By Andy Johns
Boy Scout Troop 7 of Port Washington recently enjoyed a wonderful week of camping and adventure at Onteora Scout Reservation, the 1,400-acre camp owned by Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boy Scouts, located in the Catskill Mountains. Under the leadership of Assistant Scoutmaster Michael Dayan and Committee member Michael Frevola, 42 Scouts ranging in age from 11 to 17 spent the week having fun in a wide variety of activities including hiking, swimming, canoeing, sailing, ATV riding, paintball and horseback riding. The theme at Onteora this year was “Jurassic Camp,” so many activities and program areas were customized to incorporate T-Rex, raptors and other denizens of that era.
Utilizing the Scouting practice of “boys leading boys,” the older Scouts spent two hours every morning helping the younger Scouts learn basic Scouting skills including knot tying, orienteering using a map and compass, first aid, fire building, nature identification and a wide variety of other skills.
And when they weren’t working on those basic Scouting skills, the Scouts were able to select among 85 merit badges that are offered at Onteora, earning merit badges in a broad range of topic areas having to do with such diverse skills as animal science, robotics, archery, movie making, cooking, game design, shotgun, welding, metalwork, wilderness survival, communication, citizenship and sculpture.
In addition to the 42 Scouts that attended as campers, Troop 7 had six Scouts working on the staff at the camp, managing the Trading Post, teaching communication and movie making, life guarding at the waterfront, and performing other key duties.
Troop 7 meets on Wednesday nights from 7:30 to 9 p.m. during the school year and participates in monthly camping trips as well as numerous community service activities. It enjoys the honor of being the longest continually-active Troop in Nassau County, having served the Port Washington community since 1914. Troop 7 is chartered by the United Methodist Church of Port Washington and receives generous support through the Community Chest of Port Washington.
