Going A.P.E. with Troop 158

**swampfox** · 10-04-2010, 21:59

Man what a weekend!
Our Boy Scout Troop just had our 3rd Annual Activity Pin Extravaganza, A.P.E. for short.
This is an event where we invite the 4th and 5th grade Webelo Cub Scouts from our district to spend the weekend with us. Our scouts and adult leaders put on a round robin of about 15 different classes to help the cubs earn as many as four activity pins. From Outdoorsman to Artist, Engineering to Craftsman, boys had a lot to choose from.
We started off with a flag ceremony and then began classes.
Break for lunch and have more classes in the afternoon.
At 4:00, school's over and everyone sets up their tents so the scouts can camp with a Boy Scout Troop, a requirement for their Arrow of Light.
In about 20 minutes, an open field had turned into tent city, with one, lone Blackbird between the only two trees close enough. It was like a voice crying out in the wilderness

Lower the flags and at 6:00, feed 'em supper.

My job was to run the kitchen.
With a lot of help from some great parents, we fed 279 people, counting our 50.

Menu for the evening
Mile High Salsa Bake
King Ranch Casserole
Pizza Casserole
Beef Stew
Shrimp Jambalaya with Dirty Rice

After supper, while they were having a campfire service with silly skits and an American Flag retirement, the kitchen crew was cleaning 14 dutch ovens and loading them back up with all sorts of desserts.
Cherry Cobbler
Blueberry Cobbler
Mountain Dew Blackberry cobbler
Apple Cobbler
Peach Upside-Down Cake
Chocolate Turtle Cake

Walmart donated about 18 gallons of vanilla ice cream

Learning to fix their bikes at the Craftsman tent

Burgers for lunch

Cooking supper here.
You can kind of get a feel for the crowd of tents.

Beef Stew

Shrimp Jambolaya with Cajun Andouille Sausage and Dirty Rice.
I'll be making this at the Devil's Fork Group Hang Oct. 8, along with the Chocolate Turtle Cake.

Cooking desserts

Peach Upside-Down Cake- the most noble purpose a peach can have IMO.

You can't tell from this night shot, but my hammock was completely surrounded by tents.

I didn't actually sleep in it. (My bed was 5 minutes away and not in tent city.)
I loaned it to one of our troop's first Eagle Scouts. He has returned to the nest as an adult leader. His first comment Sunday morning..."I'm converted!"

A.W., if you read this, feel free to chime in.

It was just a magnificent weekend. Night time temp was high 50s, daytime around 75 degrees with clear skies.

**obmit** · 10-04-2010, 22:04

This is awesome. I am a Webelos Den leader and I think I need to have a word with our Scoutmaster.

**dejoha** · 10-04-2010, 22:14

Wow. Great fun! Tons of kids. Was this a district activity?

**Veto 65** · 10-04-2010, 22:29

Great idea with the dutch ovens. stack em up, Heat em up.

That looks like alot of fun. Thanks for sharing.

**Arvis** · 10-04-2010, 23:14

Great post, Swamp Fox... after reading and looking at the pix, I now judge myself to be a second tier Scoutmaster!!! I am in awe!!!

**^shane^** · 10-05-2010, 21:27

That is awesome! We have an annual Webelo roundup, but nothing as big as this. You run a great program!

Now... I want those dessert recipes. I'm willing to trade

. LOVE the Dutch Oven. I can't cook in the kitchen oven to save my life, but I can get it done with a little cast iron and charcoal.

**Porkroll** · 10-05-2010, 22:06

That is great. We have a Weeblo weekend coming up, at the end of October. I'm going to hang my hammock proudly, and will definitely show it to any interested scout! Oh yeah. I'll be assisting our Troop's Scoutmaster in the Camp Kitchen! Yum, yum!