This campout was off the charts!

In November 2024, our Troop had the opportunity to dive into adventure and get a behind-the-scenes look at USS Cobia, sound the alarm, learn about life on a submarine, and sleep on the World War II-era vessel!

The following morning we had exclusive access to the Maritime Museum, worked on our Signs, Signals, and Codes merit badge and then finished up with pizza at Lighthouse Park and the Lakeshore Birding Area, a civil engineering project that benefits both the city and the environment!

All in 17 hours! 

Want to hear and see more about our awesome adventure? Just read on!

Our tour of the Cobia was unforgettable. The volunteers who guided us through our tour were passionate about the history and operation of this amazing vessel. Scouts had hands-on opportunities at each station that reinforced the lessons learned.

And speaking of lessons learned, some of the lessons learned according to our scouts included:

• I can't believe 80 people lived inside that boat and smoked cigarettes INSIDE!

• It must have been scary at the bottom sea with the bombs trying to hit them. I can't believe how brave they were.

• I didn't think a submarine was this big inside, and yet still no room at all.

• I didn't know submarines had stuff on top of them. I thought they looked more like torpedoes.

• Those boys look the same age as my brother (looking at photos of WW2 soldiers).

• That alarm is LOUD! (A side note: we were ecstatic to have our morning wake up call be the dive alarm the next morning).

Inside the Maritime musuem the scouts explored rooms of artifacts as well as interactive exhibits such as the submarine simulator and the engine room. We really enjoyed all the different sailboats on display. 

The Emma was a particular favorite... we got a picture of our scout with "her boat". There was so much to explore, the scouts spent almost two hours reading every exhibit and sign. Did we mention that we had the museum to ourselves during this time? Part of the program was a access to the museum before opening!

The Signs, Signals and Codes merit badge covers a number of the nonverbal ways we communicate, the history of and importance of codes and cyphers as well as important groups such as the Navajo Code Talkers.

Scouts sent (and recieved) messages by Morse code inside the submarine and later using semaphore flags.  They also solved riddles using Braille, American Sign Language, and Pigpen.

A highlight included having our own Abby and Emma teach us the hand signals used in softball.

Before getting back the in the vans for home, we headed to the lakeshore and enjoyed some pizza at the marina.  Next, we headed out to explore the pier and a civil engineering project that has benefit the local ecology. The man-made island is a stop along a major flyway for migratory birds. Since its construction in 2016, more than 300 species of birds have been recorded here.

The lighthouse is kept up by the local Rotary. It was built in 1895 and then rebuilt in 1918. It was later automated in 1971.

At the end of each campout, scouts gather to discuss what went well and what learning opportunities we found along the way.  Here were some of the scouts' highlights:

• I really liked checking out how cool the sub was and learning how it worked

• Getting to say I slept on a sub to my friends and earned my first merit badge

• Getting to relax and hang out with friends after a stressful week

• Getting to experiences something that most can't say they have done

• Learning about the submarine history and how it worked

• I really enjoyed the museum exhibits

• I love the car rides because they were fun