On Monday, Cub Scouts from the East, West and South Atlanta districts embarked on a trip around the world without leaving the confines of Fort McPherson.
The “trip” was part of the five-day Tri-District Cub Scout Day Camp (TDCSDC) held on the base. The goal of the camp, themed “Around the world: passport to advancement,” was to educate the Cub Scouts about different continent and their people and traditions.
“The goal is to visit a different continent each day,” said Rhodope Fears, TDCSDC program director. During the camp, which ended today, children got to learn about Asia, Australia, Africa, and North and South America. During the exploration of each continent, the Cub Scouts, all ages 5 through 10, got to partake in different activities that built their knowledge while also keeping their youthful energy in check.
For example, when learning about Australia, the children made boomerangs, an ancient Australian Aboriginal weapon. Other hands-on activities include viewing animals such as the African ball python brought in from the Atlanta Zoo and archery.
While designed to be fun and educational, the programs also served to help the Cub Scouts gain the necessary skills needed to become Boy Scouts, Fear said. At the camp, the Cub Scouts worked on skills like knot tying, outdoorsmanship and first aid, sometimes with help from Fort McPherson resources.
For example, when studying first aid, Air Force Reserve medics helped the Cub Scouts learn about self-aid, buddy care and natural disaster preparedness, Fears said. “Fort McPherson made sure we had all the resources we needed,” said Fears’ husband Kevin. “They’ve been gracious to let us here. It’s a really nice facility and the kids really enjoy it.”
Besides being an enjoyable place, Fort McPherson also gave children a chance to see communities outside their own neighborhoods, said Richard Hailey, Cub Scout leader. Because many of the children live in the city, they have never been exposed to a more suburban environment or military environment. This experience of seeing a military installation, added to learning about the world and other cultures, helped widen the children’s view of the world, Hailey said. “It’s a wonderful thing and makes them feel like they are part of something bigger,” he said.
In addition to making them feel like a part of something bigger, making the kids “bigger” was also a goal of the camp and one reason why Hailey has been active with the Cub Scouts for the past ten years. “I want them to get everything I never had. I want them to be responsible men in a world lacking responsible men,” Hailey said, adding unfortunately many children, especially in the city, don’t have access to positive role models and mentors to become responsible citizens.
The camp and Cub Scouts provide a venue for that to happen, Hailey said, by giving them positive role models and mentors, both male and female. “We’re building a foundation,” Hailey said. A foundation that hopefully goes out into the world the Cub Scouts spent the week learning about to help make it a better place.
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