Hessel International Scout Rally

What's a little rain? This is great!

This year marked Troop 321's second foray to the Hessel International Scout Rally in recent years. Our contingent of 17 Scouts and 10 adults nearly overwhelmed our lakeside campsite, but with tents pitched together in tight formation we did it!

It was great to see our boys overcome and adapt - especially when the weather turned wet Friday night and stayed wet through Saturday afternoon. The rain didn't reduce the boys' enthusiasm in the least. After breakfast, they hit the trail to explore the games and activities hosted at other campsites.

We've got a young Troop with an average age of about 12, and they put their energy to good use. We stuck to the Patrol Method as much as possible, and they boys planned and prepared their own food. This led to some disappointment when the boys noticed how well the "Parent Patrol" ate (thanks Pete!). At least the boys ate better than the "Our Gang" kids. We're hoping this experience left them with a taste for better planning.

Pete working his magic

In addition to eating well, the adults pursued their own interests. Some ducked into St. Ignace for a bit of shopping. Others took turns trying to get the biggest reaction out of Linda (Darryl won with his inflatable Tauntaun rig). Robert taught the boys a few very loud, very silly songs to sing whilst marching to assembly. We certainly got noticed!

Oh, and we won some prizes, too. The boys took sixth place in the costume contest singing Weird Al's song "Yoda" and won a badminton set. The Troop got top prize for the most youth participants - a large easy-up. Molly L (as usual) won a prize in a drawing - a new sleeping bag.

We're making plans for next year already. The theme: Holidays. If you know any strange or goofy holidays, let us know. Linda wants to do "A Nightmare Before Christmas", but we're not so sure the elderly judges are Tim Burton fans. Ultimately the boys will decide. And by that, I mean the Scouts, Carl.