THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 22, 1996 TAG: 9605210161
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 50 lines
Scouts from throughout South Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina descended on the Norfolk Naval Air Station recently for ScoutFest '96.
The theme for this year's event was ``Boy's Life - 85 years of fun!,'' celebrating the 85th anniversary of the Tidewater Council of the Boy Scouts of America and Boy's Life magazine.
``I think it's been great,'' said Judy Middleton, unit commissioner with the Merrimac district in Portsmouth. ``We gave out 400 stickers by noon and ran out. We have 118 units signed up, which is more than last year.''
According to David Davies, district director for the Boy Scouts in Virginia Beach, the event drew about 15,000 visitors, based on estimates made by the Navy from the number of cars in the parking lots.
Attendees were treated to displays by the Navy, area fire departments, rescue squads and businesses, in addition to those put on by Scout dens, troops, packs and posts.
Virginia Beach's Monster Fire Truck was there, as were numerous aircraft and military static displays to walk around and examine.
For the first time, ScoutFest organizers had called on community agencies and businesses that support Scouting to participate as Special Exhibitors. More than 50 organizations, including the Ocean Park Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad from Virginia Beach, Nauticus and the Norfolk Tides, took advantage of the opportunity, as did the American Red Cross bloodmobile.
Scouts, their families and adult volunteers could try their hand at activities such as crossing a rope bridge and baking biscuits and cookies in cardboard ovens. Even Rip Tide, the mascot for the Tides, took a turn on the rope bridge.
``It's fun,'' said Scout Bradley Calkins, 7, from Virginia Beach. ``It has a lot of things to do.''
``It's gone good,'' observed Scout leader Beth Hamlett of Norfolk. ``The boys gave away lots of cookies and biscuits baked in cardboard ovens. They had a good time.''
Hamlett's husband also had volunteered for field cooking duty. He had been tending a pot roast simmering in a Dutch oven for two hours and a dump cake that had been cooking over the coals for about 30 minutes. When they were done, he served both to all takers, to a chorus of ``oohs'' and ``ahs.''
Mike Pettinger of the Ocean Park Rescue Squad was demonstrating a Miller Board to a steady stream of boys. Once strapped onto it, each boy was held so securely that he could be upended or flipped over.
``It's the ultimate baby sitter,'' Pettinger said.
The Tidewater Council is one of the first incorporated councils in the Boy Scouts of America. More than 15,000, ages 7 to 20, participate in its programs, in 400 Cub Packs, Scout Troops, Varsity Teams and Explorer Posts. by CNB