Helaman's Encampment - part 2

One of the Venturer activities was "Man Tracker." The boys had to bush-whack through unmarked territory to reach predetermined points using GPS devices while evading the "trackers" who were on horseback. As you can see some tried to hide, and did fairly well.
Others did not hide so well, but figured a treat would help them in the long run. Both strategies worked.

Our Venturer group on their tower after reaching the end of the tracker activity and retrieving the goodie bag from the rope above the tower.

On another day the venturers mad various items used by native peoples to hunt for food. These are Adleadles. It is a device used to throw an arrow harder than one can by hand. In the north, in the thick forests where trees grow about 18 inches apart, a bow is not always the handiest weapon. The Adleadle solves the problem of having to string a bow in dense brush by being ready to use in less than a second. I'm not sure how well it works against bear, and I'm not willing to try either. I would rather rely on my friends, Smith and Wesson.

The hair helps the aim.

What do you fix for dinner after a long day in the bush? Why 25 pounds of hot dogs, and 25 pounds of perogies, and 10 pounds of baked beans, of course. And what gets consumed by hungry boys after such a feast is ready to eat? All of it, of course. And what tune gets played after dinner by not only your 21 boys, but all 2500 boys? The fartzel symphony, of course.

Pork and beans:

Perogies and onions and hot dog chunks:

The leaders stood back and watched as the boys, led by Joseph, prepared the feast. We also watched them devour it, saving only a few morsels for us.

Here is Joseph and Helaman. Helaman challenged all the boys of the camp to try to best him in push-ups or arm wrestling. Only a few were able to do so, Joseph being one of them.

Samuel and Helaman. As it turns out Helaman is the brother of a sister in our Ward, so he knew most of our boys from Stake activities.

Through our the week, the boys could approach Helaman, or one of the prophets (the presidents from all the stakes represented at the camp) to answer questions from the scriptures. a successful answer earned you an honour bead. At the end of the week, all the boys that answered all 100 questions correctly took a written test to determine the winner. One of our boys and one of our leaders achieved the 100 beads, and both were "honourable mention" after the test.

Helaman's Encampment - part 1

Helaman's Encampment celebrated 100 years of LDS Boy Scouting in Alberta. In case you are wondering, that is longer than Scouting has been around in the US. The first Scout group was 4 boys under the direction of the uncle of N. Eldon Tanner. Elder Tanner was not one of the original 4 boys, but joined the group about a year later after reaching the age of 12.

As we all entered camp, we were greeted by our guide and led to our camp site. Our Ward group was 21 boys and 7 leaders (including volunteers). Aaronic Priesthood groups from all across Alberta, and some from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories were in attendance. There was even one young man from a town called Slave Lake who traveled on his own to be there. Slave lake suffered a devastating fire that burned more than half the town to the ground less than one month before the camp. This YM lost his home and all his camping gear in the fire, and had to borrow replacement gear for the encampment.

Here is a view of Table Top Mountain, the destination of one of the Venturer Hikes.
Our boys did this hike on the second day in camp. The top of the mountain has a place similar to the diving board on top of Half Dome in Yosemite.

Here is the view out of the front gate of the encampment:

The southern end of Beaver Mines Lake where all the boys, Scouts and Venturers, had water activities. One of our leaders even caught a couple of fish (really more like bait than fish).

The local flora.

Our Scouts getting ready for the canoe activity. One of the boys was afraid of the water (does not know how to swim), but went with one of the instructors. After another couple of boys capsized, the instructor left our boy alone and told him to get back to shore on his own. He did, and won the "scout-of-the-day" award.

Our scouts on their lashed tower, the tallest one built in camp that week.

Our venturers on their "Nephi" boat preparing to "Cross the Great Waters."

No camp is complete without a stick pull or two.

Our Scouts making sheaths for the knives they were given at the encampment. On a lighter note, on the second day, at the daily fireside, the announcement was made for the boys to quit cutting their fingers and put the knives away because the medical unit had used ALL the sutures, and ALL the super glue, and ALL the band aids they had planned to use for the entire week. Not 30 seconds later, one of our boys was on his way to the med tent with a cut on his thumb. His defence? at least it was not his finger.

We enjoyed the fireside speakers every night, and also enjoyed the presentation of the colors (flag raising) ceremonies with the Mountie. To her left is "Tracker", the camp bear chaser. He was busy every night chasing 3 to 4 bears out of camp, and one night had to chase a mountain lion away too.

Helaman had 2000 strippling warriors. We had 2500 Aaronic Priesthood holders, and more than 500 leaders. It truly was an impressive sight, and also great to know that each boy was not alone. There are others in the province that share the gospel, and the priesthood. We were able to see other boys that had once lived in our ward and since moved on to other places.

Here are some of our group with "Big Ed" Mulatani. Ed played with the Rick's College Vikings, the Arizona Sun Devils, and the Baltimore Ravens. He told some stories about his career, Home Teaching, and how his mother taught him the gospel. He also sang "I am a Child of God" and "Teach Me to Walk in the Light" strumming on his ukelele. We also heard from Elder Melchin of the 70, and Elder Gifford Nielson (former BYU and Houston Oiler player) also from the 70. The former General YM Pres and the current General YM Pres also spoke to us at firesides. We were spiritually fed, very well too, I might say.

I cannot adequately express my gratitude for the opportunity to be at camp with my sons and partake of the marvelous spirit of camp and priesthood. Joseph and Samuel are leaders of the YM in our Ward, and I am glad to be their father.

O Canada, Our Home and ...

Today is Canada Day. This is the big national celebration, similar to Independence Day in the States, but this year, there are a few more things to celebrate here for us. First, Samuel took and passed his drivers test. He is a licenced driver now, and can hardly wait to get behind the wheel. Second, Joseph graduated High School. He also graduated from Seminary a couple of weeks ago. Third, all the Simpson boys are going to a Province wide Aaronic Priesthood encampment - called Helaman's Encampment - next week in southern Alberta. It is a high adventure camp for all AP youth - should be about 1500 boys.

Samuel with the winning smile for the new driver.

After the HS graduation for Joseph and his friends.

Samuel, Scott, Rosemarie, Joseph and Zach.

Joseph after graduation preparing for the Grand March. The march is kind of like a social presentation where each graduate is presented to the community and them they and their date march around the local arena to the adulation of the folks, parents, extended family, etc.

Scott, Zach, Joseph, Graeme, and Mitch.

Zach, Bailey, and Joseph.

Summer hair cut day at the Simpson home.

Oops, the clippers slipped. Actually, this is to support Jacob and his new hairdo. jk

Almost like Mr. T

New do in progress. Needs a shave,

A little closer on the sides.

The boys with scalp conditioner. Note the Indians in the background? or the foreground?

The finished product. The joke have flown all day about the new hair. Some say they look like the new airbender, some like Maori Warriors, others say Cirque du Soleil acrobats.

Inukshuk

Inuit people for centuries have erected stone inukshuk in the tundra to mark the "roads" or safe passages between places, and to welcome others to their lands. They also mark lands of tribes. Some are erected to honor or revere great people.

This one, made of packed snow from a shoveled driveway, was made by Samuel to welcome Michelle and I home from an out of town trip. It was really cool to see what the boys had done. Joseph shoveled our friends driveway, and made one inukshuk, but he toppled over. So Samuel pitched in. What a cool thing to see on your return.




Cupcakes from our next door neighbor. She is 14 and hand decorated each of these to look like flowers, which are still months away from appearing in Fort Mac. As we heard in Stake Conference today, it may be the first day of Spring, but it is not the first Spring Day, yet, still...

Channelling Don Aguilar in Fort Mac, at our home evening

Samuel and his friend Bailey singing a duet at our Second Annual Ward Variety Show.

"The reason the Nintendo game cube sold so poorly upon its release to the public was that it was not made out of meat. A meat game cube would have saved the game cube, and changed the history of gaming forever." - Samuel

Bannock Burgers for dinner - courtesy of Chef Boy-Are-These-Good.

Samuel posing with his "graduation" quilt from his grandmother. This pattern is a Carpenter's Star. One of the green fabrics is called Halloween. It has tiny pumpkins, witches, ghouls, etc. in the print. Granna has made all the children a quilt.

Joseph with his double Celtic chain from Granna. She drove from Albuquerque to Mesa to see Alan last week to give him these beautiful handmade quilts for the boys. She is a wonderful grandmother - almost as good as the wonderful mother she is.

Samuel with his new rocker board. He saved all hos money to buy the new board, and really like the ease with which it spins and jumps and does tricks before it ejects him to the snow in a heap. (just kidding about that last little part.) He is really good on the slopes, even if his friends call him slow.

Teaching the next generation to pass the rugby ball.

Chef-Boy-Are-These-Good trying his hand at enchiladas for the first time. Michelle was his sous chef, chopping and prepping. The chef assembled a delicious meal that we shared with the missionaries and a new member of our Ward from Puebla, Mexico. He will not starve as a college student, or missionary. His companions and roommates will appreciate his skills (which are way better than his bow staff skills, BTW)

to be continued...

Winter Play

This last week, all the school teachers in Alberta have been at the annual Teacher's Convention, so, as the saying goes, the mice have played. One day they went to the ski hill for $5 day. $5 lift tickets, $5 rentals on equipment, $5 tube hill pass, $5 hot dogs (just kidding on the last one)

Another day they went to see the ice sculptures (Joseph took a date!)

Today, they went to Heritage day.

Before they got stuck to the sign.

Making old fashioned maple snow taffey. You start with fresh 100% pure maple syrup, add nothing, heat to 232 F, pour on well packed snow, freeze for 25 seconds, roll on Popsicle stick, eat. It helps if the outside temp is below freezing too, but it is not required.

Near the finish of the ice track. similar to a luge track, but the youth and children use magic carpets, not sleds.

Our new car. 6 dog power, convertible. No radio to distract the young drivers.

The dog harness. The ribbons are more than decoration. They also help identify the team and musher. This musher is Native from Fort Chipewan (about 400 km north of here) He competed in a 3 day race earlier in the week from Fort Mac to Fort Chip.

It was a tight fit. About as much leg room as the back seat of a 911.

Getting ready for rugby season. The boys are really looking forward to the snow melting this year. They play indoor touch right now, and are hoping to get the team together for a Sevens tournament in Jasper this spring.

On the way to practice.

It is that time of year again. Presenting the 23rd annual German Chocolate Cake to celebrate a certain cumpleanos. We will alert the fire department tomorrow night before we light the candles. (just kidding) You should come on over for a bite of cake after church tomorrow. Monday will be too late to get a bite. We'll miss you.

Hugs and Kisses,

to be continued...