Hundreds of Boy Scouts participate in the Klondike Derby on Feb. 14, 1970, at Alameda Park, where 42 troops competed in “Alaskan-type exercises.” Butler Eagle File Photo

The wintry setting was perfect on Feb. 14, 1970, for 580 Boy Scouts to compete in the annual Klondike Derby at Alameda Park.

The event saw 42 troops competing in “Alaskan-type” exercises judged by almost 130 adults. Scouts pulled their sleds from station to station in several inches of snow to compete in each category, which included signaling, compass reading, judging, first aid, rope tossing and lashing.

Scouts competed for gold nuggets in each category, with the winning “patrol” group earning 49 gold nuggets.

The competition was facilitated by the Western District Pioneer Trails Council, and 1970’s event was the largest and most successful of the current series, according to the Feb. 15, 1970, edition of Butler Eagle.

Boy Scouts from the Western District Pioneer Trails Council competed for “gold nuggets” in games of skill involving rope in Alameda Park. Butler Eagle File Photo