Boy Scout Troop 96, sponsored by Ascension Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, attended summer camp at Camp Sequoyah during June.
Scoutmaster Allen Powell, Scoutmaster Emertius Loring Jones III and Assistant Scoutmaster Roger Etherington were in camp all week, and were assisted many days by Assistant Scout Masters Chris Tyra, Danny Smith, Tyler Powell, Hartwell Smith and Stephen Harry.
The Troop team won the camp-wide Water Carnival, capping the effort by winning the last event, the grueling Canoe Tug of War. It also garnered a Commissioner’s Spirit Award (17 categories were part of earning this award) and came in second by one point in the Campsite Inspection contest.
Individual Scouts distinguishing themselves were Andrew Dunlap, who placed first in the Ironman competition, an individual triathlon, and earned a Chaplain’s Aid Award; Elijah Leonard won the Golden Band-Aid award for excellence in first aid and was the top rifle shooter for the week; and Wade Herren, Scott Landers and Elijah all qualified for the after-Camp Top Gun shooting competition.
The team placed second in the camp-wide shooting competition (rifle, shotgun and archery). Turlington Corbett completed the Mile Swim, and Samuel Leonard, Connor Pelham and Andrew Dunlap all earned BSA Lifeguard badges.
Ten members of the Troop were nominated for membership in the Order of the Arrow, the BSA Honor Society: Connor Boyd, Daniel Darwin, Andrew Dunlap, Jackson Durkee, Reid Hodges, Braden Hunt, Elijah Leonard, Jared Rocha, J.D. Vaughn and Alan Davis.
Scouts earned in excess of 45 Merit Badges, and have few remaining requirements that couldn’t be met during camp to earn nearly 20 more.
