TIMBERLINE!

If You Can See It, You Can Be It!

Be, Know, Do

Danny and I spent July 19-26 at Timberline. This is a Boy Scout youth leadership training camp for first-class (and higher) scouts. Its purpose is to teach them the patrol method, how it works and can be implemented in their home troops, to get along with scouts from other areas, and to provide some leadership and life skills they can use in the future. There were six adult leaders and 12 youth on the staff.

Flag raising at Camp Rush. We held the course up near Alton this year. Much better than Johnson Canyon! We actually had to use jackets at night. And NO mosquitos!

This is Eagle Patrol, the youth leaders. Danny, in case you couldn't tell, is third from left. We had a senior patrol leader, two assistant senior patrol leaders (one for service and one for program), four quartermasters, and five troop guides. All youth staff must have participated in Timberline as a participant before they can serve on staff.

The staff's staffs. I'll bet you can't tell which one is mine!

Danny was a quartermaster, and also our weatherman. Each day during troop assembly he would consult the weather rock and forecast the weather. He did a pretty good job of it.

Every day each patrol site was inspected by the ASPL over service. Danny was the assistant inspector. The patrols (including the Eagles) were checked for neatness, cleanliness, and improvements to the campsite. Danny and Blaine built this towel rack to improve the Eagles' score.

Much of the training involved working with others. Here the participants are carrying water in a can set on a board. The board is held up by cords and each of the scouts must work with the others to try and carry the board a set distance without spilling the water.

A highlight of Timberline is the Honor Trail. Thursday night each of the patrols come separately along a path. They come in silence, each patrol led by their troop guide. There are twelve stations along the trail. Each corresponds to a point of the Scout Law. At each station they pause and are asked to silently commit to each point. After the final station they assemble, still in silence, in front of the scoutmasters. The scene is lit only by a small fire on the rock before them. Each of the scoutmasters in turn talk briefly of the spirit of scouting and the youth staff each talk of one of the points of the Scout Law. The senior patrol leader leads everyone in the Scout Oath and Law and everyone files silently back to camp. This short description doesn't really do the ceremony justice. For me, it is always one of the best parts of the whole camp.

Left to right: John Jacobs - QM (food), Alan Black - ASM (troop guides), Jack Allen - SM, Joe B. Wright - ASM (program), Me - ASM (service), and Kevin Maxwell - QM (camp)

A rare quiet moment.

Danny on the rack.

The fearless elder statesman of the scoutmasters (the first year I was the oldest!)

The last night. We sent the participants out on Outpost and the staff watched a movie.