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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Propane’s
a “bear” when it’s cold.
Can we use liquid-fueled stoves and lanterns?
Yes,
liquid fuel (typically “white gas”) can be used for OUTDOOR cooking and
lighting IF you follow the Camp
rules for its safe storage, transfer, and use.
Handled by adults only… If we want to use wood for cooking over an open fire or for outdoor campfires, may we use split wood from the Camp woodpiles? No, collect dead-and-down trees and branches or bring your own firewood from home. Charcoal’s a good alternative. We plan to rent a cabin. Where do we get firewood for the wood stove? The last inhabitants should have left you a pile of wood. If not, the Camp Ranger will direct you to a woodpile when you check in. Is
pre-registration really necessary now that no pre-registration fee is required?
Yes, if you don’t pre-register your Troop you run the risk of missing
the 55 Patrol cut-off for participation in the Klondike Derby.
Can
we rent a cabin or lean-to when we register Derby Saturday morning?
No,
the event staff does not rent properties.
You must make arrangements and pay rental fees directly to Twin Rivers
Council at least two weeks before your stay.
With the new electronic pre-registration procedures and posting of event information on the Camp Boyhaven website, are Troops without computers going to eventually be left out? In the unlikely event that there is no one in the Troop who can download the event information, please contact "Uncas": Uncas@CampBoyhaven.org or phone George at 884-0588. How
do I pre-register for this event?
If you are in Schenectady District or Sir William Johnson District
complete and return the postcard that was included in the pre-registration
packet mailed to you early October.
Or e-mail the information to Uncas@CampBoyhaven.org
. Or
phone George at 884-0588.
How
does one obtain a staff position to assist at a Derby skill station?
Just send a note to Uncas@CampBoyhaven.org
and one of the Derby Co-directors will contact you. How does a senior Scout become a “Renegade”? Just have him send a note to Uncas@CampBoyhaven.org and the Renegade Chief will contact him. What are the incentives for becoming a "Renegade"? Serving as a member of the Derby staff. A special "Renegade" event patch. A colorful Renegade Hat. A Certificate of Appreciation from the Renegade Chief. Lunch with the staff. And a Big Thank You from 250+ Scouts! What’s this “open area fee”? The infamous "open area fee" has gone the way of the rotary phone! There is no longer a fee for tenting at Camp Boyhaven! Do
“Renegades” have to register and pay the $6 fee?
No, but please list them on your Registration Form as “Senior Scout
Leadership” and make sure we do not count them for the purpose of your fee
calculation. How
does one qualify for a Deep Freeze “Snowball”?
Anyone sleeping out-of-doors either Friday night or Saturday night under
nylon, under canvas, or under the stars qualifies for the Deep Freeze Snowball. Where
do I get “snowballs” for my Deep Freezing Scouts and leaders?
Each Scoutmaster will receive an envelope of materials at Registration
with which Scouts and Scouters can construct their own.
Instructions will be included in the envelope. Where
do I retrieve my Troop Health Forms?
Your envelope of health forms will be available at Norris Hall after the
Sunday morning Closing Ceremony.
If you leave early, they can be picked up at Horsley Lodge from the Health
& Safety Crew on your way out of Camp.
Why’d you move the Starting Line? To make more room to get Derby Patrols lined up by starting time and to conduct Clothing Check, Flag Judging and Sledge Judging more efficiently. Why'd you reduce the number of Starting Patrols in each time group from 5 to 4? Safety. Actually we start the four in pairs about 1 minute apart. Sledge collisions were taking their toll right out of the starting gate! Why’d you move Saturday morning registration to the Nature Lodge? Norris Hall is structurally unsound and the temporary shelter we had set up next to Norris in 2003 did not hold heat well at all. We have heat in the Nature Lodge... the Registrars are getting up in years! So,
where is the Finish Line?
Same place.
Right in front of Norris Hall. Where may we tent-camp? Anywhere on Camp property. The Health & Safety Crew will make rounds throughout Camp Saturday night to check for cold Scouts. Be sure to get your campsite location recorded on the Deep Freeze Map at registration so that we know where to find you. If your Troop is relatively new to winter camping, we strongly suggest you rent a cabin as refuge for Scouts and leaders whose sleeping bags provide insufficient insulation. May we arrive Friday night? Yes, but be sure to check in at the White House as soon as you arrive so that we know you are in Camp. Be sure to inform the event administrator of your arrival and departure plans when he contacts you in January by phone or e-mail. Where do Friday night arrivals get water? There are spigots on the outside of the White House and Winter Barracks. But the lines often get long on a cold windy night. We strongly suggest that you bring a sufficient supply from home to get you at least through Saturday breakfast. May
a skeleton crew come up to Camp Friday night to stake out an open area and/or
drop gear in a rented cabin?
Sure, but please have them check in at the White House when they arrive. If we leave on Saturday, how do we obtain our awards? Ribbons will be mailed to Scoutmasters with the event “report cards” within two weeks of the Derby. Special arrangements will be made for presentation of the Snowshoe, Ski, and Patrol Flag to the winning Derby Patrols if they are not present at the Closing Ceremony on Sunday morning. Derby "Report Card"? What's that? Within a couple weeks of the event, Scoutmasters will receive a report for each of their Derby Patrols that compares their scores at each Derby station with the average of scores earned by all participating Patrols. This is meant to be a guide for preparing the Patrol for the next Klondike Derby. Sharing this information with the boys is strongly encouraged. Why don’t we hold the Closing Ceremony Saturday evening? With our computers-a-blazin’ we thought we might be able to pull this off in 2005. We took a practice shot in 2004 and discovered that at temperatures below freezing and with Route Cards coming in at a furious pace on-the-spot data entry left a bit to be desired. In short: we made mistakes. But they were corrected later in the evening in a nice warm living room back in Scotia. So, we'll be sticking with our traditional Sunday morning Awards Ceremony. How do we rent cabins and lean-tos? You must contact Twin Rivers Council (869-6436) to make arrangements at least two weeks prior to your arrival in Camp using normal procedures, application forms, and fee payments. The event staff does not rent properties. What does the Health & Safety Crew do when they find a cold Scout during the Deep Freeze overnight? He is immediately removed from his tent and taken to the Warming Hut (Horsley Lodge). If there is a second scout in the tent, he goes too. If there are three Scouts in the tent and only one is cold, only the cold Scout will be removed leaving a "safety pair". How
is the Scoutmaster informed when his Scouts are taken to the Warming Hut?
The Health & Safety Crew will wake him up. Why
does the Scoutmaster hang a length of orange flagging tape on his tent?
So that the Health & Safety Crew knows which adult leader to wake up
when they remove cold Scouts from the Troop’s campsite. Why
are you guys so tough on Scouts who show up at the Starting Line without proper
winter attire?
Huh? Are
you from Florida?! What’s
wrong with cotton anyway?
In short:
“Cotton kills”.
Cotton holds moisture.
It has very poor wicking properties for transporting perspiration away
from the skin.
A little breeze and it’s hypothermia time! So
what materials do wick well?
Synthetics like polypropylene and polyesters. So cotton Scout uniform pants are not good for winter wear? Official Scout pants are a cotton-polyester blend but they do dry fairly slowly when wet. We discourage the wearing of Scout uniforms when boys are competing in the Klondike Derby. Are “blue jeans” and “sweat pants” appropriate for the Klondike Derby or any wintertime outdoor activity? No, they’re typically 100% cotton and, yes, that's right... Cotton Kills. What’s
this “two-deep leadership” requirement all about?
Huh? Are
you from Mars?! Who
designs these great event patches?
Leza Herron of Guilderland has been designing our patches for three
years. I'd like to purchase a complete set of the event patches ("Mayor", "Renegade", MOTWOM", "Staff", "Ace Patrol", etc.) Sorry. The only patch for sale is the generic event patch. All others must be EARNED. How
do you calculate Derby Scores?
Points earned at each skill event and at Clothing Check; points earned for leadership,
teamwork, and scout spirit; points earned by answering Renegade questions
correctly; and points earned for completing the Derby in the shortest time are
all plugged into a secret formula known only to Ted Brown and Uncas.
Patrols are then ranked by total score and (generally) the top 40%
receive Blue Ribbons, the next 40% receive Red Ribbons and the remaining 20%
receive White Ribbons.
Why
does a Derby Patrol have to consist of at least four Scouts?
One to stay with the patient and two to go for help. What
is the ideal Derby Patrol size?
Six to eight Scouts. What’s
wrong with a ten- or twelve-Scout Derby Patrol?
Not everyone gets to actively participate in the skill events. If
a Patrol does not have time to get to a Derby station, what is their score for this station?
Zippo. Why do Derby Patrols need to get to the Starting Line area at least 30 minutes prior to their assigned Start Time? Clothing check. Sledge judging. Patrol Flag judging. Time to read the instructions that accompany their Route Card and "Klondikaven" map. Why
is a Patrol limited to four Renegade questions, two in the AM and two in the PM?
Because that’s the way it has always been. What
happened to the Crossword Puzzle Contest?
It’s gone.
Participation was very low for three years running.
Apparently a $25 gift certificate at the Scout Store is not a great
motivator. Why
did you initiate the Crossword Puzzle Contest in 2001?
To encourage Scouts to carefully read and understand the information in
the Derby PL Brochure. Why
is the Trail Lunch a scored Derby Event?
It’s an important skill for winter-camping Scouts to acquire.
Why
do Derby Patrols have to bring their own wood (tinder, kindling, and fuel) over
which to cook their Derby Lunch?
That’s what the instructions tell them to do. Why
do you insist on pasta for the Trail Lunch?
Because Scouts on the Trail need a good dose of “complex
carbohydrates” to keep them warm and to provide energy for the afternoon’s
strenuous activities. Why
are first and second place winners in the Patrol Flag and Sledge judging not
qualified to win again for three years?
In fairness to other Patrols. Why
do you give Scouts so much information on the skill events in advance (PL
Brochure) including a map of the Derby Route?
So that they can “Be Prepared for any old thing” (Lord Robert S.S.
Baden-Powell). Why do
you give Derby Patrols their Route Cards, maps, and instructions as long as two
hours before their assigned Start Time?
So that they can “Be Prepared for any old thing”. With
all this information and time for pre-planning, aren’t you concerned that they will all earn
Blue Ribbons?
No. What
happened to gold and silver nuggets?
Uncas got tired of re-painting rocks.
The new “coins” are dated and Scouts get to keep them as souvenirs. What
is the secret to the continued success of this event?
Thirty dedicated MOTWOM, 40 Great Scoutmasters, and tons of help. How long has this event been co-hosted by Schenectady and Sir William Johnson Districts? Since 1995. What
is the significance of the Ted Brown “Ace Patrol” Snowshoe Award?
The Derby Patrol with the highest total score (or Patrols in the event of
a tie) gets to display the Snowshoe in their meeting place until the next
January and their Patrol Name and Troop Number are added to a brass plate on the
Snowshoe. After
ten years, the snowshoe belongs to the Troop with the most winning Patrols
during the decade.
Has
any Troop ever gotten to keep the Snowshoe?
Yes indeed!
Troop 67 of Glenville is the proud owner of the Derby Snowshoe that
covered the years 1993 to 2002.
A new “Ace Patrol Snowshoe” was initiated in 2003. What is the significance of the "Derby Ski"? A ski - the "Chuck Moehle Award" - is presented to the Patrol judged to have the Best Sledge at the Derby. It is displayed at the winning Patrol's Troop meeting place for a year and returned in January for presentation to the next year's winner. Winning Patrol names and Troop numbers are engraved on a brass plate attached to the ski. The winning-est Troop over a ten year period gets to keep the Ski. Chuck Moehle was a long-time Klondike Derby Staff Member, serving on the Sledge-judging team and as Event Treasurer. What is the significance of the Derby Patrol Flag? A special Patrol Flag - the "Glen Grant Award" - is presented to the Patrol judged to have the best Patrol Flag at the Derby. It is displayed at the winning Patrol's Troop meeting place for a year and returned in January for presentation to the next year's winner. Winning Patrol names and Troop numbers are recorded. The winning-est Troop over a ten year period gets to keep the Flag. Glen Grant was a long-time Klondike Derby Staff Member, serving on both the Patrol Flag and Sledge-judging teams. What is the new "Don Montanye Award"? The "Don Montanye Award" is presented to the Troop that registers the largest number of Scouts and Adults leaders. Although registration fees are waived for "Renegades", they will be included in the Troop participant count. The award consists of special event patches that will be presented to the Troop Scoutmaster, one for each participating Troop member. Don was a member of the Klondike Derby and Deep Freeze staff for decades serving in a number of capacities including Registrar, Sledge Judge, and Patrol Flag Judge. Don "went home" in July of 2007. This award is in his honor and memory. Don’t you think that the Klondike Derby has become too competitive? No. The boys keep coming back year after year in larger numbers. Apparently they like our Klondike Derby brand of competition! Are Cub Scouts invited to the Klondike Derby? Yes and no. Yes, they are welcome to come up to "Klondikaven" on Derby Saturday to observe our Boy Scouts at the skill stations. No, Cub Scouts are not to spend the weekend with a Troop. No, they are not to participate in the Klondike Derby as part of a Patrol. No, there aren't any special activities planned for Cub Scouts other than hiking the Derby Trail and observing activities at the skill stations. How will Cub leaders be informed of this opportunity to observe the Klondike Derby? Flyers will be made available at Schenectady and Sir William Johnson District Roundtable meetings. Is there a fee to register Cubs and accompanying leaders and parents? No. Do Cubs receive anything for making the trip to "Klondikaven"? Yes, they get to see what some Boy Scout Troops do in the wintertime. Yes, the first 75 Cubs to register on Derby Saturday will each receive a special "Cub Observer" event patch. Each participating Pack will receive a special ribbon. Can Cubs, leaders and parents get a Derby Tour? The tour is self-guided. A map is available at registration. Where do Cubs register and pick up the Visitor Guide and free patches? The White House (front room). Ask for the "Renegade Chief". Other
questions? Send a note to Uncas@CampBoyhaven.org
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