Tribute To Camp Flying Eagle
By
Red Dog

Welcome to my little tribute to boy heaven. I love Camp Flying Eagle and never can quite get enough. Where else can a child (or adult) go who loves to make stuff, shoot stuff, swim, hike, boat, play, build a fire, or just be a kid? I love to see the mist rise off the river in early morning, the chanting of a few hundred hungry scouts, the sound of BBs hitting their target, laughter on Hidden Lake, the smell of a burning campfire, and the slow drip of the rain as I lay in my tent exhausted from another fun filled day. I even love the smell of the latrine, yep the latrine, when the wind hits it just right and wafts its unmistakable odor across the campsite. I always get a good kick out of it - nowhere else but camp!

For me CFE is freedom. Freedom from the hustle and bustle of the crowded roads of Southwest Florida. Freedom from my daily responsibilities as an adult; to have fun; to watch young boys turn into responsible young men all the while laughing it up with their buddies; creating memories that will last a lifetime.

For a young Scout, its being trusted with more responsibility, to be allowed to hoist a rifle or bow, to strike that match for the fire he so carefully constructed, or whittle with his favorite pocket knife. To shoot some really cool stuff like arrows and bullets while not having his parent hovering over his shoulder; to laugh himself to sleep while enjoying the camaraderie of his tent mate.

This is my tribute to everything wonderful about Camp Flying Eagle, and to the fine folks working with our wonderful young boys in the units helping them to grow into men.