March-April 1998

And the Winners Are...

Readers responded to our "Promise of Adventure" photo contest by sending hundreds of pictures showing the many ways Scouting delivers fun, thrills, and excitement to youth members. Here are the editors' choices for the prize entries.

Adventure. It's a promise made to every youth who joins Scouting. From Tiger Cubs through Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Exploring, adventure is the thrill that sweeps our programs.

That's why last spring, the editors of Scouting magazine asked readers to enter a photo contest for pictures that best illustrate the theme "Scouting delivers the promise of adventure."

The magazine's readers responded with hundreds of outstanding images, depicting the Scouting adventure experience in many ways. Subject matter ranged from Cub Scout den projects to Boy Scout whitewater rafting trips to Explorer career awareness activities. Mixed in were plenty of rappelling, hiking, and mountaineering shots.

Nearly all the pictures included a buddy or a group of friends, suggesting that adventure is most fun when shared with others.

Our grand prize winner, Eric Valentine, is a district court judge in Oregon and a Scoutmaster. Valentine, who also scored an honorable mention in the contest, is an avid photographer whose pictures of nature and Scout outings have been published in the regional magazine Oregon Outside.

Grand Prize Eric Valentine Troop 514, La Grande, Ore. Blue Mountain Council James Stolen and James Braden rest in a meadow with South Sister Mountain in the background. The pair hiked together during Troop 514's Fifty-Miler last summer in the Three Sisters Wilderness of central Oregon.

First Place Steven Stockham Troop 706, Columbia, Mo. Great Rivers Council In Canada, Jim Harvey, Erik Stockham, Brian Evans, Brian Rogers, and Brian Bangs leap into the cold, 12-foot-deep waters of Other Man Lake. Scoutmaster Steven Stockham took this picture during the troop's summer high adventure outing to Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario.

Second Place Michael Whitney Troop 21, Bend, Ore. Crater Lake Council Kevin Carkhuff, Randy Thompson, and Andrew Colclough post the colors on the Fourth of July at Camp Meriwether in Tillamook, Ore.

Third Place (tie) Jerry Romero Post 10, El Monte, Calif. San Gabriel Valley Council Southern California fire departments conduct a daylong training exercise with controlled burns for local fire Explorer posts. "It's unbelievably hot!" said photographer Jerry Romero, "especially when you are the first person in line on the hose controlling the nozzle."

Third Place (tie) Lynn Mickinac Pack 423, Aliquippa, Pa. Greater Pittsburgh Council During a Cub Scout outing at Camp Independence at Heritage Reservation in Farmington, Pa., David Mickinac, left, and Jesse Blosl enjoy some mock swordplay while Matthew Mickinac watches from his tent. Two of Lynn and Dan Mickinac's four boys have disabilities. David has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair; Matthew has Down's syndrome. Lynn credits Scouting with opening doors of friendship, fun, and adventure for her sons.

Honorable Mention Bob Sharp Troop 64, Cross Lanes, W.Va. Buckskin Council Kyle Wheeler and Nathan King give the Scout sign while participating in the Scuba Adventure program at the BSA's Florida National High Adventure Sea Base.

Honorable Mention Steve Rajtar Explorer Post 68, Orlando, Fla. Central Florida Council Perched on an outcropping of Germany's Kehlstein Mountain in Bavaria, Post 68 Explorers peer through the clouds to the valley, more than a thousand feet below.

Honorable Mention Paul Tomita Troop 359, Kaneohe, Hawaii Aloha Council Scouts attending summer camp at Camp Pupukea in Haleiwa, Hawaii, join a spirited parade as they march to the next event of Olympic-like games.

Honorable Mention Jeanne Valdez Pack 421, Lawrence, Ind. Crossroads of America Council Gregory Valdez uses a drill press to punch holes in the cover of a Scout scrapbook he is making. It's one of the projects at Webelos adventure camp designed to pass requirements for the Craftsman activity badge.

Honorable Mention Richard Schneider Troop 306, Hutchinson, Kan. Quivira Council Life Scout Jared Schneider rappels 120 feet from the top of Weaver's Thumb, a rock formation at the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch near Red Feather Lakes, Colo.

Honorable Mention Timothy Apps Troop 125, Cadillac, Mich. Scenic Trails Council The Bear Patrol competes in the Great Raft Race on Lake Cadillac. In this annual troop event, each patrol is given four plastic barrels, a tarp, cedar poles, and twine. The Scouts make their own rope, then design and lash a raft together. The patrols race about four miles--the length of the lake--and conclude the afternoon with a troop family picnic.

Honorable Mention Shelda Howard Pack 289, Madison, W.Va. Buckskin Council Den 6 Cub Scouts Justin Ferrell, Deven Clark, Charles Howard, and Justin Saunders gather following a bicycle safety lesson and skills competition.

Honorable Mention Arthur Rusch Troop 66, Vermillion, S.D. Sioux Council Backpacking on the Centennial Trail in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Troop 66 Scouts cross the grounds of Old Fort Meade and head toward Bear Butte.

Honorable Mention Shelda Howard Pack 289, Madison, W.Va. Buckskin Council The smell of sawdust and the sound of hammers fill a woodworking shop as Cub Scouts develop carpentry skills by building birdhouses.

Honorable Mention Dennis Allen Troop 404, Andrews Air Force Base, Md. National Capital Area Council Craig Allen and Ricky Knie skip eating in the Goshen Scout Reservation dining hall and head to the lake for a "Pirates Breakfast."

Honorable Mention Marjorie White Pack 150, Finksburg, Md. Baltimore Area Council Webelos Scouts, parents, and leaders canoe through the morning fog at Broadcreek Memorial Scout Reservation in Whiteford, Md.

Honorable Mention Robert Flory Troop 1140, Springfield, Va. National Capital Area Council The Scouts who were members of the first official U.S.A./Russia Scouting exchange in 1992 pose in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square.

Honorable Mention Steve Hentzelman Troop 85, Lake City, Fla. North Florida Council Troop 85's Venture crew shoots the rapids of the Ocoee River in Tennessee, site of the kayak events for the 1996 Olympic Games.

Honorable Mention Eric Valentine Troop 514, La Grande, Ore. Blue Mountain Council A full moon sets in Oregon's Three Sisters Wilderness, as Scouts who have slept beneath the stars begin to wake.

Honorable Mention Donna Campbell Pack 34, Prattsburgh, N.Y. Five Rivers Council Cubmaster Campbell took this picture of her pack's boys having fun at Rock City, a fortress and signaling point used long ago by Indians in southwestern New York State.

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