Waterloo Chronicle, March 18, 2009
The 21st Waterloo Scout Troop won three trophies at the 2009 Owen Sound Winter Scout Camporee.
The annual camporee, now in its 46th year, played host to nearly 400 Scouts from Ontario and nearby American states. The troop won trophies for rescue mission, best campsite, and best overall troop.
The rescue mission is an adventure race in which scouts, who are ages 11 to 14 years old, are tested in giving first aid then transport the casualty to safety on a Klondike sled. Along the way, they are tested in various scouting skills, including knot tying, hill climb, tree identification, and fire lighting.
Scouts are scored for teamwork, skill, and overall time. The Waterloo troop completed the course in 46 minutes.
Back at their campsite, the scouts pitched tents for sleeping and built a large cooking shelter. They used rope to lash cedar poles into an A-frame and put a tarp over the top. They set the A-frame into snow half-walls they had piled up.
The snow was almost a metre deep and the scouts dug shelves into the snow walls to store camping equipment. The innovative shelter design was a big part of winning best campsite. A heated cabin was nearby for back-up.
In their shelter, they prepared their own food including spaghetti, perogies, and lots of hot chocolate and hot cider.
The scouts participated in the many other events at the camporee.
They included an obstacle course, orienteering, log sawing with two-person saws, and fire lighting, in which the troop took second place.
Participation and achievement combined for the win of best overall troop.
At the end of the day, the Scouts did some sledding and skating.
After dinner, the whole camporee went to see the Owen Sound Attack beat the Sudbury Wolves in Ontario Hockey League action.
"Winter camping poses challenges to the scouts," said scoutmaster Liam Morland, "By meeting those challenges, the Scouts learn leadership and teamwork skills, and gain confidence in their ability to achieve their goals."
The 21st Waterloo Scout Troop, which has 24 members, is busy year-round.
"We have a weekend-long bike hike every spring," said Morland.
"This June, they are biking the path along the Niagara River."
For their annual summer camp this year, 21st Waterloo will be going to England. They will be there for two weeks to participate in an international jamboree with Scouts from over 24 countries.
