First Day

9:32 a.m - Just talked to the Scoutmaster. The boys have settled in and are excited to get the day started. The adults are very happy this morning, especially Dave. It seems that the camp commissioner has started a new tradition and is delivering fresh coffee to each leader's tent at 6:00 a.m. each morning. There is also a bit of a staffing shortage on the rifle and shotgun ranges, so Bill Frank and Dave Becker have been recruited to help clean guns, and are happy to do so. Our Scoutmaster will also be volunteering at some point, as well.
The boys are all raving about last night's chicken BBQ, and spent a good night last night. The temperature cooled down in the middle of the night, which made for comfortable sleeping. While we had thunderstorms in Abington last night, there was not a drop of rain at Henson. Homesickness is at a minimum so far, and has completely evaporated now that the morning activities have begun.
News about the camp cook-off: Rules have been changed, and troops are now competing on a "level playing field", according to the campstaff. Each troop will be given the same ingredients -- which are a mystery until actual cooking time. While the boys are a tad disappointed about not being able to make Paul's special Tortillas Restaurant dish, they are still excited to use all the theme items donated by Tortilla's to set the mood and earn presentation points. They've decided that regardless of the ingredients, their theme is going to be "Mexican". Even if the ingredients turn out to be kielbasa and sauerkraut, they will still be playing Mexican music in the background and celebrating Cinco de Mayo in the campsite!
I'm still planning to leave later this afternoon, so there is time to drop off any last minute items or care packages at my house. Please try to get them here before noon.