To get ready for summer camp, we are meeting twice a week to review swimming skills for the swim test. Boys who are interested can work on the Swimming merit badge too.
For the swim test, boys need to jump into deep water, level off, swim 75 yards of a strong stoke (front/back crawl, breast, or side), then swim 25 yards of elementary back stroke, and finish by floating or treading for 30-60 seconds. They must be comfortable the whole way and not exhausted by the end.
Boys who pass the swim test will be able to be in a kayak by themselves. To finish the Kayaking merit badge, boys will need to show they can exit the kayak while capsized, climb back into the kayak, and dump a kayak over another.
Summer camp this year will be a troop camping trip to Shawnee State Park in conjunction with Cyberquipe’s digital badge offerings. We will work on both the Kayaking and Camping merit badges as a troop and sign up for three or four badges to complete digitally. Scouts must have a personal Gmail account and should plan to bring a device that can connect to a hot spot. Find out more at Cyberquipe.com.
The base cost is $135 but we will also need money to help with food.
Some boys are interested in going to Sea Base in a couple of years. Nevin calculated that boys could save $67 per month to cover airfare, passports, and the program fee in the Bahamas. Other options include sites in Florida and the US Virgin Islands.
Watch the Sea Base promo here. Go to seabase.org to find out more about the Sea Base Bahamas Adventure and other programs.
