Memorial Day Flag Planting

Scouting helps more than just Scouts

Sometimes we get so caught up in Scout activities, especially service projects, that we forget the impact we have on other people.

Today I saw Scouts in uniform cleaning up litter and planting flags in preparation for Memorial Day ceremonies this coming Monday, and I saw a lot more than that.

I saw a dozen or more grizzled veterans paying their respects. They, too, saw our boys carrying forward the tradition of honoring those who served during the most difficult times.

I also saw younger children following the example set by the Scouts, and I couldn't help but think, "this means something."

I hope that today, this weekend, and Memorial Day, we can catch our breath, look around, and see how our actions bring a a little brightness or a smile to someone don't even know.

Bit by bit, our actions make this world a better place.

Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser

About a Hundred...

"Hey Gary, how many pancakes did you flip?"

"About a hundred..."

Thus went the Troop's pancake breakfast fundraiser. Breakfast included pancakes, sausages, eggs, eggs with cheese, juice, and coffee.

But the Troop served up much more than that. The event included a bake sale, a rummage sale, and a Boy Scout Popcorn sale, too!

Our efforts also benefited the community. Many citizens purchased tickets for donation to the Salvation Army, and we fed quite a few people who needed a good meal.

We're thinking about hosting another pancake breakfast fundraiser on Halloween. Anyone up for green eggs and orange pancakes?

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!

Pancake Breakfast Ticket Sales Event

Sweet Sales Success!

Our ticket sales event got off to a great start with 17 Scouts selling 213 tickets. Many buyers donated tickets to St Vinny's and to the Salvation Army. As a result, we'll be feeding a lot of hungry people on May 9th.

All Scouts who participated will split the evening's proceeds evenly. Great work guys! 

After tonight, Scouts are encouraged to continue selling right up until the 9th. The Troop will credit a Scout's scholarship fund $3 for each ticket they sell. These funds can be used for Scout related purchases and for camp tuition. Interested Scouts should also plan ahead for a trip to the National Jamboree next year. 

And don't forget to sell to family, friends, and teachers. Always remember, though - sell safely! Always go with a buddy and an adult, and don't carry large amounts of cash with you. 

Project Feed a Neighbor part 3

Just a small part of Troop 321's overall efforts

Hurrah! This is what Dick Derby sent to the media about our efforts:

"Project Feed A Neighbor" had a very successful food collection, for the sixth annual event.  We were not able to calculate the weight this year, but both the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul said that they had received more food items this year compared to 2014 when we were able to calculate about 9,000 lbs. collected.

"Further, over 2000 food items were collected from the friendly inter school competition between Westwood and Ishpeming High Schools.  This will be taken to the pantries this week.

"There are numerous volunteers and people associated with making Project Feed A Neighbor successful.  They come from churches, schools, service organizations, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, businesses, and it is even important to recognize the critical roll the media plays in helping remind people about contributing to the project.  One estimate determined that between 200 and 300 people have some part to play in Project Feed A Neighbor."

You all should be very proud of the role each of you played in this worthy effort!

Project Feed a Neighbor part 2

Crew & Troop getting it done

Today was the heavy lifting day, the day we distributed collection bags to every single house on our assigned routes - no matter how long the driveway or number of steps up to the door. This week's snow just made it more... interesting. At least it wasn't raining, and the sun was out.

The project included volunteers from high schools, Troops, Packs, and a Crew member, too. Troop 321 made a good showing, and some of the Scouts brought siblings who were also really helpful.

The Troop helped label, rubber band, and count bags earlier in the week. Next Saturday we'll hit the streets and pick up the bags of canned food for our local food banks. This is a really big community project, and it's great to see our Scouts join in.

Project Feed a Neighbor part 1

Young and Old Working Together

"Project Feed a Neighbor" is an annual community event with the aim to restock our local food bank pantries. Dick Derby, our Troop's Charter Organization Representative, heads up this annual initiative and asked for the Troop's help.

The project consists of three parts:

• prepare bags for distribution
• distributing bags throughout the area
• picking up bags

Today the Troop gave our community volunteers a real boost when we showed up to help out with bag preparation. We cut down a task that usually takes three hours to two hours. Dick was very impressed and appreciative. I suggested he keeps are meeting dates and times in mind for future service opportunities. Our boys are enthusiastic volunteers, and we should be very proud of them. 

Hopefully the weather holds out for Saturday's distribution event. The event will run rain or shine (or snow). 

Winter Camping

Digging in for the night

Troop 321 now boasts three new Polar Bears! But that's how the story ends.

The story begins with five adults and a passel of Scouts loading up gear for the drive to Camp Hiawatha. We didn't need the trailer because we'd have to hike a half mile through deep snow to our campsite with only packs and sleds for our load. Our load included all the potable water we'd need. I expected complaints, but there weren't any. What a difference two years makes!

We arrived, we unpacked, we organized the Scouts into work crews with Sebby enthusiastically in charge, and we got to work on dinner. Pete, one of our professional chefs, planned a simple, fool-proof dinner: pizza, fruit, and salad. Over what, you may ask, a fire in the snow? Well, not exactly. We had the run of the camp's staff kitchen, and Pete planned accordingly. We ate well. Very, very well.

Chef Pete

Our evening continued with cards and games and a fire in the fire place. Eventually the boys retired to their cabins. Fortunately, the leaders had their own. We turned in early(ish).

Hungry tummies encouraged the boys to quickly assemble into their work parties the next morning. This brought us our first surprise for the trip. It turns out, Jackson has a super-power no one knew about. Jackson is able to turn out absolutely perfect pancakes - including the very first one. Who knew? So we feasted on bacon, sausages, pancakes, and fruit - a high calorie meal for a high calorie day.

While the cleanup crews polished off the dishes, Darryl set up his tip lines. His new auger made quick work of the ice, but that remained his only lake-related success. One of these days, he's going to catch a fish in Bunting Lake. I just hope I'm still alive to see it.

The Eternal Optimist

The boys spent the remainder of the day getting clobbered with snowballs by a couple of girls too young to join the Scouts even if they could. The girls planned ahead with a mobile stockpile of slush-balls, so the boys really didn't have a chance. 

Between battles, everyone built forts and snow caves for sleeping in. Some caves survived, some didn't. Robbie set up the best cave under a picnic table. He's now one of The Three. Fortunately, the staff kitchen included a staff clothes drier, and so the troops took periodic breaks to dry out and warm up. In spite of everyone's best efforts, we never ran out of hot chocolate or coffee. 

Thus the boys played and made meals and cleaned up and sat by the fire and played some more. And yes, the adults napped while Jennifer snapped photos and gave them away. Harrumph. 

At least one Scouter's favorite lunch

We celebrated Pete and Darryl's birthdays Saturday evening, and then the boys settled in to their snowy nests. Those who didn't last the night (or the evening) tended to suffer from inadequate gear rather than lack of desire. Darryl reported resting poorly, however. I suppose guardian angels seldom rest. He checked on the boys every hour or two throughout the night.   

When morning arrived three Scouts popped out with boyish grins and rosy cheeks. We ate homemade biscuits with sausage and gravy along with Chef Pete's special oatmeal. The trek back to the parking lot seemed a lot easier, and I have no doubt some boys dozed most of the way home - three of them dreaming of their Polar Bear patches.

For more food photos and various snowball shenanigans, check out the trip's album!

Our next campout will be the Spring Camporee. With luck, most of the snow will have melted.

Cub Winter Games

I sure didn't see any slow children

Ishpeming Cubs and Scouts have been instrumental for the past five years or so in making the Cub Winter games a great success, and this year was no different. This year's event also boasted a record number of volunteers from area Troops who set up and ran a variety of activities. The weather held out, with light winds, light snow, and warm(er) temperatures reaching into the upper twenties. Of course, the boys stayed warm racing around and climbing snow mounds between events.

Highlights:

• the best Cub-run flag ceremony ever!
• nine stations
• fourteen groups
• invading Ogre army demolished
• new Cub bowling records set
• possible UP 200 entrants identified
• hot soup and hot chocolate
• the bake sale raised over $290 for Ryan Koski's recovery
• the chili sale raised $110 for Crew 356

Darryl did a great job as the event's master of ceremonies, chief judge, and media spokesperson. He even stayed late to help mop up, though I think he was avoiding the dog house at home. Thanks, also go to the Willey's who ran the obstacle course and to Carolyn and Grace who ran the bake sale - and to all the folks who brought donations. Linda also helped keep the kitchen running (we've honestly never seen a kitchen without pots) and cleaned up afterwards.

Our own Scouts helped run three events and were a credit to the Troop. This is such a change from just a few years ago when they were the ones racing around and rolling in the snow. We're proud of them and our adult volunteers. We turned a dreary winter day into something really memorable for a lot of young boys. 

We've also seen a steady increase in help from the area's Troops - with Troop 372 already volunteering for a bigger role next year. Special thanks go to Chuck Suckow who brought out a very large trebuchet and Paul Salfai who organized behind the scenes and kept registration running smoothly. I wish I could list all the troops that helped out, but I took more photos than notes. 

Speaking of photos, don't forget to check out the event's album. You'll see a lot of boys having a lot of fun. Some are even eating fruits and vegetables. 

Food Drive - Part II

And Bless You!

Great job Scouts! And what a wonderful community response to folks in need.

Over the past two Sundays Troop 321 helped gather over 15 shopping carts full of food and a little over $100 in cash donations for the Salvation Army. They were very thankful again today as we dropped off the donated food. Many families will be helped out by our boys work! ~ Scoutmaster Carl

Just a shout out to the AWESOME boy scouts who went to our local grocery stories and got food donations for our food pantry(two weeks in a row)! A big thank you to Amy Mattson who helped make it all possible!! ~ Liz Nevala, Salvation Army

Be proud!

Scout Ski Day at Marquette Mountain

Grabbing some air

Can winter weather get any better? The sun was out, the temperatures went up to a balmy 26F, and the lunches were  hot. Oh, and the snow, though not powered, was nicely groomed.

Our Troop joined Scouts and Scouters from Troops, Packs and a Crew from across the U.P. to enjoy the slopes, the lifts, and some good company. Four Scouts earned their Snow Sports merit badge, though none from our Troop this year. It's a difficult badge to get because it requires more than just basic skills.

A Tin Turtle lunch gave the boys a break and the energy to blast on throughout the afternoon. Some parents skied, some enjoyed down time in the Alpine lodge, and most enjoyed both. This was a great opportunity to meet Scouters and parents from around the area. No doubt we'll see some again at next week's Cub Winter Games or May's Spring Camporee.

Oh, and as is often the case, don't forget to check out the event's album!

Food Drive

Lending a hand to the Salvation Army

When the Salvation Army's pantry ran bare, Scouts stood ready to lend a hand. Never mind that it was below zero or that the Troop had a full plate of events, an empty food pantry constitutes a community emergency.

In answer to the call, Troop 321 posted Scouts at the Jubilee in Ishpeming and the Super One in Negaunee Sunday afternoon. Together, the boys collected five full shopping carts from a generous community and unloaded them directly at the pantry. 

This food drive really was a great experience. The boys face a lot of rejection when trying to fund raise for the Troop. However, the community responded vary generously today and had many nice things to say to our boys. A lot of credit goes to Jubilee and Super One for giving our Scouts permission and space to make their pitch - and to our communities for pitching in. 

Big hearts & full baskets at the Jubilee

We're going to do this again next Sunday, and we hope for more great results. We'll participate in the community's annual canned food drive in April, too. The boys are a real asset to the community, and they're learning great lessons about service as well. 

Lock-in!

A Boy and his Cookie

It's winter, the kids need to run around, parents need a little quiet time, and Scout leaders, we'll, sometimes they're just not entirely sane - all of which spells "LOCK IN!"

The Troop along with local Webelos and assorted friends converged on Aspen Ridge and attacked chips, pop, pizza, popcorn, and eventually donuts with gusto.

In the end, though, the food, the play, and the late hour wiped out a few. One young fellow (right) fell asleep standing up. But many of the boys made it the whole night - and pitched in with cleanup ta boot.

And I don't think the leaders won a single game of dodgeball no matter how many times we changed the rules.

Cleanup - Thank You

Nope can't name the donor, so don't ask

A manufacturing company, whose owner asked us not to name it, donated a snow plow attachment for Camp Hiawatha's truck. Winter camping for everyone!

By way of thank you, Hiawathaland District's Scouts volunteered to pick up trash around their offices and manufacturing facility today. Saturday morning. In the snow (flurries that lasted ten minutes, tops).

About 60 people showed up, including five from Troop 321. The property was already very neat looking, but we still filled up about half a pick-up truck full of detritus. The property was quite large, but we were up to it and finished the job in an hour and a half. And then we had hot dogs and hot chocolate.

There's something about doing a good turn with friends on a beautiful fall day that makes the whole weekend feel worthwhile.

And then the lads from Troop 321 went to Dairy Queen. Or a corn maze - depending on which vehicle they boarded.

Project Keep Kids Warm - Shopping Day!

No one should be left in the cold

The big day arrived, and a large crowd waited outside for their chance to pick out winter coats, snow pants, hats, gloves, and boots. Troop 321's Scouts lent one last hand for this most worthy project. Volunteers from many different organizations, including our own Troop sponsors, Wesley United Methodist Church, were on hand to keep the tables neat and assist shoppers.

Thanks to a very generous donation, Dick Derby, our Chartered Organization Representative, could take down names, sizes, and contact information of people who could not find what they needed. The donation will allow the project to acquire and distribute the needed items so that absolutely no child who walked through the armory doors will spend the winter without a warm winter coat and snow pants.

Hats off to our Scouts for their community spirit. I'd love to see even more boys participate next year. This is truly a worthy project.

Project Keep Kids Warm - Setup

Troop 321 Helping Sort Donations

After distributing collection bags and picking up donations, Scouts from Troop 321 helped set up for the big shopping day! Their efforts included setting up tables and signs, unloading piles of bags, and sorting through mountains of coats. Volunteers from many different groups in our community made the work go quickly.

The presence of our Class A uniforms let our community know that it is blessed with caring Scouts eager to do a good turn daily. 

RSVP Flag Ceremony

Standing Ready to Serve

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Marquette put out a request for Boy Scouts to conduct a flag ceremony for their 24th Annual Retired & Senior Volunteer Program appreciation dinner, and Troop 321 answered the call (thanks Amy!).

The volunteers asked for Scouts because the older volunteers like to see youth helping in the community. 

It's efforts like these that help make our presence felt in our community. Great work guys!

Hessel International Scout Rally

What's a little rain? This is great!

This year marked Troop 321's second foray to the Hessel International Scout Rally in recent years. Our contingent of 17 Scouts and 10 adults nearly overwhelmed our lakeside campsite, but with tents pitched together in tight formation we did it!

It was great to see our boys overcome and adapt - especially when the weather turned wet Friday night and stayed wet through Saturday afternoon. The rain didn't reduce the boys' enthusiasm in the least. After breakfast, they hit the trail to explore the games and activities hosted at other campsites.

We've got a young Troop with an average age of about 12, and they put their energy to good use. We stuck to the Patrol Method as much as possible, and they boys planned and prepared their own food. This led to some disappointment when the boys noticed how well the "Parent Patrol" ate (thanks Pete!). At least the boys ate better than the "Our Gang" kids. We're hoping this experience left them with a taste for better planning.

Pete working his magic

In addition to eating well, the adults pursued their own interests. Some ducked into St. Ignace for a bit of shopping. Others took turns trying to get the biggest reaction out of Linda (Darryl won with his inflatable Tauntaun rig). Robert taught the boys a few very loud, very silly songs to sing whilst marching to assembly. We certainly got noticed!

Oh, and we won some prizes, too. The boys took sixth place in the costume contest singing Weird Al's song "Yoda" and won a badminton set. The Troop got top prize for the most youth participants - a large easy-up. Molly L (as usual) won a prize in a drawing - a new sleeping bag.

We're making plans for next year already. The theme: Holidays. If you know any strange or goofy holidays, let us know. Linda wants to do "A Nightmare Before Christmas", but we're not so sure the elderly judges are Tim Burton fans. Ultimately the boys will decide. And by that, I mean the Scouts, Carl.

Veterans Appreciation Fishing Day

Scouts were a big help and well appreciated

The South Shore Fishing Association sponsored a Veterans Appreciation Fishing Day and asked for Scout volunteers to help out with the pig roast luncheon.

The event went well, and they had enough food left over to treat all the volunteers to a free lunch.

Tree Planting

Cub, Scout, and National Guard all lend a hand

Cliffs Natural Resources provided funds for tree planting in an undeveloped area along 7th Street in Ishpeming, and they called on the Troop 321 for help with the labor. Our Scouts answered that call.

Not too long from now, the area will become a small park and picnic spot. In another twenty years or so, our boys will be able to bring their children here and share with them the story of its beginning - with saplings, dirt, buckets of water, and a great Scout spirit.

Kevin Corkin, Hiawathaland's District Executive, lent a hand, and our friends from ABC News 10 were there to cover the activity. In addition, two of our Scouts gained some experience with interviews. Cliffs also donated $500 to the Bay-Lakes Council in appreciation of our efforts. Great work guys!

See our album for more photos!