“Be Prepared” has been the motto for BSA Scouts for decades; this past weekend proved to be a test for how prepared Clinton Scout Troop 1142 was for first aid challenges.

The entire troop made the trek to a first aid rally in Mackinaw, a special event for the WD Boyce District in Central Illinois, to make sure they were prepared for things like frost bite, heat exhaustion, heart attacks, ax wounds, third-degree burns and other injuries. 

The Scouts were broken into two groups (patrols), a novice patrol (lower ranked and younger Scouts) and advanced patrol (higher ranked Scouts) and competed against other patrols from the Central Illinois area.

The advanced patrol, going by the patrol name of the Barnacles, took 2nd place in the afternoon competition. The Scouts found themselves suddenly faced with an ax wound, spurting blood and all, followed up by a broken clavicle, an arrow in a volunteer’s leg and even burns from a camping trip gone very wrong.

They were being judged on responding and doing something, such as with the ax wound. It was part of the test to see how long it would take them to find some type of medical or other padding and place it on the arm with pressure to slow the bleeding. Some needed to call 911, someone else to find and secure the ax so no one else would get hurt, as well as other steps.

• See the complete story in the Friday, Feb. 18, print edition of the Clinton Journal or now in the Journal E-Edition for subscribers.