Lone Tree Summer Camp

04/18/2026

Amen!

Campfire Yarns from "Scouting for Boys"

Yarn No. 2: The Scout Law or A Code of Honor

In the first part of the book "Scouting for Boys," Baden-Powell cites his experience during the Siege of Mafeking (1899–1900) to demonstrate how training young boys can help them shoulder responsibility and serve the community.

During the siege, with the men occupied in defense, a need arose for people to handle daily tasks within the city. Consequently, a group of boys was organized into what became known as "Mafeking Cadet Corps." They were assigned tasks such as:
- Delivering messages between various positions.
- Acting as orderlies and messengers.
- Assisting in public services throughout the city.
These boys used bicycles to move quickly and performed their duties with high efficiency despite the dangers, allowing the soldiers to focus entirely on combat.

Through this experience, Baden-Powell emphasizes that if boys are given trust and training, they can carry responsibility and perform useful work with seriousness and discipline. He noted that they sometimes performed their duties with greater precision than professional soldiers because their motivation was internal, stemming from a commitment to their word.

Empowerment in Scouting Training
This yarn represents the practical application of self-regulation through:
- Positive Reinforcement: The Scout Law, as framed by Baden-Powell, was not a list of prohibitions (don't lie, don't steal). Instead, it was a list of positives ("A Scout is truthful," "A Scout is useful"). This shift changes the trainee's psychological identity from someone avoiding mistakes to someone striving for excellence.
- The Internal Compass: Through the Scout Promise, a leader builds independence within the Scout. A Scout who internalizes the Law possesses a compass that guides them to the right decision even in the leader's absence, enhancing self-confidence and leadership skills.
- Safety Through Values: When everyone adheres to the same law ("A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout"), an environment of absolute psychological safety is created within the patrol. Bullying vanishes, replaced by cooperation and appreciation.

Turning the Law into Reality
To instill the principles of the Scout Law in the soul, the following activities are suggested:
- Honor Scenario Workshop: Present difficult situations to Scouts (e.g., finding a lost wallet when the patrol needs money). Ask them to identify which point of the Scout Law applies and how it directs their behavior.
- Visualized Patrol Law: Ask each patrol to design a poster or visual aid representing the ten points of the Law, linking each point to a situation they experienced during camp, turning words into living memories.
- Mutual Appreciation: At the end of the day (during the campfire or reflection session), instead of a closing speech by the leader, ask the Scouts to mention instances where they saw their peers practicing a point of the Law during the day.

The Scout Law is not a set of chains that restrict a boy, but a map for character building. Our goal as leaders and educators is for this Law to be written in hearts before it is printed in books, serving as the primary driver for every action a Scout takes.

Written by Leader / Amer M Safi
Scout Trainer - Kuwait Scout Association
Kuwait, Apr 16th, 2026

04/18/2026

spotted at Lone Tree!

04/07/2026

YOUR chance to live the dream!

Own the kind of property that does not come along twice.

A rare waterfront property with a story to tell. Formerly a Boy Scout camp established in 1946, Lone Tree spans 122 acres in Kingston, NH, offering legacy, infrastructure, and extraordinary future potential — all just minutes from major routes and within easy reach of Boston.
Listed at $3,200,000

Contact us today for more information.
Paul Herrick (978) 979-7900
Nicholas Zolotas (978) 968-0308

Paul J Herrick Nicholas Zolotas

03/12/2026

Winter Camping at Lone Tree, 2016. These new cross-overs learned a TON that weekend - and the experienced scouts were AMAZING leading skills stations! I remember the axe they trained on being bigger than them.

10/18/2025

Always a melancholy day at camp…

10/04/2025

🤘🏻

NFL star David Montgomery hopes to inspire parents and families with his gameday outfit at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

10/01/2025

Anybody remember this?!

09/21/2025

09/17/2025

kids could sure use more of this today…

The founding of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910 was a landmark moment in youth development and education in the United States. Inspired by the scouting movement in Britain, the organization aimed to teach boys practical skills, self-reliance, leadership, and civic responsibility through outdoor activities, camping, and community service. Early programs emphasized first aid, knot-tying, navigation, and nature study, fostering both physical and moral development. The Boy Scouts also promoted values such as honesty, citizenship, and service, encouraging young men to contribute positively to their communities. Rapidly growing across the nation, the organization became a model for structured youth programs and played a key role in shaping the character and skills of generations of American boys. Its legacy continues today in leadership development and civic engagement initiatives.

09/06/2025

This about sums up the immeasurable value of Lone Tree, and our mission every day. One person at a time.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Zs2o3W3A7/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Every Tuesday I found a boy’s crumpled homework in my trash. One night, he told me farmers were worthless—like me.

I’ve lived seventy-two years on this patch of dirt. My name’s Ray. Folks around here call me “the old farmer with the broken barn,” and that’s fair enough. My wife’s gone, my kids grown, and most days it’s just me, the cows, and this stubborn land that refuses to quit.

What people don’t know is that, for months, I’ve been finding someone else’s life tossed into my feed sacks and trash barrel. Crumpled notebooks. Torn math worksheets. English essays with red F’s bleeding across the page. At first I thought it was just wind carrying scraps from the school down the road. Then I noticed the same handwriting, always scrawled in anger:

“I’m dumb.”

“Nobody cares.”

“School is useless.”

It punched a hole in my chest every time. Because once upon a time, I was that kid. Teachers said my hands were good for milking cows, not holding pencils. My father said, “Brains don’t grow corn.” And I believed him, until it was too late.

One night, I caught him. The boy. Standing by my shed under the security light, clutching another ripped page. His name was Tommy, the neighbor kid, twelve years old, freckles and too-big sneakers.

“What are you doing with my trash?” I barked, trying not to scare him.

He flinched but snapped back: “It’s not trash, it’s my homework. Dad says I’ll end up like you anyway—digging dirt, nothing to show for it.”

I froze. Like me. Worthless. Dirt.

I didn’t yell. I didn’t chase him off. I just let him run, his voice echoing long after he was gone.

That night I sat at the table with an old seed bag beside me. Pulled out a Sharpie. Wrote on the back:

“This seed looks useless. But give it sun, water, time—it feeds the world. Don’t throw yourself away.”

I tucked the note and a handful of kernels into the barrel where he always left his papers. Felt foolish, like a farmer writing fairy tales to the night.

Next day, it was gone.

The following week, there was another sheet in the barrel. Math problems, half-wrong. At the bottom, written in shaky pencil: “How can a seed be smart?”

I grinned. Wrote back: “Fractions are seeds too. Slice a pie into 4. Eat 1, that’s 1/4. Even a farmer knows that.”

And so it began. A secret exchange. Him throwing broken pieces of himself into my trash. Me sending them back stitched with hope.

He confessed he couldn’t spell “because.” I circled it and wrote: “You spelled it right this time. Keep going.”

He said his dad called farmers dumb. I scribbled: “My dirt puts food on his table. Dumb don’t do that.”

Week by week, his words softened. He started signing them: “Tommy.” And one day, tucked beside the page, was a candy wrapper folded into the shape of a star.

But secrets don’t stay buried long in small towns.

His father stormed over one Saturday, red-faced, fists like hammers. “You stay the hell out of my boy’s head! He don’t need farmer nonsense. School’s already enough of a joke without you filling him with lies.”

I didn’t raise my voice. Just said: “Your boy’s not broken. He just needs someone to believe it.”

That was enough. He spat at the dirt and left.

It should’ve ended there. But the next week, another note showed up in the barrel. Shakier handwriting, but determined:

“He says you’re wrong. But I think seeds are smart. Because they don’t give up, even in bad soil.”

My throat burned. The boy was fighting for himself now.

Months passed. Then, in spring, the school held a parent night. I wasn’t planning to go—farmers don’t belong in classrooms—but one of the teachers, Mrs. Carter, stopped by my gate.

“You should come,” she said gently. “There’s something you’ll want to hear.”

So I went. Sat in the back with dirt still under my nails, trying to disappear into the folding chair.

They had the kids read essays aloud. When Tommy’s turn came, he walked to the front, clutching a paper. His voice shook but carried across the gym:

“My hero is Farmer Ray. He taught me that seeds look small, but they feed the world. He taught me that being smart isn’t just about grades—it’s about not giving up. He taught me farmers aren’t dumb. They’re the reason we eat. When I grow up, I want to be both: a student, and a man who works the land.”

The room went silent. His father stared at the floor. The teacher wiped her eyes. And me? I sat in the back, fists pressed to my knees, trying not to break apart.

Afterward, Tommy slipped me a folded page. Inside was a drawing: a stalk of corn with roots tangled deep, and next to it a boy holding a book. Underneath, one line: “Thank you for seeing me.”

I walked home under the stars, his words heavier than any sack of feed I’d ever carried.

People think changing the world takes money, degrees, or power. Truth is, sometimes it takes nothing more than a stubborn farmer and a few scribbled notes in the trash.

Tommy doesn’t know everything yet. Neither do I. But we both know this: seeds grow when someone bothers to plant them.

And kids? They’re the most important crop we’ll ever tend.

So before you dismiss a farmer, or a janitor, or anyone who works with their hands—remember: without us, the world starves. And before you dismiss a kid struggling with fractions—remember: they just need one person to believe.

I believed. And now he believes.

That’s how you grow a future. One seed. One boy. One note at a time.

07/23/2025

“…the brightness of new birth…”

06/27/2025

The world lost the best Good Man this week, truly a beacon, best described by the Scout Law:
-Trustworthy
-Loyal
-Helpful
-Friendly
-Courteous
-Kind
-Obedient
-Cheerful
-Thrifty
-Brave
-Clean
-Reverent

View Arthur J. Towne's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.