Clayton News Daily

By Linda Looney-Bond

lbond@news-daily.com

The Clayton County District of the Boy Scouts of America will host the Tara District Scout Fair, a free family event, this Saturday at Starr Park in Forest Park.

The fair will take place at the park's Baker Field, located at 803 Forest Parkway, from 10 a.m., until 3 p.m., according to Lee Harper, district executive for the Boy Scouts' Tara District.

The event is open to the public, according to Harper. "It gives people an idea of what Scouting is all about," he said. "The goal is to, hopefully, get new Scouts signed up for scouting, but it is open to anyone that wants to attend. It helps us get scouting out in the public eye."

The fair will offer a number of activities for children, including shooting slingshots, blow guns, and water rockets, Harper said. "The blow gun is a long tube, and you put a projectile in it. They'll be shooting at a target," said Harper. "It's all very safety-oriented.

"With the water rocket, basically they take a two-liter bottle, fill it half full of water, then you pull the release, and it shoots up into the air. It's a lot of fun for the boys."

Harper said the activities will also include a model sail boat race. "In Scouting, we do something that's called rain gutter regatta. The boys race each other by blowing on the sail boat. We'll also have a model camp site set up," he said.

The Forest Park Fire Department will have a fire truck on hand for tours, according to Forest Park Fire Chief Eddie Buckholts.

"It's mainly just for the young men to be able to look at the fire truck and the equipment, and hopefully, one day they might decide to pursue that career," Buckholts said.

Harper said approximately 500 people attended last year's fair, which was also held at Starr Park. "We've held it for the past several years, but it's really just started to take off the past couple of years," said Harper.

For more information about the Tara District Scout Fair, contact Lee Harper at (404) 790-6455, or via e-mail at lharper@atlantabsa.org.