by Liz Kelly-Campanale
The 10th Annual Pacific Northwest Hullabaloo took place June 27 – 30. Nearly 240 attendees gathered together at Camp Currie Youth Camp in Camas, Washington. This year’s theme of the Olympics featured scout skills, camaraderie, and fun. Participants traveled from as far away as Colorado and Texas.
Weekend Program
The programming was broken up by section. The Otters (5 – 7 year olds) learned about team spirit, sportsmanship, and inclusivity through games, an ancient pentathlon obstacle course, a giant soccer tournament, water relays, and learning some rhythmic
gymnastics and breakdancing moves. Every Otter (and some intrepid Chipmunks) was honored with a gold medal highlighting a particular accomplishment. There was also a swimming up ceremony on Sunday morning for many of the Otters who were moving up to Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves (8 – 10 year olds) rotated through skills sessions focused on orienteering, athletic skills, creating sailboats out of recycled materials, and archery. On the final morning, they raced their sailboats in a raingutter regatta. Many of the kids earned their Athlete merit badge and all participants received custom sailboat trophies.
Many of the Pathfinders (11 – 17 year olds) were already on site participating in the second annual Paddle Camp on Lacamas Lake in the days leading up to Hullabaloo. Paddle Camp is a week long event with 17 Pathfinders and Rovers instructed 25 guides in canoeing skills. They completed 23 miles in 15 canoes on the Willamette River Water Trail, ending at Hullabaloo.
During Hullabaloo, Pathfinders camped in patrols, planned and cooked their own meals, assisted with parking logistics, and offered canoe rides to younger scouts. They also had their own activity rotations. Pathfinders learned net-making, archery, para-cord crafts, canoeing, a knot relay race, and a timed obstacle course. There was a friendly ongoing competition between Patrols. The 100th Sun Mountain took home the Scout Stave trophy for 2024.
There was programming for Rovers as well. This included wood burning and the much-loved Rover Happy Hour taking place in Rover Camp during down time on Saturday. Two words: candied bacon. Yum!
Campfire
On Saturday evening, everyone gathered at the amphitheater for an excellent formal campfire. Performances from all ages showcased a wide variety of talents.
Thank you
A huge thank you to the many rovers and parent volunteers who made this event possible, with a special thanks to the planning team who put it together. Save the date for next year: June 26 – 29!
