SOME TALES FROM MY TIME IN THE BOY SCOUTS

Yes, I was a Boy scout back when I was a kid. There are 2 trips we went on that I just can't help remembering. The first one, we were supposed to go on a skiing trip to some place in Va. Even though I was sick and my throat was killing me, I went, because my Dad was a leader in the Troop. BAD IDEA! We got there, got out gear out of the cars, and started hiking towards the cabin we were going to stay in. Man it was cold as hell out! Well, after a couple hours of walking, someone stopped looked at the map and said "Humm, something looks wrong here." Turned out that the map was in error, and that what was supposed to be a 3 mile hike was instead a 23 mile hike! Needless to say, after the leadership huddled together and decided to go back home, because it was too late at night to hike that far, I was the first one to start heading back. But, there were a few of the boys who wanted to keep on going, but they were told no. That was the closest thing to a mutiny that I have ever seen. When I got home, I slept for 2 days. Our next adventure started about a year later. We were going to visit the training center for the Federal Emegency Preparedness Agency (FEMA). This time we didn't have to hike, but this time, the weather was a problem. It was obscenely cold, and the fireplace in the cabin we were in didn't put out enough heat......Now comes the neat part. The next night, we stayed in a gym, and slept along an indoor jogging track. There was also an indoor pool there. I had been told that it was there beforehand, but being 12 yrs old, didn't believe in it. While others had their swim suits, here I am swimming in my longjohns! Also, they had a 24 hr cafeteria there, which we made liberal use of. Now that is one trip I'll never forget!