As a Scoutmaster, I would occasionally get a new eleven year old Scout. On his first outing I would have him help fix our Dutch Oven breakfast. I would have him load the charcoal into the chimney and light it. He would warm his hands. Then we would prepare the food for a farmers breakfast
- 18 Eggs
- A package of Hashbrown potatoes
- A package of Smokies sausage
- 2 Green Chilis
- A package of shredded cheese
- quarter cup of water
- 12 Inch Dutch Oven
We would place the hashbrown potatoes in and the add the sausage and the eggs. We would slice and dice the chili peppers, and the sausage, if needed. We would then add the cheese on top, and then add the Dutch oven lid to the pot.
We would place two sheets of Aluminum Foil on the ground on the ground to place the Dutch Oven and the charcoals.
We would place 15 (Diameter + 3) charcoals on top and place 9 (Diameters – 3) charcoals underneath. the oven. Once the Dutch oven is placed, it is turned a quarter of a turn every quarter hour. The young scout goes off and plays. In about 45 minutes we call the new Scout over and open the Dutch Oven, It should be about done. We call all the Scouts in, asking them to bring their mess kits.
After prayer, the new Scout serves breakfast. He gets a lot of compliments for such a good breakfast. This sets a pattern for his Scouting career. The next day at church, with the new Scout in tow, we go and visit with the new Scouts parents, and tell them what a great job their son did in cooking breakfast for the Troop. The new Scout is beaming, while the parents are shaking their heads saying “You can’t be talking about my son”. This creates credibility for the Troop and gets the boy excited about Scouting.