by Dan Hiland

Created on: September 15, 2009

And so the first day of summer Scout camp at Oregon's Oakey Creek Campground draws to a close.

I didn't want to come, mainly because it would mean a week's worth of lost sleep and unemployment benefits- but once I got here it became quite pleasurable.

It started last Sunday when the Scoutmaster called and asked if I could attend the camp, as he had to cook all week and the boys need an adult present in their campsite every night. I think it's more the fact that he's pushing 70 and doesn't feel up to camping out.

Then again, since I have to use a smoke alarm as a timer when I cook, I wouldn't trade places with him for kitchen duty, no sir.

But there were several good reasons to go:

1) I've never been able to attend a Scout summer camp as an adult, because I've never had enough vacation hours accrued at work. Well, I'm unemployed now- have been for a whole year- so I've got all the time in the world.

2) Due to the sudden "disappearance" of the First Aid merit badge counselor, I was asked if I could take his place. I've never taught the badge before, but all I have to do is study the manual and pass on said information to the boys, right?

3) Then there's the most compelling reason- my 13 year-old son is attending, and I've missed being able to camp with him for the last year.

The decision being made to go, I started trying to prepare for the merit badge.

But before I could get too far into the book, I found out that I'd need to first hunt down first aid kit supplies.

Seems that the Scouts in our troop never got the word about bringing a kit to camp, and since they won't be able to complete all the requirements without it, I was elected to cover their collective butts.

By the time I got the money together to buy all the stuff, it was mid-week. Over the next couple days I had to go to four different stores in two counties to find enough supplies for eight kits, whose contents included:

* 96 sterile gauze pads

* 8 boxes of band-aids

* 8 rolls of adhesive tape

* 96 safety pins

* 8 tubes of triple antibiotic ointment

* 24 bandages

* 16 gel pads

* 192 alcohol swabs

* Several strips of moleskin

* 8 bottles of hand sanitizer

* 24 roller bandages

* 8 pairs of scissors,

* 8 pairs of tweezers

* 50 pairs of disposable gloves

* 8 pairs of protective goggles

* 8 CPR breathing barriers

To add to the stress, I had to use $50 of my own money, thus depleting the little my wife and I had to get us by during the week I'd be gone.

The youth leader I'd called earlier said not to worry-

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