Kudos from an old friend
To The Editor (and friends in Marion County):
It's been a long while since I attempted a note to all of you. Connie and I have been back for Eastmoor's 125th, but we had to miss Old Settlers' Day weekend in deference to a big doo-dah for our new United Methodist bishop. I've kept up on happenings there. You all have a nice football team this year. The old CVL is gone! Change does happen, right.
In the Oct. 11 edition of the Marion County Record I noticed an article relating to a Boy Scout Camporee on some land donated to the Scouts.
It reminded me of my first camp out, out at Marion County Lake, which has been in the news with the CCC statue. We stayed out of the weather in the big meeting house on the west side of the lake. The next morning, we had to follow "signs" which led us around the lake to the east side, where we cooked our meal.
Part of the learning for the weekend was to wrap that meal in foil, and bury it in the hot coals of a campfire to cook. Friends, it takes a long time for stuff to cook in that format! I have to tell you, half-cooked hamburger, a semi-cooked apple, and potato, was a pretty meager offering after an hour or two hike in pretty cold conditions, another hour wait for the cooking, as I remember.
I think that experience set the tone for my Scouting years. I was a lousy Scout. I don't know if Mr. Wiebe is still with us, but he could probably remember "Fox" patrol. We smoked a few grape vines (our drug of choice in those days), and we started a few middle of the night clod fights on campouts, making his life less than easy. You haven't lived until you experience a rain of mud balls bashing your tent at one in the morning.
Sorry about all that. Eventually baseball won out over Scouts (and piano lessons), and I left all that Scout stuff in the dust of memories.
Anyway, kudos to the Boy Scouts and their new campground. It's a great organization. Kudos to their leaders. That is difficult, but rewarding and important volunteer work! Kudos to the Warrior football team. Kudos to the volleyball and cross country kids as well. They work just as hard, with less notice than do the footballers. The Record looks great. I really enjoy the news from home. Take care.
Jan Hayen
Parsons
