Two new sites in the Links section

We've added two new sites to the Links section on the right: KISMIF.org and the Boy and Girl Scout blog. Both are updated very regularly, offer great Scouting information, and are highly recommended.

Canoe trip this Saturday!!

I hope you're all looking forward to the July canoe trip this Saturday in Harrison. If you'd like to check out where we'll be renting the canoes from, the Green Acres canoe site can be found HERE.

We'll meet in the St. Therese parking lot at 9:15 Saturday morning. Please let your den leader know if you plan to attend or not so we can make reservations!!

Dan Beard Council to get new home

This isn't news to many Scouters, but the Enquirer reported today on the Council's plans to move their headquarters to Evendale. The plans look great, but it will mean a longer drive to get to the Scout Shop for uniforms and other supplies. You can read the article HERE. Excerpt:

The Scout Achievement Center, according to the submitted design plan, will house a variety of spaces, including a 3,000-square foot multi-purpose room with seating for 200, a “Tree House,” and a scouting retail store.

[...]

Village officials decided to lease the property to the Boy Scouts because they believe they will be a good neighbor to the neighboring 99-acre Gorman Heritage Farm, a working educational farm.

Twilight Camp - Day Five - Family Night!

The last day of camp is Family Night! The boys get to bring their families to camp and show them all they've done and worked on all week. And boy are they proud! Speaking for my own family, we hiked the trail, and ate pizza and hot dogs (and WAY too many desserts!). We got to see an incredible demonstration from the police K-9 unit, then hiked down to the Archery range to let his little brother and big sister get in on the fun. On our way out we stopped by the Raingutter Regatta and had a great time trying to get the boats to sail straight.

Each of the boys received a certificate for earning their BB Gun and Archery Belt Loops. Also during camp, they earned their Fishing and Volleyball belt loops. And there are other awards that they began work on including the Outdoor Activity Award and the Leave No Trace Award.

This was a GREAT week of camp. The boys had a great time, they learned a lot, and had an experience that I'm sure they'll remember when they're my age! It was an honor to be a part of it.

Twilight Camp - Day Four - Wolves

HIKE NIGHT!! Thursday night was hike night, and the boys had a blast! They visited different stations as they hiked along the trail, learning about all sorts of things. We stared off at National Birds. They learned about different kinds of birds, and how to tell them apart. Signs to look for include color and size, as well as where they nest and feed. From birds, we moved on to Hiking Fundamentals. The boys talked about the necessary things to take on a hike, and the importance of planning ahead. After that, we made "pine cone bird feeders". Pretty simple - just smear peanut butter and shortening onto a pine cone, place into a paper bag with bird seed in it, and shake without mercy!

Then it was on to the Grow Something station. The boys learned about what a plant needs to grow, and how they return oxygen to the air. Then they got to decorate a cup, and add soil and seed. After all of that, we were ready for dinner! We moved on to the Chuck Wagon, learned a little about healthy eating and the Food Pyramid, then they cooked their own hot dogs over an open fire. And then they did it again for seconds! And what would a Cub Scout fire be without Smores?!?

With bellys full, we hiked back up the loonnngg hill to learn about the concept of Leave No Trace. The boys learned the six basic rules of LNT, why they matter, and then worked together to make a poster explaining the concept. Then it was on to the Leaf Hunt. They learned about different types of leaves - mainly simple vs. compound - and found examples of each. Finally, we wrapped up our hike with Poisonous Plants! We learned how to identify Poisons Ivy, Oak, and Sumac, and what it is that makes them "poisonous". And then we learned how to combat the effects of those plants with another - Jewelweed.

As always, we wrapped up our evening with a Flag Ceremony. I had two of the Cubs in the car on the way home and asked them what their favorite thing had been at camp all week. Both said the hike! Lots to learn, and they paid great attention. We have some fine outdoorsmen in the making!

Twilight Camp - Day Three - Wolves

Our third night was a little lower-key than the others. Not as long of a distance between stations, and more crafts than the other nights. We started the evening under the shelters after lightning was spotted. We finally went to our flags at 5:45 to get started. We were able to make up the time by shaving about 5 minutes from each of the stations, which wasn't a problem at any of them for us.

We started off at Sports Equipment where the boys laced together their own "sports-ball pillows". From there it was back to the fishing hole, where we had another catch in our group! After that it was on to the Knots station. The boys learned to tie a shoelace knot, a square (or reef) know, and we made a valiant attempt at a bowline.

After that it was time to learn about Tools. Some of the boys thought they already knew them all, but soon found out that there's a big wide world of tools out there! They practiced handing tools back and forth safely, and even practiced hammering nails. Which immediately came in handy at our next station - Woodworking. We went back to finish their birdhouses, which came out very well! The boys all did a great job on them.

Next it was on to the Raingutter Regatta. To save time, we didn't build our boats on sight. They each received a kit with an explanation of how to build it at home. Then we got down to the business of sailboat racing! The boys took turns racing some boats that had already been made. One rose to the top as the fastest, so the boys took turns using it to race against the clock!

Finally, we wrapped up on Metal Rubbings. The Scouts could make a foil imprint of either the Statue of Liberty, or the Liberty Bell. They were pretty wound up by then, which made it all the more fun. Did you know you can make a metal rubbing with your butt? They found out that you can!

Another fun day of Twilight Camp. This is a great group of Scouts - they have fun, they get along, and they're learning a ton. Tomorrow, we start an hour early for hike night! We're all excited!

Twilight Camp - Day Two - Wolves

Another great day at Camp!! The boys began the day with and Olympic-style march into the flag area. The flag was again raised at half-staff in honor of the fallen Scouts in Iowa. Our first station of the day was Leather. The boys made "medals" from leather, each stamping his circle with his initials and other symbols. Many of course opted for Wolves! From there we went to the woodworking station to begin our project. I won't ruin the surprise, but we'll wrap it up tomorrow. From there it was on to the discovery of the sport of Ultimate (the sport formerly known as Ultimate Frisbee until it was realized that Frisbee is a registered trademark of the Wham-O Corporation). The boys all did a great job, in one case, even after a disc to the face! I'm proud to report that good sportsmanship was observed by all - not an easy thing to say when you're dealing with boys. After that it was on to Picture Frame area. All of the parents will be in for a nice surprise once these come home. It's amazing how many different designs these boys can come up with! There were only a few different pieces to work with, but all of the frames ended up completely different from the others.

After the frames, we were back in action on the Giant Slingshot. The boys used an over-sized sling shot to hurl "water bombs" to a set of Olympic rings (hula hoops on an elevated frame) about 30 yards away. The idea was to get the water bomb through one of the hoops, which happened a few times. But most of the boys were more interested in seeing just how far and/or high one of those things could go. We wrapped up the evening with another round of Archery and BB guns. All of the boys in our den earned a bulls-eye pin in both sports!! Some had shot before, others were shooting for the first time, but they all showed improvement. We were dismissed after closing ceremonies.

Once again, I was very impressed with the way the boys behaved at camp. I've been to several events where too many Cubs just run wild and forget the Core Values of Scouting. I haven't seen that at Twilight Camp. All of the Scouts, particularly those in den 204, have been on their best behavior. They're crazy and they have fun, but they never get out of control. I've been very impressed with them.