Local scouts among 350 at Owen Sound winter camp

Members of the Orangeville Scout Troop braved the elements and attended the 45th annual Owen Sound Winter Camp, along with over 350 other Scouts and Venturers.

The event took place on the last weekend of January, with winter challenge events running all day Saturday, including an obstacle course, fire starting and a six-person rescue mission testing endurance, first aid skills and the ability to work together as a team.

Orangeville Scouts in attendance included Scouters Brian Desaulniers, Daniel Crawford, Alex St-Louis, Jessie Randall, Sarah Kennedy, Adam Dickie, Nicholas Shuman, Danny Lim, Lucas Black, Shane Brown, Mercedes Mabee, Andrea Phillips, Austin Dwyer-Winters, Jonathan Rocks, Nate Antle Scouter Cindy and Bentley Mabee.

The winter camp-out went high-tech this year. Participants used global positioning system (GPS) equipment to locate hidden treasures in an outdoor scavenger hunt called geocaching.

"It takes the compass work and it turns it high-tech," Chris Poole, a leader with 1st Owen Sound Venturers, a senior scouting group for youth aged 14 to 17, told the Owen Sound Sun Times.

Mr. Poole co-ordinated the geocaching exercise for the weekend camp-out at Harrison Park. He brought three units, paid for by the Bruce Grey Trails Association and local health unit, to use at the event.

Geocachers seek hidden containers, called caches, using coordinates. GPS uses satellites to pinpoint the location down to about three metres.

Mr. Poole said compass reading is still required of all Scouts, but using GPS is a fun alternative.

"Kids are attracted to electronics," he said. "This just makes it more fun."

Mr. Poole said he hid three caches in "easy" locations Saturday and four in more difficult to-find spots. The game was open to both Scouts - boys and girls aged 11 to 14 - and Venturers.

Lyle MacDonald, a 15-yearold West Hill student in her first year as a Venturer, said geocaching is among her favourite outdoor activities.

"I think it's interesting to see how the satellites can guide you," she said.

She remembers having to crawl through the mud to locate a cache in the fall which was hidden under a boardwalk at Weaver's Creek in Harrison Park.