Boy Scout Camping Trip

“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 Boy Scout pledge was a part of every Scout meeting. We also excitedly talked about our earned Merit Badges and made plans for earning more.

“Time to earn the Camping Merit Badge!” our Scout leader said to the group of young boys. “We will be going out to our family camp house on the Tombigbee River. You guys can camp in your tents by river and your chaperones will be just inside the camp house.”

I couldn’t wait to get to the river, get our tents set up and build a fire. I’d surely knock out several Merit Badges on this trip!

When we arrived, our Scout leader turned on the electricity to the camp house. In just a little while, we would have all the conveniences of the indoors and outdoors.

“Will somebody check the refrigerator to see if it’s getting cold yet?” asked the Scout leader. “We need to unload the ice chests.”

“I’ll do it!” I said as I swung open the old freezer door and stuck my hand to the metal insides. My wet hand. I forgot my hands were wet.

“Yep, it’s cold!” I yelled as my hand froze to the metal.

“Help! I'm stuck!”

I felt like the kid in "A Christmas Story" who stuck his tongue to the frozen pole.

My Scout leader tugged at my hand without success. About that time, someone ran up with a glass of water and poured it over my hand.

It worked! As my fingers peeled loose from the frozen surface of the freezer, giant white blisters began to form on every finger and the palm of my hand. And I didn’t have a single thing to put on a freezer burn.

I did get my Camping Merit Badge.

I did not get my First Aid Merit Badge.

The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.”

Which I was. On the next camping trip.

From the mind of me.