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Why would Preston Hollow Troop 577 Boy Scouts and adult leaders want to go to the Circle Ten Council Winter Camp in East Texas from Saturday, Dec. 27, through Wednesday, Dec. 31?
"Winter Camp is magic," said John Patison, Troop 577 Scoutmaster. "Huddled around the camp fire each evening to keep warm, our Scouts spent hours sharing skits, telling ghost stories and laughing. It's something that can't be replicated in front of a screen,” he continued. “If you have never been introduced to ‘Alex the Human Speed Bump’, 'Chain-saw Orlowsky’, and the three-foot midget clown, join us for Winter Camp next year. We'll explain everything!"
“This was the best-attended Winter Camp held by the Circle Ten Council,” said Trevor Hodges, Mikanakawa Lodge chief, a Richardson Troop 751 Eagle Scout, and a senior at Richardson High School. “Scout and adult-leader participants numbered 1,606 and represented 85 troops,” he added. The record attendance figures included 33 Scouts and seven adults from Troop 577, sponsored by St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. More than 160 Scout and adult members of the Mikanakawa Lodge, Order of the Arrow, organized and staffed the annual event held at CampCherokee on the 3,300-acre Clements Scout Reservation in Athens, Texas.
Unlike many summer Scout camps which serve meals at dining halls, Winter Camp required troops to prepare meals at their campsites. “The boys impressed us with their willingness to try cooking new recipes, and working together as a team to prepare their meals,” observed Kimberly Colonnetta, a Troop 577 adult leader who attended camp. “We enjoyed cobbler hot from the coals every night, and nothing is better on a cold winter night!”
Each day, camp staff published The Daily Mikanakawan, featuring a schedule of events, photos from the previous day, Scout news, and trivia questions. One issue included a message from Eagle Scout Michael Yancey, camp business director and a senior at Jesuit High School of Dallas. “Why would I want to spend a week at some cold camp just a little over two hours from my warm, cozy home?” he wrote. “I did have fun!” he answered. His message concluded with, “…please come back next year!”
North Trail District is comprised of Highland Park, University Park, Lake Highlands, Preston Hollow, North Dallas, and Richardson. The district is a part of Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America, which supports youth programs in 12 counties in North Texas and south-central Oklahoma.
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Kimberly Colonnetta is a Troop 577 adult volunteer and chairs the North Trail District Committee, Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America.
