Day 2 was a success.  The first half of the day was spent in classes. The younger scouts worked on their swimming merit badge and mountain man requirements. The older scouts went to classes on chess, cooking, communications and citizenship plus about a dozen more.  By one o’clock we were heading by bus to one of the nearby scenic rivers for rafting.  Five of the older scouts went to the Ocoee River in Tennessee and the other 18 scouts went to the Nantahala River in North Carolina.    Rafting is more than refreshing thrills and spills. We started off with learning the importance of teamwork by carrying the raft to the launch sites and then learn the importance of communication and coordination as we follow instructions from our guide so that we safely navigate the best and biggest white water the river could throw at us.  Boatloads of fun were had with the blue skies, sunshine cool water and rapids. No complaints about summer heat with waves crashing down on us. Those who chose to  voluntarily swim in the Nantahala speculated that the water might have sourced from an Antarctic ice berg about the size of Delaware.

The temps around camp have been delightful with lows in the upper 50s and highs in the 80’s- which makes for great sleeping and socializing around the campsite.  The boys are eating well and plowing through the snacks between meals.