Boy Scouts and Scout leaders from nine counties were invited to attend Scout Day, Sunday afternoon at Great Bend’s Brit Spaugh Zoo.
Zoo Educator Amber Koch introduced youths to some of the smaller animals. As they took turns petting a chinchilla, she explained why its coat is possibly the most luxurious in the world. While each human hair follicle has one or two hairs, a chinchilla follicle has about 90, she said.
There were fewer children willing to touch the bearded dragon, a fierce looking lizard named Lucy that is actually a pretty laid back animal, according to Koch.
While kids explored the zoo, adult leaders from the Kanza District of the Boy Scouts of America met to learn about fall programs and pick up materials. District Commissioner Kenton Abbott, Great Bend, said leaders will visit schools in the coming weeks to tell boys about “Sign up for Scouting” nights.
Each year, every district holds an adult leader district “round table meeting” to kick off the new Scouting year. This year Kanza district chose to hold the event at Brit Spaugh Zoo, which allowed the spouses, Scouts and their siblings to explore the zoo while the adults were in a meeting. New program features and important dates were shared with the leaders.
The regular Kanza District round table meeting is held at the St. John library on the first Tuesday of each month.
Ted Loomis from Pratt, the Quivira Council’s district chairman, said this year’s programs will include camping, service projects, opportunities for Scouts to advance in rank, and training for adult leaders interested in offering programs such as archery or BB guns. The fall Camporee will be held at Camp Aldrich in Barton County.
Sunday’s event was open to all Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers, Explorers and their families from with Kanza District, which includes Barton, Pawnee, Edwards, Stafford, Rush, Pratt, Kiowa, Barber and Comanche counties.
“The purpose of the Scouting program is to teach citizenship, character development, personal fitness and ethical decision making, while participating in fun activities,” according to Bill McKown, Quivira Council board member from Great Bend.
For more information on how to join the Scouting program, parents may call Kanza District Executive Arvin Fontarum, 316-204 9811, or District Commissioner Kenton Abbott, 620-617-6833.