ice cream, and topped with toppings. The boys dived right in, enjoying the huge rain gutter sundae, but I saw some adults sneaking around with bowls. That's kind of cheating, isn't it?

Also in July, the Webelos participated with Troop 583 in an evening of canoeing out on Lake Arbor. It's a small lake in town, but is a great place for a canoeing experience. It was another beautiful warm evening, and the boys had a terrific time.

To cap off our summer, Pack 531 took a tour of the Two Ponds Wildlife Refuge in Arvada.

Two ponds is an urban refuge, in the heart of Arvada. It is part of a system which is preserving the migration paths of water fowl in the United States.

We were lucky enough to have a guided tour from the ranger, who provided a history of the site, and pointed out habitat for animals like fox, coyote, deer, and water fowl.

We also got some background on the wide variety of native vegetation here at the site. Although most of it is arid prairie, there is quite a difference at pond's edge.

There are a surprising number of fruit bearing trees and bushes, including some plums, and a bunch of apple trees from an orchard that was there years ago.

Looking across the prairie of the refuge provides a magnificent unobstructed view of the front range.

The boys, siblings, and parents had a terrific time that day. But, after a while in the blistering heat of our Summer of 2002, we were all ready to go home tired and happy.

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