Date of Event: 09/28/2024
Location: CAMP MAUBILA, GROVE HILL, AL
Number of Attendees: APPROXIMATELY 350
Event Summary: Scouts of America Five Rivers Fall
Camporee 2024
“Galactic Heist”
The AWS Mobile Section had the honor of assisting in this year’s south region Scouts of
America Five Rivers Fall Camporee 2024. The event was held at Camp Maubila in Grove Hill, AL
on September 27th – 29th. This year’s camporee included welding. The welding portion of the
event was on Saturday, the 28th. Tim DeVargas, a welding instructor at Faulkner CTC, in Mobile,
AL attended on behalf of the Mobile Section and assisted with the welding portion of the event.
This year’s theme was “Galactic Heist.” Special permission was given by Disney to use the “Star
Wars” theme.
There were approximately 350 people at the event, but welding was limited to those
randomly selected. Scouts were divided up into various groups, where there was fire-fighting, a
drone obstacle course, water safety, soldering, welding, and other groups. Within the groups,
five scouts from each were chosen into 3 smaller groups/tables to weld, with assistance from
Tim DeVargas, Scout Master Will Gates of Troop 292, and Scout Master Jason Wolfenden Troop
90. Scouts donned their PPE and with a quick lesson in welding the scouts welded their “Tie
Fighters” together. At the end of the day, all the completed “Tie Fighters” were welded
together for a monument. It was a busy day and a great success!
Local companies, schools, and individuals loaned the scouts the use of welding
equipment and donated electrodes, steel, PPE, and other materials for the project. The AWS
Mobile Section purchased and donated welding gloves, jackets, safety glasses, and a couple of
welding helmets.
There was a lot of planning that went into this event to make it happen. The AWS
Mobile Section was honored to help. We hope to help with many more special events such as
this in the future. A special “thank you” goes out from the Scouts of America south region to all
who participated and sponsored helping make the event a great success.
