This is the ultimate test if you are a swimmer.  Imagine coming home from camp and telling your folks that you swam one continuous mile without stopping. We bet they will be impressed. 

If you prepare by swimming every day at camp and you take your time, the Mile Swim is not as difficult as it sounds.  The best strokes to swim for long distances are the breaststroke, sidestroke and elementary backstroke.  Pick a buddy in your troop who swims close to your own skill level.

The Mile Swim is held on Friday afternoon at camp.  Come down to the waterfront by 2:45 p.m.  You will receive instruction and get your Mile Swim number marked on your hand.  The course is laid out with a rope in the cove approximately 1/10th of a mile long.  Tied to the rope are canoes with trained camp staff members inside to guard and assist you. You and your buddy swim down one side of the canoes and then swim back on the other side.  You are never more than 20 feet away from a canoe.  Go around five times -- each time reporting your hand number to the camp staff member -- and you're home free.

The Mile Swim is open to all Scouts who are swimmers. Many first-year campers Swim the Mile, so give it a try.