Scouts wrap up last days at camp
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on July 11, 2005 1:45 PM
FOUR OAKS -- Boy Scout Executive Bill Lappin said Friday the turnout has been huge at the Camp Tuscarora Summer Camp.
"This is a signature year for the Tuscarora Council because we have a National Jamboree July 24 through Aug. 3 at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., and this is the 75th Anniversary of Cub Scouting nationally," Lappin said.
Camp Director Hogan Moore of Four Oaks and Mark Yelverton of Kenly are leading the Boy Scout camp, which ended Saturday. Moore said he had 100 more scouts this summer than he had last year. "That means we had 550 scouts and an additional 150 leaders, which totaled 700 campers this year."
Lappin said he believes the participation has increased so much "because of the excellent program from last year and a camp promotion CD made by Mr. and Mrs. Steve Paige of Benson and Ginger Moore of Jacksonville."
Main programs were Waterfront, which was led by Mark Metzler of Troop 7 in Goldsboro; Horsemanship, which was led by Hogan Moore; and the First Year Camper program, which was directed by Travis Kornegay of Goldsboro.
The First Year program puts 11-year-old Boy Scouts together with their peers for three or four hours with trained staff members so they can be in a relaxed setting. They go into regular merit badge classes in the afternoon.
Another program that expanded this year was the shooting sports program. Lappin said the program is supported by the Wayne County chapter of Quail Unlimited, which has helped Camp Tuscarora since 2002 by funding two staff members.
"That gives us the chance to have new programs like Action Archery and others. We are proud of the Seegars Shooting Sports facility built by Wes and Neal Seegars of Goldsboro."
The Shooting Sports program was led by Carol Carter and Joe Morgan.
Cub Scout Day Camp is this week. The program is led by Pam Rooks of Meadow and Ashley Dowling of Goldsboro.
More than 300 boys and adults will participate in a week-long program. The boys will be first- through fifth-graders participating in eight, 45-minute sessions with their local pack adults in activities like nature trail, crafts, skits and puppets and swimming in Lake Tuscarora.
The day starts at 8:15 a.m. and is completed at 1:30 p.m. before the hottest part of the day.
"Thankfully, we have many trees at camp that give some cooling help from the summer sun as well as the cool water of our lake during the swimming sessions," Ms. Dowling said.
The final camping session in July is the week-long Kerr Lake Adventure July 17-23, which will be led by Ben Daniels of Rosewood. Lappin said this is the council's first summer program using Kerr Lake as an adventure camp. He said he expects to have 20 scouts and leaders at this program.
Scoutmaster Mac Sullivan Jr. of Goldsboro will lead the 40-member Contingent Troop for Tuscarora Council to the National Jamboree July 24 through Aug. 3. Other leaders are Mark Yelverton of Kenly, Dr. David Rives of Clinton and Jeremy Paige of Benson.
The National Jamboree occurs every four years and has more than 35,000 scouts and leaders participating each day in events like The Merit Badge Midway, Trailbiking, Handicapped Awareness and hundreds of other programs.