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This year's Scout-O was our biggest ever and best (and muddiest) yet! By closest count, we served a total of 420 participants (approximately 100 more than in 1999), not including moms, dads, and leaders who shadowed kids on the courses. On Saturday there were 135 on White, 116 on Yellow, and 50 on Orange, for a total of 301 on Day 1. Sunday there were 45 on White, 8 on Yellow, and 8 on Orange, for 61 on Day 2, making a total of 362 on the three courses over the two days. In Sunday's Team Score-O Competition there were 14 Male Large Teams, 9 Male Small Teams, and 1 Female Small Team, with a total of 156 runners. Two-thirds of this group competed also on Saturday, but nine of these teams, representing 52 runners, came especially for the Team Score-O event on Sunday only, plus a half dozen other individuals who arrived to join teams that day.
Five Boy Scout Councils were represented, the majority of which, naturally, were from Hiawatha Seaway Council (the "home" council), but troops also came from Land of the Oneidas Council (to the east), Baden-Powell Council (to the south), Cayuga Council (to the west) and Finger Lakes Council, (farther the west). Two Girl Scout Councils were represented; Central New York and Foothills. There were participants from 29 Boy Scout Troops, 12 Cub Scout Packs, and 6 Girl Scout Troops, Juniors or Cadettes.
Having held the 1998 and 1999 versions at Valley Camp, this time we tried a different venue at Highland Forest for a change. Courses, Registration, Start and Finish were held in the Sawmill Area, where park officials generously gave us the use of three heated buildings for our operation. These were greatly appriciated, as was Arab Hill Camp for CNYO overnights, for their table space and comfort during the rather raw, damp weekend. The spacious carpenter shop, especially, made for registration and check-ins, hot and cold drinks, snack, patch, compass and souvenir sales all very convenient, without crowding. Outside there was plenty of gravelled parking space for everyone's vehicle.
This huge effort could not have been possible without the phenomenal level of expertise and dedication of the core CNYO "superforce" staff. Many thanks to the Dominies for pre-printing, folding, stuffing and sealing hundreds of course maps; Mark Dominie, Charlie Leonard for vetting all courses early Saturday morning; Barb Dominie, Pete Dady for handling on-site registrations; Mark and Pete for teaching pre-race instructional clinics; Ann Leonard, Eric Smith, and Larry Parmelee for handling Starts; Mark, Charlie and Larry for the Finish, Ramana Dominie and Aubrey Glave for selling snacks and helping at registration, Bob Ireland for organizing, directing, and making the handsome plaques as awards for the Team Score-O Competition, in addition to Bob having designed the original information and registration sheets that were distributed at District Roundtables and by mail during the previous months. Thanks also go to Wendy Alberg, for updating the info and printable registration and waiver forms on the web site (used by no fewer than fourteen troops and packs) and for posting these results.