On Friday, April 21, 2023, Troop 542 Scouts headed to Trexler Scout Reservation in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania, for a weekend of gourmet cooking and tent camping. The gourmet cooking competition is a Troop tradition during which patrols create a meal plan based on a theme, then compete to cook and serve the finest cuisine. The Troop departed from Supplee Presbyterian Church for a 90-minute drive to the campsite. After setting up, the Scouts retired to their tents to get some well-deserved rest.
After Saturday morning breakfast, the Scouts divided into three groups. The Scouts in the first-year program set out on a hike; some scouts headed to the parade field for a match of Ultimate Frisbee, and the remaining Scouts prepared for the competition. At noon, the Troop reconvened for lunch. Afterward, everyone assembled at the center of the campsite to officially kick off the gourmet cooking competition.
For three hours, each patrol prepared a meal with the equipment at their disposal, including Dutch ovens, charcoal grills, propane stoves, and firepits. Themes included Chinese gourmet, Viking food, Western food, and more. themes such as Chinese gourmet, Vikings, western food, and more. During this time, judges floated around the campsite, checking in with each patrol and scoring it.
At 4:30 p.m., when each patrol was ready to present, the judges made their final journey around the campsite, tasting small samples of the meals that the Scouts had cooked. The prepared meals were scored on multiple metrics, including presentation, preparation, taste, and nutrition. Before scores were announced, the Troop’s attention shifted from the competition to the weather that was forecast to worsen and bring high winds and storms to the campsite. Patrols finished cleaning their cooking equipment and began to take down tents, pack personal gear, and reload all equipment onto the bus. In a race against time, Troop 542 narrowly managed to load all the equipment just as a storm hit the reservation. The Troop cut short its trip and returned home.
At the Troop meeting the following Monday evening, Sam Hotchkiss announced the winner of the gourmet cooking competition. In an upset, the Eagle Patrol, which had won in previous years, was dethroned by the Pythons, a patrol partially composed of newly integrated, first-year Scouts. This victory proved to Troop 542 that novice Scouts are just as capable of preparing a delicious meal as more seasoned members.