Spring "Winter" Camporee

            On May 13th Troop 321 set out to host their Winter, I mean Spring camporee. When they arrived they started to set up their tents and meet the other scouts coming. Until 10:00 pm the scouts ran around, and played some games. But, at 10:00 pm they started the events. At their first event, they had to set off 4 mouse traps from 5-15 feet away by lashing multiple sticks together and extending it to the traps. On their second event they had to knock down bowling pins with a tennis ball, and a tennis ball hand launcher. On their third event they had all the scouts blindfolded except one who would give directions to the others on how to set up the tent. On their fourth and final event they tested how prepared they were by seeing how many of the ten essentials they had.

On day two of their campout,  Willard K woke up last and earned "Hollywood" for the day. (Hollywood is a game they play where whoever wakes up last is called Hollywood, and must take out the trash.) For the rest of the day the boy scouts invited the cub scouts to their camp and hosted a bunch of games for them! The camp was getting so much attention, even TV6 showed up and interviewed a few scouts about it!  After the cubs finished their games they were served a wonderful lunch by the older scouts. At the end of the day everyone sat down for a campfire and a performance of skits. Following the camp fire Caleb H made a wonderful dinner for the troop, and Nick M made a perfect marshmallow for the first time and earned a package of bacon from Robert Lawton, and Nick M generously shared his prize with his fellow scouts for a perfect ending to the day.

On their last day, Danny P earned "Hollywood" and they had a breakfast of donuts and oatmeal. And at the end of the day the boys all left with a smile on their face, Gary had all his clothes, and surprisingly Darryl had all his arm hair.

Winter Campout

This year's winter camping was a blast. On the first day we arrived out to camp and those that had cars were almost submerged to because of the huge holes (lakes). Some of us had to wait for Darryl to come back and rescue us. We got to camp and stayed up for a couple of hours having a fire and eating pudgy pies. Then we all settled in for the night.

Saturday Night's Campfire

On the second day we got up and had some bacon, eggs, and toast. Then all of us campers started to build our winter shelters. After that we took a hike to Snowshoe Village and then back to camp. That night some kids slept in their shelters and the rest of us slept in cabins.

On the last day we woke up and had donuts. Then we began to pick up the campsite and left Camp without a trace. Although we almost burned the cabin down with a pair of socks, everyone had a good time. ~ Beau M

Bell Hospital Raised Flower Boxes

Power Tool - or Automated Screwdriver?

Amy reports:

Julie Solka, volunteer services supervisor at UP Health System, Bell, contacted me in late March to ask if the Scouts would be interested in building four planters for the community garden sometime in April or May.  One of Julie's volunteers donated the materials.  Darryl and Carl cut the lumber, and the boys built the planters with great enthusiasm.  The only "funny story" I saw was the feat of strength and cooperation required to move the four very heavy boxes from the driveway into the garden area.  It was an all-hands-on-deck moment.  :)

Commentary from the Troop Blogger:
Didn't someone mention that maybe the boxes should be built closer to the garden? And didn't someone not listen? Do tell!

I sure wish I could have been there!

November Hike

Who here thinks he can out-run a bear?

The fall snow started a little early this year, on October 31st, and it hasn't let up much. After a week or so, the big wet flakes finally started to stick. What a great time to take the Scouts on a walk through the woods!

A good fall hike makes for a great opportunity to practice old skills, learn new skills, and work on a few promotion requirements... like taking a five mile hike, cooking lunch over a stove or campfire, and reading a compass (eh, Carl?).

Along the way, we identified some animal signs, practiced "leave no trace" hiking, and soaked in our home town's raw beauty. Heavy snow showers kept everything fresh and white for us and made our hot lunches all the more welcome.

We finished up our hike on schedule and with full stomachs - if not at our intended destination. What a great way to spend part of a Saturday! Hopefully we can fit in another hike before we have to strap on snowshoes for the winter.

Oh, and don't forget to check out the hike's album!

Spring Camporee

Testing their lashings in a race

Like last year, this year's spring had been "extended" (for a limited time only...) So yes, we had snow and freezing rain right up to Friday morning. Boys went off to school wondering if their parents had the fortitude to let them go to the Spring Camporee. Parents sent their boys off to school wondering if their sons might freeze to the ground that very night. Never mind the forecasted lows were a good 50 degrees warmer than our coldest winter days... that's really not saying much in these parts.

By the time school let out, the weather had cleared, and it was almost easy to ignore the forecast for freezing temperatures overnight. Two Troops and a handful of Scouts backed out, but only one of our boys.

So... the weather Saturday was beautiful with blue skies, a significant warm-up, and lots of sunshine with Sunday bringing more of the same.

And the camporee? It came off without a hitch. Let the others gnash their teeth in envy, Scoutmaster Carl organized and pulled off a really great event with a lot of  help from a lot of really great Scouting folks from our Troop and others. With everyone pitching in, we all got to have a lot of fun.

Fun like...

• testing visual memories
• challenging navigation skills
• patrol sprints using only four legs and four arms (eight legged monster)
• a canoe portage challenge course
• fire building
• match splitting (with a hatchet)
• readiness testing (Scouting essentials)
• Dutch oven entree and dessert cooking 
• and lots of lashings (knot tying)

Of course, we've got a photo album of a lot of the fun stuff, but there was so much going on, there was no way to capture it all!

The boys got off to a great start Saturday morning

One special feature for us included using the "Patrol Method" for the first time. Carl organized the boys into three patrols, each with a patrol leader and assistant. The patrols planned their own meals and duty rosters, set up their own tents, prepared their own food, and cleaned up their own messes. 

"How did that work out for you?" you may well ask. Well... I heard lots of yelling and arguing and debating and trial and error, and they got a lot done, too. 

The "Patrol Method" forms the heart of Scouting. It was new to most of our Scouts, but it's a really great tool to teach leadership skills, self-reliance, teamwork, and so much more. All the boys slept in tents, no one missed a meal, and the campsite was cleaner when we left than when we arrived. More importantly (probably), the boys have started learning how to organize themselves and work together as a team.

From a parent's point of view, watching the boys employ the Patrol Method was like watching five boys all learn to ride the same bicycle all piled on at the same time. But by standing back and watching them work things out for themselves, they learned far more far faster than they would have during any Troop meeting. 

A lot more.

Klondike Derby

Exiting the secret entrance into Laketown

Bilbo and Thorin's company continued their quest for the Arkenstone this year. Threatened by orcs and spiders, they crossed a river, forest, and lake, and faced hunger, injury, and many other challenges. Yet they maintained their spirits with song and cheer and hot soup until at last they found the fearsome dragon, Smaug, high in the snowy mountains.

Troop 321 fielded two patrols, and both were awarded numerous ribbons for their many achievements. Next year they will have the chance to complete their quest and return safely home. Will they make it? We can only hope.

Some Scouts chronicled their exploits in song and others with many images, each according to the custom of his land. Our local bards were out as well to share our exploits with the world. Thanks also to the many adult volunteers from our Troop and from Pere Marquette zone for all the work they put into this event. It's a big deal, and the boys enjoyed it immensely.

Cub Winter Games

They're working - see the clipboard?

Cub Winter Games? We've been there, done that, and brought home the ribbons as Cubs. As Scouts, we’ve got the Klondike Derby to look forward to in a couple of weeks, so what have we to do with Cub Winter Games anymore now that we’re a lot older?

The answer is easy: we help run the games! From set up to take down and all points in between, Troop 321’s Scouts were on hand to lend a hand.

In addition, we helped raise nearly $200 for Nelson William's family, and we've got a whole album of fun uploaded and ready to view, too. Great job guys!

Hessel International Scout Rally

Troop 321 cir. 1849

Hessel International Scout Rally enjoyed precisely 1,016 registered participants in this, our first year of attending. This year's theme: "Miner '49ers." We invited Pack 321's Webelos, and they made a good showing for themselves.

Unlike merit badge oriented summer camps, units set up campsites and activity centers to share with others. Each unit then traveled as a group from site to site participating in the various activities. We also competed for prizes in events that included cooking, costumes, cleanest campsite, and campsite entrances.

Carl and Darryl set up a "gold" panning station where the kids could wash out gold painted iron pellets. Robert set up an "Old Tyme" photo booth to take group pictures. While we didn't win any prizes, our free souvenirs were very popular, and we received many thank-you emails for the photos.

We've also posted photo galleries for Saturday and Sunday for those who would like to see the troop in action.