Boy Scout Troop 416 Brandon, Mississippi

These Troop 416 Scouts made it through the Ordeal, sealing their place in what is often called the Honor Society of Scouting.

The Ordeal took place May 17-19, 2019 at Hood Scout Reservation.

By Caleb Germany

Whitewater sports is amazing. That is what I did at the beginning of the 2018 summer during Boy Scout Camp, and what this is all about. It started on Sunday at Camp Rainey Mountain when three other Scouts from other troops and I left camp after supper to go on a week-long whitewater sports adventure. By the time we got to Whitewater Express Nantahala Outpost it was late, so we all decided to hit the hay and get settled into the dorm we were staying in. It looked like a mix between a motel and a log cabin.

The next day, we got up and ate breakfast cooked by the great Captain Red Bear. After breakfast, we first went to safety training. Then came the REAL fun: Whitewater Rafting! It was so fun! We went on the Nantahala river. The River class system goes something like this: 1 – just a river,  2 – mild rapids, 3 – bigger rapids, 4 – small waterfall, 5 – bigger waterfalls, 6 – get out of there. This River was a category 1-3, so it was very chill.

The next day, we learned how to ride a kayak. I also learned how to ride a ducky, an inflatable kayak that does not resemble a duck. We did that on a lake. The next day, we went on the Chatooga. The Chatooga was fun, but more exciting because we were now on duckys! I wiped out during the first category 3 rapids, and that kept me from going on the much more intimidating rapids. The day after, we went back on the Nantahala. It was just a bit more stressful because the Ducky is about 6 inches high, while the raft is about 1’6”, so it was easier to capsize.

The last day was the best day! We got to go Whitewater Rafting on the Ocoee. This was AMAZING! It was a category 3-4 river, and it was a tough one. With areas of the river named “the split diamond” and “the broken nose” you can tell that this river was fun. Despite the fact that the river was tough and category 3-4, I did not fall out once, although someone’s shoe did.

I arrived back at Camp Rainey Mountain Friday with a great experience that I want to one day do again. P.S. There were a few dogs. I only remember a few names: Lilly, Keira, Oden, Paddles, Titi, and Gabby.

 

The Court of Honor is a biannual event where Scouts who earned them get their badges, some Scouts rank up, and Scouts vote on the next Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (aspl) who will eventually serve as Senior Patrol Leader (spl). In May 2018 there were four candidates for ASPL: Bo, Harris, Caleb, and Ben. These candidates had delivered their speeches in a previous meeting, and one was going to be elected during this event.

The Court of Honor started out with a meal. Many people brought many meals with them, including fried chicken, pizza rolls, dessert, and more! After we all ate, we heard a lecture by a member of the Andrew Jackson Council about all of the fun and exciting activities that you can try in Boy Scouts. After that, we got our badges. Some had one, others had WAY more! With their badges, many ranked up to Life Scout, and two became Eagles.

The final thing we did that night was the election. All four of the candidates stood up, and said their names, and then we voted. We wrote the name of the scout we felt qualified for the role of aspl. When the votes where in, leaders calculated the results. And the next ASPL was Harris.

-By Caleb Germany