Father and son having fun at boyscout camp
Fun at Camp Barnhardt
One evening, a friend of mine began sharing details of an adventure he and his eight-year old son had shared a few weeks earlier on a boy scout camping trip. The camping trip took place in the Uwharrie Mountains at Camp Barnhardt, located halfway between New London and Badin in Piedmont NC.
The day Robert shared about the camping trip, Alan was with his dad, so as soon as he heard his dad talking about the experience, Alan’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. In a matter of minutes he was sharing details about the trip, too, including fun activities such as swimming, archery, canoeing and tent building.
Robert said the theme for the retreat was the Knights of the Round Table, with members from the Knightly Order of the Fiat Lux (Rowan County Chapter) volunteering their expertise and time to teach the scouts about medieval history. One of the highlights happened on the last day of the retreat when two of the knights gave a demonstration dressed in full battle armor.
Knowing Robert grew up in a large city, I couldn’t help but wonder how he came to enjoy roughing it with the boy scouts. When asked, he said, “Oh, that’s easy. You see, although I wasn’t a boy scout, my two older brothers were. By the time I was old enough to join, family circumstances had changed, so I didn’t have that opportunity. I was always jealous of the fun my brothers had and was determined, if I ever had a son, he would be a member.”
Listening to father and son share their experience, there was no doubt they enjoyed every minute of it. When I asked Alan what he enjoyed the most, at first he answered, “Everything,” but then, after thinking for a minute, he quietly added, “What I enjoyed the most was spending time with my dad.” Hearing that comment from his son, Robert smiled and said, “While it’s true the activities were great, bonding with Alan was the most important aspect of the entire camping trip.”
Even in this busy world, it’s great to know there’s still a place like Camp Barnhardt and an organization like the boyscouts where fathers and sons have the opportunity to make memories that will last a lifetime. Congratulations, Boyscouts of America! You are my favorite organization of the week.
If you would like to read more of Robert and Alan’s story, check out the following link:
http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130817/SP01/130819751/0/SEARCH&slId=1:
Do you have a story to share about a special time with your dad? If so, I would like to hear from you. Leave a comment, message on Facebook or email dicysm@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Dicy
www.dicymcculloughbooks.com/blog
