TROOP 157

YAWGOOG SUMMER CAMP

Rockville, Rhode Island

August 13 - 20, 2000

This summer we will be returning to Yawgoog Scout Reservation, the Boy Scout summer camp we attended last year. The eleven scouts from Troop 157 who attended last summer had a great time and earned 39 merit badges over the course of the week. This year should be even better! We are still negotiating with the Narragansett Council on our campsite, but we will probably be in either Netop (where we were last year), Silver Buffalo (where we were the year before), or George Washington. At this point, you need to send a $40.00 deposit to Mrs. Wright and arrange a physical exam with your family doctor, so that the required medical form is completed before camp. Here are some other important details:

The Yawgoog Experience - Yawgoog is one of the oldest, largest and finest Boy Scout camps in the northeast and compares very favorably with the best private summer camps. It is located on the border of Rhode Island and Connecticut near I-95, about a 1 hour and 15 minute drive from Weston. Yawgoog has a very good website (http://www.Yawgoog.org/) which includes a photographic tour, the history, and a clickable map. The camp comprises about 1800 acres (about 1/6 the size of Weston) and completely surrounds a large, beautiful lake. Scouts sleep on bunk beds in large, open wall tents pitched on wooden platforms, each of which accommodates 4-6 boys. Meals are served in a large dining hall. Although scouts from each troop take turns during the week serving as waiter for their troop, they do not have to do their own cooking or most of the other daily chores associated with typical weekend camping trips. Everyone gets cleaned up and puts on their uniform shirt and scout shorts for dinner, but otherwise we are mostly free to wear what we want during the day. Most boys bring a duffel bag or small trunk rather than a backpack, but relatively little gear is necessary beyond clothing, rain gear, a flashlight and a sleeping bag or bedroll.

Facilities - Yawgoog has an incredible wealth of outdoor-oriented facilities. On the lake, scouts are offered swimming, canoeing, sailing, rowing and fishing. On land, Yawgoog has a ropes course, mountain biking, rifle range, shotgun range, archery range, nature center, crafts center, and a “trading post” offering a wide variety of snack foods and Boy Scout paraphernalia. There are also some large open fields where boys sometimes organize pick-up games of baseball, touch football, etc. Most of the hanging-out and goofing around happens within the troop’s campsite before and after meals, and during the evening. There is a big picnic and dress parade on Sunday.

Merit Badges - Most boys sign up to earn merit badges during the morning and early-afternoon activity periods. Although no one is required to work on badges during the week, it is really an outstanding opportunity to earn a lot of badges quickly and easily. Most boys earn 2-4 during the week and it is possible to earn more. In particular, a week at Yawgoog is a great opportunity to earn the Environmental Science, Swimming and Lifesaving badges required for Eagle, which are somewhat difficult to earn otherwise.

Cost – This year, the basic fee for the week is $198.00. In addition, most boys bring with them $40 or $50 for snacks, craft supplies and sundries. An 8 x 10 copy of the official troop photo is available for $7.00, payable in cash at camp the night of arrival. A non-refundable deposit of $40.00 is due now and the balance of $158.00 will be due in early-July from those planning to attend.

Health Form - A completed Boy Scout health form signed by Scout, parent, and doctor within the year prior to attending is required on the first day of camp. The Boy Scouts insist on having their own form completely filled out prior to check-in and will not accept substitutes, even from the adult leaders. A copy of this two-sided form is attached so that you may schedule a physical exam and begin jousting with your family doctor over this form. It can also be downloaded from the troop website (http://www.midcoast.com/~weston/troop157/pdf/health.pdf).

Please call Mr. Sallay at 235-7089 if you have any questions. A few adult leader slots are available for part or all of the week (at no charge for adults) so please ask. Then send a $40.00 deposit check payable to “Boy Scout Troop 157” to Mrs. Wright at 15 Linden Circle, Weston, MA 02493 by March 31. And don’t forget to schedule your physical exam if you have not had one since last August.