Scouts and adults participated in a refreshing and relaxing canoe trip down the Edisto River. Over thirty scouts and adults assembled at the scout hut, loaded the troop trailer, went over final instructions and headed toward the Ridgeville area. Prior to putting the canoes in the water, the scouts reviewed safety procedures required for a waterborne activity. The adults also transferred cars and the troop trailer to Givhans Ferry State Park where we would camp that evening.
The area was experiencing a June heat wave, so we were overjoyed to start down the river. While any breeze seemed hot, the water was cool and refreshing. The scouts enjoyed the scenery and there were multiple stops along the river for swimming, relaxing and, of course, lunch. Alligators and snakes were not spotted and the scouts missed out on the opportunity for some hand to hand combat with those creatures. However, the absence of those critters meant the scouts could conduct water warfare on one another. Everyone was victorious, particularly since it was hot and humid and a drenching really cooled us off.
Later that afternoon, we pulled into Givhans Ferry State Park and set up camp. We were greeted by Mr. Andy Groves and Mr. Rick Hall, our volunteer cooks for the evening. They prepared an exquisite scout dinner of hot dogs, corn dogs, spiced-up beans and other assorted treats. Following some checkouts for advancement requirements, it was time for evening entertainment with scout skits. Perhaps it was the heat that caused confusion and short term memory loss, but the scouts should keep their day jobs as students. We all had a good time with the skits and it was a relaxing way to end a delightful day on the river.
Following breakfast and cleanup, the scouts broke camp and adults moved cars and the trailer to our final exit point downstream. We had a leisurely trip that Sunday morning, stopping a few times to relax and also hold a scout service in an isolated area. One of the lessons was to enjoy the wonders of creation and we certainly did that on our canoe trip. At our final destination, we had lunch and prepared for the trip home.
The scouts and adults had a great time. They had undergone canoe training the previous month at Camp Moultrie and were fully prepared for this trip. Over twenty scouts earned the Canoeing merit badge. Many thanks to Mr. Butch Hills who organized the Moultrie training and Mr. Clinton Dunn for leading the trip down the river. Also, thanks go out to all the adults who participated and helped make this a safe and memorable excursion.
Photos from the canoe trip are posted at:http://troop20edistocanoeingtrip.shutterfly.com/
