Camp Tom Hale

A few weeks after I finished sixth grade, I began preparing for camp by packing everything I needed one week before the trip. The camp took place in Talihina, Oklahoma, and unlike Camp Alexander, it was not located on a mountain, so I expected the weather to be more comfortable. Like the previous year's camp, tents were provided, but this time, only two people shared each tent instead of three. First, we picked up my friend Mikaeel, his older brother, and his father. After loading the vehicle with camping gear and snacks, we began the five-and-a-half-hour drive to camp.

When we arrived at camp, several staff members welcomed us and gave us a tour while we waited for the remaining scouts in our troop. As the scouts and I explored the camp, the adults checked in with the scoutmaster at the office. Our troop was assigned to Cherokee, although we had hoped to stay at Wichita or Arapaho because they were closer to the activities, dining hall, and flag area. After the tour, we carried our gear to the campsite, unpacked, and chose our tents. I decided to share a tent with my friend Mikaeel, which made me feel more comfortable and excited about the week ahead.

The next morning, we attended the flag ceremony and then ate during the second breakfast period. Since we only eat halal food, we received our meals from the dietary trays. After breakfast, I practiced familiar knots and learned new ones, including the sheet bend and bowline. After lunch, we attended the Archery Merit Badge class, where we practiced shooting safely and learned how to care for the equipment. Later, in Communication Merit Badge, we learned how to explain our opinions clearly and support them with reasons.

The following day, during Soaring to Eagle, we reviewed basic first-aid skills that I had already learned before I earned the First Aid Merit Badge. In Archery, we learned how to shoot a bow correctly and began practicing at the targets. During Communication, we discussed the importance of communication and identified careers that required strong communication skills. After dinner and the closing flag ceremony, Reshayl and I attended a drone class because we thought it would be fun. Unfortunately, battery problems allowed only six of the eighteen students to fly the drone; I was one of them, but Reshayl was not.

Later that week, during Soaring to Eagle, I learned about the different plants and animals found around the camp and throughout the surrounding region. In Archery, I continued practicing my shooting skills until nearby rain and thunder forced us to stop for about thirty minutes. Because of the delay, Mikaeel and I arrived about ten minutes late to our Communication Merit Badge class. After dinner, we returned to the archery range so we could finish shooting at our targets and complete the work we had missed earlier.

The next day, during Soaring to Eagle, I learned how to help rescue someone who was drowning by using a rope, a stick, or my arm. In Archery, I learned how to repair a broken arrow and continued practicing at the targets. I needed a total of 160 points to earn the merit badge, but by the end of the day, I had earned only about one hundred points. Therefore, I decided to complete the remaining requirements on the final day, which was reserved as a make-up day for scouts to finish any incomplete work.

On the last morning of camp, I walked back to the archery range determined to finish what I had started. Every arrow felt important because I knew I still needed enough points to earn the merit badge. I focused on my stance, took a deep breath, and aimed carefully at the target. When I finally reached 165 points, I felt proud because I had not given up, even when I was behind earlier in the week. Afterward, our scoutmaster decided that we would leave early, so I packed my gear, helped clean our area, and rode home after dropping off my friend Mikaeel.

Looking back, Camp Tom Hale taught me that success did not always happen immediately. Sometimes I had to keep trying, stay patient, and trust what I had practiced. At the beginning of the week, I was focused mostly on earning the badge, but by the end, I understood that the experience was about more than points on a target. It was about learning responsibility, staying calm under pressure, and finishing what I started. That final morning made me feel more confident not only as a scout, but also as a person who could face challenges without quitting.