2010 - Centennial Rendezvous

Registration Form

Centennial Rendezvous Aug 5,6,7 & 8, 2010

At Independence Rock

All Cubs, Boy Scouts, Varsity and Venture Scouts from ALL of Wyoming are invited to attend. Families are welcome to attend as well. This will be primitive camping at it's best. Activities will be based on the early trappers rendezvous with other early days activities and traditional scouting activities as well. The first National Scout Encampment (today it would be called a Jamboree) was held at this site in 1930 and a number of large camps have been held there since. There is a lot of Scouting history surrounding Independence Rock. Check our web site www.wyoscouts.org <http://www.wyoscouts.org/> and click on 100 Years of Scouting logo for more information and registration forms.

Cub Scout Day Camp: Cubs and families are invited to attend the BIG FIRESIDE Friday evening at 7:30 PM and camp with us. You will need to have your own food except for Saturday evening when you will join everyone for a barbecue. Cub Scout Day Camp events will begin at 9:00 AM at the amphitheater . When not involved in Cub activities you are free to watch and participate in some of the Boy Scout Rendezvous activities. We realize it will be convenient for some of you to travel with your parents and Boy Scouts , arriving at camp a day earlier. Please note on the Cub registration form when you plan to arrive at camp. On arrival please register with Cub people so activities aren't delayed Saturday morning

Boy Scouts, Ventures and Varsity Scouts : You will arrive Thursday afternoon, register, set up camp and participate in the Thursday evening Fireside in class A uniforms where you will receive instructions on the Rendezvous activities for Friday and Saturday as well as have some fun. You will be in the public eye at all times so set a good example of the Scout Law. Be courteous to the many guests involved with our activities and the visitors to the camp. This is a National Historic Site so there will be a steady stream of visitors passing through the camp and we hope many of them will take part . Friday night will be our BIG FIRESIDE. Saturday Rendezvous events will continue till mid afternoon when it will be time to break camp if your unit is leaving that night after the awards ceremony and barbecue. Units staying Saturday night will have a fireside of the home spun sort. Sunday morning will involve a simple church service , breaking camp and departure around noon.

Camping Regulations for Independence Rock Rendezvous

Upon arrival at Independence Rock you will be issued an identification bracelet color coded to identify you as a Boy Scout, Cub Scout , Visitor or Guest. You are expected to wear this bracelet until you get in the car to go home. Without it on you will not be able to eat at the big barbecue or participate in certain activities. WEAR IT.

The campsite is private and state land, all of which is basically wilderness and is a national historic site. We are allowed to camp there with a special permit issued by the state. As scouts we have a responsibility to take care of this land and respect the rights of neighboring land owners and other individuals or groups visiting the site. There will be tourists and visitors among us and they have just as much right to be there as we do.

Should a medical emergency arise there will be a medical tent set up near the flag pole. Ralph Blommel is in charge of the first aid station and has asked that each district get at least one certified EMT and two Eagle Scouts to help out and take turns manning the first aid tent. Please ensure that your district does this. Contact Ralph for more information, his phone number is 672-6820 . The road to the first aid station is to be kept clear at all times should an emergency occur. All troops and families should have first aid kits for taking care of minor problems. A major concern in August of course is heat stroke (very serious) and dehydration which may lead to heat stroke. Drink lots of water and wear a hat.

Some water will be available in camp but if you can bring water please do. Plan to have a supply in your camp site at all times as you may have to wait in line for a while to get water from the camp supply. It will work best to fill small canteens, etc. from a supply in your campsite and restock your supply as needed from the tanker or water filtration plant. Don't drink river water without filtering or purifying it.

"We will be camped very near the Independence Rock Rest Stop and Visitors Center. Because this will be the busiest time of year for them the State has asked us to not use the Rest Stop. We have provided port-a-potties and water in the camp. Please use them even if it requires a little walking to get there. Use your best manners please. Port-a-potties and hand wash stations will be scattered throughout the camp and program area where we can get with a truck to deliver them. While across the river for activities please return to camp when nature calls.

The only fire allowed on the ground is in the fire ring at the amphitheater where our flag raising and ceremonies will be held. Cooking is to be done with propane stoves off the ground. Remember fire danger is normally very high in August. Practice no trace camping.

Cactus are not to be removed unless they are in your body.

Garbage is to be bagged and tied in camp then placed in the two large dumpsters provided in the camp, not at the rest stop. Because of the ever present wind candies and snacks to be carried in your pocket or pack should have wrappers removed and placed in a larger common zip lock bag. Regular water canteens are recommended as disposable water and pop containers will fill our dumpsters fast. We expect to leave this campsite CLEAN.

If rattle snakes are encountered leave them alone or have Adult leaders remove them if they are in camp.

As there will be a lot of people in the camp keep your campsite small.

The high desert may be very hot in the day but gets quite chilly at night. Be prepared for a rapid temperature change when the sun sets.

When attending the evening ceremonies most people will be sitting on the rock. Remember you will have to climb off the rock after dark, take a flashlight, a jacket and a pillow. The pillow will increase the comfort zone considerably. Pick a location you will be comfortable with climbing down from in the dark. We will try turning the stag lights toward the rock when it's time to climb down but that may only blind you. Please leave what little space there is on the ground for the elderly and handicapped. Cub scouts and their families will probably want to be on the lower portions of the rock , with the older boys up higher. If a thunder storm comes through while you are on the rock try to get down before it rains or lightening strikes. The rock becomes very slick when wet. If caught in the rain you may have to stay put until it dries up. Summer storms in the area can be very violent and it is best to avoid being on top where the lightening is most likely to strike. The ground is very sandy in the camp site and absorbs all but the heaviest rain very quickly.

Everyone will probably want to spend some time exploring Independence Rock. Past experience shows most people will want to allow several hours for this. The climb up is moderate to steep and the rock is slick is some shoes. In most places it is rough enough for good traction when dry. Sturdy clothes help protect you if you slip. A walking stick with a rubber tip is very helpful. Keep your camera secured in a padded case as a roll for them down the side can easily destroy them. Watch for the many names that have been etched into the rock by the early pioneers and vandals more recently. It is illegal to mark on the rock now in any manner. Do not run or try to slide off the rock. Use the buddy system or better yet go as a group. I hope to have a large map on top so you can locate the many historical and geological sites that can be seen from on top. The best time to see the old ruts made by the hundreds of thousands of emigrants passing through the area is at sunrise or sunset.

Because some events in our program will be age restricted a list will be published for appropriate activities for Cubs and siblings, however they are welcome to watch the other events. Parents of Cubs and young children will be responsible for keeping them in safe and appropriate activities when not involved in the Cub Program. We do want the younger children to see what the older boys are doing and take part where appropriate.

Leaders and Guests are welcome to take part in the events but remember the boys get served first. Because of the number of boys taking part some events will be limited to one visit (for example muzzle loaders may only get two shots) . Individuals not obeying safety regulations will be asked to leave. We have no room for accidents in our endeavors to have fun. Events for the Boy Scouts will be run midway fashion and Cub Scouts will follow a round robin program as assigned in groups.

If Scout units would like they can travel eight miles to the southwest to the Handcart Center where they can hike to Devils Gate(about one and a half miles round trip) or pull a handcart or hike to Martins Cove (about four miles or two and half hours plus, depending on weather and condition of the hikers). A Museum and restored trappers trading post are also available in addition to the Visitors Center operated by the LDS Church. Should you choose to go, wear your scout uniforms and travel in as few vehicles as possible.

Parking is limited to certain areas and may be some distance from camp. Camp staff will direct you to the best locations. Try to pack your gear so that as many vehicles as possible can go directly to the parking areas. There will be some handcarts available to carry gear to the camp sites. Move your gear as quickly as possible then return the handcarts. Keeping your campsite simple is the key to moving gear in and out of camp. There will be a number of guests working on our activities which may have a lot of gear, help out where you can so everyone can have a good time, including our guests, they are putting a lot of effort into making this an event to remember.

Among our guests we will have many with special talents, hobbies , historical knowledge, political officials, new media and others. Please take time to visit with them and express your gratitude for making this event possible. Hundreds of hours of planning and preparation have brought this all together. We know somewhere we will probably forget a few little things and ask that you bear with us. When it's all over we want to do an evaluation and need your input so we can plan similar events in the future with better success. Please Email comments to the scout office within one month of the activity.

We are still looking for good people to help out with our activities. If you have people in your community who are into mountain men, Native American skills, early pioneer or military skills and costumes feel free to invite them to participate and have them contact the following for more information:

Ron Swanson 686-3868 oldwyoscout@yahoo.com

Mel Fillerup 587-7690 docmel@cowboystate.net

Bill Storey 685-3742 randomizer@hotmail.com

For those who would like to enter the monkey bridge competition you will find the following information critical:

The Sweetwater River is 50 to 60 feet wide. The banks are glacial sand and gravel being rather soft. Steel posts set below the spade will be necessary for anchoring bridges of that size. Unless you want to spend the whole time building the bridge across the water in place it is best to build the bridge ahead of time so all you have to do is pull it across the water and anchor it. Smaller bridges can be built on land but wont be as much fun to cross. Your bridge will need to be identified by troop with a sign. Only one person will be permitted to cross the bridge at a time.

As there will probably be a few things I have missed and there will be questions raised that will need answered, check this site occasionally between now and August for updates.