Dear Darien Patch,
Many of your subscribers support the two Darien Scout Troops 35 and 53 at the Andrew Shaw Cabin. While everyone in town knows the Scout Cabin, many people do not realize that the live of a Boy Scout takes place most of the time in the great outdoors. This is where boys are raised to become men, and this is where they learn to deal with, and to overcome, the many challenges of Mother Nature.
On January 25, 2014, Troop 53 of Darien hosted the annual Powahay District "Klondike Derby" and campout at Hoyt Scout Reservation in Redding. The winter cold was braved by 150 scouts and 50 adults from10 troops representing Darien, Stamford, New Canaan, Wilton and Norwalk. Patrols competed in Search and Rescue (SAR) skills in the hills of Redding in intermittent snow and harsh winds. Troop 53's own Falcon Patrol led by Peter Doering came in second in the Klondike Competition, edged out by a strong patrol from Norwalk. The event focused on the new Search and Rescue Merit Badge initiated this year by the Boy Scouts of America. The scouts received training in Winter First Aid, use of GPS to search for specific locations and map/compass skills to establish search coordinates.
The event included demonstrations by rescue responders from the Civil Air Patrol, the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and Stamford's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Boys and adults came away with a unique and very rewarding experience - and, due to proper preparation and equipment, without frost bites.
