Reader Report: Boy Scouts gather for Pacifica District Camperall

Hundreds of local Boy Scouts took over Huntington Central Park on a recent weekend for the eighth annual Pacifica District Camperall.

The event included hundreds of fourth- and fifth-grade Cub Scouts and their parents.

This was the eighth anniversary of our October weekend camping event, and it’s the No. 1 event for the year when it comes to showing Cub Scouts what Scouting is all about.

Pacifica District, which covers Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Westminster, is one of Orange County’s most vibrant districts with one of the reasons being the rate at which Cub Scouts promote into Boy Scouts.

The theme for the 2017 Camperall was, “The Great Space Race — Blasting off to Eagle,” a reference to Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle.

Fourth- and fifth-graders are called Webelos and Arrow of Light (AOL) Scouts. They were served up an exhilarating mix of Scouting skill competitions, opportunities to show Scout spirit and two nights of camping.

Webelos and AOLs experienced the thrill of open skills competitions as they demonstrated their readiness to compete with hundreds of their fellow Webelos and AOLs from around Pacifica District.

We had a staff of more than 30 Boy Scouts and adult Scouters that met weekly for three months to plan the successful event. This is a boy-run event, and this year’s staff was one of the best we’ve ever had.

The young men go through an extensive process of understanding how to cast a vision for the event, set goals, put together a detailed operations schedule, and then execute to their plan.

The staff program is designed to provide an environment to breed and train future leaders with staff ranging in ages from 11 to 17 years. It truly is a one of a kind setting where young men can learn and apply leadership and teaming skills at the highest levels.

JOHN HERPY is the Camperall chairman.