Scouts attend West point camporee

BY KADEN KAMBAK
Lake Frederick, NY — In May, Sparta Boy Scout Troop 150 headed to the West Point Scoutmaster Camporee. This is a yearly event that the Cadet Scoutmasters' Council hosts at Lake Frederick for approximately 6,000 scouts from more than 200 different Boy and Girl Scout troops.
The first morning at West Point started with early morning physical training, a good breakfast prepared by the individual patrols, then off to watch the cadets do opening ceremonies. Helicopters flew over the open field as the Black Knight parachute team jumped out with the American flag and smoke trailing behind them. Scouts then proceeded to stations to be tested on different skills. One of the stations was the ranger challenge, where a team of four carry a person on a stretcher, move on to crawling under rope lines, carrying heavy water jugs to the climbing wall, and once you are over the wall the challenge is complete.
Another station tested the scouts by doing memory challenges such as placing items under a tarp, giving you a few seconds to look at the items, cover it back up and then have you list the times under the tarp. This particular skill was a lot harder than it sounds. The day was closed out with patrols cooking their dinner, then off to the scout favorite. The giant bonfire where a DJ plays the music and the scouts dance. The last morning at West Point consists of Troops getting awards for best performance at the skill stations and closing ceremonies.
When asked what he thought of the camporee, first class scout Ezra Cook said, “West Point was a great experience for anyone who enjoys adventure and having fun.”
Sparta Troop 150 meets at 7 pm on Mondays at the Sparta United Methodist Church. For more information visit spartatroop150.org or like us on facebook at Sparta Troop 150-BSA.
Kambak is a first class scout and Troop 150 journalist.