By Liam and Pierce O’Flaherty
On November 30th through December 2nd, TSG Troops 1, 5, 31, 33, 77 and 1170 gathered together for a North Texas Camp-out in Van Alstyne, Texas, headquarters for Troop 1. We had lots of fun and during the night there was a big thunderstorm with rain, hail and high wind buffeting the camp, making everything a muddy mess for the following day. The next day all of the troops gathered together to cycle through some “how to” stations. There was knife safety, packing a backpack, first aide, starting a camp-fire and leatherworking. All the cadets also played human foosball, in Troop 1’s handcrafted foosball court, which is a game of people acting as foosball men, using PVC pipes and boards to hold on to while kicking a soccer ball around a contained court. Others went fishing in a lake nearby.
In the afternoon all the boys and dads chipped in to help spread mulch out on the entrance and exit ways to the camp-out so that everyone would be able to get their vehicles out the next day. Confessions were heard by Fr. McDonnell from Mater Dei, the home parish for Troop 1, and then Fr. McDonnell with two TSG cadets helping as the altar boys, said the Tridentine Latin Mass for all of the camp, under a white canopy. Some of the cadets best part of the camp-out was the Mass, with Fr. McDonnell blessing objects for us afterward. Everyone then settled into watching their dinner ingredients which they hand-picked and rolled up in tin foil, cook on the open camp-fire. Rosary afterward finished off the evening. The next day everyone departed.
The camp-out was a great success. Some of the people had trouble getting their vehicles out of the mud. But all had a great time at the camp-out and can’t wait to go again.
Thanks again to Captain Toups and Troop 1 for hosting the camp-out!
