Clark Boy Scout Troop 145 Competes in Munsee District Klondike Derby

The Munsee District's Boy Scout Klondike Derby was held at “The Loop” in Watchung Reservation on Saturday, February 12.  Boy Scouts from Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Springfield, Union, and Winfield Park participated in the day-long event. 

Sixteen Boy Scouts from Clark Troop 145 competed with two separate patrols, the "Rangers" and the "Master Chiefs" against other district troops and patrols. 

The boys in each patrol provided the steam and muscle, acting as dogsled huskies, as they pulled specially designed, homemade sleds around a field course marked by stations named for arctic towns or cities:  Shaktoolic, Koyuk, Ruby, Kaltag, Nome, and Nulato.  The boys' sleds were packed by the boys with any supplies they believed they might need at the stops around the course.

At each “town,” patrols tackled an exercise in problem-solving, a skill contest or other survival or teamwork task.  All competing patrols or teams earned points at each station for their success at mastering the problems or challenges with which they were presented.

A Little Klondike History:  Just before the turn of the last century, gold prospectors traveled the sub-zero reaches of Alaska by means of dogs and sleds. They camped out in all kinds of winter weather, and therefore needed adequate survival skills, which they learned from the native Eskimos. Scouting has incorporated this theme into the annual Klondike Derby events.

The point of a Boy Scouts’ Klondike Derby, usually held in late winter, is to force Scouts to use their heads, to put the Scouting skills they’ve learned to work in the field, to demonstrate teamwork and Scout spirit, and to have fun outdoors on winter days.

The field course of 7 towns was laid out over the expanse of the Watchung Loop. As the Patrols arrived at each town, they demonstrated their Scout spirit by giving their patrol yell. They encountered practical problems involving basic Scouting skills.  Depending on how well the team worked out this problem, they were awarded points by town observers.  The towns’ themes included Pioneering, Engineering, Cooking, First Aid, Wilderness Survival, Emergency Preparedness, Orienteering, and Camping.

The highlight of the cooking town, Shaktoolic, required the patrol to use their fire-building skills, cooking skills, and teamwork skills to safely prepare and cook a nutritional meal for their entire patrol. The Scouts of the “Rangers” and “Master Chiefs” patrols from troop 145 are seen lugging their heavy loads, working on firebuilding skills and  having some collegial fun as they prepared their meals in the attached photos.

Boy Scout Troop 145 is made up of approximately 40 Boy Scouts who meet at the American Legion in Clark every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.  Troop 145 is a very active troop that sponsors camping trips monthly and other educational, physically challenging and skill-building outings throughout the year.  Because the troop is very active, it encourages, mentors and provides the opportunity for scouts to earn several badges and ultimately achieve the rank of Eagle Scout,  the highest rank attainable in Boy Scouts.  

Boys between the ages of 11 and 17 are always welcome and encouraged to come to any troop meeting with a parent for further information.