Troop 131 won a cast iron skillet for first place in the cooking competition, creating a lunch of deluxe hot cocoa and healthy turkey sandwiches. The troop overcame the adversity of their stove not working and were able to heat their super creamy hot cocoa on an open fire instead.
Troop 131 also excelled at the compass competition, using their expertise to come in just one second behind the firstplace team. They were awarded a solar flashlight for this accomplishment.
The Klondike Derby is a longstanding Boy Scout tradition, held every year at the campus of Interlochen Arts Academy. The events vary from year to year, from first aid to team building. This year’s stations included challenges like blindfolded geometry, walking on A-frame stilts, getting the whole team across the poison peanut butter on skis, a compass skill race, and the cooking competition. The Scout teams are expected to carry everything they need for these skills challenges from station to station around a one-mile course. Usually, this is done with a sled, and the finale is a sled race, but this year, teams resorted to wagons to carry their equipment.
Troop 131 participants in the photo from left are Michael Coonrod, retired IAA professor and organizer of the Klondike; Lynn Bakker, scout leader; Kathryn Rokita, holding the Klondike Award ribbon; Jessica Paquette, scout leader, holding the 12-Point patrol flag; Seth Courtade, holding the 2024 Klondike Ribbon; Adam Segerlind, scout leader; Marita Somero, scout leader; James Brugeman, holding the solar flashlight and Clayton Johnson, holding the cast iron skillet won for first place in the cooking competition.
