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.

Adventue Base 100, Boeger Lodge, White Eagle and Wanchanagi Dinners

We've had a lot going on this week.  Monday I was at the Chicago Area Council offices with Steve James working on Adventure Base 100.  Blackhawk Area Council will be supporting AB100 on May 1 from 10:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M.  We still have a few seats left on the staff bus if anyone would like to help out.
On Tuesday I was at the Sycamore District Commissioners meeting.  Seems like I've had a lot of conflicts with that meeting lately but we had a good discussion and Blair is doing a great job as our District Commissioner.
On Wednesday I met with Steve James and Bill Mugnai to plan out what we'll be doing with the stage show during AB100.  We have the stage during our time on May 1 to do whatever we would like.  So if your unit is coming out and would like to do something special let one of us know.
Thursday I had to miss roundtable for a meeting in Rockford relating to the Fredj donation.  For those that may not recognize this, the Fredj's left a very generous fund that generates revenues for use at our camps.  We were discussion plans as to how to best utilize those funds.  In the coming years you'll see a lot more about the effects this will have improving our camps.
On Saturday it was an early start out to Camp Lowden for an 8:00 A.M. start to work day.  It was a chilly 50 degrees when I got out of the car but you could tell it was going to warm up fast.  There was a good turn out and a number of projects were worked on.  Some of our typical start up things like getting the water on and other projects like putting a porch on the rangers house.  I was assigned to put up shelving that we got from the central region in the basement of the Wienke Handicraft Lodge.  With the help of Ed Allen and Marty Mosca all of the shelving was put up which should help organize the storage.

I left Ed and Marty to finish up as we had the Open House for the Boeger Leadership Lodge.  We had a very good turn out for the open house.  A lot of people drove out to tour the building and visit with Jim and Karen.

Dave Savone got the plaque mounted but I forgot to get a picture.  I'll get that next time.  Special thanks to Carol's family for all of the decorations and food.  They were a big help.

Then it was off to the White Eagle District Dinner in Sterling.  The dinners are a favorite of mine because I get to participate in their celebration of the past year's achievements as well as catch up with old friends and meet new volunteers.  Don Rastedi, one of my Wood Badge troop members, took over the emceeing job for an ailing Jim Pepper and did a great job.

The only down side is that when I get home, about 11:30 P.M, I'm too pumped to sleep.

Sunday was back in the car.  First stop was an ceremony for one of our newest Eagle Scouts, Jeff B.  I've know Jeff's family through scouting for many years and it was an honor to be asked to participate in the ceremony.

Then it was off to Rockford for the Wanchanagi District Dinner and the opportunity to visit with the scouters there.  They had a fantastic year under the direction of District Chairman, Jim Behrensmeyer, another of my Wood Badge participants, and District Commissioner Jerry Coots.

Tomorrow we start again.

Blackhawk Area Council's Green Machine

Blackhawk Area Council has a solar energy generator on the roof of the Boeger Leadership Lodge.  You can monitor how it is working at http://www.illinoissolarschools.org/solar-schools/oregon/camp-lowden.php. 

Klondike Derbies and other things

We'll we are certainly roaring into our anniversary year with a lot of activity.  Last weekend there were three Klondike Derbies.  I made it to two of them, sorry Wetass District, only so much time in a day.

Saturday started at the Sycamore Klondike Derby held at Camp Lokata.  The had a huge turn out.  Congratulations to the Lumpp brothers for organizing the event.

Here is the Hawiian contingent.

Congratulation to the French Chickens, winners of the 2010 competition.

The next stop was the White Eagle District Klondike at Camp Lowden.  I caught up with them a lunch time.  They had a full house in the dinning hall.

The last stop of the day was to help work on some final touches at the Boeger Leadership Lodge which ended up carrying on into Sunday.  A group of volunteers put up insulation and shelving in the storage room.  Thank you to Dave and Cindy Savone, Mike and Julie Condon, and Steve James.  The shelving came from the Central Region offices as they close for relocation to the National Office.  Thanks to Dave Savone and Steve James we also got a small snow blower for the sidewalk and a couple of nice carts.

Catching Up, Part 2

Sunday, Nov. 15th the morning was spent cleaning and working on the electronics ...

then off to the Wayne Brooks Roast, our recently retired professional. It was a great dinner put on by the volunteers of White Eagle District.

The Executive Committee meeting met on Thursday, Nov. 19 and on Friday it was back out to the Boeger Leadership Lodge. On Thursday Dave had to make some modifications to the slot in the ceiling for the screen and the Great Room had a lot of construction debris. So Mary, Ed and I spent 12 hours cleaning and working down the punch list.

The good part was that Chef Joe Zaranski was there getting ready for Saturday and wipped up a dinner for us that helped re-energize us to get done with setting up everything.

Catching Up, Part 1

Its been a busy month.  I finally have a day off and a chance to catch-up before I need to rake the leaves. 

On Oct. 26 we had a Boeger Leadership Committee meeting to discuss what was needed before the dedication and the dedication agenda.  There was still a great deal of small items to be taken care of before Nov. 21.

Oct. 27 was a breakfast planning meeting for the McHenry County Distinguished Citizens Dinner and getting in a Silver Beaver Nomination by the end of the day.  It's important to get those nominations turned in.  There are many deserving people that don't receive the award simply because no one nominated them.

On Oct. 29th the first of the big deliveries to the Boeger Lodge occurred with the chairs showing up.

On Nov. 1st we were out working on the electronics for the building ...

and the cornices.

The next day the beds arrived.

Nov. 4th was the McHenry County Distinguished Citizens Dinner.  The event went very well and provided some much needed support for the council.  Marty Smith and his committee did a great job of organizing what is becoming one of the premier events in McHenry County.

Nov. 7th was the Next Step training event.  This is a smorgasbord of training providing everything from Cub Scout through Venturing and some district and council training.  It also included training for venturing youth (VLSC) and Den Chiefs.  An added feature was the ability to use the computer lab to do any of the on-line trainings that the BSA offers.  There was a big turn out and Chuck and Don did a great job of organizing everything.

The Jamboree Troops were also meeting to plan for their trip next summer.

After that it was back to the Boeger Lodge with another load of supplies.  The beds had been assembled and signs were starting to go up.

The following day was another work day at the Boeger Lodge.  Curtains were up, new furniture arrived, and we had a deer head donated.  We had our final meeting before the dedication.

Tuesday, Nov. 10 I had lunch at the National Philanthropy Day Awards Banquet where Jim Boeger was honored as Philanthropist of the Year.

Then it was back to the Boeger Lodge that evening working on more of the final details including putting together the shelving in the pantry.  The new doors had been mounted that day.

Friday the 13th was spent in the morning sorting popcorn for Michele with about 25 other volunteers.  That many people made the work go quickly.

Then Ed and I picked up a load of mattresses to take out to the Boeger Lodge to test the fit and to get the Great Room cleaned for the dedication.

On Saturday Ed and I rented a truck and picked up the other 40 mattresses to take to the Boeger Lodge.

We spent the rest of the day on the punch list items like hanging the privacy curtains in the bunk room showers.

See Part 2 for the rest.