DADvocate

Yes, at 56 years old, I'm a little too old for summer camp. But, spending a week with my son and his troop mates is too good to pass up. I love the outdoors and camping. Camping for a week while the camp staff cooks and does the dishes is too good to pass up.

My son and I participated in the camp's Frontiersman program. It involves learning and demonstrating some outdoor skills such as starting a fire using flint and steel, bow drill or hot spark methods, tying certain knots, basic archery and riflery and some leather working. We also participated in some camp projects and brush clearing. The final night we hiked into the woods, constructed crude individual shelters, and spent the night in the woods without flashlights, etc.

The high point of the week for me was when my son and I were doing leather work and another Scout from a different troop mentioned that it was "neat" that we were doing this as a father/son activity. He wished his father liked the outdoors and they did more things together. Moments like this let me know that my efforts and time are going to good use.

The camp forbids radios, TVs, mp3 players and any other electrical forms of entertainment. There is no cell phone reception. Two pay phones provide access to the outside world for campers and leaders. Not being bombarded with the news of the world for a week allowed me to relax. But, unfortunately, one must keep an eye on their governing bodies in order to prevent tyranny.

I returned home in time to not watch the Live Earth concert. It struck me how Live Earth was essentially a modern version of the primitive rain dance. Let's sing and dance and some how the world will respond as we wish. Never mind the greenhouse gases we created in order to hold the concert or the lavish, energy consuming lifestyles most of the performers lead. Only the common man is expected to sacrifice.