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Changing the Course
The Quiet Adventure
"Once a Scout--
always a Scout"
Making A Difference
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned"
Challenge Me
"Training boy leaders to run their Troop is the Scoutmaster's most important job"
"Train Scouts to do a job, and then let them do it"
"Never do anything a boy can do"
"I have suggested Scouting as a good thing for Boys, because I began it myself when I was a Boy, and I know that if you want to enjoy life and get on, a great step towards it is to learn Scouting while you are young"
"A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room"
"Fun, fighting, and feeding! These are the three indispensable elements of the boy's world"
"There is no teaching to compare with example"
Quotes from Robert Baden-Powell
Boy Scouting's First Scoutmaster
The Road Less Traveled
Robert Frost 1874-1963
"The Only Things We Keep
Permanently Are Those
We Give Away"
"Achievement Consists of Doing
Useful Things That Most People Say
Cannot Be Done"
Waite Phillips 1883-1964
Philmont Scout Ranch
Philmont Hymn
Scout Vesper
What is Scout Spirit?
"Your standing as a scout
does not depend so much on
the skills of your hands or
the badges on your merit badge
sash, as on the spirit in your heart,
on what you are willing to do
for others, on whether you are
doing your very best to live
the Scout Oath and Scout Law"
The Scout Law:
A Scout is Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
and Reverent
A Leader's Prayer
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"Adventures in Paradise"
In early August of 2008 an intrepid group of Scouts and adult leaders from Troop 658 set out for twelve days of high adventure in the Florida Keys. Boy Scouts Nevin Leary, Alex Hurd, Peter Mergens, Matt Harry and Will Wiltshire along with adult leaders Paul Mergens and Bill Wiltshire traveled to the Florida High Adventure Sea Base scout facility in Islamorada, Florida to take part in a “Coral Reef Sailing” excursion. While it would be impossible to recount all of the exciting details of this great adventure, what follows is an attempt to give you a small taste of this incredible trip.
After only one brief “hey, did Will and Matt catch the shuttle bus to our departure gate” moment at JFK we managed to arrive in West Palm Beach with a full contingent (no small feat with a group of 15-16 year olds). Being from Vermont there was not much discussion of what to do first, once we were checked into our hotel and had a quick lunch of ridiculously large hamburgers, hit the beach! The swimming was great and that night we dined on seafood and had fun exploring the upscale City Place plaza in downtown Palm Beach.
We were up early the next morning and heading south toward the Everglades. On a tip from our travel agent we proceeded to the Miccosukee Indian Village which turned out to be the perfect setting for experiencing and learning about the Florida Everglades. Who knew that there were, and still are, native people living in the heart of the Everglades and doing so in harmony with this unique environment. Along with the historical and cultural information of course, we also witnessed an alarming alligator show, and the Scouts got a chance to handle a live alligator. We also rode on a sometimes sideways air boat ride through the saw grass, yee haa!
That night we arrived in Key Largo for an evening of strolling the harbor area and taking liberal advantage of several hotel swimming pools. Being in the Keys has its own distinct feeling and after only one night we were under the spell. With an easygoing pace and laid back atmosphere, what’s not to like? The following morning we packed up the minivan at a discernibly slower pace and set our sights on Islamorada and the Florida Sea Base high adventure facility.
With the morning free, prior to our scheduled arrival at Sea Base, we visited “Theater of the Sea” for an interesting look at a variety of highly trained creatures who entertained us with their impressive talents. There were tropical birds and a sea lion and one bottlenose dolphin that launched its trainer 30 feet into the air. We arrived in Islamorada still a bit early for check in at Sea Base and decided to visit the local attraction “Robbie’s”. Now, at first glance this seemed like any typical tourist trap selling trinkets and souvenirs. What was not typical, we soon found out, were the hundreds, if not thousands of large (very large) tarpon swarming around the docks and leaping out of the water to snatch bait fish from the hands of squeamish visitors. Our scouts, no doubt wanting to reflect the ideal of being brave, just had to get a bucket of fish and give it a go. Suffice it to say that we did not have to employ any of our considerable first aid skills, but that was more a matter of sheer luck than the result of any cautious behavior. Just ask Alex!
Excitement was high all afternoon as we checked in and began an orientation process that would culminate in our setting sail later in the evening. We were busy the rest of the day getting snorkel gear, gathering our personal items, stocking the boat with provisions and meeting our captain. After a mess hall dinner, with the hundreds of other scouts who were either coming from or going to their own adventures, we were finally ready to begin ours.
Although we didn’t know it at the time, our crew soon came to realize the very good fortune of being assigned to the “Juan Cadiz”, a 42’ sloop captained by Tom Lauren. Not only were we privileged to step aboard a meticulously maintained classic boat, but our captain and guide for the trip turned out to be a source of vast knowledge in the science and lore of the Florida Keys as well as an accomplished sailor who was always willing to share his expertise with the crew. Tom was a hands-on type who allowed everyone to fully participate in sailing and navigating the boat and his stories of pirate lore provided an entertaining backdrop for our adventure. Only later did we find out that not all captains are so generous or well informed. Our time on the Juan Cadiz was truly special.
When all was ready we cruised out of the harbor and under the highway bridge to a protected spot where we set anchor for our first night on the water. Even though we had traveled only a short distance we knew we had entered a whole new world. Being out at night on the warm, calm waters of the Keys is extremely relaxing and pleasant and soon we were drifting off to sleep with the rocking of the boat. A few hours later, in what was to become a humorous nightly routine, those who had chosen the coolness of the upper deck for sleeping stumbled only half awake into the cabin to avoid the inevitable brief rain showers that rolled through each night. By the end of our trip, however, several scouts came to the conclusion that tolerating a little warm rain was preferable to enduring the rather stuffy and sardine like conditions of a full cabin. Captain Tom, of course, had his own private berth.
The following day was comprised of a series of three south-westward sailing legs during which we learned how to handle and navigate the boat. These were interrupted by snorkeling excursions at places like Coffin’s Patch, Sombrero Key and Looe Key. If you have never been snorkeling on the coral reefs of the Florida Keys, put it on the list of things you have to try some day. It is impossible to describe the fantastic colors, the multitudes of fish and other sea life and the amazing rainbow of coral structures to be seen there. Sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, moray eels, barracudas, and tropical fish, we swam with them all. This one day of snorkeling alone would have been worth traveling to Florida for.
After spending a peaceful night moored just off of Lois Key we set sail the next morning for Key West with the promise of hot showers and the rest of the day to explore this historic town. Armed with Captain Tom’s list of recommended sights and eateries we had a great time acquainting ourselves with the unique atmosphere of this southern most city in the United States. From pirate lore to treasure salvage to attempted secession there was a lot to learn about the “Conch Republic”. We ended the evening in typical tourist fashion by checking out the bawdy street entertainment and then consuming an entire, ridiculously rich, famous Key Lime Pie. Needless to say we all slept very well that night.
As fun as it was to be in such an exciting town, it felt really good to head for open water the next morning. We spent the day sailing northeast, fishing, snorkeling and soaking in the sun and sights before tucking in just to the west of New Found Harbor Key for the night. On previous evenings Captain Tom had regaled us with stories and interesting facts about the area we were visiting, but this night was to be even better. After a fine dinner of freshly caught serra mackerel prepared on the boat’s aft deck grill, with an orange and purple sun setting in the west, we gathered in the main cockpit area at Tom’s request. He then brought out a guitar, a box full of various percussion instruments and portable CD player. We spent the remainder of that fine evening jamming to a variety of songs and having a blast trying to intertwine our individual efforts into a group rhythm. It would be hard to fully convey the sublime nature of this wonderful experience. In addition to his many other talents we found out that Tom is also a professional percussionist whose specialty is the spoons.
We continued our journey northward the next morning stopping to snorkel in an area known for its unique coral formations where Will and Matt found a gold coin on the ocean floor. In the end it turned out to be just a souvenir token from some local attraction, but there were a few moments of intense excitement as attempts were made to dive down and retrieve the suspected treasure. By lunch time we had arrived at Bahia Honda State Park where we anchored off the pristine beach and swam ashore pushing our floating picnic lunch along in well sealed plastic bags. At this great park we enjoyed several hours of sun, surf and picnic goodies before swimming back to the boat to continue our trip north. Later that afternoon we stopped briefly at a commercial dock in Boot Key Harbor to refuel the boat and purchase much anticipated ice cream sandwiches. Our last evening on the boat was spent bobbing off Vaca Key watching the lightning flashes in the distance from the many localized storms that roll through the Keys each summer night.
The final day of our stay on the Juan Cadiz was bittersweet. We had become accustomed to the routine and rhythm of being aboard ship and to the comforting feel of warm wind and warm water on our skin. To make the most of the day we enjoyed an extended stop at Coffins Patch where a week earlier we had first discovered the pleasures of snorkeling among these amazing coral reefs. As we swam back to the boat after an hour of experiencing our own real life episode of “Animal Planet”, Captain Tom told us to remain in the water. When everyone was assembled he issued a challenge, each of us must retrieve one of the brightly colored small containers he had scattered on the seabed, 10’-15’ below where we were now floating. Some of these containers were fairly easy to reach but the deeper ones required a better mastery of the ear clearing pressure relief technique we had been practicing throughout the week. Within a short time we were all holding one of the containers and Tom instructed us to open them. Inside we found our Sea Base Coral Reef Sailing Patches signifying the successful completion of this journey. We noticed that the patches were wet, and when asked Tom explained that it was intentional. By allowing the patches to soak in sea water they would retain a salty smell after drying to remind us of our great adventure. A few hours later we were back at Sea Base unloading and cleaning the boat and regrettably saying our final goodbyes to Captain Tom. Later in the evening during the post-trip luau attended by all returning crews we were surprised to learn that our boys had won the weekly prizes for catching both the largest edible and non-edible fish. Congratulations to our patient and skillful anglers. We also came very close to winning the limbo contest when Will (6’2”) narrowly lost to another scout (5’6”… at most) after everyone else had been eliminated. It was a little disorienting to be on solid ground again, but I think we all slept well that night in the air conditioned dorms dreaming of sea life, coral or the feel of piloting a 42’ boat across warm ocean waters.
While our awesome time at Sea Base had come to an end the adventure of our journey was far from over. After breakfast in the mess hall the next morning we returned to our land vessel (aka Dodge Caravan) and headed south to spend another day taking in the sights and tastes of Key West. Speaking of tastes, I have to note that we did not skimp in the food department on this trip. We enjoyed many local seafood specialties and all of the scouts were very adventurous in ordering, sampling and enjoying exotic and unfamiliar foods including such items as squid, conch fritters and gator strips. Of course the adults were already aware of the rewards of savoring local fare and did so in generous quantities. Our day was highlighted by a visit to the Mel Fisher Museum. On display were some of the artifacts and documentation from the search for and salvage of the “Atocha” a Spanish vessel containing one of the riches treasures ever to be recovered anywhere in the world.
Following our day and evening of intown activities we were ready for another outdoor adventure and so in the morning we pointed our Caravan north and set out for Big Pine Key. We had made arrangements to meet local guide and author Bill Keogh for an intimate kayak tour around No Name Key in the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge. Again, luck was with us as Bill turned out to be extremely knowledgeable and also really easygoing and great with the boys. We spent over four hours paddling into the tight waterways of mangrove forests, sighting Key deer and chasing Florida lobsters and horseshoe crab in our snorkel gear. With large expanses of sea grass waving under our boats we cruised through the shallow waters getting a first-hand glimpse of the intricate ecology of this tropical island environment. In reminiscing about the trip with my son Will we both remarked on the phenomenon that every day was our favorite of the trip, but if I really had to choose, this might just have been my favorite favorite. After a late but delicious lunch at the local hangout called No Name Pub, which had the unique feature of every interior surface being covered in dollar bills, we drove north to Key Largo for our last night in the Keys. We wound down that evening in the pool and hot tub, talking about our many adventures.
On our last full day in Florida we drove back up to West Palm Beach for a low key afternoon before our scheduled departure the next morning. Some of us chose to tour Palm Beach Island on bikes while others visited the Flagler Museum, former home of railroad and real estate magnate Henry Flagler. Flagler was responsible for the engineering and construction of a rail line that first linked Key West to the mainland. Our bike tour through the maze of mansion lined streets that make up Palm Beach was eye opening, but the highlight was our multi-mile mad dash back to the rental shop in an effort to avoid being caught by a fast approaching torrential downpour. Needless to say we lost the race, but in what seemed to be the lesson of this trip we quickly realized that blasting down the now deserted streets in the warm rain was, well…. a blast.
We spent the next day flying home to Vermont and basking in the tired but fulfilled state of mind that comes after a particularly vivid experience. Having now been to both Philmont and Sea Base I can highly recommend to every scout and scout parent that if at all possible you should make the effort to participate in a high adventure trip at least once during your time in scouting. It is an opportunity to create life long memories, lasting friendships and also to live out many of the ideals that form the core of the scouting program. Our trip to Sea Base was all of that and much more.
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