On Columbus Day Weekend, Boy Scout Troop 226 attended a Three Rivers District Camporee at Campgaw Mountain County Reservation in Mahwah. For the first time since the district was established several years ago, an event was scheduled to accommodate the needs of our Shomer Shabbat troop, with troops arriving on Saturday evening and the activities held on Sunday.

Our troop assembled at the Teaneck Jewish Center after Shabbat and arrived at Campgaw in time to participate in the opening campfire. The Scouts enjoyed the skits and songs presented by other troops, and we also presented some of our own. After the campfire, the Scouts pitched their tents and retired for the evening.

The next morning, after davening and breakfast, we attended the opening ceremony. Many of the Scouts spent the morning doing geocaching, an exciting activity that uses GPS receivers to find hidden caches. A knowledgeable counselor gave a presentation on how GPS receivers work, and the Scouts were then sent out to find where caches had been hidden. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded at first, but everyone successfully completed the course.

Other Scouts followed the route of a five-mile hike which had been mapped out by Scoutmaster Daniel Chazin. The hike took them to the summit of Campgaw Mountain, with a panoramic view of Bergen County, and it also incorporated a loop around the western slope of the mountain, passing old stone cisterns and other interesting features.

After lunch, which consisted of hot dogs cooked over a fire built by the Scouts, several more Scouts (who had school on Sunday morning) arrived. The Scouts went to the orienteering station, where they received instruction from one of the most knowledgeable experts in the sport and then went out to find the various controls that had been placed.

The day’s activities culminated with a shorter hike to the summit of Campgaw Mountain for the benefit of those Scouts who were unable to participate in the morning hike. A great time was had by all!

Troop 226 meets on Monday evenings during the school year from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Weiss Auditorium of the Teaneck Jewish Center. All boys aged 11-17 are welcome to join. For more information, please contact Daniel Chazin, Scoutmaster, 201.835.5338, DChazin_aol.com.

By Daniel Chazin