Wood Badge, Tour de Blackhawk, Camp Properties Workshop, Training, Jamboree

Lots of activity this past weekend.  On Friday Ed and I were at the Wood Badge Staff Development held at the Boeger Leadership Lodge to practice our presentation on Scouting Generations.  A new session that deals with understanding the differences between the various generations represented by our volunteers.

Saturday morning I had breakfast with John Wurtzel to discuss the stage show for the Tour de Blackhawk on June 11-13.  It should be a good show.  If you haven't signed up yet you'll want to get your units registered at http://www.blackhawkscouting.org/2010Events/TourDeBlackhawk/TourDeBlackhawk.htm.  Besides having rides available from 8 to 100 miles there are three bike rodeos planned along the trials for Cub Scouts to participate in.

Next was a session at Pecatonica High School to plan the future of our camps.  We are gathering information to update our strategic plan as well as other plans for the camps.  We had over 30 volunteers participate in the session which lasted into the afternoon.  Thanks to Bob Gingras for organizing the session.

Then it was back to Camp Lowden where I got to stop by and visit with a large group that was taking the BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) and WLOT (Webelos Leader Outdoor Training) and with some of our Jamboree participants.  The big event was the Wood Badge Reunion Dinner that saw 100 of our past and future Wood Badge trained volunteers come out to catch up with one another at the Boeger Leadership Lodge.

Adventure Base 100 & Canyon Camp Work Day

Another busy weekend last week.  It started with a bus ride into Chicago to support the Adventure Base 100 stop at Douglas Park.  Steve James helped organize the Blackhawk Area Council contingent.  We received compliments from the Chicago Area Council staff both the number of volunteers and how we handled things.  I received an email that showed the Chicago stop had the second highest turnout behind only the Pasedena Rose Parade stop over New Years.  There was just shy of 13k visitors.  Great job by everyone involved.

As it turns out the requirements for another new merit badge, Scouting Heritage, were just released and a visit to Adventure Base 100 meets one of the requirements.  So those Boy Scouts that came out to visit or help have a start on earning that merit badge.

Last weekend was also the Canyon Camp work day sponsored by the Monroe Kiwanis.  I was out on Sunday and helped finish up the new tent platforms that were started on Saturday.  They had over 50 people out on Saturday and got a lot of work done.

This weekend is also a busy weekend with the Camp Properties Workshop, BALOO & WLOT training sessions, Jamboree Shakedown, and the Wood Badge Reunion Dinner.  I hope to see some of you around.

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.