By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
In April, scouts from the Diocese of Davenport and Archdiocese of Dubuque traveled to Camp Wakonda, near Central City, Iowa, to participate in a St. George-themed weekend faith adventure.
Scouts participate in a jousting match at Catholic Camporee in April. Scouts from the Davenport Diocese and Dubuque Archdiocese participated in the weekend event.
The 34 Catholic Boy Scouts and Venture Crew Members in attendance started Friday evening with a candlelight prayer service.
On Saturday morning, the scouts created swords and shields and built a trebuchet. Later in the day, these items were used during a siege at a make-believe castle. The scouts jousted and broke a dragon piñata.
Father Ron Hodges, diocesan Vicar of Scouting and pastor of St. Mary Parish in Grinnell, celebrated Mass Saturday night with support from Knights of Columbus. Sean Pilcher, a member of the Dubuque Archdiocese’s Catholic Committee on Scouting, led the scouts in praying the rosary on Sunday morning.
Michael Broghammer, a 12-year-old Boy Scout from St. Mary Parish in Solon, said he and the other scouts had “a ton of fun” and especially enjoyed making catapults as teams. He enjoyed learning about the life of St. George, the patron saint of scouting. “We were playing games and learning about God at the same time. It made me realize that the Catholic faith can be fun,” he said.
Jim Pilcher, a member of the Davenport Diocese’s Catholic Committee on Scouting, said adult teamwork from the Davenport Diocese and Dubuque Archdiocese was essential in making the inaugural Camporee event a success. “As with any great event, there were many hands involved in providing this event. Helpers included chaperones, food preparers and donors from both dioceses.”
He said the diocesan scouting committees plan to host a Camporee again next year, with tentative dates set for April 29 through May 1. The theme for that event will be Early Jesuit Missions in North America.
Pilcher said anyone who is interested in becoming involved with Catholic scouting activities can contact the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting at dccs@diodav.org.
