Camp Maple Dell — June 2003
I had the opportunity to spend a week at Camp Maple Dell with James and Steven in June of 2003, as our ward troop participated in their week-long encampment. It was great to be with the boys and to help them with their merit badges. I shepherded Steven and Dallas Knight for the entire week. Steven earned eight merit badges and had a very fun week. James earned seven merit badges and was well-behaved. The boys loved playing steal-the-flag and flashlight tag in the “Pine Forest”.
I attended the camp solely as a father, not as a scout leader. It was very hard for me to sit back and assume a passive role as I viewed things that the boys should or could have been doing but were not. The leadership styles of the adult leaders of the troop were very different than mine (not better or worse, just different), and I spent a large portion of the week ‘biting my tongue’.`
During the week, I identified 19 different species of birds, including many species I had never seen before. I also hiked up to the “Big Tree”. The hike was extremely arduous, but very rewarding. The “Big Tree” is the largest white fir in the world. It is 180 feet tall and has a spread of 35 feet. It would take several adults linked at the hands to surround the base of the trunk. It is found right there in Payson Canyon.
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