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Encyclopedia WinterCampica - Suggest Change
Current Entry: Alien Invasion Challenge
The lesson learned from the Alien Invasion Challenge at Winter Camp XXXV might best be summarized as "If extraterrestrials ever attack the Earth, fighting them off with bows and arrows may not be the best strategy." A more cynical view, expressed on The Face on the evening of Day Two, would be "If extraterrestrials ever attack the Earth, we should sacrifice the youth and hope that the adults can negotiate with them."
The collective response of the Defenders of the Earth to the new challenge was successful in the short run and eventually rescued the planet by night's end. Part 1 of the challenge was an experiment in cryptography, as a series of exercises devised by Ethan Rein with the assistance of South Africa's Webelos program trained Winter Campers in some of the intricacies of codebreaking, which led to the discovery that extraterrestrials were plotting an invasion and were expected to place communication devices later that evening at Aspen Grove and Little Prairie campsites.
The targets having been identified, Winter Camp prepared for this invasion by crafting special flaming arrows to be used in the event of a successful and hostile alien visit. As further preparation for the anticipated invasion, a spirited round of war games was played in the Beaver Creek highlands, and the assembled Winter Campers entered the evening hours ready for battle with whatever enemy might present itself.
That opportunity came quickly. After a pair of blind hikes, one to each of the indicated invasion sites, the alien communicator devices were found and destroyed without the benefit of sight. With victory thought to be close at hand, Winter Camp's defense force took up their arrows and proceeded to The Face, there to confront the aliens and rescue humanity yet again. Several alien targets were illuminated downslope, but the clout shooting efforts initially proved far short of the mark, and our alien enemies doubtless had many good laughs at what we called an assault.
The last laugh was to be human, however. Improvisation has been the key to many Winter Camp successes, and tonight was no different. Using the hastily-conceived strategy of moving each volley forward to the lighted region of the previous one, Earth's representatives successfully moved down the slope and took out the alien stronghold, saving the day.