Tristan Pinard, foreground, and Tyler Kornacki, rear, both members of Blandford Boy Scout Troop 112, adjust a row of archery targets at the Moses Scout Reservation yesterday. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
RUSSELL – This week, Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation is bustling with activity because nearly 100 Boy Scouts from the region are taking up residence.
Camp Director Daniel Shea of Westfield said scouts will have the opportunity to earn several merit badges throughout the week, but the main reason for being there is leadership and teamwork – just ask the campers.
“We do a lot of team building,” said Jake Treballion, 15, of Hampden.
Treballion and fellow Troop 171 members Josh Sterling and Dylan Haley are Boy Scout camp veterans. What they learn in the summer is invaluable, they said, and it’s fun.
“It’s nice to be out on the water and doing things with other Boy Scouts,” said Haley.
All three scouts plan to achieve the Boy Scout’s highest rank, Eagle Scout. Treballion is the closest with the rank of Life, while Sterling has a Star rank, and Haley is a First.
Sterling said becoming an Eagle Scout represents a lot of hard work.
“It’s a personal achievement and shows a lot of dedication,” he said.
Last year, Camp Moses was closed most of the summer because of a lack of funding.
“Like everyone else, we have budgetary constraints and we could not afford to run the Boy Scout camps,” said Shea.
Realizing the importance of the camp, Shea took it upon himself to get the program running again.
“This year, I said I would run it with volunteers,” he said.
A group of 20 Boy Scout volunteers, as young as age 16, are helping run the camps this year. Shea, a teacher at Gateway High School, said he enjoys teaching young people and wanted to continue that at Camp Moses.
A Boy Scout himself, Shea said he was not a lifetime scout, but became re-acquainted with Boy Scouts when his son joined. Shea spent several years as a professional in the Boy Scouts and said he does it all for the kids.
Scouts at Camp Moses will participate in archery, blacksmithing, craft skills, nature and environmental science programs and water skills.
“If a scout comes here and cannot swim, we will teach him,” said Shea. “If a scout can swim, we teach life-saving and can certify them as a lifeguard. We offer canoeing, kayaking and sailing. We have a climbing wall, a nature area and teach scout crafts such as outdoor cooking, pioneering and wilderness survival.
“It’s just a great program here, and everyone has a good time.”
