Winter Adventures with Troop 38 and 638

By Scoutmaster Patrick —

When the mercury drops and people do their best to keep warm during the middle of winter, the scouts from Troops 38 and 638 decided this was a great time to go camping and put their scout skills to the test. During this event, not only were their winter camping abilities challenged, but they also competed in various scout-related activities against over 150 other scouts from around New York in an event called a “Klondike Derby.”

If you are unfamiliar with what a Scout Klondike Derby is, essentially, it is a patrol of Scouts (five to seven youth) pulling what looks like a small dog racing sled to over 10 different activity stations where they use equipment from their sleds and their knowledge to compete in a variety of activities such as: First Aid, Wood Cutting, Tomahawk Throwing, Scout “Curling”, Fire Building (with flint and steel), group skiing, sled racing and more. 

At each activity, scouts are timed and scored as they compete against other patrols. In the end, awards are handed out for the winners of each activity. This month, Troop 38 and Troop 638 attended separate Klondike Derbys. Troop 38 went to Camp Scout Haven in Freedom, N.Y. (near Letchworth State Park), while the girls from Troop 638 traveled to Ellis Hollow Community Center in Ithaca, N.Y. for their competition. 

Whereas many troops just compete in this day-long event, since Scouthaven is 2.5 hours away, Troop 38 decided to travel up on Friday and spend two nights. When arriving at camp, scouts were given the option of either pitching a tent and sleeping in there or sleeping in a wood-heated Lean-To for the night.

The temperature was about 15 degrees that night (dropping to about 5 degrees in the morning) not including wind chill, so most scouts stayed in the lean-to where the wood stove kept them dry and warm through the night.  However, one younger scout and two scoutmasters dug down through 18 inches of snow to find ground to set up and sleep in individual tents for the night. In the morning, scouts worked together to make their breakfast, pack the Klondike Sled with supplies, and walk a mile down the hill to where the program began.

The Troop 38 Scorpion Patrol decided to start the day off by competing in building fires. In under 10 minutes in this cold weather, the scouts, using only flint and steel, started a fire and burned a piece of string about 15 inches off the ground. After that, they moved from station to station as they tied knots, used a cross-cut two-person saw to cut through a log, “ice” fished, balanced logs, threw tomahawks, moved a distance as a patrol using “land skis”, “curled” a scout on a sled for a distance, and completed a First Aid Challenge.

At some point during the day, they hiked back up a mile to the campsite, prepared and ate lunch (grilled cheese) and hiked back to finish the day. The last event was a Sled Pulling race and an award ceremony that followed. That evening, the scouts hiked back up to the camp, made a chili dinner, and retired to the lean-to or tents for the night. 

The Scout motto is “Be Prepared,” and basic first aid skills are one way they live up to that philosophy. Chances are, if you are reading this, you are connected to the Owego area where the troops meet.

Out of over 200 scouts grouped in 20-plus patrols, you can feel safer knowing that the Scouts in Troop 38 took second place in the First Aid event!  It is also very important to note that even though the scouts were outside in 20 degree weather all weekend, they were very prepared with the correct combination of winter clothing, boots, hats, and gloves, so all of them stayed warm throughout the weekend. 

The next weekend, Troop 638 participated in a different Klondike Derby.  The girls from the Purple Turtles patrol drove to Ithaca, N.Y. to compete in a day event doing similar activities.  These activities included Tug-of-War against a patrol from another troop, a memory game, and a cooking competition where they were provided with unknown ingredients to combine with food they brought in, which they had to make a meal that would be judged by the staff.

The entire day was spent outside in the heart of winter. To keep warm, the girls prepared themselves by dressing properly and taking advantage of campfires and the hot lunch they prepared on a small camp stove. They met new scout friends from about 20 different troops, and out of the 20 troops, the girls from Troop 638 here in Owego took third overall in the Klondike competition.

As mentioned above, to compete in “scout-related skills” and place in the top 5 in any event is amazing. To do this when it is sub-freezing out in the middle of winter is incredible. And, most importantly, they had fun!

The next campout, planned for February, will be an Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding event at Greek Peak Mountain Resort. Want to join in the adventures? If you or someone you know is interested in Scouts BSA, there are two troops and a Cub Scout Pack in Owego that would welcome all youth.

The programs that Troop 38 (for boys) and Troop 638 (for girls) offer in Owego are for youths aged 11-17.  Cub Scout Pack 37’s programming is designed for youth (boys and girls) under the age of 11. Contact scouttroop38@gmail.com for more information about any of the aforementioned programs.