Eight Scouts from Tigard Troops 799 and 797 taught 15 kids how to cook over a campfire at Dirksen Nature Park on Sept. 18.
The outdoor cooking session was part of the City of Tigard Parks and Recreation Department's Kids' Night Out program, which lets parents drop off children ages 6 to 11 for an evening of activities and snacks. The city invited the troops to lead the night's outdoor-themed stations, Tigard Life first reported.
Three adult leaders joined the eight Scouts for the 6 p.m. session. Aaron Harbison, senior patrol leader of Troop 799, opened the evening by telling the group they were there "to show you and teach you some fun outdoor cooking."
At one station, kids learned to safely approach a campfire and roasted marshmallows and hot dogs. At another, they poured batter onto a griddle and flipped their own pancakes. A third station served hot chocolate made with warmed water.
The Dutch oven station stole the show. Each child coated a piece of dough with cinnamon and sugar, then placed it inside to bake. At dusk, Scout Jack Burnett lifted the heavy cast-iron lid to reveal steaming, golden pull-apart rolls.
"The kids were thrilled to have cooked their own sweet treats for themselves," Mason Sloan, a City of Tigard staffer and Eagle Scout from Troop 799, told Tigard Life.
For the Scouts, the evening doubled as an introduction to Scouting for younger children. The troops regularly partner with the city on community events, including the El Tigre Festival, Fourth of July festivities and Veterans Day activities at the Tigard Library.
The troops posted on Instagram on Sept. 20, thanking the city for the invitation:
@tigardtroop799and797: "We had an absolute blast sharing some of our favorite outdoors activities with Tigard youth… cooking!"
The Kids' Night Out program runs monthly at the Dirksen Education Center, 11130 SW Tigard St. Children must be toilet trained to participate, according to the city's event listing.
The next session is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. That session is already full, with a waitlist available. Residents can contact Kaitlyn at [email protected] or 971-284-7694 for questions.
