THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 26, 1996 TAG: 9604260498
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHYLLIS SPEIDELL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Campfires will glow again this weekend along the James River, not far from where the Nansemond Indians and early settlers made their homes in what is now northeast Suffolk.
These fires, however, will light the faces of more than 300 Boy Scouts, camping on the Portsmouth campus of Tidewater Community College in Suffolk.
Further west, another 300 Boy Scouts will be settling into their temporary camp on the Paul D. Camp Community College campus in Franklin.
Scouts in both areas will demonstrate how far the movement has come since its founding in America in 1910.
In Franklin, Scout Show 1996 - sponsored by the Colonial Trail and Siouan Rivers Districts of the Colonial Virginia Council - will involve scouts from Suffolk, Franklin and surrounding areas.
Scouts from Portsmouth and western Chesapeake will gather at the TCC campus for a spring camporee sponsored by the Merrimac District of the Tidewater Council.
If the words ``Boy Scout'' bring an image of tying knots and helping elderly folks across the street, both weekend events will offer surprises. The Scout Show and Camporee each are open to the public on Saturday.
While Native American lore, camping skills, and first aid, all traditional Boy Scout activities, will be well represented at both sites, equal emphasis will be given to more contemporary scout interests like computers, ham radios and law enforcement.
At the Camporee on the TCC campus, Webelos and Boy Scouts will work on projects and merit badges as diverse as truck transportation, computer assisted drafting, golf and fingerprinting.
``Although the Camporee is primarily for the kids to work on merit badges, we hope a lot of parents and prospective scouts will come out and see what the boys are doing,'' said Jack Goodwin, one of the Camporee organizers.
Out in Carrsville, cub master Cindy Darden and her cubs are cutting bamboo poles and collecting long sheets of industrial felt for their Scout Show project - an Indian longhouse big enough to hold the pack and a few friends.
``We wanted to do something spectacular, and the kids love anything Indian,'' Darden said. Her cubs will also be demonstrating Native American inspired crafts and giving visitors a chance to try their hand at a few crafts too.
``Scouting has always been strong in this area and we are seeing growth,'' Phillip Bradshaw, the Scout Show chairman, said. ``Our overall objective for the show is to have activities for the boys to demonstrate to the public and to get some visibility for the Scout program.'' ILLUSTRATION: DETAILS
The Scout Show 1996, on the Paul D. Camp Community College
Franklin campus, will be open to the public from noon to 5 p.m.
Saturday. Tickets are $2 and will be sold at the gate as well as in
advance by Boy Scouts.
The Spring Camporee, on the Tidewater Community College
Portsmouth campus in Suffolk, welcomes visitors and families on
Saturday from 9 a.m. through the closing campfire at 8 p.m.
Admission is free.
by CNB