(Editor’s Note: Cindy Jahn was one of the several adults that recently helped chaperone scouts from Oxford-based Pack 44 on an overnight trip to the U.S.S. Silversides and Maritime Museum in Muskegon, Michigan. The museum preserves, protects and operates a pair of historic vessels: USS Silversides a World War II submarine and United States Coast Guard Cutter McLane, a 1927 vessel. Tours are available. For more information call the museum at 231-755-1230.)
By Cindy Jahn
Special Writer
What an exciting trip this turned out to be. My son (Eric Jahn) and I along with two other families (Stepeks and Clares) started out with a full tank of gas and a lot of conversation. The time seemed to fly by. It’s amazing the kind of conversation a car full of excited boys (and three hours) can chat about.
It took our breath away to see Lake Michigan again. What a sight.
There, sitting in the water, was the U.S.S. Silversides. A total of 93 scouts, parents and siblings from Oxford’s Cub Scout Pack 44 had arrived to learn about America’s most famous surviving submarine of World War II, experiencing a slice of a sailor’s life and spending the night aboard a real submarine.
We saw many relics around the yard, and touched and played with all of it. From compartments to the ‘tin fish?(torpedos) to the guns on the deck.
Our tour was fantastic. We learned many facts from our guide, including the infamous potato hatch.Picking out which bunk we wanted was a tough choice After eating pizza we gathered around the campfire on the main grounds and enjoyed an exciting raffle (which included the most wanted ? glow sticks and glow frisbees) and of course somore’s with special ghost stories.
We actually sat around the captian’s galley, where an emergency appendectomy was performed, and played card, board games and watched movies. ‘Lights out? was at 11p.m.
Settling in the small racks was even more fun. Thanks to our night watch crew, we were all kept safe that Friday night on our spring break 2005. Just another example of what wonderful things scouter are doing. We are celebrating our 75th anniversary of scouting this year and having a remarkable time enjoying it!