SECOND CLASS SCOUT

2b. On one of these campouts, select your patrol site and sleep in a tent that you pitched.

In the early days of our country, you could have camped almost any- where. There were not many people. Towns, roads, and open fields were scarce. The demands on the land were few. The needs of a growing nation have turned much of that undeveloped territory into farms and cities. Dams have tamed many rivers to provide power, and many forests have been used to produce lumber for construc- tion and pulp for making paper.

The open country that remains is home to a rich variety of animals and plants. It supplies clean water for everyone to drink and it freshens the air we breathe. When we want to get away from the cities, we have the freedom to enjoy parks, forests, and Scout camps across the nation. With that freedom comes a duty to care for the environment. That means enjoying the outdoors, learning from it, and then leaving it as we found it. Scouts call this no-trace hiking and camping. On outings with your patrol and troop, you will discover how to enjoy the outdoors with- out leaving any signs you were there.

For guidelines on choosing a patrol campsite and sleeping in a tent you have pitched, see chapter 9, "Camping," pages 232-241 . For more on the wise use of the outdoors, see the Outdoor Code, page 219.