Camp Lowden Weekend, October 16, 2010

I was out at Camp Lowden on Saturday to help with a couple of projects.  It was great to see all the activity at camp.  There was training going on, OKPIC cold weather camping training, NYLT staff development, and Scoutmaster outdoor training.  There were two troops that went canoeing and another that was out to use the shooting range.  Mighty Pack 5 from Winnebago was out for the day as well.  All together there must have been 350 scouts, parents, and volunteers using the camp facilities.  In addition we had work crews out staining Winnebago Cabin - Frontiersman Cabin was done on Thursday by Ed Allen and hit brother Don - as well as work on the soffit and fascia for both cabins. It's great to see our camps getting this much use.  Next Saturday, October 23, is the Wood Cut day at Camp Lowden, consider coming out to help.

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.

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.

August 29-30, 2009

Saturday was Show And Do outdoor skills training. There were sessions on cooking, camping, backpacking, Venturing, and knots. I was in the trading post for the bulk of the time but had a chance to attend a couple of the sessions.

I gave some tours of the Beoger Leadership Lodge to anyone that wanted to stay after Show And Do was over. One new addition was the acquisition of some barn wood by Carol Zarnstorff to use as trim in the Great Room

Sunday was a round of Miniature Golf organized by Sycamore District.

Wood Badge & A Century of Values

Last weekend was the start of Wood Badge C-54-09. Scoutmaster Tom Siefken and this staff have a great bunch of participants with which to work. We had a good time in the kitchen even though it takes us away from the regular course activity.

While we were there we checked out samples of the exterior lighting fixtures to see how they match the Boeger Leadership Center.

Tuesday Ed Allen and I went to Rockford and the Kealing-Puri Peace Plaza to welcome Team 9 of Detroit Area Council and their traveling “A Century of Values” tour. The Detroit Area Council is traveling the country to present a copy of the mural to every council. We had a good turn out of supporters along with two television stations, channels 13 and 23, and a representative from one of the local radio stations. Copies of the mural are being offered and can be ordered through the council office.

Then we were out to the Boeger Leadership Lodge to measure bed space. We selected bunk beds from a company named Rocky Top to match the décor of the building. Because of the construction the beds are a little larger than typical and we had to measure to determine how many we can fit into the bedrooms. The building continues to progress with interior painting and staining underway.

Tomorrow is a trip out to Show and Do, our training event for scout leaders that focuses on outdoor skills and high adventure.

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.

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.

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.