Tropical Dreams Part 1

Sleeping with the Sharks. Swimming with the Fish.

It sounded a bit like a gangster movie from the 1940s.  I was sending my kid to swim with this fishes, to sleep with the sharks. Can't you picture the concrete shoes, the wide brimmed Fedora, and the Tommy gun?

Actually it was the first Cub Scout Sleepover at the Georgia Aquarium!

For several of our original scouts this sleepover marked the first time that they saw the "vision" fully realized. Way back in November of 2013 during our first ever Rally Night, Pack 285 showed all interested families a short video that promoted many of the fun activities which cub scouts participates in throughout the nation. Most of these activities were beyond the reach of a brand new pack. Financially there were limits as to what we could do in that first year. Now in our second year the boys are beginning to see the full vision come to life.  For most on this trip, the annual Popcorn Sale helped to finance if not all of the trip than at least a large portion of the cost.  It sure made all those booth "show and sells" seem like a good idea.  Next year I expect families to be beating down the doors for space at the booth.

The theme of this adventure was CONSERVATION.  Much of what was discussed on the visit can be used by Webelos and Bears towards their achievements. 

After check-in at 7:00PM, the scouts were led on a Behind-the-Scenes tour of the area where they would be sleeping.  Our pack plus one additional family would be sleeping in the Tropical Diver Area. During the tour the scouts learned about how the wave action is created on the artificial reef and how the water is purified. They also spent time learning about the impending birth of a new Beluga whale calf and starting their study on conservation.

After a pizza dinner, the pack was escorted to their sleep area where preparations began to settle in for the night.  Admittedly the boys were not all ready for sleep.  In fact the other family assigned to our space moved to a ... quieter location nearby.  This event was organized and efficient with very few lessons learned coming home. Of the few things for us to remember next year was the fact that the ambient lighting in the Tropical Diver area is actually quite bright. Sleep masks would have been a good investment.

Bear Assistant Den Leader, Cyndi Said, chaperoned along with Roger Boyd, Wolf Den Leader, and Steve Jackson, Committee Chair.  Cyndi admits that she was ready for bed way before the majority of the boys! Roger stayed awake until the last scout was asleep. Needless to say he napped as soon as he came home on Sunday!

Along with our three chaperons, parents were welcome to attend. We were thrilled to have a Webelos dad, Mr. Khan; a Bear dad, Mr. Alexander; and a Wolf mom, Ms. Weimer. We also welcomed siblings over the age of seven including sisters...because everything is open to families in Pack 285!

Waiting on their sleeping bags and overnight cases to arrive, the boys get used to their new sleeping quarters! Can't you see how very tired they are?

Even in their pjs...they still don't seem quite ready for bed yet. Look at all that ambient light! No wonder!

 Just when you thought they were finally asleep...oh look! There's plenty of light to read by....

Still up.  Still light.  You have to wonder what Jaden is thinking about....Mr. Boyd said that Jaden was the last to fall asleep. We believe him.