October 10-12, 2014
This year's Zomb-O-Ree was heavily attended by members of Troop 255 where they joined other Bay Area Scout Troops for "Cutter's Last Stand" at the Camp Cutter Scout Reservation. The event was a Scout-led all-out attempt to protect the California Skyline District area from a recently discovered Zombie infestation in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Things were quiet on Friday night as the Troops moved in to set up camp, but there were signs everywhere of possible Zombie activity. It became clear that things around Camp Cutter were not as they should be. The wind howled, spooky sounds emanated from Harkson Lodge, and wolves howled in the distance at a full moon.
That evening, the Scouts made plans for a rigorous training course the following day to prepare everyone for the Zombie encounters that were sure to follow. These included training activities such as First Aid for Zombie wounds, Tomahawk Throw for Zombie Defense, Knots Skills Course for escaping Zombies in mountainous regions, Zombie Leg Lift for equipment management, and Downhill Mountainboard for fast escape from Zombie-infested regions. There also was training in the defense of last resort: Shotgun target shooting.
Saturday morning as the boys rolled out of their sleeping sacks and waited in line for breakfast, it became apparent that something was up. Some of the camp staff and adult leaders looked chillingly pale and were developing lesions around their arms and necks. Could an infection be spreading through the camp? And then, inside the cafeteria, there were other signs that things might be amiss.
The boys rapidly set about organizing into patrols and setting up rigorous training activities to prepare everyone for what might come. Troop 255 hosted the Zombie Tomahawk Throw, creating a training station where members of the different patrols could practice targeting Zombies from a safe distance.
All went well for awhile and we had some very skilled Tomahawk participants chalking up excellent scores in this important training event.
But then the inevitable happened and the first Zombies started to appear in camp
Some of the Zombies even tried to join in the training activities, often getting a little too close for comfort.
But fortunately all the training and new-found skills paid off. The Scouts proved they were prepared for anything.
As the day wore on and the training pace and Zombie activity increased, it became clear that the evening would bring a battle of epic proportions. But continued hard work and training paid off as the Scouts stuck to their training regimen.
After dinner, the evening brought more strategy sessions around campfire where the Scouts planned their final zombie offensive: "Cutter's Last Stand!" Fortunately, the boys were able to repel the Zombie invasion and secure the safety of all in the Pacific Skyline District and surrounding Santa Cruz Mountains. Ultimately, an antidote was secured for camp personnel. We expect a full recovery in the weeks to come. There were prizes for the highest achievers in the activities, and those most successful at defending against the Zombie onslaught.
A strange twist of fate caused the Zombie disease to infect the prizes, too. Attempts to apply the antidote to the festering awards were ineffective.
All in all it was a fun and exciting last Zomb-O-Ree! Thanks to all participants for making this such an enjoyable activity for the kids!
