"Civil War Experience" Camporee

May 1-3, 2009
Treasure Valley Scout Reservation

Event Info

Troop 54 participated in Mohegan Council's first Civil War themed camporee. Over 100 re-enactors and about 600 Scouts and leaders made this one of the Mohegan Council's most popular and successful events.

We had 14 Troop 54 Scouts and 5 leaders camping overnight. A few Webelos and Cub Scouts from Pack 54 joined us during the day. Once again, the weather was near-perfect, with some rain overnight but none during the day. Our camp location at the edge of the clearing allowed us to gather wood to make a tripod that was the tallest object on the field.

The organizers, led by Jim Dunne (who previously retired from working Scout events), did a great job arranging Jamboree Field to comfortably accommodate all of the troops. The Civil War re-enactment activities really held our Scouts' attention, and all of us came back with an appreciation of the hardship experienced by the soldiers on both sides during the Civil War. Not to say that we think war is any fun now, but hearing about the lack of basic needs such as water and food and the rampant disease in the camps created a vivid picture of what it took to resolve our nation's greatest internal conflict.

The re-enactment location was a surprise, even to those of us who had camped at Treasure Valley more than a dozen times. The mile-long hike there took us through areas we had never seen in our Council's 1600 acre Scout Reservation.

Photos by: Joshua Froimson and Carl Hammerle