Canoeing Merit Badge

We took a group of scouts out to Mantua Lake to finish the Canoeing Merit Badge with the help of Nana and Poppa's trailer. We made it a family affair.

We had 4 canoes and 1 kayak.

 The boys had done all the book work but now needed the practical, hands on work to do.

It is kind of funny, Kaleb could teach the merit badge on his own with his 7 years of experience canoeing but he hadn't earned the merit badge. So now he is official. He did finish all the requirements....easy peasy.

 At first most of the boys were a little uncertain about getting into the canoes with them wobbly. Of course there is the thought that it would tip over. Well, they got over that so fast it wasn't funny. Within the hour they were tipping them over on purpose, which was a requirement, again and again.

They loved the challenge of having to try to get back into it if they went over the side.

One canoe with two of the younger scouts in it, tipped it over, and then tried to right it out in the water. So they were sitting in full of water paddling to the shore. Within a couple minutes, the canoe, full of water, would tip over and then they would be on top of it again. Of course they all had life jackets on which was even more fun for them to not have to worry too much of keeping their heads above water.

Daphne's kayak came in handy. Jared or Kirk would patrol them out in the lake. We had a heck of a time getting them in when it was time to leave. They had no intentions of going home. 

Jared enjoying the perks of being an adult leader.