Troop 8 Participates in Klondike Derby

Over 15 scouts from Troop 8 in Chatham competed in the Fishawack District's annual Klondike Derby held on Saturday, February 4th at Camp Sacajawea in the Mount Allamuchy Scout Reservation.  Due to the recent warmer weather and rain, there was no snow, however, the scouts were still able to use their custom made sleds to travel from town to town in the fictitious area called Kodiak demonstrating their Boy Scout skills.

The Klondike Derby is a day-long event around a designated course of "towns" in Kodiak which tests leadership, teamwork, and skills in such things as orienteering, First Aid, sled skills, outdoor cooking, knot tying, nature, starting and maintaining a fire, and boiling water.  Points are awarded to the sleds with the fastest completion times and most accurate skills.  

Each sled elects a patrol leader whose job it is to motivate, lead, and support the team.  The most successful sleds are those who have practiced the skills prior to the Derby and have found ways to use each of the scouts' strengths to complete the tasks.  

This year, Troop 8 had 1 Senior Sled and 1 Junior Sled enrolled in the competition.

The sleds contain all the supplies and equipment needed for the teams to complete each town's task and are dragged or pushed from location to location.  The sled design is reminiscent of the explorers of old, however, they now contain both skis and wheels on the bottom.  Teamwork to navigate the sleds through the rough terrain is a must.  The scouts have to use not only strength and intelligence but also common sense to be the most successful and to earn the most points.

Eighteen adults from Troop 8 assisted in running the different stations and found the day eventful and entertaining.  "It's always amazing to me to see how young boys can form a team and delegate tasks without adult help," said Eduard Mostert, 2012Honorary Mayor of Kodiak.  "They are really able to apply  Boy Scout life skills in order to succeed.  It is really a fun day, despite the cold and lack of snow," he continued.

Troop 8 in Chatham invites boys, 11 to 15 years old that are interested in joining Boy Scouts, to a troop meeting at Ogden Memorial Presbyterian Church on Monday evening, March 5th at 7:00 PM (First Monday in March).  No prior scouting experience is needed and parents are encouraged to attend the meeting as well.  Anyone interested can contact the Scoutmaster, Marty Foy (973-864-4810) or Assistant Scoutmasters, Eduard Mostert (917-335-8639) or Mark Twentyman (210-572-3855) for more information.