T149 Treehouse Campout November 20 - 22, 2015

What: It's time for our annual Recruiting Campout.  Arrow of Light scouts are required to attend a Boy Scout Meeting and/or participate in an outdoor Boy Scout activity in order to earn the Scouting Adventure.  Our annual recruiting campout helps the Webelos meet these requirements and introduces the Arrow of Light scouts and their families to Troop 149.   Arrow of Light scouts and their parents also are invited to attend a regular Troop Meeting on November 16th at 7PM (Cherrydale UMC) and this campout Nov 20 - 22.  We are also holding an open house inviting all Arrow of Light scouts and parents to another one of our meetings on January 11th at 7pm.

Where:  The Treehouse Camp, also known as the Maple Tree Campground.  This is a unique campground about 2 hours away in Maryland. It's not  far from Antietam and Harpers Ferry and is in a beautiful wooded setting right on the Appalachian Trail. Their website is:

http://www.thetreehousecamp.com/

Cost:    $45 all Scouts / $50 Adult   (Does NOT include food )
$15 to grubmasters on Friday

Make your check payable to Troop 149, bring to the November 16th Scout meeting at CUMC

Sign-up Here

See Who Is Coming Here

What to bring:  Adults, bring a coffee cup! Webelos, use the packing list in your Webelos Handbook.  At the meeting on November 16th we review the list and plan meals. It will be chilly at camp, warm clothes, dry socks, mess kit,  a pad and sleeping bag are a must.

If you're a Boy Scout reading this you probably know what we do on the campout.  But, for you Arrow of Light scouts and your parents that are reading this, let us explain how this all works.

Every year in the Fall, we go to The Treehouse Camp, also known as the Maple Tree Campground.  This is a unique campground about 2 hours away in Maryland. It's not  far from Antietam and Harpers Ferry and is in a beautiful wooded setting right on the Appalachian Trail. Their website is: http://www.thetreehousecamp.com/

Make sure your speakers are on when looking at this site for the total experience.  We have reserved the cabins "tree cottages", the Hobbit House, the pavilion and camping sites. 

The Boy Scouts will most likely tent camp, the Arrow of Light scouts tend to like the Hobbit House and the cabins are for the moms or others interested.  You can find descriptions and pictures on the website.  This campground has amenities like a small camp store, bathrooms and showers. 

Food:  Arrow of Light scouts who plan to camp should attend the Boy Scout Troop Meeting on Monday Nov 16th at CUMC starting at 7 PM.  Each den will team up with a Boy Scout patrol and plan a menu for the weekend.  A Boy Scout family will buy the food.  We call these scouts the "grubmasters".   All the adults, including the leaders, will eat as a group.  Adults are welcome to volunteer and will be reimbursed.

Schedule :  All scouts and pre-arranged  drivers should arrive at the CUMC parking lot no later than 4:45 pm on Friday the 20th.   Directions will be handed out.  It's about a 2 hour drive.  Bring a bag dinner.  We will eat when we arrive at camp or along the way.

Once we arrive Friday night we will all get situated in our pre-arranged site, settle down and eventually, go to bed.

The fun starts the next day.  We'll have breakfast first.  After KP, the Webelos will go on a short hike on the Appalachian Trail, which is within walking distance from the campground. They will see some great vistas on a non-strenuous section of the Trail,  While this is happening, the Boy Scouts will set up various "stations", where several fun activities will happen after the hike.  These activities will include building a rope bridge and a zip line.  Additionally, the Webelos will  learn some first aid , build a wilderness survival shelter and  help  to build a fire.  These are some of the things that we've learned as Boy Scouts and we look forward to teaching them to the Webelos.

Lunch will occur at some point and the activities will end in the afternoon so that everybody has some down time before dinner.  Weather permitting we will have a campfire and maybe we can teach each other some skits, make some some-mores and who knows what else.

Eventually we all end up in our sleeping bags.  The next morning, we get up and have a cold breakfast.  Coffee, of course for the adults!  Then we break camp and shoot to get back to Arlington around noon, on the Lorcom Lane side of CUMC.  We'll return whatever Troop camping gear we used to the Scout Room......and go home.