The Minsi Trails Council held a weeklong day camp for Cub Scouts in the Palmerton Memorial Park last week.

Cub Scouts from Palmerton, Lehighton, Jim Thorpe, Parkland and five other surrounding communities came together each day for a pirate-themed week where they made crafts and learned new skills.In keeping with the pirate theme, the 28 Scouts built birds out of toilet paper rolls, as well as eye patches and pirate hats.On Tuesday, the Scouts built their own bottle rockets and regatta boats, which they later raced.Teresa Balak, one of the camp's program directors, said the camp was meant to help Scouts advance and have a good time."They're going to be working toward their rank badges throughout the week, but most of camp is about fun," she said.Program director Greg Borowski, Quality Unit Executive for the North Valley district of the Minsi Trails Council, helped spearhead the entire camp."I was in charge of developing the program. A few weeks before it actually started I met with Teresa to put together the program, packets of instructions for leaders so they knew what to do," he said."During the camp I'm floating around, leading wherever necessary to make sure the kids are having a great time."Scouts learned about engineering, trusses and structuring by building gumdrop and marshmallow bridges, as well as by learning how to launch the rockets they built on Thursday.The Scouts also played tag, went swimming, learned knot tying, shot arrows and BB guns, and learned how to make ice cream in addition to the pirate-themed events during the week.Balak said that the children get a lot out of experiences like the camp as Cub Scouts."Scouting teaches the kids respect, how to have fun, how to treat each other nicely, how to get along, team-building, how to work well with others, and how to be clean, brave and reverent."Borowski said the most rewarding part of his job at the camp was seeing the kids have fun."They're smiling, which puts a smile on my face as well."