WILDERNESS, CRAFT SKILLS COME TOGETHER AT SCOUT-O-RAMA : COUNTY TROOPS LEARN ABOUT LEADERSHIP, TEAMWORK AT DAYLONG EVENT.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

In his olive-green Boy Scout uniform, Dane Carlson put a baseball in a green plastic bowl on a wooden catapult, took careful aim at the outline of a man on a white cardboard and let 'er rip.

The ball flew in a short graceful arch and hit with a thud - the fourth time out of six tries - just barely missing the bull's eye in the outline and garnering a few ``oohs'' from the other watching Scouts.

``My aim was actually pretty good - I hit the person most of the time,'' said Dane, 12, who joined Boy Scout Troop 128 in Ventura only about two months ago. ``Actually, I didn't expect my aim to be that good.''

The catapult was just one of a host of games and exercises at Saturday's Boy Scouts of America Scout-O-Rama, where thousands of Scouts from all over the county spent the day demonstrating their skills for family, friends and their own satisfaction.

No one quite remembers when these Scout-O-Ramas began, said Bill Belcher, assistant Scout executive for the Ventura County council. ``The best we know is that it started in the '40s sometime,'' he said.

Up to 6,000 people attended the daylong event, wandering among the giant teepees, kayak exhibits, game and food booths and other attractions set up by the Scouts in Freedom Park next to the Camarillo Airport, said David Graska, Scout executive for the Ventura County council.

It brought Scouts from all 75 Ventura County units, whose members were given an opportunity to put some of the skills they've learned into practice and demonstrate some of their activities for nonmembers, he said.

These activities rely on teamwork and teach leadership, helping the Scouts channel their energy toward something more wholesome than much of what's out there these days, Graska said.

There was the monkey bridge, obstacle course, archery, pine-wood car derby, Frisbee golf and other skill-building games, he said.

``They can do some positive, wholesome things instead of being out there getting into some gang-type activity,'' he said.

The event also was intended to raise money for the Scouts, whose members sold tickets at $3 each. The number of tickets sold for Saturday's event was not available.

Based on previous years, however, anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 tickets likely were sold, he said.

``Most people who buy them don't come,'' he said. ``Basically they're just supporting the Scouts when they buy a ticket.''

Dane said there are other skills he'd like to hone, like wilderness survival - in his opinion the most important of the skills Scouting can teach.

``That really teaches you everything - how to make a knife, how to make a fire,'' he said.

Still, with all the fun and useful things that Scouting teaches, there is something much more to be gained from it - something that attracted him to the group in the first place.

``It's probably about making friends and making good friendships,'' he said.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

Photo: (1--ran in CONEJO edition only--color) Donnie Ter rant, 8, of Troop 3780 aims a loaded catapult at a target Saturday in Freedom Park.

(2--ran in CONEJO edition only--color) Troop 3776's Aaron Gehr, 7, tries to catch Lisa Pedicini of Moorpark on the wall.

(3--ran in CONEJO edition only) James Johnson, 10, of Troop 3859 tries to burst a balloon with a whip at Scout-O-Rama in Camarillo.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News