Whitesburg RAs

Cold temps didn't stop the Whitesburg RAs from having a good time at their annual fall camp out! They came in late on Friday and settled in quickly. Because of the cold, they set up around (and under) the pavilion -- near the fire!

Saturday morning was a pancake morning and then they settled into crafts and activities and games.

One of the crafts involved stockings . . .

And this young man worked very diligently on his.

All in all, despite the cold, they had a great time! 

This is a great group of fellows, and we always enjoy their presence when they visit!

RAs from First Baptist Huntsville

You never know what kind of weather you're going to have in November in North Alabama - temps in the 70's or temps in the 30's - but either way, as long as the rain holds off, you've got a good set-up for a camping weekend, which is just what the RAs from FBC Huntsville enjoyed.

They came in on Saturday after lunch and spent some time setting up camp

Then the group spent some time under the tutelage of archery guru, Chris Hester! Chris volunteered to come up and spend some time going over safety and basic archery instructions with all the young guys.  

Then it was time to head up to the field to put arrow to bow (to target) . . .

We really appreciated Chris taking time to come out and share his love and passion for archery with these young guys!

The boys had a marvelous weekend.  Sunday morning they woke up to a chilly morning and had worship under the pavilion with a blazing fire going.

Minister of Missions Mike Pearce even picked up the guitar and led them in their praise time!

This group has been a great friend to the camp and we enjoy it when they stay with us!

MBA Father-Son Camp Out

They couldn't have had finer weather for a fall camp out . . . the temps were cool but not cold, the sky was clear, and the camp fires smelled so good!

For this year's annual MBA-wide Father-Son camp out, we had about 135 lads and dads, and if the laughter and shouting were any indication, they all had a marvelous time.  The weekend's activities included archery practice:

Pellet gun practice:

Sling shot practice:

And even a little blow gun practice:

The guys had lists of activities . . .

And they were checking it twice!

You couldn't see the forest for the tents!

Good fellowship, good food, and good fun.

And maybe a little fishing . . .

Girl Scout Troop 264

The only thing more fun than a new group up at the camp, is a new group that's also new to camping! That was the way of it this past weekend, when Girl Scout Troop 264 came out for their inaugural camp out.

A few of the adults came out ahead, to get their tents set up first, but before dark arrived, all the girls and their moms were present, and all tents were up!  Well, almost.

One last arrival and the ladies made short work of getting the tent set up!

Dinner was foil packet meals, cooked over the campfire.  You'd never know these gals weren't pros!

The girls had a great time (if the shouts and laughter were any indication) and even got in a little time on the obstacle course.  

They left early Saturday morning . . . and didn't leave of trace!  We hope they'll visit us again.

GSNA - Day Camp Time!

We have had the privilege of being the host spot for day camp (day five) of the Girl Scouts of North Alabama for three years, now!  This year, the weather was perfect for a day of activities, food and fun!  And with 162 girls, leaders and parents, I think this may have been their biggest year, ever!

They all worked on badges and projects throughout the day.  One of the favorite stations is the campfire station. 

Not only do girls learn proper procedures for starting, safely maintaining, and putting out their campfires, but they also get to put the campfire to use . . .

Making s'mores!  You can see why it's a favorite!

They had lots of fun activities and crafts going on, too:

Earlier in their week, they all made the fun tie-dyed tee-shirts.  Each age group uses a different set of colors...

Makes them easier to spot that way (and determine if one is where she shouldn't be)!

That afternoon, they even had a fire truck come to the camp -- all the way from Keel Mountain Volunteer Fire Department!

Fire safety and prevention is a top tool for campers!

One of the coolest group projects the girls did was this fabulous handprint tree:

They did a great job with it! It gives us some ideas for a "hand print registry" for future visitors to the camp! 

It was a terrific day -- we love hearing the camp filled with the sounds of happy children (and adults) enjoying God's goodness!  And we hope they'll make it four years in a row by returning next year, too!

Lighthouse Baptist Youth

One of our favorite groups came up this past weekend from Lighthouse Baptist Church. 

The older youth came up for some R & R and some team building exercises. Prior to them coming up it had rained every single day during the week. 

Everyone set up their sleeping arrangements near the pavilion which proved to be a good idea since around midnight the rain came. 

There was much scurrying about and by the time it was over people had new resting spots, on top of picnic tables, in the bed of pick-up trucks and in tents that were now under the pavilion. 

All in all they said the weekend went great and they look forward to coming back in the Fall.

Pack 451 Family Camp Out

This pack had never made a visit to the Camp before . . . and the weather Friday was so bad, they cancelled for that day and came up early Saturday, instead.

Luckily, though the ground was a little damp, the sun came out and made for a great camping weekend.  This group had a LOT of activities going on . . .

They started with a thorough briefing to their participants on the camp layout and rules, the safety talk and the Boy Scouts "Leave No Trace" talk.

Once that was taken care of, they had a flag ceremony and a bridging ceremony . . .

And from there, they did a great first aid presentation and even used elements of the obstacle course to help show the boys what to do in different situations!

They also used the obstacle course in the traditional sense . . .

And made sure each boy got a helping hand if he needed a boost!

The families camped both down around the pavilion and up in the top field.

Several of the adults commented they'd never heard of the Camp before.  We hear this a lot!

They had a great time and the boys had the opportunity to learn a lot, as well as enjoy lots of play time (and lots of good food, too).  We hope this pack comes back again, soon!