Kay Knox
Nite Trek is an annual event for members of the Boy Scout and Girl Guide Movement held in many parts of this province. Clearwater’s Ski Hill has echoed with young voices from Saturday noon until after breakfast on Sunday during the first weekend in May for the past three years. Kids from Kamloops, Vernon, Merritt, Lillooet and Clearwater quickly erected tents and were ready for this year’s event - its theme “Helping Hands.” Teams then participated in a variety of active events during the rest of the afternoon, including making a poster representing the efforts of non-profit organizations that give help where needed.
When darkness was setting in, teams (adult teams as well) set off at intervals. “Keep together!” is one of their last instructions as they stride up the hill, flashlights and other emergency equipment in backpacks. Awaiting them, at stations well-spaced, were adults with neat challenges to be completed. Each team is evaluated on co-operation, success in completing the challenge, and enthusiasm. Midnight sees them still up on those trails completing a dozen different activities. At one, they produced power with a generator attached to a bicycle. They themselves were powered up by hot chocolate at the mid-way station, and here they showed their poster and explained how that organization helps others. The last teams are not back until the wee hours!
A (somewhat late) pancake breakfast was provided for the sleepy but happy participants. Finally, they formed a horseshoe beneath fluttering Canadian, Guide, and Scout flags for the presentation of prizes, useful for camping, donated by Surplus Herby’s, Home Hardware and others.
The winning teams were as follows:
Adult: Katie DeGroot, Monique Reiswig and Asia Nodzykowski; Youth:1st - Amanda Bolton, Adam Becker of Clearwater, and Brynja Paetkau; 2nd - Breanna O’Brien, Alex Forbes, Katie Gair; 3rd (tie) - Nik Middleton, Chad Bond, Haley Panchuk; 3rd - Bronwen Evans, Rebecca Murphy, Maxine Bolton
Nite Trek may be somewhere other than Clearwater next year, but you can be sure the youth of this District will be there, participating and enjoying another night of challenges and a weekend of fun where they meet kids from other nearby communities.