Every year in late June, the Trailmen of OR-1531 and their dads kick off summer with a Troop Campout. This year, a Trailman’s grandparents were kind enough to share their farm near the Ankeny Wildlife Refuge. The Troop departed from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at 6pm on Friday.
During the campout there will be age appropriate adventures including archery, a pellet gun range, snaring, building a rope bridge, fire making, lashing, capture the flag, a nature walk, Saturday Mass, evening prayer, skits, songs, and time between for boys to be boys! Because it was such an large event, with a lot of pictures, separate links to the different activities are below:
PATROL METHOD – The boys were formed into patrols. a separate article about the patrol method can be found here (along with pictures of the method in practice).
MASS and EVENING PRAYER – Traillife is a Christ-centered organization, and Troop OR-1531, as a part of St. Joseph’s ministry to young men, was honored with Fr. John and Fr. Dan coming to lead the Troop in evening prayer and Mass.
PELLET GUN RANGE – A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Trailmen exercised that right!
ARCHERY RANGE – Trailmen had significant instruction in the safe use of simple and compound boys, culminating in a competition with the winner receiving his own bow as a prize!
SNARING – Coming Soon
FLINT and STEEL – Coming Soon
LASHING – Trailmen learned how to use rope to connect poles, first making tripods and then primitive structures, or in one case – a catapult!
CAMPFIRE – Coming Soon
St Joseph Trail Life Troop OR-1531 
Looks great! I’d especially like to see the snaring station. How interesting!
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It was one of the boys’ favorite. Must have been a great dad working that station – and building traps is fun!
Just a reminder that the Trailmen are leading a Marian Procession after the Noon Mass today!
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