A Fall Classic In Its Own Way

This year’s Fall Camporee, held at Mark Byrd’s Field in Dawsonville, and hosted by Troop 207, was one for the books! A returning champion (in Troop 200), the District’s only 3-peat champ (in Troop 207), and some unlikely newcomers set the stage and the final challenge for top honors in 2012 and who will hold on to our totem, Eddie The Otter for the rest of the year!

The tone was set by the host troop holding (for the first time ever) an Opening Ceremony campfire, which included a running of the torch (similar to the Olympics, I guess). In Olympic fashion, the games were underway. First was an ALL TROOP event which included the raising of Nation Flags (and which included an easy pioneering project). Troop 415 had their flag up first with a simple round lashing, one stake, and no guy lines. This was a big surprise both for the other troops AND for these first-time participants! Troop 415 is still fairly new with a membership MOSTLY consisting of younger Scouts!

Troop 200’s Andy Standy Squad Team Alpha was the favorite coming into the games, and holding onto Eddie was their prime objective. Troop 207’s Freedom and Liberty Patrols sought to re-claim Eddie for the District’s only 3-Peat Champ and prevent their cross-town rivals from becoming the District’s only 4-time (non-consecutive) winner.

Troop 303 brought tough competition wanting to bring Eddie back to Lumpkin County after a long drought, and speaking of drought, Dawson County was represented by its fabled Troop 109 for the first Fall since 2008 (because of the Camporees in previous the interim years’ scheduling on Moonshine Festival weekend).

It all came down to a miraculous TIE! Troop 1199 and Troop 200 (AndyStandySquadTeamAlpha) both ended the day with 118 points after totaling and penalties were applied. The Camporee Hosts decided a 5-on-5 game of “Hot Box” (a frisbee game similar to Ultimate) would decide their fates. Here’s the final standings:

200	AndyStandySquadTeamAlpha	119
1199	Patrol	118
303	Yellow Jackets	115
200	Foxcon Foxtrot	114
207	Freedom	112
457	Phoenix	107
457	Flaming Cobras	107
109	X	105
3740	Phoenix	103
415	Border	100
254	Spartans	100
207	Liberty	99
2010	Black Scorpion	98
415	Road Kill	95
3740	Wolverines	94
211	Patrol	94
205	Hawks	83
205	War Eagles	77
62	Hawks	71
457	Stealth Falcons	66
205	Falcons	63
62	Beavers	60
303	Bull Dawgs	24
254	UGA	13

Congrats to Troop 200 on the repeat Championship and we’ll see younext Spring! Thanks again to Troop 207, especially Camporee SPL’s Zach Miller and Tyler Cromwell and their entire staff. A big THANKS to Scoutmaster Craig Cromwell (T207), Mark Byrd for letting us use his awesome property, Marc Ferrara (T3740) for helping out early on Friday, Rex Gravitt (T211) for doing the water and the port-o-potties, and especially to Deliah Gravit (T211) for feeding the Staff Bo-biscuits on Sunday!