Summer Camps 2009

The start of our summer season is right around the corner with our Boy Scout summer camps starting in less than a month. We have summer camps for all of our programs and it's not too late to register. If your son is unable to attend with his regular unit we can often accommodate individual scouts by teaming them up with other units for the week. If your son would like to attend a second week of camp we can also accommodate that. Check with the council office if you have questions. Below is a list of summer camp.

Cub Scouts:
Wolf/Bear at Camp Lowden August 1-2
Wolf/Bear at Canyon Camp August 8-9
Webelos at Camp Lowden August 7-9

Boy Scouts:
Six weeks at Canyon Camp starting June 21.
Four weeks at Camp Lowden starting June 28.

Venturing:
Canyon Camp August 2-8

National Annual Meeting Notes From Day 2

At the Annual Meeting, there are some general sessions and various elective sessions that deal with different specific subjects. So a lot more goes on than what I have here. The big emphsis was on the brand having five key elements: Leadership, Achievement, Character, Service, and Outdoors.
1) At the Annual Business Meeting the slate of officers was elected and any resolutions are voted on. At the end of the meeting, two parents of scouts who lost their lives at Little Sioux Scout Ranch spoke. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room by the time they were done thanking us, the BSA, for our support. It was quite moving.
2) New National Youth Leadership Society: This is a new program for Venturers (with plan to extend to the other programs). A Venturer can be nominated by their local council if they have completed the following training: VLSC, Kodiak, Kodiak X, Mentoring in Action, and Trainers EDGE. A council can nominate as many Venturers as they want but there is a $100 fee. The Venturer receives a nice frame with certificate and two photos of the Venturer. There is an effort to make something similar to Kodiak and Kodiak X available to Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts to be available next year. The Venturing program is scheduled to begin in August.
3) Crisis Communications: This was a well presented session on how to properly deal with the press in a crisis situation. The basic concept for me, as a council president, confirmed that this should normally be handled by the Scout Executive. However there are some circumstances when a volunteer may be involved.
4) The big finale is the National Council Recognition Dinner where the Silver Buffalo awards were presented. As I reported earlier our own Chuck Walneck, former Blackhawk Area Counicl President, received the award as well. Jeff Gordon wasn’t there, he received his earlier and had a tape of his acceptance.
5) National Supply Division showed a number of new items that are not yet available. Most will be out this summer. I'll post some pictures separately later.

Chuck Walneck Receives Silver Buffalo

This evening at the Closing Banquet of the National Annual Meeting Chuck Walneck received the Silver Buffalo. Chuck becomes the fouth recipient from Blackhawk Area Council.

National Annual Meeting Notes From Day 1

Some items from the National Annual Meeting:
- A relationship is being worked on with the NFL.
- The Innovation Council is testing the use of Personal Water Craft and ATVs.
- Uniform changes are being considered based on input received.

Strategic Planning:
- The development process of a new strategic planning program is underway. It should be rolled out in time for the 2011-2015 strategic plan.

A new Council Solutions group has been formed to provide tactical support and solutions to the council.
1) Financial Solutions
2) Financial Support & 100th Anniversary Support
3) Tenure of Members
4) Growth in Membership
- A strategy planning tool is being rolled out.
- A special National Council Strategic Solutions Wood Badge course is being offered at Sea Base in Jan 2010

Marketing:
- Coordinated marketing materials are being developed. “Brand on Demand” will make these materials available to the councils.
- BSA has a Facebook Page, Twitter Page, and will have a YouTube Channel.
- Scouting.org will change its look on June 1.
- July will begin web hosting for councils on the national server.
- A television show “Are You Tougher Than A Boy Scout” is being developed where Boy Scouts will compete with others in outdoor skills.

100th Anniversary
- MLB Pitch for Scouting was rolled out with Lou Brock as the spokesman.

2010 Jamboree, some new activities being planned
- Technology Quest in the Arts & Sciences Area
- Camp Thunder – Shotgun but beyond skeet shooting
- OA Adventure – “Mysterium Compass”
- The 100th Anniversary show will be in the morning, the Shining Light show will be the last night of the Jamboree.

National Scouting Community, if you need your BSA ID you can contact the National Service Desk at 800-627-3025

Lou Brock introduces Pitch for Scouting

At the national convention Lou Brock introduced the Anniversary program working with MLB.

Some more 100th Anniversary items on display. These items are supposed to be available this summer.

National Convention 2

The are several new 100 Anniversary items that are being displayed. The attached, not a very good picture, is a large knife that has several famous scouters, like BP, etched into the blade and plated in gold. I'll get some other shots up tonight.

National Convention 1

I just arrived at the BSA National Convention. The convention doesn't start until tomorrow but the exhibits are open today. Here is a copy of the new Handbook that will be out later this year. They were held under a lucite cover and you had to use those rubber gloves that are attached to the inside of the box to handle the books.

Wood Badge Beads for Harper & DeYoung

Last night I was at the Pack 29 meeting in Durand to present beads to two more participants of C-23-07, Joe Harper and James DeYoung.

May 16 & 17 Scout Activities

This weekend started with a meeting of the 100th Anniversary Steering Committee at the service center. While there is a lot of planning left to do things seem to be coming together. Next was a visit with Jim Boeger who seems to be doing as well as can be expected. He was in good spirits and gave me one of his new books "Trains & a Camera". It has pictures of trains framed in some of the best scenery from across the country.

Then it was off to Camp Lowden where a lot was going on this weekend. My first stop was to check on the status of the Boeger Leadership Lodge. The upstairs interior has had a lot of work done since I was there last. Below is a picture of the fireplace.

After that it was a stop at the Main Lodge where I ran into Bill Brosch and his team putting on BALOO and Webelos Leader Outdoor Training.

At the same time Geoff Heberlein and his staff from Wanchanagi were putting on an Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills course. Below is a rare picture Ramona and Carl taking a break.

NYLT was also out at camp for their last staff development before the course starts.

The main reason for being at camp this weekend was to present Wood Badge beads to two of my participants from C-23-07. Brent Pierson and Evan Michel are very active with NYLT and asked to have their beads presented during their final staff development.

That was all for Saturday, but on Sunday there was an Eagle project being started by one of the scouts of Troop 152 who is helping to do some renovations for a local animal shelter. This was just the first of several phases of his project.

Anita Byrd Wood Badge Presentation

Last night I was out to White Eagle's Roundtable to do a Wood Badge presentation for Anita Byrd. A lot of troop members from C-23-07 were present for the ceremony along with several of the staff.

Woods of Webelos 2009

Last weekend was another trip to camp to teach knots to our first year Webelos and their parents. We (Dan Banko was with me) instruct on four basic knots: square knot, sheet bend, two-half hitches, and tautline. All together we had about 150 scouts plus at least one parent for each. So there were a lot of knots. Once we finish the instructional part we test their skill by pitching a tarp where only the scouts are allowed to tie the knots.

This weekend I'll be out at Camp Lowden helping with the exterior of the Amerock building. Anyone interested in helping is welcome, bring a lunch. There is also work going on at Canyon Camp on the pavilion. Contact John Wurtzel if you can make it over there on Saturday.

A Lot of Scouting over the Weekend

This past weekend was another busy scouting weekend. It actually started on Thursday evening with at trip to Galena to present Sandra Shultz, a member to the Buffalo Patrol, with her Wood Badge. The presentation was at the Troop 95 Court of Honor which appeared to be very busy with a lot of merit badges and one new Eagle Scout. Several staff and members of Sandra's patrol were present for the ceremony.

Then it was off to the second weekend of Powder Horn. We started early Friday morning in Crystal Lake where a number of sessions were scheduled including time at the climbing wall and sailing at Crystal Lake. The evening was a session on Emergency Preparedness in between the pig roast and the Hawaiian dancers.

Saturday was an early start to get the Powder Horn participants fed and then off to the 34th Annual Kiwanis Work Day at Canyon Camp. I got to help out John Wurtzel for a few hours with the new pavilion and have lunch provided with the Monroe Kiwanis. Then it was off to Camp Lowden to get dinner ready for the Powder Horn staff so they could eat before the evening entertainment that included a birthday party and "Rock Band" competition.

Sunday was more meal preparation while the Powder Horn participants had a canoe trip and horse back riding. The day finished with a closing ceremony to recognize the participants for having earned their Powder Horn recognition. Mike Condon was the course director and he and his staff did a great job putting the course. Every participant should be able to take the information back to their home crews and start exploring ways to put the information to use.