Over the weekend, the Scouts from Scout Mtn District descended on Sunrise Summit at Devil Creek campground area for a weekend Fishing Derby, and a chance to work on merit badges.  Leaders Bill Lewis, Tony McClain, Joel Blackner and his dad Scott Blackner joined District representative Nathan Sechser and other leaders at the big event.  The Scout Mountain region covers a large area, and includes Scouts from Malad, Downey, Marsh Valley area, Soda Springs and Caribou County, American Falls, Pocatello, Preston.   

During the year, Scouts typically attend a Winter and Spring event, in addition to the summer Scout Camp activities.  The Fishing Derby, held at the Sunrise Summit campground at Devil Creek, brought in close to 100 people, including scouts, leaders, and family, for a weekend on the reservoir and around the campfire. 

The Malad crew, with Joel and Scott Blackner.

Carl Rudeen from American Falls explained that “three times a year, we get together an have camporees.  We have the Klondike derby in January, a Fall camporee, and this is our Spring camporee.  And then in the summer, everybody goes to a week long camp.”

“The camporees are a chance for all the troops to get together and have a bigger event than just a normal campout," he said.

The Fishing Derby is designed for “teaching the skills involved in fishing,” Rudeen said.  “Some of these kids have never been fishing, so we teach them how to bait a hook, and use their gear.”  The Fishing merit badge includes catching a fish and releasing it, as well as catching a fish and eating it, so in the background of the morning, cheerful fires were going as the kids prepared their catches in aluminum foil for the cooking requirement.

Bill Lewis reported that the fishing had been good on Friday, and early Saturday morning, but that by later morning, “I guess the fish are tired out and taking a break.”

“They must have stayed up too late, just like the boys!” Nathan Sechser joked.  

Sechser, District Program Director, explained that the purpose was to “get the kids in the outdoors, learn fishing, and teach them about taking care of the places they use.”  The day was planned to end with a project to clean up the Devil Creek shoreline.  “That’s what scouts are about—life lessons, getting outside, learning camping skills, being a steward of the land, helping other people…things that the youth still need to learn and do, I think.”

The District ranges from between 60 and 90 boys, Sechser said.  

Scout Leader Joel Blackner, and Chris Schulz from Sunrise Summit.

Chris Schulz from Sunrise Summit campground said, “We’re so glad we are able to host this district event.  It’s such an important part of the community to have these kids outside and up here.  It’s a great event.”  

Joel Blackner and his father Scott stayed to the end, directing the kids through the service project.  “It’s been a lot of fun this weekend,” Blackner noted, as they packed up their gear.

Tony McClain took groups of kids out on the water in his boat, which made the experience even better.