By Lee Ann Sides Garrett
news@salisburypost.com
Anabell Speight takes her job seriously. She considered serving as the “sheriff” at the Cub Scout Gold Rush on Saturday her duty.
“Let’s go arrest somebody,” Speight said to a group of Cubs assisting her.
The Gold Rush, held at Camp John J. Barnhardt near Badin every October, is the first event of the year for Cub Scouts. This year’s event was held in spite of a steady rain.
More than 1,500 Cubs, leaders and parents from Rowan, Cabarrus, Anson, Montgomery, Richmond, Stanly and Union counties dressed in ponchos and raincoats braved the rain during the opening ceremony, and excited Scouts scrambled into an open field dotted with gold nuggets.
Cubs could redeem the gold-painted gravel “nuggets” to play creative games set up by individual packs for prizes of candy. Games consisted of everything from “Redneck Golf,” where participants tried to wrap two golf balls on a string around a frame of PVC pipe, to rolling a tire to knock down bowling pins. Each boy was allowed only five nuggets at a time.
That’s where Speight’s job comes in. She patrolled the boys, checking to see how many nuggets they had. If they had more than five, into jail they went.
The “jail” is an open-top, castle-like structure made of hay bales. Those arrested could free themselves by singing a song such as “I’m a Little Teapot” or “Grand Duke of York” with Speight or by sitting quietly for five minutes.
Others enjoyed showing off the unusual songs they knew and laughed with Speight. One boy sat in the jail “just because he wanted to.” Speight rewarded each boy by returning one of his confiscated nuggets for good behavior and returned the rest to the field to be found by Cubs again.
“I love working with the boys. We have so much fun,” Speight said. “Boy Scouts is such a good influence on them.”
Jim Sawyer, Rowan County district director for the Boy Scouts Central N.C. Council, called the event a great success despite the weather.
“There were 17 packs from Rowan County and 25 packs from Cabarrus County registered,” Sawyer said. “In spite of the rain, I think most of them came.”
Sawyer said the Gold Rush has been held for more than 15 years and has grown over the last few years because of added events such as archery, BB gun shooting, canoeing and rowing. Despite the rain, many packs set up camp and spent the weekend.
“It’s a little damp,” said James Helms, leader of Pack 43 from Union County. “But we’re having fun.”
Nine-year-old Zachary Calderwood waited patiently in the long line at the archery range.
“It kept getting my jeans and shoes wet,” Calderwood said. “But it was fun. I like spending the time with my dad.”