Camp Loll--August 7-13, 2011

It's that time of year again where us adult leaders get to enjoy an unpaid week away from our families and home to be spent in the glorious mosquito-ridden wilderness sleeping on the ground in tents and sleeping bags, being daily covered in dust and dirt and inflicted with perpetual cuts and bruises all while having the calling to watch over other people's 11-13 year old boys in hopes of instilling them with a respect for nature, a sense of duty towards God and country, and the worth and satisfaction of hard work.  We also challenge them to overcome fears, develop skills and to endure hardships.  We hope to inspire them to serve others, make new friendships and develop their testimonies, but if all else fails at least they will learn how to shoot a 22!  Yes, I'm talking about Scout Camp.  But, I have to tell you, it is worth every sacrifice, every sore muscle and waking up with a kinked neck to spend time with some of the most valiant young men this world has ever known!

This year was unique because we actually left Sunday afternoon, instead of early Monday morning.  This was because our camp this year was at Camp Loll, located in South Yellowstone.  The anticipated drive was about six and a half hours with check in between eight and noon--with a first come first choice registration process, so instead of waking up and driving at four in the morning only to still get last choice of schedules and activities we elected to leave a day early. 

We camped outside of Ashton, Idaho at Warm River Campground in the Targhee National Forest.  We arrived at dusk, quickly set up camp and began making dinner as the sun completely set.  The boys were all riled up and excited for a week away from parents and with their friends.  Unfortunately, we were camped in a small family campground with small and tightly situated camp sites and a 10:30 pm curfew.  When I say unfortunately, I'm speaking unfortunate for the families all around us, because tried and threatened as we did, there was nothing to quiet these boys.  About every 20 minutes a neighboring camper would yell, "Be quiet, were trying to sleep over here" or "Our kids can't sleep, keep it down".  To our continual embarrassment, each of the leaders took turns yelling "Time to settle down" of "That's enough, go to bed" and as Scoutmaster I had to repeatedly get out of my tent and tell the boys face to face, to go to sleep, but to no avail.  At one point in complete frustration, I actually stood in their doorway for almost thirty minutes on the clearly misguided assumption that if they were quiet long enough the boys might actually get bored and fall asleep.  However, no sooner than 30 seconds after I left did the chatter and giggling start right back up again!  It was well after 1 am, more than three hours of nonsense--we were exhausted, embarrassed, and felt highly disrespected.  After countless exhortations from us leaders, they eventually fell asleep.

The next morning came too quickly, but we were not about to let the boys sleep in and miss the consequence of going to bed so late.  We woke them up at 6:45 am and took the boys on a walk and sat down together and talked about the events the night before.  To their surprise, we weren't upset at the younger scouts who made most of the noise the night before, we were disappointed that the older scouts did nothing throughout the whole ordeal.  They are supposed to be their leaders and examples.  By saying nothing then they were condoning their actions and setting up the adult leaders to be the bad guys.  We discussed respect and responsibility.  We talked about being one as a troop and in the priesthood.  We are all responsible for the whole and the whole is responsible for one.  We then passed out our scout t-shirts for camp and each commited to 'be one' with the troop.

After loading up, the boys went around to the neighboring campsites and apologized for keeping them up the night before, which I was really impressed with since it was the boys idea to apologize.  We then began the long and rough dirt road toward camp.  With little to no signage we promptly passed our turnoff and had to back track losing about an hour, but we finally made it.  We signed up for classes and activities and set up camp.  

We stayed in the 'Crow' campsite.  Our first challenge at camp was the swim check.  The reason this was a challenge was because the water was freezing!  When we jumped in it was so cold that it took our breath away and we could hardly breath.  Many of the boys (and leaders) wanted to desperately get out, however, they persevered and successfully completed their tests.  I was so proud of all the boys.  

The next day (Tuesday the 9^th) after Merit Badge classes the older boys and Hunter went to the rock climbing wall and learned how to repel.  It's a scary thing to walk off the edge of a cliff and hope that you won't fall to your death below.  One after another they conquered their fears and proceeded slowly down the rock face to safety below.  Brother Jeff Erickson, Travis Willey and myself also braved the cliff.

'Fishless' Bridge

Wednesday (the 10^th) was designated as Camp Hike day where as a troop we can select from one of several nearby hikes. Historically our troop has always done the Union Falls hike a long ~16 mile hike in South Yellowstone to Union Falls and the heated Scout Pools, a natural swimming hole heated by thermal currents, but learning that many of the boys have never been to Yellowstone National Park we elected to make that our troop activity.  

We spent the entire day exploring the lower loop of Yellowstone.  The highlights of the day were visiting 'fishless' fish bridge, hiking to the bottom of the Lower Falls, swimming and playing in a river at a rest stop between Norris and Madison junctions, and finally seeing Old Faithful.  

Keith and Walker

Troop 981 at the lower falls

Swimming in a river in Yellowstone

Ice-Cream at Old Faithful

Oh the wait!

Cameron burns his hair in fire explosion

We got home late, missed flag ceremony, almost missed dinner, but still had time to play games around the campfire.  One of the things we have been trying to encourage and foster was unity.  This was accomplished by working together, cooking and cleaning together, sleeping together and playing together.  Some of the boys favorites are Capture the flag, Mafia, and 'Big Buda'.

Campfire games--Mafia & Big Budda

Thursday (the 11^th) was back to the regular schedule.  With a lot of free time daily, the boys and leaders spent their time either at the shooting ranges or on a project wether wood carving, boondoggling, or making bead necklaces.  We encountered some excitement today as Cameron Cooper carelessly cut his left hand while woodcarving.  It was real deep and wide requiring sutures.  Luckily, Keith White, jr. came prepared with an entire surgical kit.  The two of us cleaned and sutured Cameron back together and then we gave him a priesthood blessing.  While tragic, it once again served to bring our troop closer and reinforce our dependance on God.  Due to his injury we cancelled our canoe overnighter.

Endless wood projects and sharp knives

Friday (the 12^th) was the last day of merit badges.  After lunch as a troop we braved the Polar Bear Plunge.  Which consisted of sitting under a ice cold waterfall for 10 seconds (none of which you are able to breath).  Everyone did it.  In fact, I later learned that Kyle Boehlen, Ridge Lewis and my Christian.  Had later gone up there again and not only repeated the challenge, but found two other spots close by to up the ante of the challenge!  That evening we played capture the flag for several hours and once again missed flag ceremony, so we elected to do our own closing campfire.  At the beginning of the week each scout and leader received a totem--a leather patch with a string that can hold beads which are earned by attending and participating in events throughout the week.  Since our troop did a lot of independent activities we did not earn several of the beads, so I thought it appropriate to honor the things that we did accomplish together this week and so I purchased several colors of beads from the trading post and presented them to the boys at our campfire.  The beads represented Courage (Swim test, Polar Bear, Injuries), Fun (Camp fire games, Swimming, Playing), Unity (Troop games, Working together, Yellowstone), Being Valiant (Not Honorable--Valiant!), Faith (Prayers, Priesthood, Gospel living, Testimonies). 

Saturday (the 13^th) we woke up took down camp and began our journey home.  We drove south through Wyoming past the Grand Tetons (amazing beautiful) and Jackson (quaint ski town like Park City) and then down through Logan, Utah.  It took us about two hours more driving this way, but it was so gorgeous.  We got home late, dirty and exhausted having had a wonderful week!

Grand Tetons

Adam's Cabin

July 15-16, 2011

Every year we try to do at least one real campout experience where the boys hike and backpack everything into a camp deep in nature.  Last year we went up Adam's Canyon where we hiked to the large twenty foot natural waterfall about 2 miles in.  The weather, however, turned bad and we were pummeled by wind and rain.  We were so soaked.  On the way home some of the scouts almost got blown off the mountain when a torrential wind storm hit.  As leaders we were proud of our young priesthood holders when they gathered us in and asked to say a prayer that we would all get home safely, and that we did.  Regardless of the weather and strain of the hike, it was a good experience of surviving in the wild (if you can call the mountains of East Layton 'the wild'?).

So naturally when it came July again Brother Flynn elected to return to the same area we had so much fun hiking and camping last year, only instead of going back down into the canyon, he elected to hike the ridge line up the mountain to Adam's Cabin.  It was a much longer hike (6 miles round trip) as well as much more rigorous hike.  Unfortunately, how rigorous we would only find out after it was too late.  

At the beginning of the hike at the base of Adam's Canyon

A short time after we had climbed the initial switch-backs to the top of the first mountain hill we encountered a terrifically steep hill which our GPS compass told was the direction to climb.  Dauntingly we began to grapple up the mountain side slipping on loose gravel and holding onto the varies desert weeds to prevent falling over backwards.  At such a steep incline it did not take long for the boys to start dropping like flies under the scorching sun, weight of their mis-sized & overweighted packs.  One by one the leaders had to come to the rescue and relieve the younger and smaller scouts of their loads.  Little by little we managed to inch our way up the mountain.  I swear we must of taken a break every five feet as a scout or two with faces glowing red and lips frothing of dehydration needed a rest, or pack adjustment, or adjustment of their shoes, or work out a stomach cramp, or just to turn around and admire the view!

We continued to encourage the scouts saying, "this is the hard part, once we get over the ridge it will flatten out and be much easier".  Of course, once we got the the top, we discovered that we only arrived at the base of the next big incline toward the next peak.  This cycle of promises continued over and over for several hours, and we continued to be wrong over and over.  It never got easy and it never stopped going up.  At one point Mikko Willey, exclaimed, "All you do it lie to us, it's never gotten easier!"  "No really, this time I'm not lying, just over that ridge up there between the rocks, it get better", I replied.  In my defense, it did get better for a few hundred feet, but then ascended up again.

About half way up the mountain the Cooper brothers (Cameron & Brady) began have some serious hiking problems.  They both started developing blisters on the heals of their feet that made climbing the steep terrain unbearable.  Travis Willey & Lindsay Workman provided first aid to help patch them up and helped carry Brady's pack.  Although, their pace fell off from the front of the group, they never complained and kept trudging forward.



It quickly became clear we would not make it to the cabin as planned tonight.  This posed a small problem, because this hiking trail was amoung the most unhospitable trails I had ever hiked.  No where did we see any suitable area to camp.  Sharp rocks, ant hills, dense scrub oak and cliffs were abounding. As the sun began setting we knew light would soon be gone so we decided to go off trail and discovered the worst camp site we have ever stayed at in the history of all campouts, but at least it was doable.  We set up camp, a few attempted tents, but most slept under the stars.



We all ate our make-shift dinners, but the best was Brother Workman's dinner: Blowtorch hotdogs!  Followed by Blowtorch Smores by the Zack Reynolds and his dad Jeff.

Blowtorch Hot Dogs

After a near sleepless night, we woke up to a crisp summer morning and the rest of the hike.  We had only gone about two-thirds of the way, but this time we could leave our gear behind.  We continued up and up as the trail grew progressively tighter (signs that most hikers have given up by this point) until we finally arrived at the last peak. The GPS said we were within 50 feet, but the cabin was still not in sight.

Where's the cabin?

I make this look good!

Lindsay and Justin Larsen climbed  up onto a large rock where they said they could see the rooftop nearly buried in trees a little ways off.

We forged through the remaining scrub oak that separated us and our final destination.  As the boys trailed in they seemed to exclaim in unison upon seeing the small dilapidated cabin,

"THIS TOTALLY WASN'T WORTH IT!!!"

The boys explored the cabin and immediately began lighting things on fire!

We made it to the top!

 Having been there, done that, we turned around and headed home.  Although, it was a lot easier to hike with gravity, hiking down a steep incline was murder on your toes jamming into the front of your boots.  We made double time coming down and enjoyed the view of the valley of Davis County.

About half way down.

We didn't take a final group photo when we all finished, because we were a sorry bunch by this point, but we did finish.  It was quite an accomplishment and probably the toughest hike some of these boys have ever been on.  We were all very proud of each of them.  In reward Brother Reynolds offered to take the boys to Maverick to get slushees and cold drinks.

PS.  For as much as we were worried about the boys at times, it was us leaders that could hardly walk for the next several days!

Plan & Prepare to be a Valiant Missionary

1.            Missionary Robot

Ask the young men to imagine that the Church has invented a missionary robot .

• What are some things Elder Robot might do very well as a missionary?

• What would be some advantages of having thousands of Elder Robots sent around the world to do missionary work?

(Possible responses: they could easily endure all the physical challenges of a mission; they could be programmed with all the lessons that a missionary would have to teach; they could be programmed to speak fluently in any language; they could be programmed to respond well to common questions that missionaries are asked; they could be given appropriate social responses and manners that would please people in the cultures where they are sent; they would not have to pay for food or a place to sleep; they could go on many consecutive missions without tiring.)

• Do you think such an idea would work? Why not?

2.            Why send real missionaries?

• What characteristics of an effective missionary can be developed only by humans?

(Spiritual Characteristics:  Love, spirituality, testimony, enthusiasm, inspiration from the Holy Ghost.)

Missionary work can succeed only if the missionary has spiritual strength as well as physical, intellectual, and social abilities, (a robot could never be a spiritual missionary).

•  How Can an Aaronic Priesthood Holder Prepare for a Mission?

Explain that to be successful, every missionary needs to have spiritual power. Express confidence in each young man’s ability to develop the spiritual power necessary to be a successful missionary.

• What does it mean to be spiritual?

(To be in tune with and have access to the spiritual help that comes from God in the form of love, forgiveness, inspiration, testimony, revelation, and discernment.)

• Why doesn’t God automatically bless missionaries with spirituality when they are set apart to go on their missions?

(Spirituality is a character trait that we must develop just like any other ability that we have.)

• Why shouldn’t you wait until you get into the mission field to prepare spiritually? (It wastes time to spend several months on a mission without the spiritual abilities necessary to serve well.)

• When is the best time for you to prepare yourself spiritually for a mission?

(NOW--When you hold the Aaronic Priesthood.)

Quotation:  President Spencer W. Kimball said:

“When I ask for more missionaries, I am not asking for more testimony-barren or unworthy missionaries. … “Far too many young men arrive at the missionary age quite unprepared to go on a mission, and of course they should not be sent. But they should all be prepared” (“When the World Will Be Converted,” Ensign, Oct. 1974, pp. 7–8).

Quotation:  President Spencer W. Kimball said:

 “One should study, ponder, learn scriptures, and build his testimony so that he may be prepared to teach and train. The Lord has said, ‘If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.’ … Every person approaching a mission should be schooled, trained, and indoctrinated for immediate and proper participation in proselyting. …Certainly by the time a young man reaches his nineteenth birthday, he should be prepared to step from his conventional role at home into the important role of the missionary without a total reorganization of his life, his standards, or his training” (“Advice to Young Men: Now Is the Time to Prepare,” New Era, June 1973, p. 9).

• Why is it so important for a missionary to have a testimony?

• When should the preparation that President Kimball asked for take place?

(Right now, while you hold the Aaronic Priesthood.)

Explain that the Aaronic Priesthood is called the preparatory priesthood. It prepares a young man for the Melchizedek Priesthood, which will give him spiritual power to bless and teach others.

3.            Who should be a missionary?

Quotation--Every Young Man Should Serve a Mission: President Spencer W. Kimball

“The question is frequently asked: Should every young man fill a mission? And the answer has been given by the Lord. It is ‘Yes.’ Every young man should fill a mission. …

“… Every man should also pay his tithing. Every man should observe the Sabbath. Every man should attend his meetings. Every man should marry in the temple” (“When the World Will Be Converted,” Ensign, Oct. 1974, p. 8).

Quotation—This means you!: Elder Bradford

“If I could speak separately to each of you young men, … I would say with all the power of speech I could generate, ‘Just who do you think you are? What right do you have to match your wisdom with that of God, who through His prophets has issued a firm decree, a solemn mandate, that the restored gospel must be declared to all the world by the voice of His disciples? This means you!’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1981, p. 72; or Ensign, Nov. 1981, p. 50).

Emphasize that through his prophets the Lord has commanded us to serve missions. We cannot escape that obligation any more than we can be exempt from paying tithing or from keeping any other of the Lord’s commandments.

4.            Blessings of Missionary Work

Quotation--President Ezra Taft Benson said:

“The Lord wants every young man to serve a full-time mission. … Not only should a mission be regarded as a priesthood duty, but every young man should look forward to this experience with great joy and anticipation. What a privilege—what a sacred privilege—to serve the Lord full time for two years with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. You can do nothing more important. …

“Prepare well for a mission all your life, not just six months or a year before you go.

“We love all of our missionaries who are serving the Lord full time in the mission field. But there is a difference in missionaries. Some are better prepared to serve the Lord the first month in the mission field than some who are returning home after twenty-four months.

“We want young men entering the mission field who can enter the mission field ‘on the run,’ who have the faith born of personal righteousness and clean living that they can have a great and productive mission. …

“Give me a young man who has kept himself morally clean and has faithfully attended his Church meetings. Give me a young man who has magnified his priesthood and has earned the Duty to God Award and is an Eagle Scout. Give me a young man who is a seminary graduate and has a burning testimony of the Book of Mormon. Give me such a young man, and I will give you a young man who can perform miracles for the Lord in the mission field and throughout his life” (Ensign, May 1986, pp. 44–45).

Quotation--President Ezra Taft Benson said:

“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that he can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life to God will find he has eternal life” (“Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” New Era, May 1975, p. 20).

Dear Deacons: I am so very impressed with each one of you.  You are all spiritual giants.  It is my privilege and honor to associate with each of you and feel of your spirit.  I know in my heart that each one of you are ambassadors and friends of our Savior Jesus Christ and that someday each of you will be given the opportunity to serve him honorably (no, Valiantly) and you will each do so with fervently prepared testimonies and change the lives of thousands.   Sincerely, Bro. Flynn