Meets 7:00 PM Thursdays
Shepherdsville Community Center

Cub Pack 868 went tent camping at Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation and had a great time!  Despite a weather forecast that predicted heavy rain, nearly half the pack turned out to do primitive camping Boy Scout style.

The pack borrowed official Boy Scout canvas wall tents and other needed gear from Boy Scout Troop 868 and rolled into Camp Tunnel Mill shortly after 7 PM on Friday evening.  Five of the nine fathers on the trip bugged out to attend a leader training course that was, coincidentally, being held in another part of the camp that same weekend.  This left 4 adults, 1 Boy Scout den chief, and 10 Cub Scouts to set up camp.  And they did just fine.  After some basic instruction from Scoutmaster Meek and Den Chief Dylan, two crews were soon setting up tents like pros.  The boys chose tent mates, stowed their gear, then set about collecting firewood.  By the time the 5 adults arrived back at the campsite, camp was all set up and dinner was cooking!

Sure enough, the predicted thunderstorms rolled in about 4 AM Saturday morning with heavy rain and a fair amount of lightning and thunder.  But not a single Cub Scout panicked or came running out of their tents.  Everyone stayed put and the storm has passed over by dawn.  A few boys had wet sleeping bags from water rolling into their tent and running across the plastic ground cloths, but since the temperature was in the 60's, no one got chilled.  The wet cloths and sleeping bags were hung up and everything dried out by Saturday night.

The 5 "trainees" once again departed camp after breakfast and were in class until dinner time Saturday evening.  The remaining leaders and Cubs spent Saturday hiking around and exploring the camp, learning to use a compass, building fires, cooking, and playing on the recreational equipment at the camp.  Tunnel Mill is primarily a Cub Scout camp, so it has a fort, a pirate ship, and several playgrounds with swings and climbing bars.  The 5 "absentee fathers" were back in camp for dinner and an evening campfire program.

All the Cubs got to cook some pancakes on Saturday morning.  It really wasn't still dark, but the camera flash makes it appear they were up before the sun!		The boys really did a good job.  Only one pancake got flipped onto the ground.  Kenneth isn't burned, either --- he's actually cheering for himself that he successfully flipped a pancake.
While hiking around camp, the scouts discovered the pirate ship.  Naturally, they had to stop and play for a while.		The sailors lined up the rail preparing to jump overboard and take a swim until Cubmaster Meek warned them about sharks and they all chickened out.
Near the end of a morning hike, the group stopped to chat about things they had seen.		Cubmaster Meek and Pack parent John Miles pose with Jonathan, Cameron, Josh, Scott, Kenneth, Cody, Adam, Calvin, Matt, and Hunter.
Almost back to the campsite, the hikers are still going fine and keeping together as a group.		Matt observes as Josh, Calvin, and Adam discuss a particularly interesting block of wood.
Our field kitchen was established under a dining tarp.  All the comforts of home!		Just because one is outdoors, doesn't mean one can't be clean.  Jonathan and Scott wash their hands before handling food.
Pack parent Mike Troxell keeps watch over the boys as they cook grilled cheese sandwiches.		Den Chief Dylan gets the Cubs lined up for lunch as Cubmaster Meek sets out some cookies.