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Iredell Scouts gather for Camporee
Photo by Megan Sprague
Scouts play the Korean game called Ja-chigi at Camporee.
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Published: October 18, 2009
Despite chilly weather and mud from the previous night's rain, Boy Scout troops from around Iredell County gathered to camp, learn and laugh at Allison Woods for the Gemstone District Fall 2009 Camporee.
"The Camporee is a tradition we've been doing for years," said Scout Master Frank Rapp. "We hold it twice a year to compete against other Scouts in the area, show off skills the kids learned throughout the year and it builds teamwork and communication skills in a fun way."
The gathering, he said, reinforces their value system of being trustworthy and loyal while helping them become positive members of the community.
"It emphasizes that they're not the only ones out there participating in Scouts and builds relationships," he said.
About 420 Boy Scouts, including 100 Webelos, participated in the Camporee. The theme of the event was "Scouting Around the World."
The older Scouts run the games and activities at the event, and figure out how to score the younger Scouts.
The Scouts went from station to station and acted out scenarios like a skiing accident in Switzerland that left skiers with broken bones and other injuries. In Scotland, the scouts played golf with Wiffle balls and clubs they made. In Siberia, they were caught in a blinding snow storm and had to put up a tent with their eyes covered.
But the overwhelming favorite was the stop in Korea, where the Scouts played a traditional game called Ja-chigi, which is similar to baseball.
"It's really cool," said Aston Johnson, an 11-year-old Scout with troop 609, who loved the game. "They dug a ditch out over there and you hit this piece of wood as far as you can."
Eleven-year-old Ajay Romeo, another Scout from 609, said he liked the Camporee because "you see kids you never knew were in Scouts and you meet new friends."
Aaron Overcash, a five-year Scout, added that the Camporee lets the younger kids use skills that will get them ready to be Scouts.
"In the future, the Webelos will do a lot more stuff like the activities we're doing today," he said. "I like being able to help the others learn."
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