Whispering Pines Scouts brave elements at Klondike Derby

January 8, 2012 at 12:04a.m.

CANFIELD

If you were at Camp Stambaugh on Saturday and felt like ordering a pizza, you probably would have been out of luck if you wanted Domino’s Pizza to deliver it.

Nevertheless, you still would not have gone home hungry because several Boy Scouts were preparing pizzas their way — complete with outdoor grill, coal and a healthy dose of mild weather.

The pizza cook-off was one of nine events that made up Saturday’s 2012 Boy Scout Klondike Derby at Camp Stambaugh, 3712 Leffingwell Road, sponsored by the Whispering Pines District Greater Western Reserve Council Boy Scouts of America.

More than 200 Scouts age 11 to 17 from Mahoning County and Hubbard in Trumbull County, as well as about 50 adult leaders took part in the eight-hour gathering, themed “Gold in the Cold.“

North Lima-based Boy Scout Troop 80 served as host.

Scouts were given gold nuggets for points earned in the events, all of which stressed the importance of leadership, teamwork and a positive attitude. The youngsters exchanged their nuggets during an auction to buy shovels, axes, pocket knives, compasses and other Scouting equipment, officials noted.

Cook-off participants were to prepare a pizza in an allotted time, and points were awarded for ingredients, spirit and successfully completing the task.

Effective communication, cooperation and collaboration skills rather than pizza were the main items on the menu for the “Mute, deaf and blind” event, in which blindfolded Scouts searched a grassy area for objects with directions from “deaf” Scouts, who received hand signals from those who were not permitted to speak.

A major challenge for 11-year-old Jordan of Austintown-based Troop 184 was keeping his directions straight as he diligently searched the area for the object, though the event also was an exercise in empathy.

“I learned it’s kind of hard for other people trying to get around if they‘re blind,” said Jordan, who‘s been in Scouting seven years and already has been to about 25 Boy Scout camps.

Scouting leaders asked that the boys’ last names not be used.

“If someone messes up, [the search] won’t turn out right,” observed Alan, 16, a Troop 184 patrol leader. “You have to have a lot of patience and understanding.”

The youngsters’ communication with each other also was pivotal in the first-aid event, where they put their skills and knowledge to the test to help fellow Scouts who portrayed injury victims in various survival situations.

Participants learned how to offer aid to someone with a fractured femur bone, frostbite and a discolored complexion. They also practiced techniques to help a person who was impaled with a small piece of metal.

In nearly every such situation, it’s critical that helpers call 911, gauge the scene near the injured person and always check the victim’s airway, breathing and circulation, Det. Glenn Patton of the Boardman Police Department told the boys.

Patton, who helped conduct the sessions, explained other critical steps such as preventing and treating shock, repositioning the head of someone with an airway obstruction and stanching the bleeding of a person with a serious injury.

“They need to be rehearsed on all their scenarios,” added Byron Harnishfeger, a Scoutmaster for Troop 60 of Boardman, who also assisted with the first-aid demonstrations.

The main goals of Scouting are to teach life skills, strengthen character, encourage personal fitness and promote good citizenship, according to the Boy Scouts of America’s mission statement.