After their first month of virtual troop meeting, and a scheduled campout on the way, Senor Patrol Leader Connor Gephart saw the opportunity to maintain troop spirit and believed Troop 13 was ready to take their virtual meeting experience to the campground. That Saturday morning, April 18th, wouldn’t see the usual start of the Troop 13 family campout. Instead of gathering at the Church of the Good Shepherd, and preparing to drive off to the beach, scouts and their families gathered in their living rooms with camping equipment in hand.
Members of the troop and their families set up tents in their yards, played games, went for hikes and explored local trails, built fires, and worked on rank advancement requirements. Including a Patrol Leader meeting virtually with one of his patrol members.
The Scouts and their family fixed dinner outside enjoying the afternoon spring sunshine, when around 8pm with family campfires burning and the sun setting the members of Troop 13 gather both around their own campfires and digital devices to join zoom and share their adventures from the day, just as thousands of Scouts have done for over 100 years before them. The Senior Patrol Leader lead the discussion asking the Scout about their adventures that the day had brought, and as the campfire was winding down Scouts participated in Thorns and Roses, where many thorns were about not being together and enjoying the fun of camping in the woods as a Troop.
After the Senior Patrol Leader closed the campfire Scouts and their families retired to their tents to conclude the Troop 13 annual family campout.
