Cub Scott Pack 820 of Westfield. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
WESTFIELD – Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Explorers from all over western Massachusetts, 650 in all, set up camp at Stanley Park in Westfield for the Voyages 2015 all-Council event on Friday.
Held once every five years, this major camporee is an opportunity for all divisions of Scouting to participate together, with age-appropriate activities for all.
Troop 18 from Ashland setting up for the weekend. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
The theme Voyages celebrated explorers such as Lewis and Clark, Christopher Columbus, and the Apollo 11 mission that landed Eagle Scout Neil Armstrong on the moon.
At Stanley Park, Scouts met Mike Matty, who has climbed the highest mountain on all seven continents, a feat only equaled by a few hundred explorers in history. Matty showed the Scouts the climbing gear he used when he summitted Mt. Everest, the highest mountain on Earth. Matty, who is President of St. Germain Investments in Springfield, answered questions like: How long did it take to climb Everest? (Answer: 2 months) and how about Kilimanjaro? (Answer: 2 weeks.)
Scouts taking a break and cooling off. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
The Scouts had to respond to various skills challenges, demonstrating their skills at first aid, personal fitness, and coping with being lost.
“This kind of event helps Scouts meet others from around our state, building friendships that can last years,”said Jeffrey Glaze, president of the Western Massachusetts Council, Boy Scouts of America. “The Scouts set up their tent city on Friday night, and enjoyed the weekend competing, visiting exhibits, and getting to know Stanley Park.”
On Saturday, Stanley Park hosted an American Red Cross Blood Drive with Liz Torres from the American Red Cross drawing blood from Jeff Glaze, one of many donating to the cause. (Photo by Don Wielgus)
“I’m especially happy about this event because I’m also president of Stanley Park, and this weekend my two favorite non-profits worked together to give these kids memories that will last a lifetime,” said Glaze.
The Western Massachusetts Council of the Boy Scouts serves 7,000 boys and 2,000 adults each year in the four western counties of Massachusetts.
Stanley Park is a private, non-profit park open to the public, since it’s founding in 1949 by Frank Stanley Beveridge, founder of Stanley Home Products based in Westfield. The 300-acre park was transformed into sections such as the Amazon (the Beveridge wildlife sanctuary), and the Silk Road to China (the park’s Asian Garden for the Scout event.
In his opening comments, Glaze compared the leadership of Frank Stanley Beveridge with Robert Stevenson Smythe Baden Powell, the founder of Boy Scouting.
“Both men were leaders who recognized integrity is paramount in making life’s decisions, and each started major global organizations,” said Glaze. “These are lessons we try to impart to today’s youth,” he said. “because in this day and age, we feel that helping young people make ethical choices in their lives is more relevant today than at any other time in history?”
The Boy Scout program starts with Lions (kindergarten) and continues to age 18 for the traditional Scout program. Venturing and Exploring are coed programs for youth from age 13 to 21.
“Venturing and Exploring are the fastest growing parts of our program'” said Glaze. “Many of these groups, called Posts attended the event.”
