May 2024
Over 73 youth and adults from eight area Scout Troops participated in the 2024 Big Horn Camporee at the Sullivan Trail Rod & Gun Club. Over 33 volunteers from organizations including:
- Chemung County Bassmasters
- Chemung Valley Ridgerunners (National Wild Turkey Federation)
- Five Rivers Council, Scouting America
- Sullivan Trail Rod & Gun Club
- Trout Unlimited – Catherine Creek Chapter (Elmira NY)
The Troops arrived Friday evening to set up their campsites and attend a safety briefing. They moved through nine different activity stations all day Saturday. On Sunday morning, Scouts could watch an Elmira Express High School Trap Team demonstration or participate in the White Tails challenge.
Event chair Christian Maphis, Scoutmaster for Troop 50 (Odessa, NY), said this is the fifth year of this event. It began in 2018, continued in 2019, then went on hiatus during COVID and resumed last year. He is very pleased with the amount of support from volunteers from the sporting organizations, as well as financial & material contributions from:
- Naglee Moving & Storage
- Chemung County Federation of Sportsmen
- Patrick Ousterout at Edward Jones
- Howell Packaging who provided all the safety equipment
“The support of these sponsors keeps the admission fees low – only $30 per participant for camping, two lunches, and a chicken BBQ dinner on Saturday night,” said Scoutmaster Maphis. “It’s hard to beat that price for a weekend of family fun,” he said.
Jim Griffin, Council Shooting Sports chair, said, “We conduct shooting sports events like this safely and responsibly. Target and Range activities are a keystone component of Five Rivers Council programming and a valued family activity in this area.”
To find a Scout Troop in your area, visit our Scouts BSA page.