Nov. 25, 26 & 27 – Pine Grove Camping – As it is every year Pine Grove Camping was a real hoot! Despite the fact that we did not have Mr. Fryer or the Girl Scout Troop join us our Scouts had a great time with Pioneering and outdoor skills. Many thanks to Mr. Kilcoyne. Mr. Kilcoyne stepped in with some fresh ideas and some unique opportunities for our Scouts. We left early Friday so we could set up camp and have a quick lunch before making an offsite visit to Mr. Kilcoyne’s Uncle’s woodland retreat. This cabin and forestland was near the top of the Blue Mountain . The higher elevations preserved the previous day’s snow where it was a few inches deep providing a true winter-like setting. In this forest we “logged” many Scout staves ranging in length from 15 feet to 6 foot long. We carted these staves back to camp for a Pioneering project. We had a South of the Border dinner and evening snacks. It was like having Taco Bell meals in the great white North! Friday’s entertainment was the ever-popular rope whipping activity. Saturday morning after breakfast the Scouts built a sturdy tower using the staves harvested Friday and the ropes we repaired and made Friday evening. (Pictures will be posted.) Saturday afternoon “Uncle Bud” gave us a Flintlock Rifle Demonstration and allowed a few Scouts to fire the rifle. Uncle Bud also demonstrated his state of the art bow by shooting arrows that actually hit the target, a feat the Scouts could not repeat with their bows. The Scouts also fired 22 rifles where they fared much better with Phil C. taking the honors as “Sharpshooter”. After an Italian dinner and some homemade pumpkin pies from the Kilcoynes the Scouts tried their hand at several Pioneering knots and especially a new unfamiliar knot, the Sheepshank. The evening was full of fun with several games of Capture the Flag. Thank you to the Kilcoyne family for your good food and the visit from Uncle Bud. Thanks to the leaders that made it possible for our Scouts to nearly complete the Pioneering Merit badge.