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MOSSY OAK
MANIA CAMPOREE |
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| Eleven troops of
the Pushmataha Area Council gathered for a weekend of fun, fellowship,
and great weather at the Mossy Oak facilities in West Point, Miss.
The troops camped in the large field behind the Mossy Oak complex.
The weather couldn't have been any better, as we had every conceivable
type of weather, except for snow and ice. Friday night was clear
and cold, and there was frost on the tents Saturday morning. Saturday
was clear and sunny, and very warm (almost hot) in the afternoon.
Saturday night was partly cloudy and temperate, Sunday morning was
overcast with rain, and by mid-morning, and was clear and
hot. Scouts who owned "all weather" sleeping bags
got to find out if the advertising was correct!
The troops filled the campgrounds Friday night and Saturday morning. Ducks on the lake and the twice-nightly train whistle made for an interesting mix of night sounds. The merit badge exhibits ringed the inner courtyard of Mossy Oak, and included diverse badges such as Cinematography, Cooking, Electronics, Pioneering, Collecting, Home Repair, and Aviation. Scouts manned their booths from 11:00 til 4:00 Saturday. The day's exhibit time was punctuated with two important events. First, an outstanding lunch (provided by Senior Chef Young Kerby' of Camp Seminole) of gourmet wiener dogs with a broad selection of fresh toppings including chili, cheese, and onions. Lunch was rounded out with chips, fruit, and bug juice. Second, a visit by Judge David Schnell, Executive Chef at Old Waverly. Chef Schnell did an outstanding job of examining and judging the exhibits, taking time to visit with the boys, asking lots of good questions, and praising the troops for their efforts. Judging merit badge exhibits is a tough job, and Chef Schnell really made the task his. The camporee staff (Brian Wells, Mark and Charles Guyton, Ned Young, and Charlie Plasters) kept things rolling smoothly. When the amphitheater terrain proved a bit too rough for the Indian dancers Saturday night, the move to the Mossy Oak courtyard was seamless. Venture Crew 169 (Jeff Miller, Senior Advisor) led the Saturday evening council ring, with a great exhibit of traditional Native American dance. While all the dancers performed well, the highlight of the evening was Thomas Sowers' Hoop Dance. Since this was also Veterans' Day weekend, VC169 asked all veterans to the front, and saluted them with a special song written for the occasion. Attendees stood in line to shake the hands of the veterans and to thank them for their service. When the rain prevented using the amphitheater on Sunday morning, the troops moved to the pavilion in front of Mossy oak for chapel, awards, and closing. The staff again made the change appear pretty seamless. Numerous times during the weekend's events, and especially Sunday morning, we heard comment on how nice the Mossy oak facilities are. Sonny Jameson of Mossy Oak worked with Brian to get the events arranged, and we really appreciate all the support he has provided to the scouts of our council.
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| Merit Badge
Display First: Troop 3 (Columbus) Aviation Merit Badge Second: Troop 55 (Amory) Collections Merit Badge Third: Troop 45 (Starkville) Pioneering Merit Badge Third: Troop 14 (Starkville) Cinematography Merit Badge Third: Troop 33 (Columbus) Photography Merit Badge Third: Troop 15 (West Point) Cooking Merit Badge Uniform Inspection First: Troop 45 (Starkville), Cobra Patrol Second: Troop 45 (Starkville), Panther Patrol Third: Troop 2 (Columbus) Campsite Inspection First: Troop 45 (Starkville) Second: Troop 14 (Starkville) Third: VC 169 (West Point) President's Award Troop 45 (Starkville)
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| CLICK ANY IMAGE TO SEE THE FULL SIZE PHOTO | |||
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| Sunrise over Mossy Oak | VC169 gathers in the cool morning | Saturday morning assembly | Troops lined up for opening |
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| DI Charlie Plasters conducts Uniform inspection | A WWII era trainer takes off from nearby airport | Chef Schnell inspects the golf merit badge display | |
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| Electricity is our friend, as explained by Scouts of T30 | Scouts explain the principle of lift in aviation | Collections was a popular merit badge | |
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| "I
just can't decide..." "Mister, they're not for sale!" |
The world is safe, our DE is on the job. | The judge samples chicken fajitas at T15's cooking merit badge demo | |
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| T2 demos the Auto Repair merit badge. They even kept straight faces when Mr. Wells observed "Wow, the engine goes in front?" | |||
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| Watonala Thunder Dance Team performed for council Ring Saturday night. | |||
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All photos courtesy of Mr. Brian Wells, Council Camping Commissioner |
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