Learning in the snow

Klondike Derby is about teamwork

By HANS MADSEN, Messenger staff writer
HUMBOLDT COUNTY — The group of Scouts from Gowrie’s Troop 42 were gathered around a strange looking contraption set up in a shelter at Gotch Park.

Made of ropes, pulleys and a bucket, it could, if the ropes were pulled just right, dip the bucket into a container of water, transport it 20 feet to a small fire, pour the water onto the fire, then set the bucket on top of a step ladder.

For this to happen successfully, a leader had to call instructions out to the four Scouts, each with rope in hand, controlling the motion of the bucket.

Jim Kramer, scoutmaster of Troop 8 from Fort Dodge, was supervising the youths.

‘‘This is our devilish device,’’ he said of the mechanism.

After several failed attempts that resulted in spills that were rapidly turning to ice, Kramer stopped the troops and gave them a few pointers.

‘‘This whole project is based on communication,’’ he told the group. ‘‘You have to let each person know what they are supposed to do.’’

He finished his short lecture with one final bit of advice.

‘‘Refine your communication and try it again,’’ he said.

Putting out the fire was one of eight stations at the Twin Lakes District Klondike Derby that six teams of up to 10 Boy Scouts and Webelos had to go through. Others included fire building, first aid, the giant ski, knots and lashings, snap fishing, remote sawing and Scout history. All events are held outside in whatever weather nature provides. Each event is worth up to 10 points judged on completion and level of cooperation.

According to Cari Feldmann, the district executive, the goal of all of the tests is to show the Scouts how to work together and problem solve.

‘‘These are all team-based events,’’ she said.

Its also about having fun.

‘‘I love watching the these guys,’’ she said, adding, ‘‘They’re all smiling.’’

Feldmann explained that one of the goals of Scouting is making memories.

‘‘These boys will be able to tell you stories for years about this,’’ she said.

Steve Schwendemann, of Fort Dodge, was watching his son, Ethan, work with Troop 588 as its members attempted to saw a log in half without touching either the saw or the log. Their solution, arrived at after a few slightly distracting snowball tosses and a consultation with the Webelos manual, was to tie ropes to the saw then hold the log down with another stick.

It worked, more or less.

Schwendemann was living proof of Feldmann’s statement about memories.

‘‘If you’ve been involved as a young adult, then the memories don’t leave you,’’ he said, recalling his own years in Scouting.

The hardest part for the adults watching was staying out of the way and letting the youths figure it out on their own.

‘‘They have to brainstorm, elect a leader, then execute the plan,’’ he said.

Heath Tarbox, a Scout with Fort Dodge’s Troop 8, had worked out a solution to reaching a mouse trap set in the snow at the snap fishing station. Tying a number of poles together to make one long one worked out well.

Tarbox has been to several Klondike Derby events. He enjoys the time spent with his closest friends. He has also absorbed the lessons.

‘‘It teaches you a lot about teamwork and how to get along with people,’’ he said.

One of those cooperative efforts was the lunch. Each troop prepared food to share with the others, all of it cooked in cast-iron Dutch ovens. The menu was rich with chicken pot pie, beef stew, monkey bread, ribs and a much-appreciated cherry-peach cobbler. The food, served outdoors and cooked in coals, was praised by everyone.

To help keep warm, there was plenty of hot cocoa.

‘‘You can’t go wrong with hot chocolate,’’ Feldmann said.



Contact Hans Madsen at (515) 573-2141 or hmadsen@messengernews.net