HIGHLIGHTS

A Camping We Will Go!
Peter Gaw, Grade 3 Parent

Posted Thursday, 10-Mar-2005 0:17 AM

      The much awaited Father-Son Camping finally got underway last February 18-20, 2005 at the Cresta Monte Resort in Laguna. It was a much awaited scouting activity for Grade 3 Kab Scouts but a “dreaded” one for the fathers. However, as compared to the previous Father-Son camps, this year had the most number of participants.

      Since most participants were first time campers, they didn’t know what to expect. Both fathers and sons had sleepless nights before the event. The sons were sleepless because of the excitement that the experience would offer, while the fathers worried if they could survive it.

      Fathers and sons were grouped together according to team colors – Dilawan, Bughawan, Luntian and Pulahan. The first father-son bonding activity was tent pitching. The camp was filled with tents of different colors, shapes and sizes. The facilitators prepared many activities for us like T-shirt printing, totem pole making and slide making. There were also challenges like spider-web, tire on a pole, helium stick and trolley. For the brave and daring father and son, there was the cable walk challenge where you will be dropped from 40 feet high!

      Competition was at a high pitch for the duration of the two-day activity from simple team “cheers” to the exciting and heated group challenges. But at the end of the day, it was the bonding between father and son that stood out. Team bonding was also very evident in all the activities.

      I was certainly amazed and amused with the strong bonding the fathers had to support their own team colors. For my Luntian team, it seems like we have known each other for a long time! We were routing, cheering and supporting our team with all our might. It won our team the Best Teamwork award!

      My overall rating of the Father-Son Camping activity is five stars! Would I recommend it for next year? Definitely! The bonding that I experienced with my son is something that I will truly cherish and remember. For fathers of future campers, here is an unsolicited advice – an opportunity like this comes only once in your son’s grade school life. Please, do not let it pass. I guarantee you that it will be one great “Kodak moment”.

      And lastly, to my fellow Luntian fathers and Kab Scouts, “Kuuuuuggaaaaahhh”!
 

Peter Gaw is the Grade Level Representative in Grade 3. He is the proud father of Franz Patrick Gaw, 3C.

Go back to the top ^