It didn’t take long till the
Christian Service Brigade end of the year campouts were a highlight for me as
well as the boys. The badges and awards were used as a way for the boys to earn
their way to camp. They could not go if they had not achieved the minimum
standard. I don’t recall a single boy not meeting the mark and most exceeded. We
all made sure all the boys meet their goal.
One of the great things about
camping in the great white north at the end of may is that whenever we arrived
there was still going to be enough light to set up. Dusk was beginning
around11:00. The guys began arriving at the church about 4:00 for a 5:00
departure. They had guidelines in what to bring in clothing, gear and sleeping
bags. While we always had three or four pickups and several cars to handle the
50 or so guys and leaders, space was always tight. I think they came early to
make sure their gear got on the truck. One truck was carried the tents and all
group equipment. The others carried the boys gear.
No trip north was complete without
a stop at Bertha’s. I couple of cars arrived at her outpost first and the guys
would always stock up on junk for the weekend. There was a little kid with me
on one of our visits and he asked Bertha if there were bear around there. The
boy was sitting at the counter on one of her 50’s style swivel top torn black
plastic stools when she reached over the counter and grabbed him by the front
of his shirt and said, “Let me tell you about bear.” She hung on to the kid
until she finished her story.
“Just three nights ago, I heard
some grunts and scratching at mu back door. It woke me clean up from a dead
sleep and I were mad. I got up, pulled on mu boots and went to mu door.”
Meanwhile she begins walking toward the door dragging Jimmy along the front of
the counter while she was on the backside. A couple of guys had to get out of
the way to let Bertha and Jimmy through. When she got to the door, she switched
hands pushing the poor kid to her left while opening the door toward the inside
with her right hand. “And there he was. One of the biggest ole bears I had ever
seen tryin ta get in ta my place ta eat mu food, or just make a mess. I looked
him right in the eye with the meanest look I could muster and told him ta get
off mu porch. He didn’t move so I reached hind the door” — at this point she
let Jimmy go and pulled her shotgun around the door an into both hands where
she pretended to jam the thing under the chin of the bear — “and kablam. I blew
a hole right through his neck and out da back side. Wanna see it.” She had
everyone’s attention now and the whole gang followed her to the back where she
had brownies skin stretched on a frame. The head was still attached and
drooping and the hole on the back of his neck tore the hair right off. “The meats not ready or I could sell ya
a bear burger.” |
| Obviously not our boys. |
The tent truck got in place first
and the boys began to set up. While some worked on the tent others gathered
wood and built a fire for the supper meal and coupe prepared fresh water with
purification pills. Each squad made their own meals. Meals were predetermined
and distributed as needed. Everyone had a job and everyone did his job. The
first order of business was supper.
One of the always-popular meals
was “chicken in a can.” We never had that the first night, as it was a nearly all-afternoon
job. They had to tend their fire for several hours. The fire would burn down to
coals and then they would set #10 can full of purified water in the middle of
the fire and put a whole chicken in the can. Cut up a little onion and add some
spices, potatoes and veggies and that chicken was always fall off the bone
delicious. When the food was pulled out, flour was added and they even learned
to make gravy. Most gravy was lumpy, but no one every complained. They had done
it themselves.
 |
| #10 cans are round, but this gives you the right idea. |
After the meal and clean up, there
was time for exploration. They always wanted to know where they were and what was
there. Many wanted to see what animal tracks could be found. While hoping for
bear, we usually found evidence of dear, rabbit and sometimes foxes. Only once
was there a bear nearby. That year we have to keep the boys from trying to draw
it into camp. Food had to be secured and locked away from any animals all the
time. Some guys tried to set meat out. I don’t know what they thought they
would do if one came into camp. A couple of the adults had guns, but they were
locked in the trucks. We never needed them.
Each night ended with a dusky
campfire. It was just to late for a tired group to wait for complete dark.
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