Story, photos by Karla Stucker
Special to Okanogan Living
Camp Bogardus is a Scout camp on the San Juan Island just south of the English Camp. They obtained a grant to help bring scouts to their camp.
Scout Troops 60 and 71 from Omak/Okanogan, Troops 24 and 52 from Grand Coulee and Troop 26 Oroville/Tonasket all attended from four-to-eight days.
During our time we learned about the history of how the San Juans became part of the United States.
The Pig War was a 12 year war that the only casualty was the "Pig". In the end the American's were granted the San Juan Islands.
The scouts that wanted to earn the National Trails Historic Award and medal were able to do so by hiking the 17-plus-mile National Historic Trail between American Camp and English Camp.
They also did a Service Project by cleaning the British Camp Cemetery, then submitted a 500-word essay about what they learned along the way and about the Pig War. We had 11 scouts and four adults partake in.
While at camp, Scouts were able to have many experiences.
They slept in tents, cooked for their groups and had daily flag ceremonies.
There is an archery range, tomahawk range, Frisbee golf, plant ID trail, compass orienteering course and training kit, 150-foot zip line and rope bridge. There is a campfire bowl with stage, semaphore flags and a two person cross cut saw.
Scouts can earn their Paul Bunyan Woodsman award and finish loads of trail to first class requirements.
We also took the kids to the Whale Museum, went on a guided whale watching trip, toured the University of Washington Marine Science Lab and some went on a fishing and crabbing charter.
We invite any youth or adults interested in Scouting to contact us. We sold drinks and popcorn at the Omak Stampede, and scouts will be helping the fair by collecting money at the gate.
Oroville Tonasket troops are going to have a recruitment night at 6 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Tonasket Youth Center.
— This article was submitted by Karla Stucker. For more information about Troop 26, call Stucker at 509-846-5752 or Tracy McNall 509-907-9004. Omak/Okanogan area youth can check out midvalleyscouts.org Troop 60 and 26 each have Facebook pages, also.
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