Nine scouts and seven scout leaders from Tyrone Boy Scout Troop 103 spent a weekend living the military life at the 55th annual West Point Camporee on April 28-30, 2017.  Over 6,000 scouts attended and competed in a series of graded events where their physical and mental strength were tested.

“There were a good variety of activities available. It was definitely unique. There is really nothing like it.  One of the best things we did was the Ranger challenge, which was a team-building obstacle course,” said junior Bryce Bauer.

West Point’s Camporee is the nation’s largest annual Scout Camporee in the nation. The event is so popular that the troops in attendance are chosen by a lottery. The campout is run by West Point Cadets who volunteer their time every year.  Many of the volunteers were once scouts themselves, and some are Eagle Scouts.

“We considered ourselves to be quite lucky to be chosen through their lottery.  Our Scoutmaster, Shawn Givler, a 2012 TAHS grad, is the one who set it up for us and he did a great job throughout the camporee,” said Scout Leader Cummins McNitt.  “While it was undoubtedly a recruiting tool for the military, it was enormously fun.  Youth and adults alike had a blast.  Having the chance to see some of the equipment being used, talking with these amazing young future leaders and spending the weekend with motivated young men and women was one I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

The annual event has evolved into a weekend-long event in which Scout Troops experience a variety of military and scouting-based competitions and sites to include: land navigation, first aid, weapons safety and maintenance, zodiac boat race, fire building, military drill, and physical fitness. The Camporee also includes military equipment static displays, mock demonstrations of military operations such as air assault missions with helicopters, a large bonfire, and a military review parade involving the Academy leadership.

The scouts set up their own campsite where they cooked all their meals and pitched their tents. The Scouts lived the “military” life style by waking up and participating in PT or physical training which consisted of push-ups and sit-ups and many other exercises that the Army Cadets do daily.

The scouts physical strength was tested by an obstacle course called the Ranger Challenge where the Scouts had to climb a log wall, carry water jugs, and carry your fellow Scout on a stretcher. This was graded on how well the Scouts did by fastest time and how they worked together as a team.

Their mental strength was tested by multiple stations, including a weapons station. At this station the scouts were shown and allowed to handle multiple weapons that the Army uses.  The scouts learned a lot about the weapon’s capabilities and operation. They were then tested on each weapon.  what type of round they fire or what is the max range of the weapon. The Scouts were given a score on how accurately they answered the questions.

With sixteen completely different events it was hard for the Scouts to do everything but they had fun doing it. The trip might have only been a weekend but it was definitely a unique experience that many Scouts never get to experience.

Those in attendance from Tyrone Troop 103 were:

Scouts:

Parker Alley

Christian Fink

Gage Fink

Quintan Grassmeyer

Tristan Grassmeyer

Jesse Price

Bryce Bauer

Scotty Sessamen

Andrew Sherren

Adults:

Scoutmaster Shawn Givler, a 2012 graduate of TAHS

Cummins McNitt

Mike Yeaton

Jeff Daub

Dan Grassmeyer

Scott Sessemen

Pat Sherren