A patrol from the girls’ BSA Scout Troop 158 in Blacksburg won the recent Klondike Derby at Powhatan Scout Camp. The field consisted of eight patrols and included one girls’ patrol.
The patrol included seven girls that have joined BSA Scouts in the last year. Since this is the first Klondike Derby at Powhatan that included girls, this is the first time a patrol of girls has won the event.
Troop 158 is in the Blue Ridge Mountains Council and meets at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Blacksburg.
The Klondike derby is a winter camping event that has been part of Scouting since 1949. A typical derby consists of several events which test outdoor skills, teamwork, and leadership abilities. Scouts carried supplies on a sled made from PVC pipe and traveled from station to station for different competitions.
Events in the derby included orienteering, where scouts had to find a dummy with certain medical conditions, “treat it” and bring it back. The pioneering station required using lashings to build a standing twelve-foot tall flagpole. The patrols had to start a fire using flint and steel and then enlarge it until it was able to burn through a pre-set string of solder. Scouts also had to navigate an obstacle course.
While not part of the derby competition, the patrols camped out on the night before, even though the temperature dropped to 13 degrees.
