Departure – We will meet in the Northview parking lot on Saturday, July 15th at 8:30 a.m. Please try to be there on time. It is a 2 ½ hour drive to Tomahawk and we want to be one of the first troops to check in. We have two trailers to haul personal gear, so it should not be a problem keeping everyone’s gear dry if it rains. Please advise the scoutmaster if you will not be traveling with the troop on Saturday morning. We do not want to waste time waiting for scouts who are coming at a different time, and we need to know what time to expect you in camp.
Saturday Lunch – Pack a lunch for Saturday. We will be stopping for lunch at a roadside park north of Baldwin, WI. The first meal provided by the camp will be Saturday dinner.
Camping in Bear Country – There will be a brief (15 min.) training session during our lunch stop to cover how we protect our campsite from animals. The procedures covered are mandatory, and are strictly enforced by camp staff.
Clothes for Camp – Most of the time, scouts will be in shorts and T-shirts. T-shirts must be appropriate for a scout camp. Shirts that advertise alcoholic beverages or tobacco products are not permitted. Shirts with drug references or offensive language are also inappropriate. Uniform shirts are required for the evening meal. Troop 345 also wears their scout shirts for the morning flag ceremony. OA members should bring their sashes for the Sunday evening campfire.
Things to Bring:
Scout Book – There will be many advancement opportunities during the week. Bring your scout book to record what you have done.
Notebook and Pencil – Most merit badge classes require some note taking.
Bug Dope – Our campsite is between two lakes. Twice a day, at sunrise and at sunset, the mosquitoes get pretty bad. The rest of the time we don’t have a problem. REMINDER: Repellant with high concentrations of DEET do not work any better than lower concentrations, they just last longer. High concentrations of DEET can be dangerous when used by younger scouts. Tomahawk now permits aerosol cans of insect repellant. This allows scouts to spray their clothing. Tomahawk does require that scouts be sprayed by an adult, to prevent them from getting sprayed in the eyes.
Flashlight – Bring extra batteries. Pack your flashlight without the batteries in it.
Raingear – Essential. The program doesn’t stop just because it is raining!
Eating Utensils – We will be eating in camp on Wednesday. This year, the troop will provide paper plates and plastic utensils. You will need to provide your own cup. As they have been doing for the past few years, the staff will be making “Cheeseburgers in Paradise” in the Scoutcraft area for lunch on Wednesday.
Other Items – Since we will be living in our tents for a week, many scouts bring things to make their tents more “homey”. Small tables, electric lanterns, floor mats, stools, etc. are common. Please remember that we do not have unlimited room in our trailers.
Packing Personal Gear:
Duffel bags or plastic tote boxes (such as Rubbermaid Keepers Tote which is 32L x 17W x 13H) are recommended. They fit under the cots and pack well in the trailer. If you will be hiking at camp, bring a small day pack or a hip pack to carry stuff in. Full size back packs are not needed unless you are taking the camping merit badge, or are preparing for a high adventure trip after camp and want to do some training while at camp.
Things NOT to Bring:
Camp policy strictly forbids scouts to be in possession of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products.
Sheath knives – Unless used for cleaning fish, must be kept in tackle box.
Firearms or Fireworks or any Explosives
Personal Electronics – Radios, CD players, electronic games, etc. are not permitted in camp. Devices brought along for use on the drive up and back will be locked in the car during camp.
Mosquito repellant candles or coils – Open flames are not permitted anywhere in our campsite except in the campfire ring.
Candy/Snack Food – Scouts may bring their own snack items, but procedures to protect our camp from scavenging animals (especially big black ones) must be strictly followed. NO FOOD IS EVER ALLOWED IN TENTS!!!
A large, steel “bear box” and one of the two covered trailers, which will be parked in our campsite, will be designated for storage of personal items for scouts. Food items should be brought in a container marked with the scout’s name. Unmarked, open packages of cookies, etc. tend to be treated as public property. There is a trading post that sells candy and junk food and a pop machine outside of the trading post.
Bank – Each year, the troop operates a bank for scouts during summer camp. Scouts wishing to use the bank should bring their money, in small bills, in an envelope with their name and the dollar amount written clearly on the envelope. The envelopes will be kept in a locked box by the troop banker. The bank will be open after every meal, and at other times if you find the banker and beg. The troop will NOT be responsible for any money lost or stolen unless it is on deposit in the bank!
Medications – All medications, except asthma inhalers and sting kits, must be kept by an adult leader and dispensed to the scout as indicated. Please turn all medications over to the designated leader on Saturday morning as we gather to leave.
Personal Tents – Scouts who have their own tents may be permitted to use them at camp if they meet camp standards. Tents must have a minimum of 30 square feet per person of floor space. We use army style cots, which are provided by the camp. Tents must be of such design as to allow cots to be set up without touching the side of the tent (it will cause leaks). Due to the large number of scouts and limited tenting area, tents that will hold at least 3 scouts are preferred. Please check with the scoutmaster if you wish to bring your own tent.
Bikes – NO BIKES WILL BE PERMITTED AT TOMAHAWK IN 2007.
Mail – Campers love to get mail! It can take 4 to 5 days for mail to reach scouts. Many parents send mail several days prior to leaving for camp to insure that it is delivered while their son is there. Address mail as follows:
Telephone Service – The only telephone for incoming calls is at the administration building, which is several miles from our camp. It can take several hours to get a message to a scout. Please do not make calls to scouts except in emergency situations. The phone number is (715) 351-3841.
Troop Pictures – A troop picture will be taken on Sunday morning in the assembly area next to the dining hall. We will have a copy of the troop picture to show you after we return from camp. You will be able to order copies at that time. You can also look at the Troop pictures under the Photo album tab of the website!!
Coming Home – Our departure time on Saturday morning will depend on how long it takes us to pack up and pass our campsite inspection. We usually are ready to leave by 10:30 AM. We normally stop for lunch in Barron, WI. They have the usual assortment of fast food places. Scouts should put aside lunch money for the trip home. Scouts may put their “lunch money” in an envelope marked with their name and “lunch money” and dollar amount and put it in the troop bank. The envelope will be returned to them on Saturday morning. Scouts who will be leaving with their parents at anytime other than Saturday morning should check out with the scoutmaster before leaving.
Camp Patches – All scouts will receive one free Tomahawk patch. Additional patches, prior year patches, etc. are on sale at the trading post.
Visitors – Parents and other family members are welcome to visit us at any time. Please check in at the administration center (you can’t miss it on your way in). You will have to park in the long term lot and walk the rest of the way into camp (about ¾ mile). If we know that you are coming, we can add you to our food counts and you can eat with the troop in the dining hall (something everybody should experience once!).
Friday Night Court of Honor – All merit badges, ranks, and other awards earned at camp will be presented to the scouts at a Court of Honor to be held Friday evening. This year, we have reserved the large OA campfire ring for our Court of Honor. The ceremony usually begins around 8:00 PM. Parents and other family members are encouraged to join us as we celebrate the scouts’ accomplishments. Parents may want to bring a folding chair to the campfire since the only seating there is on benches (there used to just be logs).