Things to know when you're going to Massawepie

When is it?

For 2008, Troop 31 will depart on Saturday, July 19. Scouts should arrive at the drop-off location by 7:30 AM. The bus will depart promptly at 8:00 AM, no exceptions.
Troop 31 will return on Saturday, August 2. The bus will return to the same location, at approximately 5:00 PM.

So where is the drop-off and pickup?

Drop-off and pickup at in the back parking lot of Nathaniel Rochester School #1, 85 Hillside Avenue, Rochester (near Cobb's Hill Park). For a Mapquest Map, click here.

How do meals work on the travel days?

The first meal served at camp is dinner on arrival day. The Scouts should have eaten breakfast before they arrive at the drop-off location. For the trip up, Scouts should either have a bag lunch with them, or enough money to cover a meal at a fast-food restaurant. (Most often, the bus will stop at a McDonald's in Watertown.)

The last meal served at camp is breakfast on departure day. The Scouts should retain enough money to get lunch at that same McDonald's in Watertown on the trip back, or plan to be really hungry when they get off the bus.

What should the Scout be wearing to travel?

All Scouts must be wearing full and complete Troop 31 Field (Class "A") uniforms in order to board the bus, with one exception. They do not need to wear or bring their Troop 31 neckerchief. Since at Massawepie we operate under the flag of the Highlanders, we provide a special Highlanders neckerchief. The Scouts should bring their neckerchief slide.

How will I be notified if the return bus isn't going to be back pretty close to 5:00 PM on the return date?

We will gather information for a phone tree at the time of departure of the bus on the 19th.

How much spending money should my Scout bring?

As with many questions, the answer is "It depends". Theoretically, Scouts require almost no money when they are at Massawepie, except as noted below. That said, there are several ways they can spend money.

Required purchases: There are several merit badges that Scouts can pursue at camp that have "equipment" requirements. An example of this is the Space Exploration, which involves firing a model rocket, for which the kit is around $10-15 and available at the Trading Post. It should be noted that the identical kit, at the same price, can also be purchased in advance at the Scout Shop on East Avenue.
Souvenirs: The Trading Post also sells all manner of clothing, knives, water bottles, compasses, etc, etc. The prices can range anywhere from a couple dollars to over $25 per item.
Junk food: There are a couple soda machines near the Trading Post, and the Post itself sells a variety of candy and other empty calories. Their prices aren't terribly out of line with prices for same in a convenience store in Rochester.

Whatever quantity of spending money the Scout brings, the Trading Post staff will greatly appreciate lots of small bills, i.e. fives and singles. They regularly get inundated with twentys and larger the first couple days of the week, and sometimes have to struggle to make change. For them, the nearest bank is 20-mile round trip.

How is a Troop 31 Scout only attending for one week handled?

A Scout attending for only one week will require private transportation home (if leaving after the first week) or up to camp (if arriving for only the second week). In either case, this must be coordinated in advance with the Highlanders Scoutmaster staff, as the Troop may leave the Massawepie base camp area during the middle weekend.

What supervision is provided on the bus ride up and back?

The Highlanders hire an individual to ride the bus up and back specifically to provide supervision. Sometimes this person is also going up to be a member of the Scoutmaster staff as well. Most often, the individual is a former Troop 31 or Troop 19 Scout that is now an adult.

I have a question that hasn't been answered above. Who should I contact?

You can contact any member of the Troop 31 Scoutmaster staff for more information.