I've been back to Gilwell and now am back in the real world. Left straight from work on Thursday, and arrived at Gerber about 7:15 p.m. after two short stops for geocaches/dinner. Most everyone else had arrived, and our staff meeting started shortly thereafter. After the meeting, we walked to Gilwell field and ran through some things, then back to Chaffee to get anything done we needed to. Most were in bed by midnight or so.
Friday morning dawned bright and early...after a breakfast burrito we proceeded to the pavilion together, where several patrols were already waiting to be checked in. As health officer, I needed to do a health recheck. Unbeknownst to me (at least at first) one of my troop guides was telling people in line to answer my question "how are you feeling today?" with various assorted ailments, ranging from cramps, bloating, and even hemorrhoids. One even asked if he needed to drop his pants...I caught on fast and laughed like the rest of them. Gilwell Field was at 9:30 - so nice to be singing "Back to Gilwell" again with so many of my scouting friends. Presentations followed - since mine was last weekend, I didn't have a lot of important tasks. I mainly just helped make sure everything was running smoothly. Lunch with a patrol, then dinner with another patrol, were both great. Friday evening was the participant's campfire - great to just sit back and watch that play out! Had hoped to get a little more sleep that night but my allergies disagreed and it was a restless night. Finally turned on my iPod and read one of my library e-books for a while until I got to sleep.
Saturday dawned bright and early (too early...)and I headed to breakfast with the Fox patrol. Good food and even Amish cinnamon rolls to accompany. Much of Saturday was taken up with reviewing tickets for the two patrols I was assigned to review. While reviewing tickets, I missed the conservation project, which was waterway cleanup. My heart wasn't broken. Ate lunch with the Eagles. The afternoon was more ticket review and watching the patrol presentations. They were great. We had a staff dinner while the patrols had dinner by themselves. Then the final ticket work began. Many of the tickets were already done by then; the hope was to have everyone done by early evening. Well, define early - is it midnightish? That's when we were done. That IS earlier than 2007 when my last participant finished at 3 a.m! Senior staff hung out at the pavilion - and we were joined by many of the patrols at one point or another. Lots of camaraderie in each patrol as they helped their patrol mates finish up.
Had just returned to Chaffee when I was notified that a participant who hadn't been feeling well earlier (I'd already visited him twice) was really not feeling well so I drove out to the site (to get there faster) and checked on him. He had been vomiting. Though he was feeling better, a camp resident staffer had already been by and offered to let him stay in his trailer that night, much closer to Chaffee in case he felt any worse through the night. That offer was accepted and I transported him (with puke bucket) to the trailer. He felt much better in the morning! Finally got to bed sometime after 1 a.m.
Sunday - way too little in the cumulative sleep department by now! Breakfast with the Owls then back to pack up at Chaffee while the participants had a chance to break down their camp. Gilwell at 9:30 where we were honored to have our council executive speak about 9-11 as yesterday was the 10th anniversary of those attacks. We also were able to do a Scout salute, the first in our council outside of the main salute that has been going on every 9-11 since 2002 at the Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids. We are the only Boy Scout council in the country that has been doing that all along. Chapel followed then a presentation.
Closing luncheon was pretty special. Before the luncheon, I had been given a card that told me to find a cache (without my GPSr) I had to follow these clues. First was to find the "Kung Fu Panda." Each clue directed me to a staffer, who gave me the next card. The final clue directed me to the "Kahuna" who turned out to be our course Scoutmaster. He said he couldn't find it so would get back to me. Ok. After lunch came presentations, and he directed me to his special chair where the cache turned out to be. It was a beautiful clear acrylic keepsake box, laser engraved with my name and patrol totem, from my troop guides as a thank you. I noticed beads inside but it didn't click then to look at them. After thanking them, I presented each of them with a lapel pin with the critter they had been troop guide for, along with a note of thanks for all they'd done. Other patrols then did presentations. I took a closer look at the box while these presentations were going on, and discovered that the beads inside were engraved with my course number & critter (Bobwhite) for my course, then a third bead engraved with my course that I earned the third bead for and the critter I was troop guide for. Wow. I will cherish them. And though my original beads will always be special, if Scott ever takes Wood Badge I plan to give him my original beads when he earns them.
One other special part of the luncheon. One of the patrols (Eagles) that I had ticket counseled for called me up and presented me with one of their patrol patches in thanks and recognition for my work with them. The presenter asked those who had been helped in Scouting by me to raise their hands. I was speechless and humbled by the large number of people that raised their hands. Another wow.
After lunch there were several closing presentations, including showing clips from the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus." The end of that movie always makes me cry, and I'm not alone in that, even many of the guys were crying. Closing Gilwell Field, then forming a congratulations line down the path as the participants left for home.
We had plenty of tear-down to accomplish but I managed to get out of Gerber about 6ish I think. Stopped for two caches on the way home but was home by 8 or so. Scott called shortly after I got home so I didn't miss his Sunday call after all. In bed by 10 (early for me) and still quite tired today.
I'll be working with several participants as their permanent ticket counselor, and I'm sure starting in six months or so attending quite a few if not all of their beading ceremonies. Sad that this part of the process is over but looking forward to things to come. It's been an interesting ride, starting last fall when I was asked to be on staff.
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