Fort Atkinson, September 2012

Some of our tents. We had great attendance. 31 scouts, 11 adults, 4 webelos and 2 webelo adult leaders.

After getting the tents and dining flys up, it was time for the crackerbarrel.

A lot of food, but it went quickly with that many people.

That looks like a hungry group.

The next morning, breakfast time. We had 4 patrols, plus the adults.
Each group plans and prepared their own meals.

Kirsten prepares breakfast for the adults. It was wonderful!

Leave it to scouts to find fun rocks to climb.

Troop 55 was asked to be the Color Guard in the morning.

Preparing to raise the colors.

There was a 5k run that went through our park.

One of the many areas of tents set up. Some were period correct, others were selling items.

There was a team that fired the cannons periodically. If you weren't paying attention,
it was a surprise when they went off!

One of the original buildings still intact. Inside was a museum about the fort.

Outside the building was a beautiful gun display.

A model of how the fort origianlly looked.

In the center of the fort was a flint and steel. They had time to set up their kindling.
The goal was to be the first to burn through the string.

Lots of different styles to burn the string.

That little black piece of cloth is to catch the spark.

Blow on it carefully until it burns. Then add it to your kindling.

Starting to burn.

A great fire, but he was slow starting the fire and lost.

Inside the museum was a display of how the rooms looked in the fort.

A display of some of the medical tools. That just looks painful!

And a bagpiper?.

There was a display of how the troop tents looked.

They had a female doctor with all of her medications and tools.

That looks really good, but it wasn't our lunch.

Just outside the fort was the quarry they use for all of the stone.

The scouts take a break before the next activity.

There was a demonstration of archery with 1840 era bows. The looked very hard to aim.

The tepees were very cool!

Inside the tepee. Many of the participants slept in their tents and tepees.

A tent with a stove?.

Lots of dutch oven displays.

More tepees. They were huge.

Some were brightly painted.

Even a blacksmith with a small working forge.

The blacksmith starts working.

Mike tries his hand at tomahawk throwing.

Pretty good for a first time.

Now he is just showing off.

Next was Kirstens try.

And a hit.

Looking throught the center area of the fort.

Kirstens' winning dutch oven chili.

The adults had dutch oven swiss steak for supper.

Followed by a dutch oven Chocolate Cherry Surprise.

The night ended with a campfire. There were 15 skits that night.
For us, the highlight was the announcement that our scoutmaster had been awarded the "Silver Beaver"
This is the highest award given by a council to a volunteer.