The Viking Council Camping Committee announces the
release of a new camping recognition award - The Zero Hero.
The Zero Hero Award replaces the council’s previous cold
weather camping recognition - the Wind
Chill Thriller.
Scout troops are encouraged to conduct a year-round
outdoor program and, in Minnesota, that often means cold weather. The Zero
Hero Award is not only intended to recognize Scouts who have camped out in
Zero degree weather but to, more importantly, encourage troops to provide
cold weather training to their Scouts in preparation for cold weather
activities.
The two requirements to earn the Zero Hero award are;
1. Attend a cold weather camping training session.
2. Sleep outdoors for a night when the temperature
reaches
zero degrees fahrenheit or colder.
It is important for Scouts to be prepared for cold
weather camping. The objective should not be to "survive" camping in cold
weather but to have the knowledge and skills to enjoy camping in all types
of weather conditions.
The training can be conducted by the troop but should use
knowledgable presentors and credible resources. The training should include,
at a minimum; clothes layering, fabrics for cold weather (no cotton), cold
weather equipment and cold weather first aid.
Programs like the Viking Council’s North Wind or
the national council’s Okpik are excellent ways to learn cold weather
camping philosophies and techniques.
The Zero Hero patch is available from the Viking Council
for $1.50.
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