National Capital Area Council Eco-Challenge, Occoquan, VA - 1 June 2002

Set bragger ON.

S.S.S. Yorkshire, Sea Scout Ship 25, York, PA is pleased to offer the observation that while land Scouts do their best to “be prepared”, recent available evidence suggests that Sea Scouts are simply “better prepared.”  At the National Capital Area Council Eco-Challenge held at Fountain Head Park near Occoquan, VA, a considerable number of land Venturing units were entered, and one Sea Scout Ship (25).  There were team categories for male, female, and co-ed broken down further by the age of the oldest team member, 13-15, 16-18, 19-21, plus old geezers (aka “open”).  A two-member canoe team was required to race three miles down the face of Occoquan Reservoir, then hand off to a team of two runners, who had to run four miles through the woods and then hand off to two mountain bikers who raced another four miles up and down hill and over logs and rocks to the finish line.  Sea Scout Ship 25 placed FIRST in it’s category (16-18 coed), and 2^nd overall.  Considering that two of our Ship’s crew members were only 15, that all the Ship’s team had been up until midnight the night before and then got up at 4 a.m. to drive from Pennsylvania to Virginia, and finally considering that our Sea Scouts lost out in the overall finish to some 19-21 year old all-male Venturers by only a few seconds over a one-hour, 12 mile course, it appears that Sea Scout training is very good indeed.  Sea Scouts CAN DO, and they can do it ON LAND, TOO!

Our thanks to NCAC Venturing Committee Member Adair Petty for setting up such a great event, and thanks to NCAC Venturing Director Daniel Watkins for taking time to come out and help cheer the efforts of all involved.  If you weren’t there, you missed it.  Remedy: come next year!

Sorry for the delay in getting the photos to the web.  My laptop computer was so overheated by the exciting results, it decided to crash.  Help took its time in arriving.

Set bragger OFF.

  Adam, Committee Chair Wes Garrod, and Tim check out Mr. Garrod's loaner mountain bike in preparation for the next day's Eco-Challenge.

  Leah and Mr. Snufflelufagus wisely get a good night's sleep the night before the big event.

  Ship 25's winning team - 16-18 Co-ed Division Champs!  BRAVO ZULU, team!  2nd overall isn't bad, either.  Kneeling, L to R - Justin and Chris.  Standing, L to R, - Isaiah, Leah, Adam, and Tim.

  Since Chris failed to imitate Mr. Snufflelufagus and get his needed sleep before the race, he tried the innovative idea of getting his sleep after the race on the way home in the Ark.

  Leah decides to get the best of both worlds and sleeps both before and after the race.  Tim, on the other hand, never sleeps.

 

 
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