The 26th Spring Thaw Camp was a fun/challenge camp that tests the skills of different scout groups from around Alberta. This year's camp theme was Lumberjacks. The youth had to compete in six events, an obstacle course, keep their campsite clean and do a special project on the camp theme to earn awards. Leaders cannot help their scouts at any time, we are their for advice and to ensure no one gets hurt.
The events this year were:
1: The Mad Lumberjack Siege where scout patrols have thirty minutes to build a structure out of any materials they can find and then attack their rival scout patrol's structures with water balloons. 5th St. Albert Patrol "B" won this event.
2: Lumberjack Top Shot was an archery test, small trebuchet building and log fighting (with pool noodles) that was won by 26th St. Peter's.
3: Bouldering Wall was a climbing wall and pioneering skills challenge that was won by 1st Gibbons.
4: Lumberjack Challenge was a leather working, card making, lashing challenge and using giant slingshots. This event was won by 1st Wetaskiwin.
5: Lumberjack Lunch was cooking challenge that required scouts to cook a pancake on a camp stove, flip it on a pan without a spatula 10 times, then make pancakes for their whole patrol, set a table and create a centrepiece. This event was won by 24th Parkallen.
6: Moving Targets was a pelletry and log blowing challenge that was won by 2nd St. Albert.
The Obstacle Course is a graded event on how well scout patrols can work as a team to complete the set of obstacles set up to test all their skills. This years winner was 26th St. Peter's.
The Chris Buchkowski Award is name after a former Venturer/Rover who volunteered at the Spring Thaw Camp every year until he died in a tragic car accident. In his honour, a camp award for the cleanest campsite is awarded each year in his memory. This year's winner was 24th Parkallen.
David Thompson award is an optional challenge for scout patrols to earn extra carnival cash and the winner earns a special crest. The rules for this challenge are in accordance with the team of the camp. This year's winner was 26th St. Peter's.
The Venturers put on a carnival on Saturday evening allowing the youth to earn carnival dollars but plain gin carnival games. During the carnival their is a silent auction for kids to bid on with carnival cash and a live auction for candies and sports equipment for the whole patrol to bid on.
At the end of the camp the award for the top three scout patrols are awarded. This year's winners were:
1st Place - 26th St. Peter's
2nd Place - 1st Wetaskiwin
3rd Place - 24th Parkallen
This was a fun camp and our Scouts look forward to next year's camp.
