Going on an adventure

One thing I always find myself reminiscing about is my adventures in the Cub and Boy Scouts as a kid on into adolescence. It seemed it was like one adventure after another.

There was camping under the stars once a month and the event I looked forward to each year was the Boy Scout Jamboree. It is an amazing two-week event that included camping, fishing, leatherworking, basket weaving, archery, canoeing and, well, I could go on and on. It was a smorgasbord of fun activities.

The main attraction, and what most Scouts I knew who attended the Jamboree looked forward to was the overnight canoe trip. You had to have a variety of merit badges to be able to attend this much-loved event. It was something I was looking forward to all year. But when it came time for the launch, I was notified to my utter shock that I had yet to get my lifeguard badge!!!

I instantly froze in a panic. I was relieved when an older Eagle Scout let me know that I still had a chance to obtain the badge because a class was about to start in about 20 minutes to obtain the lifeguard badge. I had already obtained the first aid and swimming badge, both prerequisites at the time to obtain the third badge. The kind Eagle Scout informed me that I would be able to make the trip on one of the later groups leaving if I completed this class.

I was off with a bolt. It was a complete blur of moments that took me to my goal of being able to go on the coveted overnight canoe trip. I finished the class, which I seem to recollect lasting about an hour or so, afterward sprinting back to the river, which seemed to take an eternity.

I arrived at the river, huffing and puffing and completely out of breath. I was relieved to find that the last group was just about to push off. I hollered, “HEY, AM I TOO LATE!!!” They replied, “No, grab a vest and paddle and hop in a canoe.”

Being a youngster that I was, I gave no thought that I was in shorts, no shoes and a tank top, I jumped and without a thought or care in the world. Off on my highly anticipated, overnight, canoe trip. Let me tell yah, I froze my little bo-hiney off that night, had blisters on my feet and a good sunburn. Not a very Scout thing to do going off unprepared.

You know what though, I survived and had the time of my life and an amazing memory to relive over and over.

This is Will B saying, come back next week to hear all about how I lost my shoe in the quicksand during another amazing summer adventure!