From staff reports
The Colonel Drake District of the French Creek Council of Boy Scouts of America held its High Adventure Klondike Derby on Saturday at the Custaloga Town Scout Reservation in Carlton.
The event was hosted by Boy Scout Troop 51 of Clarion.
Jodie Chittester, the Colonel Drake District training chair, said “a dense layer of snow, temperatures in the 30s and bright rays of sunshine created the perfect environment” for Scout packs and troops that competed in the Klondike Derby.
A total of 85 Scouts from the French Creek Council competed, and 55 adult Scout leaders were on hand to assist.
This year’s event was themed around the four Boy Scout national high adventure bases. They are the Northern Tier (Ely, Minnesota), Sea Base (Islamorada, Florida), Philmont Scout Ranch (Cimarron, New Mexico) and Summit Bechtel Reserve (Beckley, West Virginia).
The skill challenge stations included fire building, shelter building, knots and lashings, water rescue, axe throwing, first aid, semaphore flagging, “horseback” riding and team cross country skiing.
Chittester said the most difficult challenge required teams to rig rope and pulley safety lines and successfully lower their sled and team members down a steep hillside near the Adirondack camping area.
After competing all day, scouts gathered in the Custaloga Town dining hall for hotdogs, hot chocolate, fellowship and the awards ceremony.
This year’s winning teams were:
- Cub Scout division (10-12 year olds) — First and second place teams both from Clarion Pack 51
- Scouts BSA Division (11-18 year olds) — First place, Hydetown Troop 97; Second place, Clarion Troop 51; Third place, Cochranton Troop 836
As the first place team, Hydetown Troop 97 will host next year’s derby.
Anyone interested in joining Scouts BSA and perhaps competing in next year’s derby is asked to contact the French Creek Council Office at (814) 868-5571 to find the nearest troop.
Scouts BSA is open to all youth, male and female, ages 5 to 21.
More information is also available at www.scouting.org