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.

Pizza Fundraiser

DJ - taking one for the team

We tried a new fundraiser this summer - pizza! We topped $255 selling pizza and pop at the Festival of Treasures in Ishpeming.

The boys had a lot of fun working the crowds. I think the costumes are going to become a tradition, though maybe not the tape.

If this year is any indication, next year will be fantastic. 

Carp River Hike

Scouts - inspiring future generations

High adventure, that's where Scouts find fun. Today we took another step toward high adventure with a quick shake-down hike along Carp River to Unnamed Morgan Falls. While on route, we saw some of the handiwork of an Eagle Scout who had gone before.

Six Scouts, two siblings, a couple of dogs, and six adults hit the trail for a relatively short three miles. The trek gave the boys a chance to test out packs and boots. This will be useful as we undertake longer and more difficult hikes.

When we reached the falls, we offloaded our gear, uploaded some lunch, and explored the area. The mosquitoes were about Yooper-normal as were the fish. That is to say, the mosquitoes bit and the fish did not. However, luck was with us and we made it back to the cars before the rain hit.

I think we'll be back. The mountain biking trails thereabouts looked quite inspiring.

Also check out our trip album!

Tree Watering

Transplanted trees need extra water

The trees we planted yesterday needed a bit of watering for them to take, so a couple of the boys pitched in and got the job done in short order. 

If this summer is like last summer, we won't need to water the trees by hand, but if the summer is long and dry, we may want to revisit this park weekly. 

Carl and Robert have extra buckets, so give them a shout if you need any. They smell like pickles, which is a real treat; just ask any gardener.