"Scouting for Adventure" TV Show

Don't miss the premiere of Season Two of the Boys' Life TV show, Scouting for Adventure.

Season Two premieres July 1, 2009, on The Outdoor Channel and each episode will run at the following times:
Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.
Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sundays at 6 a.m.
All times are Eastern.
The episodes were filmed at national high adventure bases and Scout camps across the country.

Details are available at the Boys' Life website.

Boys' Life, Join Scouting Video Contest

Boys' Life magazine is holding a contest to who can create the best promotional video about joining scouting. Videos have to be uploaded by September 15, 2009. They will be voted on from September 16, 2009 through September 30, 2009. The prizes include three Grand Prizes of a 13" MacBook laptop computer.

Many of you already have promotional videos for your units. Now is your opportunity to show them off to the scouting community.

Details, including the rules and regulations of the contest, are available at www.boyslife.org.

Executive Board Tours Boeger Leadership Lodge Construction

On June 25 we held the Executive Board meeting at Camp Lowden where the Board members had the opportunity to tour the Boeger Leadership Lodge construction.

Boeger Leadership Lodge

Lodge benefactor Jim Boeger with building committee chairman Dave Savone.

Council board members Chuck Walneck and Ray Wood.

Lowden Fire Bowl

Thanks to everyone who came out mid-week and helped repair the trail to the fire bowl at Camp Lowden. One crew was out on Wednesday this week and a second crew on Thursday. On Thursday we had several volunteers (Dave Savone, Steve James, Ray & Mary Warren, & Dick Wantuck) out working in the 90 degree, very humid weather along with two scouts, Ken & Joel, from Troop 140 in Byron. The rains a week ago did some significant damage that it would have been difficult to use on Family Nights this summer. The trail was repaired and graded so that most of the water will be diverted into the gully next to the trail. Most of the timbers leading down into the bowl were replaced.

Canyon Camp, May 20, 2009

I was out at Canyon Camp on Saturday to help John Wurtzel with the new Staff Cabin before campers show up on Sunday. Jean Wurtzel made dinner including the best homemade applesauce.

NYLT 2009

I was invited out to attend the closing Feast for the 2009 NYLT course. This year course director Jim Reilly had a packed house with 112 participants. The largest group ever to attend NYLT in Blackhawk Area Council. Congratulations to Jim and his staff for putting on this important training and good luck to Rick Haffelle.

Boeger Leadership Lodge

Work continued on the Boeger Leadership Lodge this week. Below are a few shots.

Front View

Rear View, Lower Level

Rear View, Upper Level Deck

Lower Level, Storage Room
Lower Level, Utility Room

Canyon Camp Visit

This afternoon I was invited out to Canyon Camp to have dinner with the incoming summer camp staff. Each year Dick Reynolds and Lee Binkley start the summer off with a pot luck dinner for the staff and their families. It's a great way for the staff to meet and let their families know they are in good hands for the summer. I also took a tour to see the new construction at Canyon Camp. A new staff cabin was added since last summer. There is a little more to do (staining the exterior) but it is usable and the senior staffers that were moving in seemed pleased with their new home. The other addition is the Spirit Pavilion. John Wurtzel has been putting in a lot of time getting this finished. There is just a little trim to be added and finishing touches on the electric which should be done this week. The staining may have to be done during the summer.

Camp Lowden Wilderness Engineers

The Wilderness Engineers (volunteers who put time in at camp) have been busy this fall at Camp Lowden. The rear deck on the Main Lodge, siding on Amerock Nature Lodge, and the ceiling and floor on the Wienke Handicraft Lodge have been completed along with a number of other projects. Thanks to everyone who has supported our projects this spring.

Tiger Registration

Has your pack registered your new Tiger Cubs yet? Now is the best time of year to register new scouts. They can participate in your unit's summer activities and be ready to join dens in the fall. It also gives new parents a chance to see how your pack operates and make them more comfortable in agreeing to help when you ask them in the fall. Don't forget to turn in those registrations so the new cubs will be official and can qualify for things like the summertime award program.

May 30-31 at Camp Lowden

Last weekend was another work weekend, at least for a few of us. Dave Savone had a group (Ed Allen Steve James, Don Reis, Rich Horn) at Lowden Thursday and Friday starting on the exterior remodeling of the Amerock-Nature building. They got the barrier wrap, most of the trim, and a first row of siding on the front and east side for us to start with on Saturday.

Late Saturday afternoon I was out with Dan Banko and Danny to work on the siding. We made good progress on the front.
We spent the night and had expectations on finishing the front on Sunday morning. Rick Stuvie from Troop 152 came out to help on Sunday. We got most of the front done but ran into trouple on the front, west side windows and decieded it would be best for the experts to handle that cut.

More work is schedule this Thursday, Friday, and most likely Saturday. Anyone with some time is invited to come out and lend a hand.