BOY SCOUT KLONDIKE 2016
February 27, started out sunny at Lighthouse Field, located on Erie Ave across from St. Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia. The Sunshine was deceiving. When the Troops started arriving at 8am, the wind was not more than a strong breeze, but constant across the vast area of the grounds. The newer Scouts had no idea what to expect. They had completed some indoor klondike training at their Troop meetings the weeks leading to the event. Everyone had competition on their mind. You could feel the energy mount with the vocalization of the patrol calls. As everyone waited in their assigned spaces for the magic time of 9am the Scouts wandered and made new friends, met old friends, and practiced their law of Friendly, Courteous, Kind and Cheerful. This day the Troop leaders could be proud of the seed they had sown, and by days end the wind and cold would be forgotten.
The time invested, dedicated to the Scouting program would become more valuable than gold to Midas. The youth led teams would perform beyond their expectations. The youth would be void of this opportunity if not for the Troop leaders, The Leaders void if not for the dedication and involvement of the District,
A program testing skills in the areas of Endurance, Agility, Strength, Courage, and Accuracy engaged the boys. One would think the chill of the wind, and rigors of the stations would slow these youth down. On the Contrary, Patrol yells became more enthusiastic, and vocally louder. With each station they challenged their skills with first aid, Knots, slingshots, and much more. They were involved with a taste of cooking (no pun intended) younger newer Scouts, and Adult Leaders unfamiliar, were amazed..... a cardboard box could be utilized as an oven. WOW! Talk about survival. The Zombie Apocalypse theme was a perfect fit for the SURVIVAL TRAINING venue.
At one point during the day my troop was imitating zombies and really getting into theme. Our seven youth that attended had a great, nay! FANTASTIC TIME! At 8am on Monday I already have had a parental thank you for the experience her Scout keeps talking about. Thank you, to all those who facilitated and made this event possible. Thank You for all you do!
Walt Waholek COR 394 / UNIT COMMISSIONER BSA
|