Madison Scout Sunday Campfire
Submitted by Patrick Roberts
Madison BSA Troop 7 and Madison Cub Scout Pack 7 celebrated Scout Sunday at Summerhill Park on Saturday, February 6 with a campfire prayer service organized by its chartered organization, St. Vincent Martyr Church. Over the course of the afternoon, nearly forty Scouts and their parents built campfires, cooked their meals, enjoyed the park, and prayed together.
The campfires were the center of lots of activities. Scouts played in the snow, hiked the trails, and enjoyed the cold sunny day. The Boy Scouts set up an “ax yard,” a roped-off area where experienced Scouts supervised younger Scouts in how to safely use an ax to chop firewood.
Everyone gathered around the fire for the prayer service. Father George Hundt, Pastor of St. Vincent Martyr Church, led the group in the Lord’s Prayer, and reflections on the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. The Scout Oath is:
“On my honor, I will do my best
to do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
to help other people at all times;
to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”
The Scout Law is: “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.”
Troop 7 Boy Scout Greg Brown and Pack 7 Cub Scout Jeffrey Brown also performed a skit which explained what each part of the Lord’s Prayer means.
With supervision from adult leaders, Cub Scouts started the campfires and Cub Scouts and their family members cooked their lunches. Later, Boy Scouts took responsibility for maintaining the fires, cooked dinner, and put out the fires, making sure the area was safe and clean when they were done.
Scout Sunday is an annual event to celebrate the birthday of Scouting which dates back to 1908 and where Scouts reaffirm the Scout Oath.
Pack 7 and Troop 7 hold weekly meetings on Mondays on the grounds of St. Vincent Martyr Catholic Church in Madison. Information about Troop 7 is available online at troopwebhost.org/Troop7Madison, and young men ages 11-18 are welcome to observe a meeting or join at any time. Pack 7 serves younger boys in kindergarten through grade 5. Information about joining Pack 7 is available at troopwebhostcs.org/Pack7Madison.
Photo by Grace Diao
