Young scouts enter woods, learn critical survival skills in Canfield
Correspondent photo / Sean Barron.... From left, Jacob Lepsik, Benjamin Cooley, both of Austintown, and Kainan Santucci of Youngstown, demonstrate a stretcher they crafted using a tarpaulin and two poles at the first aid station, which was part of Saturday’s Webelos Woods 2021 event at Camp Stambaugh in Canfield. Playing the victim in the tarpaulin is Gavyn Wackerly of Struthers.
CANFIELD — Jason Andre was happy to have part of a cinnamon roll, but absent were the comforts of sitting in a bakery to enjoy it. “I learned how to build a fire, and how to do it in the rain, too,” Jason, 10, of Liberty, said. The W.S. Guy Middle School fifth-grader and member of Girard-based Cub Scout Pack 4040 didn’t have to worry about rain. However, he had no five-star accommodations, either — only what Mother Nature provided. Nevertheless, that was the plan, because Jason toasted the treat over an open fire in a wooded area during Saturday’s all-day Webelos Woods 2021 event at Camp Stambaugh, 3712 Leffingwell Road. Webelos, short for “we’ll be loyal Scouts,” is a two-year Scouting program geared toward fourth- and fifth-graders who work to earn Webelos and Arrow of Light badges, respectively, for their achievements. In addition, it denotes a point in which most Cub Scouts transition to Boy Scouts. Jason also ticked off a number of other skills he’s learned, courtesy of Scouting, which he entered while in first grade. Those include properly identifying a variety of trees and flowers, as well as how to prepare a meal in a wooded environment and build a shelter, he said. In addition, during the lunch break, Jason figured out how to use a small portable stove. Jason and his sister, Kaitlyn, 12, were among those who worked together at the fire building station, one of eight set up for the Webelos to learn and test a variety of life skills, with the assistance, direction and guidance of older Boy Scouts. Scoutmasters and other adults were instructed to refrain from helping the Scouts with the activities, Steph Kelly, camp director, noted. The other seven stations were games, mission training, cooking, identifying flora and fauna, tying knots, first aid and target shooting with slingshots. Saturday’s funfest was centered around the idea of a fictitious satellite that went awry and crashed in a Boy Scout camp somewhere in northern Ohio. Participants were challenged to recover information in the satellite via completing all eight stations’ requirements, Nick Patterson, program director, noted. Kaitlyn, who’s part of the all-girls portion of Canfield-based Boy Scout Troop 8115, said toasting the cinnamon roll piece, as well as preparing nachos over the fire, was a bit challenging because the Scouts had to use a “leave-no-trace” fire, meaning they neither brought to nor took anything from the area. Instead, they relied on sticks and firewood they gathered from nearby trees. Kaitlyn, who joined Scouting about a year ago, added that she was proud of having earned an Arrow of Light Badge and other tokens of her accomplishments. She also viewed the value of learning such skills through a wider lens. “It’s about the experiences and accomplishments, and doing things together with other people, no matter who they are,” she observed. In the first aid activity, the Webelos were tasked with building a stretcher using a tarpaulin and two poles to transport a fellow Scout who played a victim who had been bitten by a rabid squirrel, explained Albin Dearing, Scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 9002 of Poland. It’s imperative that the participants learn the protocols of first aid, which include initially assessing the scene, sending someone for help, checking the victim for traumatic injuries and managing possible shock, then applying aid, Dearing noted. news@vindy.com news@tribtoday.com