Zombies invade Boy Scout Camporee

Last month, Boy Scout Troop 66 attended the Zombie Camporee at Monmouth Council’s Quail Hill Scout Reservation. The Camporee was a fun weekend for all Monmouth Council Scouts, and consisted of many different activities, events and stations. In addition to a Chili Cook Off, and individual scout scored events such as BB Guns, Archery, and Tomahawk Throwing, the Scouts also visited various stations to showcase their skills and abilities.

By far the most popular Patrol event was the Coffin Race! Coffins were to be constructed following specific guidelines as laid out by Monmouth Council. Each Coffin must have had a maximum of 3’10” width by 8’ length and had to have 4 firmly attached wheels. The Coffin race was 50 yards long on a dirt road, with 4 Scouts acting as runners pushing the coffin and 1 Scout inside the coffin acting as the driver. According to our paperwork, coffins not passing inspection would not be allowed to race.

Troop 66 was not worried about passing inspection because our coffin was a REAL COFFIN! That’s right folks, you read it right! Troop 66 was prepared with a real coffin, graciously donated by the John F. Pfleger Funeral Home (http://www.pflegerfh.com) located in Middletown, NJ. One of the Troop fathers is a licensed Funeral Director and when he mentioned the Coffin Race at work one day, Evan Pfleger, the Manager, decided to donate a display model casket that was being replaced.

One of the Troop Committee Members outfitted the coffin with wheels and a steering pole and it was ready to race. 4 of the older Scouts were chosen as runners and the lightest Scout was picked to be the driver. When Troop 66 unveiled the Coffin, it was a sight to behold! All the Scouts were dying to get into the coffin, even though the seat was a little stiff. Our Troop did have the coolest Coffin, and although we may have come in dead last, a ghoul time was had by all. After all, its the spirit that counts in Coffin Races!