Sun shines bright for annual scout campout

When a Cub Scout sprained his ankle, Boy Scouts from Troop 116 put their first aid skills to good use.

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Girl Scouts from Troop 2149, Jenelle Crawford, Natalie Rodney, Adia Mitchell and Jade Carbuccia, took part in the cooking contest.

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Pack 367 leader Patrick Burke was joined by Valley Stream Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts in retiring the colors last Saturday night during the 33rd annual Scout Camporee on the Village Green.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

The Daisies performed their skit at the bandshell as part of the festivities.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

On a hot day, scouts looked for any way they could to stay cool.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

Justin Berrios and Julian Tineo helped set up the entrance to Boy Scout Troop 109's campsite.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

Pack 106 Cub Scouts demonstrated how Indians told time during their skit last Saturday night.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

Christopher Rakeman, 8, from Cub Scout Pack 367, designed this year’s official Camporee patch.

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Cub Scouts from Pack 109 had a great time staying over two nights in a tent.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

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Mother Nature was much kinder to Valley Stream’s scouts than she has been in years past, as this year’s Camporee went off without a single drop of rain falling.

The 33rd annual event began on Friday night as scouts and their parents set up tents throughout the Village Green. It continued into Sunday afternoon when the campsites were broken down. In between, there were a host of activities including games and races, survival skill demonstrations, a cooking contest, skits and a campfire.

The scouts were able to do it all under clear skies. “We’re always expecting the Friday night monsoon,” said Robert Becker, the chairman of this year’s Camporee committee and the advisor of Venture Crew 116.

Normally the scouts deal with at least a passing storm, he said, and only once in 33 years has the event been shut down early because of sustained bad weather. “That’s a scout’s worst nightmare,” he said, “to pack up wet.”

The only wet scouts were those who cooled down with a garden hose on a steamy Saturday morning.

More than 300 scouts took part in the Camporee this year, in addition to dozens of parents, siblings and scout leaders. The largest campsite belonged to the Valley Stream Association of Girl Scouts, which hosted nearly 160 campers, including 85 scouts ranging from 5-year-old Daisies to 18-year-old Seniors.

Liz Fogarty said turnout among the Girl Scouts has doubled every year for past three years. This year, 17 different troops sent scouts to participate in the Camporee. “I have girls that have never been camping, ever,” she said. “This is probably the only camping they will ever do.”

Among those taking part in the event for the first time were Karabelle Denis and Anne-Isabelle Jean, both 13. The girls, members of Troop 2027, said they are already looking forward to next year’s Camporee.

“It turned out to be really great,” Jean said. “We’re having an amazing time.”

The girls said that they had a lot of last-minute items to buy such as a tent, sleeping bags and frozen food, but it was worth it. They enjoyed making smores the first night and staying up late to talk to their friends.

Denis said she was a little worried about camping at first. “I’m not really an outdoors person,” she said. “In the end, I really enjoyed it.”