Richey's
Farm Fall Camporee Newspaper ArticleRichey's
Farm Fall Camporee Newspaper ArticleOn Saturday morning the Scouts oohed and ahhed their way through a fascinating demonstration of firearms skills and safety precautions put on by N. C. State Department of Conservation and Development. The C&D men demonstrated how a stray rifle bullet can penetrate bricks just like the ones used to build houses ( with obvious consequences to families in the safety of their living rooms ). They demonstrated the danger of shotgun pellets, which can cause serious injury although many people consider them harmless. But the highlight of the demonstration was a trick shooting exhibition in which the instructors first shot clay pigeons and balloons mounted on stakes, then hit 79 potatoes and cabbages thrown high in the air.
Saturday afternoon was log-rolling time at the Camporee. Each patrol had to roll a log 1-4 mile to the lakeside area on the Chuck Richey farm where campfire ceremonies are held. Then they laid large boards across the logs and nailed them in so each patrol could have a seat for future campfire programs.
Saturday, evening marked the high-light of patrol competition during the camporee. Judges circulated throughout the campsites checking the evening meals and tasting them. The patrol with the tastiest, best-balances meal was to receive a special award. The judges saw and tasted delicacies such as beef stroganoff, chicken stew made from scratch. pineapple upside-down cake, and cherry cobbler.
At the campfire ceremonies that night the winner was announced. The Snake patrol, Troop 835 received the "Chuck Richey Cooking Award," a silver-plated skillet to be engraved with the patrol name and the name of each scout in the patrol. The winning meal prepared by the Snake patrol was hamburgers smothered in vegetable soup, creamed corn, mashed d potatoes, and a quick-custard dessert.
The Fall 1966 Camporee was the second Camporee to be held at the Chuck Richey farm. It likely will not be the last. The farm took on the look of a permanent scout camp a couple of weeks ago when Troop 9 of Chapel Hill cut a 40 foot pole and took it to the Richey Farm site and erected it in concrete. The Orange District scouts for the first time had a real flagpole for the flagraising and lowering ceremonies which add a great deal to any camping event. For the new flagpole the scouts had a new flag, a flag that has flown over the nation's capitol, obtained recently by the Chapel Hill Realtors' Association and presented to the Orange County District Scout Committee.
This year's Camporee Chairman, Chuck Richey, will be the first to say that Camporees don't just happen. These events require not only a lot of preplanning by District Scout Committee members, but also a lot of adult manpower at the scene during the Camporee weekend. The Camporee Staff headquarters during a Camporee weekend is a mish-mash of coffee drinking, score sheet adding, stew cooking, and campsite inspecting. Some volunteers who can't stay all weekend come in for a half day and then leave their duties to another part-timer.
This Camporee kept 11 adults busy on the Camporee staff, in addition to approximately 15 scoutmasters and assistants working at the troop level.
Camporee Staff included Chuck Richey, in a dual role as Camping Chairman and host ( Camporee was held at Richey's farm ). Richey was assisted by Elmo Walston, George Scheer, Steve Reeves, Dub Ludwig, Harry Jensen, Sheldon White, Wes Mainwaring, and Billy Barnes, all of the Orange District Scout Committee.
Other volunteers from the community were Richard Arnold, Pete Underhill and Chuck Connelly.
A valuable source of advice and assistance at this year's Camporee was Tom Whittingslow, professional scout leader who is Scout Executive for the Occoneechee Council.
Rev. James G. White of Carrboro Methodist Church performed double duty at the Camporee acting as scoutmaster for troop 845 through the weekend until he switched to his minister's hat to lead worship services on Sunday morning.
