Scouts, leaders attend Spring Camporee in Belgrade

More than 100 Scouts and leaders camped at Camp Bomazeen in Belgrade recently for the annual Spring Camporee. Troop 403 Scouts from left are Oliver Cray, Lucas Thompson, Dylan Angel, Kamden Morse, Emmett Cray and Austin Cray. Angel and Thompson finished their Music merit badge, and the other Scouts in Troop 403 completed all requirements for Engineering. All three Crays and Morse live in Saint Albans. Thompson is from Corinna, and Angel is from Newport. Submitted photo

More than 100 Scouts and leaders camped at Camp Bomazeen in Belgrade recently for the annual Spring Camporee.

Owen Watrous of Winslow is a member of Troop 433. He took the Engineering merit badge and worked on rank requirements with his troop, including setting up a tent and building and starting a cooking fire. Submitted photo

Scouts from towns in Kennebec, Somerset and Lincoln counties, as well as one troop from Gorham, pitched tents, built cooking fires, practiced knots and lashes, and learned to play the recorder. Meanwhile, more than 20 leaders from as far away as York County completed their outdoor leader training at a different part of Bomazeen, according to a news release from Chuck Mahaleris, district chairman for the Kennebec Valley District of Scouting.

“We have a lot of people from all over Pine Tree Council here,” Kennebec Valley District Program Director Julie McKenney of Belgrade said. “We appreciate everyone coming out.”

For Danielle Morse of St. Albans, Scoutmaster of Troop 403, camping in Bomazeen is a family tradition. During the camporee, three generations of her family returned to camp. Her father, Eagle Scout Chet Morse, attended Bomazeen during the 1970s as a Scout. Now he serves as committee chair of Troop 403 and returned to Bomazeen for part of the weekend program.

Sideny Troop 401 Scouts Parker LeHay, left, of Oakland and Mason Hughes of Fairfield practiced the Recorder while working on their Music merit badge requirements at Camp Bomazeen. Submitted photo

Troop 213 includes Scouts from all over Lincoln County. Seven of the troop’s Scouts attended, including Nevan Paulino from Nobleboro and First Class Scout Elijah Smith of Boothbay.

Scoutmaster Mike Lomas of Damariscotta said the camporee is just one part of the troop’s active spring. It had a camping trip a month ago at Hidden Valley Nature Center and a 13-mile hike as part of the Hiking merit badge at George’s Highland Pass.

This summer, Troop 213 will have nine Scouts attending Camp Hinds in Raymond.