The Boy Scouts of the Matinecock District headed locally to find perfect weather for their annual Polar Bear Camporee – and they found it at Baiting Hollow Scout Camp in Wading River during the Jan. 25-27 weekend’s adventures where the temperatures fluctuated between a “balmy” 28 degrees during the daytime and a “cool” 18 degrees overnight.
The 484 youth and their adult volunteer Scouting leaders from 24 Boy Scout troops (including the host troops) in the Town of Huntington and western Smithtown Township participated in the event. Competing at thirteen Scouting skills stations, there were also the opportunities for ten of the adult volunteers to participate in the Youth Protection leader’s training being offered on Saturday.
As the host troops for the Polar Bear, the Scouts of Troop 360 (Huntington) and Troop 403 (Commack) developed and ran each of the station activities, following the weekend’s theme of “Arctic Luau.” Scored by their contemporaries, the Scouts in each of the 45 patrols participated at thirteen different “locations” where they took part in competitions in fire building, pioneering, and knot tying, teamwork, a first-aid and stretcher-carry event, communications, leadership, and an obstacle course – testing Scouting skills and teamwork at each station. While Scouts ran the events, adults were there to watch and help if needed. In each station, cooperation and teamwork received more points than simply completing the task.
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The Scouts enjoyed the challenges of the Polar Bear Camporee by being properly prepared. They cooked hot meals at their individual campsites, and all troops–including the host troop - camped in the weather in tents, cabins, or lean-tos. On Saturday night, following Catholic Mass and a Jewish Scout’s Halvdalah (end of the Sabbath Day) service, the campfire program was held in the main dining hall where Scout patrols performed various songs and skits.
The Matinecock District troops that participated in the annual Polar Bear Camporee included: Huntington’s Troop 360 (Host Troop), Troop 12, and Troop 78; Huntington Station’s Troop 106 and Troop 34; South Huntington’s Troop 218 and Troop 165; Dix Hills’ Troop 309 and Troop 409; Elwood’s Troop 200 and Troop 174; Greenlawn’ s Troop 32; Centerport’s Troop 113; and Melville’s Troop 406.
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Following the flag raising and ecumenical interfaith services on Sunday morning, the district held the recognition ceremony for the top six Patrols at each of the thirteen events. Each Scouting participant received a special commemorative patch. Top six patrols in each event included:
Lava Island (Patrol on a box) at this timed event, the Scouts were told: “You and your patrol are being chased by a rapidly advancing lava flow. You run into a small elevated piece of land… however, it’s rather small. You cannot let any of your team members fall off into the lava! You must balance on the box until the lava flow passes! “(Aka every patrol member has to be on the 20-inch-square box all at one time – and stay then there for 15 seconds!) Top patrols are 1st place Troop 12 (Huntington) Lightening, 2nd place Troop 12 - The White Knights, 5th place , Troop 309 (Dix Hills) - Chiefs, and 6th place Troop 34 (Huntington Station) - Surfing Camels Patrol.
At the “Lava Crossing (buckets & boards)” timed event, the Scouts were told “Using only these materials and your ingenuity you must navigate the winding path across the lava flow in order to escape the entire patrol must all make it back to the other side and time is running out!” You have five various-length planks that you must use to get to safety, all patrol members must make the trek at the same time and no plank can be left behind.” The Scouts had to move boards along safety steps/upended buckets and then transport the entire patrol without falling off the boards over a length of 35 feet. Top scores went to 2nd place Troop 218 (Huntington Station) - Purple Hippos, 4th place Troop 113 (Centerport) – Cowabunga, and 6th place Troop 218 (Huntington Station) - Chili Pepper Patrol.
At the Midnight on Diamondhead location, each patrol supplied a tent at the Handicap/Disability Awareness tent set-up. With one allowed Scout in the patrol (who had to guide the others) all other members of the patrol simulated deaf or blind youths while setting up the tent in this leadership and cooperation scouting skills event. Top scoring patrols were: 1st place Troop 309 (Dix Hills) - Chiefs, 2nd place Troop 32 (Greenlawn) - Doug and John’s Patrol, 4th place Troop 406 (Melville) – Hopper Patrol
Escape through the Lava Tube (tire pass) was a timed leadership, teamwork, and cooperation event where the patrol members all had to crawl through a tire (and if the cocoanut that is balanced on top of the tire falls off, then they had to restart the relay race ) 2nd place Troop 406 (Melville) - Hopper, 3rd place Troop 309 (Dix Hills) - Chiefs, 4th place, Troop 218 (Huntington Station) - Chili Pepper , 5th place Troop 78 (Huntington) - The Patrol
At the “Black Sand Beach location” (aka the Bigfoot event), patrols were told to “use special team skis” Aka –everyone onto the 6-foot long 2x6 boards to “walk” the patrol a distance of 25 feet and then turn around to return to the starting line, using leadership and communications skills, 3rd place Troop 113 (Centerport) - Cowabungas, 5th place Troop 309 (Dix Hills) – Ninja
The Injured Surf Boarder station was the first aid skills station – This translated to “You must assess the victim’s condition, verbally provide correct first aid treatment for an “injured surfer” and then create a stretcher from materials you have on your Klondike sled to transport a member of your patrol for 50 feet through a maze/obstacle course at this timed skills event.” Top places went to1st place Troop 32 (Greenlawn) - Doug and John’s Patrol, 2nd place Troop 113 (Centerport) – The Rattlesnakes, 4th place Troop 78 (Huntington) - The Patrol, and 6th place Troop 12 (Huntington) - The Goonies Patrol.
At the Beachcombing Confusion station,” (aka Kim’s Game), Scouts put teamwork skills to use at this timed communications event. Patrols were told “All your collected souvenirs have been spilled in the sand while you were beachcombing. Use your skills of memory to look at all the items on the table and then write a list to report what’s missing.” The patrols reported their findings of the 25-plus items for scoring at this timed event. 1st place Troop 406 (Melville) - Hopper, 3rd place Troop 78 (Huntington) - Alpha, and 5th place Troop 12 (Huntington) - The White Knights.
The Outrigger Race was the timed knot-tying skills station. Each member of the patrol tied at least one knot, and each Scout had to tie a specific knot (clove hitch, two half hitches, taught line hitch, bowline, and the square knot plus a sheep shank for extra credit). The top winners were 1st place Troop 309 (Dix Hills) - The Chiefs, 2nd place Troop 309 - Ninja, 3rd place Troop 78 (Huntington) - Alpha, 4th place Troop 406 (Melville) - Hopper, 6th place Troop 113 (Centerport) - The Rattlesnakes Patrol.
At the “Coconut Picking” lashing station, Scouts were tested on their skills as they raced the clock to lash bamboo spars to create a ladder (using only the supplied bamboo and their own ropes) and then one patrol member climbed the 10-foot wall to reach the coconut. Time stopped after the climber was down and ladder taken apart. Top winners were: 3rd place Troop 309 (Dix Hills) - Ninja, 4th place Troop 406 (Melville) - Hopper Patrol.
At the Escape the Rainforest station (aka the Obstacle Course), patrols were scored as each patrol of Scouts had to transport all the patrol members via teamwork and leadership at the obstacle course (over the climbing wall, over the monkey bars, thru the tire wall, etc.): 1st place Troop 218 (Huntington Station) - Chili Pepper, 2nd place Troop 34 (Huntington Station) - Surfing Camels, 4th place Troop 309 (Dix Hills) - Chiefs,
At the “Cutting Palm Trees” station, a two-man-saw timed event, Scouts were instructed to use the two-man saw to cut a 2-inch slice off of the 10-inch diameter log 2nd place Troop 406 (Melville) - Hopper, 3rd place Troop 78 (Huntington) -, and 6th place Troop 309 (Dix Hills) - Ninja Patrol.
At the Pig Hunt station, patrol members had to throw tomahawks at tree-trunk targets and received double points for hitting the pineapple. Top scores were earned by1st place Troop 34 (Huntington Station) - The Militia, 3rd place Troop 174 (Elwood) - The Gators, 5th place Troop 32 (Greenlawn) - Doug and John’s Patrol, 6th place Troop 218 (Huntington Station) - Purple Hippos Patrol.
At the “Boiled Turtle Eggs” station (aka building a fire) the patrols were supplied with a paper cup, water and told to boil an egg at this timed event. 2nd place Troop 406 (Melville) - Hopper, 3rd place Troop 12 (Huntington) - Lightening, 4th place Troop 409 (Dix Hills) - Road Runners,
The top Overall Patrol recognition was based on results at the individual stations for the entire weekend. Recognitions went to 1st place Troop 406 (Melville) - Hopper Patrol, 4th place Troop 309 (Dix Hills) - Ninja Patrol and 6th place Troop 78 (Huntington) - Alpha Patrol.
The Matinecock District’s “Great Klondike Sled Race” was held on Sunday morning, with Scouts pulling their entries across the 175-foot length of the parade field, as each group raced the clock in two age categories. “Under age 14” category winners went to 2nd place Troop 406 (Melville) - Hopper Patrol; The “over 14 age” category top six winners went to: 1st place Troop 309 (Dix Hills) - Chiefs, 3rd place Troop 218 (Huntington Station), 4th place Ghetto Patrol, Troop 409 (Dix Hills) - Road Runners, and 5th place Troop 78 (Huntington) - Team Alpha.
The coveted Scouting Spirit Trophy – for the troop that showed the best Scouting spirit during the camporee and judged by the Matinecock District’s Commissioner Staff – was presented to Boy Scout Troop 113 (Centerport) for the second year in a row.
