E.Coli Has Scouts Scrambling
posted 11:45 pm Mon August 04, 2008 - Pulaski Co., VA
reporter:
Amber Davison
posted by:
Webteam
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Health officials say beef taken from the Boy Scout camp in Goshen tested positive for E.Coli bacteria. But, they say it may not be the only source of the outbreak. The Rockbridge County camp is now closed until further notice.
The closing of the Goshen camp caught many by surprise. Other Boy Scout troops say they didn't even know the camp was closed until they showed up Sunday and that led to some scrambling.
Jim Samsel, Cub Scout Leader - "We were stuck there with four adult leaders, 10 boys and no place to go."
¤ The Boy Scout motto is Be Prepared, but the scouts who were supposed to spend the week in Goshen had no time for preparation.
Margaret Bennett, Cub Scout Leader - "Certainly, we have to be on the side of safety with our boys. And I'm glad that they did close it. But a little more notice would've helped us."
Instead of checking in, the two scout leaders found themselves on the phone, trying to find another camp. And avoid turning around and driving 4 hours back to Maryland, an hour and a half down I-81, Camp Powhatan was the answer.
Dave Clark, Camp Powhatan - "We had an open campsite, which is unusual, we usually fill up very quickly. So we were able to accommodate them and happy to do it!"
But camp staff had to hustle. They needed more food and more staff to accommodate the additional 90 boys. But so far, so good.
Samsel - "Quite frankly, I don’t think they even knew the difference."
That’s because the boys are doing much of the same thing at Powhatan that they would've in Goshen.
Samsel - "My goal is for them to have the same experience that they bought and paid for. We made the best out of a bad situation."
With all that time in the car, the scouts had plenty of time to learn about e-Coli. The staff at Camp Powhatan says they have always stressed hand washing in the dining hall. Now, the staff and campers just seem to be more aware of the danger.
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