GLEN JEAN, W. Va. — This year the Versailles Troop 79 Scouts attended The James C. Justice National Scout Camp.
Scouts representing our community are Evan Addis, Gabe McGlinch, Patrick McGlinch, Keegan Rismiller, and Carson Schwartz. Larry Addis, Matt Rismiller, and Adam Schwartz led the troop at this year’s camp, said a press release from Troop 79.
The Justice National Scout Camp offers a week-long resident camp for Scout Troops and Venturing Crews looking for challenging advancement opportunities, activity exploration, and Scouting traditions. The camp provides merit badge sessions, elective activities, high-adventure experiences, enhancement training, and camp-wide experiences within the Walter Scott Scouting Valley at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. Situated in the wilds of West Virginia, The Summit is a training, Scouting, and adventure center for the millions of youths and adults involved in the Boy Scouts of America and anyone who loves the outdoors. The Summit Bechtel Reserve is also home to the National Scout Jamboree and the Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base.
Once the Scouts arrived at camp they were met with new unique challenges. The were camping conditions proved to be more complex than our Ohio camping experiences. They took on a new challenge of setting up old army green wall tents that had been used by several generations of previous Versailles area Scouts. These tents are harder to construct than our modern tents. The Scouts persevered on this new-to-them tent construction in the West Virginia landscape that was less than receptive to the addition of stakes for tent construction. Hills and lakes also seemed to be an obstacle in traveling to the next destination that typically was a mile or more away. The biggest challenge was mother nature, as it threatened our camping abilities on the first night with a significant thunderstorm.
Troop 79 faced all those challenges, refined their skills, and learned quite a bit during the week. First, those old green tents are still watertight, and they had the right skills to keep them upright in the severe weather. They also learned teamwork provides a higher degree of success. The next day after the storm, the Scouts set up their historic gateway to welcome other Scouting Troops into their camp. The construction of the gateway, welcoming sign, further honed their knot tying and lashing skills. These efforts resulted in the Versailles based Scouting team being the only ones with a gateway proudly representing their community while displaying their American and local flags. The scouts and adults also learned that they were up to the challenges of their merit badge classes and other opportunities offered at the National Scout Camp.
While at camp all the Scouting members of Troop 79 took every opportunity to learn and experience everything the National Scout Camp had to offer. This caught the attention of many of the camp leadership team and other Scout Troops throughout the United States. As the Scouts of Troop 79 met these challenges and faced difficult requirements they kept discovering success.
Every Troop 79 Scout attending camp achieved their “Duty to God” awards under the guidance of their Chaplain’s Aide Keegan Rismiller and the Summit Sustainability award with the leadership provided by the Troop’s Camp Sustainability Officer Evan Addis. Our Scouts also earned the challenging “Summit Participation” award. The Troop 79 Scout leaders also excelled during the week and received “Scoutmasters Merit Badge,” a top honor award for adults in Scouting.
Overall, the scouts earned a combined 28 merit badges ranging from aviation to whitewater rafting. They also challenge their abilities through high adventure activities, such as rock climbing at Boulder Cove, whitewater rafting on the New River Gorge, Mountain biking in the New River Gorge National Park and Skateboarding and BMX cycling at Thrasher Mountain.
In addition to all the individual awards, merit badges and activities, Troop 79 was awarded the honor award based on their exemplary scouting performance. The “Honor Troop” award is a reflection on the teamwork of a scout troop. Troop 79 was lead through these award requirements by Carson Schwartz, patrol leader, and Patrick McGlinch, assistant patrol leader. Additionally, at the closing campfire, the members of Troop 79 were selected by the James C. Justice National Summer Camp staff for “Troop of the Week.”
