On October 23, 24, and 25, Troop 1 Katonah attended the 2009 Combined Fall Camporee, consisting of both Manitoga and Muscoot districts. When arriving at Durland Scout Reservation Friday night, troops set up camp in a number of campsites, ranging from down in the 30's to way up in the 40's. Saturday morning, both districts assembled their troops at Campsite 37 for the opening ceremonies, where they were assigned their patrol numbers, and starting stations. After some opening remarks from Otto, patrols were dismissed and sent off to hit the trail and compete for the highest score.
The skill stations included First Aid where patrols had to tend to a fallen patrol leader who suffered from a compound upper arm fracture; Signaling in which patrols had to decifer a Morse code message sent by wig-wag; Cooking which required patrols to make a meal from scratch using tinfoil techniques on a bed of coals; and Maps and Trail Signs where patrols had to follow a course of "blazes" and Scout trail signs to reach a message at the end. We also competed in a Pioneering station where all of the troops assembled and each built an A-frame structure and linked them together to form a ring aroung the ceremonial campfire ring. That evening, each troop brought down their troop flag and hung it from their frame, displaying 15 flags from two districts.
Events ended a little earlier than usual because severe weather was expected. Some troops elected to head home early. That night, a monsoon struck camp, flooding out a couple of troops, leading to the cancellation of the big campfire in which skits would be performed, awards handed out, and the flag stands be shown off. Our troop managed to stay warm and dry throughout the storm, even though we were stuck inside our tents.
The next morning, everyone made their way back to Campsite 37 for the closing ceremony and remarks from Otto. A twenty foot tower was built by some of the senior Scouts the day before, and Otto conducted the closing ceremony from a platform high above the fire ring. A short prayer service was held, the scores were announced, and all of the Scouts recieved candy as a reward for a job well done. Troop 1 Katonah ended up sharing first prize, tying for top position with Ossining Troop 49 from the Manitoga district.
Even though the weekend was a little rainy, we managed to field three patrols in the competition. Everyone had a good time and we're now looking forward to the winter Klondike Derby!
The skill stations included First Aid where patrols had to tend to a fallen patrol leader who suffered from a compound upper arm fracture; Signaling in which patrols had to decifer a Morse code message sent by wig-wag; Cooking which required patrols to make a meal from scratch using tinfoil techniques on a bed of coals; and Maps and Trail Signs where patrols had to follow a course of "blazes" and Scout trail signs to reach a message at the end. We also competed in a Pioneering station where all of the troops assembled and each built an A-frame structure and linked them together to form a ring aroung the ceremonial campfire ring. That evening, each troop brought down their troop flag and hung it from their frame, displaying 15 flags from two districts.
Events ended a little earlier than usual because severe weather was expected. Some troops elected to head home early. That night, a monsoon struck camp, flooding out a couple of troops, leading to the cancellation of the big campfire in which skits would be performed, awards handed out, and the flag stands be shown off. Our troop managed to stay warm and dry throughout the storm, even though we were stuck inside our tents.
The next morning, everyone made their way back to Campsite 37 for the closing ceremony and remarks from Otto. A twenty foot tower was built by some of the senior Scouts the day before, and Otto conducted the closing ceremony from a platform high above the fire ring. A short prayer service was held, the scores were announced, and all of the Scouts recieved candy as a reward for a job well done. Troop 1 Katonah ended up sharing first prize, tying for top position with Ossining Troop 49 from the Manitoga district.
Even though the weekend was a little rainy, we managed to field three patrols in the competition. Everyone had a good time and we're now looking forward to the winter Klondike Derby!
—Kyle W., Troop Historian