Boy Scouts from city of Tonawanda troop no. 600 launch a tennis ball from the catapult they built Saturday afternoon at DeVeaux Woods State Park. The catapult-building contest was a part of the three-day 2004 Fall Camporee Click on photo for larger image

Camp Wind and Rain
By Aaron Besecker
Sunday, October 17, 2026

Rain drenched the tents and clothes of almost 30 Boy Scout troops who took part in the second day of the 2004 Fall Camporee in DeVeaux Woods State Park Saturday.

But even the chilly temperature and rain-soaked clothes couldn’t push Chris Richter, leader of troop #901 from Niagara Falls, and his scouts out of the park.

“We’re die hard,” Richter said, of his eight-member troop who camped out since Friday night and didn’t plan to leave until the event was over today.

Braving the heavy morning rain and gusty winds was nothing new for Betty Shultz, a district commissioner with the Boy Scouts who has been involved with the organization for 38 years.

“The boys have more fun when is raining and snowing than they do any other time, Shultz said.

The theme of this year’s event was “Frontier Days.” It served as a chance to teach the scouts many aspects of rope- and knot-tying, said Rob Reeves, volunteer and organizer of the event for the Boy Scout district — a district which includes the Falls, Amherst and the Kenmore-Tonawanda areas.

Many events, including a catapult contest, flagpole raising and hikes down into the Niagara Gorge, were planned for the weekend. Some had to be cut short due to the weather.

Early Saturday, the State Park Police displayed some search and rescue demonstrations for the scouts in attendance.

In the early afternoon, the 10 scouts from Boy Scout troop no. 600 of the City of Tonawanda were hard at work putting together their catapult.

After a couple weeks of planning, the troop brought their materials to DeVeaux Woods State Park and put together their contraption in about two hours.

The hardest part for 12-year-old Dan Peters was tying a clove hitch and a square lashing. It only took a few tries to get them right, said Peters, but the job wasn’t done once he figured out how to tie them.

“Then you got to pull it tight so it stays together,” Peters said.

For Bob Kessinger, father of scout Ryan Kessinger, sticking it out through the wet, windy weather was an difficult but important lesson he tried to teach this weekend.

“We’re trying to teach them to be die hards,” Kessinger said.
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