A couple more items of interest Owasippe-related.  Thanks to everyone who cleaned and returned the tents.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LAKE WOLVERINE CHANNEL SWIMMERS Owasippe this year was awesome, so much so that I forgot a few things.  Marc I and Marty M swam the 2-1/2 miles channel swim in Lake Wolverine, a remarkable [...]]]> Troop 41 parents and scouts:

A couple more items of interest Owasippe-related.  Thanks to everyone who cleaned and returned the tents.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LAKE WOLVERINE CHANNEL SWIMMERS
Owasippe this year was awesome, so much so that I forgot a few things.  Marc I and Marty M swam the 2-1/2 miles channel swim in Lake Wolverine, a remarkable feat that deserves recognition and praise.  They were the only two scouts in the entire camp to do it that week.  I’m tired just typing this.  They couldn’t have done it without the assistance of Marc K and Mr Bendigkeit who rowed for them, and Nathan K and Marty K who acted as their spotters.  Congratulations to the swimmers, and heartfelt thanks to the rowers and spotters.

THE KODAK MOMENTS
Lots of people have uploaded photos from Owasippe, thanks.  Check out our camp experience by looking at the photos at our troop photo site, scouts, great way for your family to relive the experience by you explaining the photos to them.  If you were there and took pictures, please do as others have done and upload them to the “Owasippe 2010″ folder.  You’ll need to logon to Shutterfly to upload.  You can find our photo site here:
http://glenellyntroop41.shutterfly.com/

[See the August 8 email from Mr Evans for the site password or contact Jeff or Ken]

TRAILER REPACKED AFTER OWASIPPE
For those of you who don’t know, we have to exchange supplies from one trailer to the other (we have a storage trailer) in preparation for summer camp, and then after summer camp, switch everything back again for “normal” camping.  It is hard work and is like moving a small apartment.  Thanks to everyone who helped yesterday including Marty M, Andrew E, Adam G, Mr Ruffo, Mr Grimm, Mr Motz, and Mr Hanson.  We appreciate your time and muscle guys.

MERIT BADGE BOOKS
For those of you who may have borrowed a merit badge book at camp, please return it at the next troop meeting.  We have a library of over 100 merit badge books that is always available to you, and it is nice to replenish it with any books you have purchased, after you have completed the badge.  So, please return the books, donate any books you have that you no longer need and remember that these books are here for YOUR use.

OTHER NEWS

TROOP MEETING
We have a regularly scheduled troop meeting with Tuesday at 7pm, until 8:15pm.

JUNIOR LEADER TRAINING
Our thanks to Mrs Piper for running a leadership training workshop for the boys at this past Junior Leader meeting Tuesday.  Everyone learned something, including myself.  Thanks Mrs Piper for lending us your expertise and time.

WARREN DUNES TRIP THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND
We have received only two confirmed scouts going this upcoming weekend to the Warren Dunes trip.  Signup deadline was last Tuesday, August 3rd.  Please let me know by 8:15pm Tuesday night if you intend on going.  If we don’t have at least ten scouts attending, we will cancel the trip.  [Scouts can use the "Generic Permission form" in the left margin.]

Yours in Scouting,
–
Bradley Evans
Scoutmaster
Boy Scout Troop 41
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
www.troop41glenellyn.org

BUSINESS FIRST If you picked up a tent and dried it out and cleaned it, please drop it off at Mr. Hansen’s house by this Friday night.  [Address can be found in Mr Evans 8/2 email].  We will repack the trailers this weekend and those tents will go in storage for the year.

Another successful trip [...]]]> Troop 41:

BUSINESS FIRST
If you picked up a tent and dried it out and cleaned it, please drop it off at Mr. Hansen’s house by this Friday night.  [Address can be found in Mr Evans 8/2 email].  We will repack the trailers this weekend and those tents will go in storage for the year.

Another successful trip to Owasippe Camp Wolverine, Zaxie! (ask your scouts) is in the books. Here is a recap of the week and some notes.

THE NUMBERS
Scouts: 44
Fluid ounces of Slushies consumed by each scout: Approximately 452
Merit badges earned: 147 (NEW RECORD!)
Rank advancements: 7
Eagle Palms: 4
Camp Directors award: Max C
Items left in the parking lot: 1 (NEW RECORD!)
Pool temperature: 78 degrees and balmy (NEW RECORD!)

THE 2010 STORY
It was quite a week, we had a lot of fun at the “Show that never ends.”  Leaving Glen Ellyn with flooded basements and closed roads was ominous for the week, but as it turned out, the weather was very nice… we only saw a couple moments of rain, mostly as we left camp Saturday morning.  We had our biggest group ever, 44 boys, the second biggest Troop at camp this summer.  The food was plentiful, sometimes good.  The boys were busy and the pool was warm. With the pool usable this year, we were able to get back to our “normal” program of swimming for the first year scouts and lifesaving for the second years.

In addition to the pool, we found many other activities to keep the camp busy and having fun including: Tubing, Horseback trail rides, Open Shotgun, Open Sailing, Super Cope and more.  Merit badge work kept them busy, as did nights of star hikes, Pudgy Palozza, Zaxie Ball, Canoe “Sponge Wars” and Indian Games.  The guys found a rhythm very quickly in the week, and for the most part, were never in our campsite, experiencing everything the camp offered.  We prayed at every meal, woke camp up each morning with our “Good Morning Owasippe” yell.

As is tradition, we performed the closing flag ceremony to end the week and begin the closing ceremony.  We have done this before, it is always great, the reaction from the rest of the troops and staff is one of admiration.  Thanks to some training two weeks prior by former Scoutmaster Janus, the boys marched in double formation into the square, halted, did a left face, dressed right and stood at ease.  Leaders Danny M and Brian R, and the color guard of Ben B, Daniel Z, Conor M and Jason M took front and center, and then we waited, and waited, and waited.  In what became a common occurrence all week, the scheduled time on the posted agenda did not match the “actual” time of the event…we were 45 minutes early, as were most troops.  Once the wait was over, the scouts performed flawlessly, as buglers Nathan K and Nick M performed “Echo Taps” as the flag lowered.  Once again, as with so many years of the past, Troop 41 ended another summer camp experience with a memorable moment.

THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Each year a scout is selected for the “Camp Directors” award, an award to honor a specific Scout Law they exhibited, nominated by an adult leader, counselor or SPL. Past recipients have included Tim G (2007/Cheerful), Andrew R (2008/Brave), Conor M (2009/Brave) and Adam G (2009/Trustworthy).  This year, Max C was awarded the  2010 “Camp Directors” award because of he was above and beyond “Helpful” all week long.  Congratulations Max, we are all proud of you.

Every scout earned at least one merit badge, we earned 147 as a Troop and did a lot of rank advancement work as well, resulting in 11 rank advancements.  Great work guys.

THE THANKS
We couldn’t run a successful summer camp experience without the help of MANY people. Many of you took time off from work, to spend time helping these boys.

Most notably, our Summer Camp Coordinator, Mr McClurg.  He once again handled all the logistics and paperwork for the trip, attending meetings, handling the finances, distributing and collecting forms and payments, ordering t-shirts, scheduling camp activities and then camping the entire week to handle day-to-day operations.  Many, many thanks (Did I mention that we are looking to find a new Summer Camp Coordinator?  Did I mention that last year too?).

Helping us all week, assistant Scoutmaster Motz who provided tireless leadership each day at camp, working with the scouts in any way they needed and beyond.  Thanks for everything you did last week to make the experience memorable.  And Marc K, Eagle Scout and former Junior Assistant Scoutmaster who recently turned 18 and became our newest Assistant Scoutmaster.  Marc has earned every merit badge Owasippe offered, and was an invaluable resource in camp with the boys and leaders.  Thanks Marc.

And thanks to our Troop Committee Chairman Markunas, who whittled away the time in camp wood carving and whittling, and because of it, turned on about a dozen scouts to the hobby.  Thanks for your leadership and wisdom throughout the week.

And our thanks to the parents.  We had a number of parents who drove, some who came up to spend time in camp, helped get the boys to and from events and provided additional adult oversight.  Our thanks to Mr Bendigkeit, Mr Berry, Mr Delany, Mr Gablin, Mr Grimm, Mr Hansen, Mr Isaac, Mr Keane, Mr Kocurek, Mr May, Mr McGee, Mr Modruson, the Ruggiero’s, Mr Ruffo, Mr Vilimek and Mr Woods.  Thanks to Mr Kocurek, Mr Hansen and Mr Modruson for pulling our trailers.  Thanks to Mr Hatfield, Mrs Carter, Mrs Brosnan and Mrs Delany for shopping for our camp and food supplies.  And to our Treasurer Mrs McGee, for keeping all the finances in order.  If I’ve forgotten someone, my apologies, mosquito bites on the brain.

And on the scout side, with 44 scouts, it was quite the undertaking to lead that many, our SPL Danny M and ASPL Brian R were up to the challenge and did an outstanding job.  Thanks guys, we couldn’t have had the success we did this past week without your hard work.  Lastly, our buglers added a “Norman Rockwell” touch to camp with Nick M blowing reveille each morning to wake the boys and Nathan K playing Taps to lower the flag each night.

And lastly, thanks to all of the parents for sending your scout to camp, giving them the opportunity to participate in a 99-year old tradition, at the oldest, second largest Scout camp in the nation.

THE LOST & FOUND
One folding chair in a Navy Blue bag left in the trailer.

TROOP 41 SHUTTERFLY SITE
We have a site for photos.  Please check out our recent summer camp experience and other past campouts by visiting our troop photo site.  You can order photos, photo books and more.

If you were at Owasippe and took pictures, please  upload them to the “Owasippe 2010″ folder. You’ll need to logon to Shutterfly  to upload. You can find our photo site here:
http://glenellyntroop41.shutterfly.com/

[Contact Ken or Jeff for the site password]

 
YOUR SCOUTS STORY
After reading this, bring some of these items up with your son, there is probably a lot he “forgot” to tell you, they had a really good time, too bad it had to end, but, there is always next year.

Yours in scouting,

Mr. Evans
–
Bradley Evans
Scoutmaster
Boy Scout Troop 41
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
www.troop41glenellyn.org

All scouts who promised to take a tent home and dry it out, please come by my home any time after 7:00am tomorrow.  I will have the tents on my front porch, to the right.  You don’t necessarily have to take “your” tent home, just any tent is helpful.  Please come get your tent, [...]]]> Owasippe campers:

All scouts who promised to take a tent home and dry it out, please come by my home any time after 7:00am tomorrow.  I will have the tents on my front porch, to the right.  You don’t necessarily have to take “your” tent home, just any tent is helpful.  Please come get your tent, and even take two if you can.

They need to be thoroughly dried out, and swept of sand.  Try to get them early, get them up early.  Thanks.

Yours in Scouting,

Mr. Evans
–
Bradley Evans
Scoutmaster

TENTMATES Please let me know who you would like to be tentmates with for the week.  Give me a first and second choice OK?  We will do our best to accommodate your requests, however, it may be necessary to assign your tent mate depending on pairings.  Let me know by [...]]]> Attention to all scouts attending summer camp!

TENTMATES
Please let me know who you would like to be tentmates with for the week.  Give me a first and second choice OK?  We will do our best to accommodate your requests, however, it may be necessary to assign your tent mate depending on pairings.  Let me know by end of day tomorrow, Thursday.

BE PREPARED FOR SUMMER CAMP
Scouts, three days to pack your gear for summer camp, it is NOT YOUR MOTHER’S RESPONSIBILITY!  In the past, we have had lots of dead flashlights, younger brother’s swimsuit that is 3 sizes too small, no sleeping bag and more.  Often forgotten: Camp chair, towel, Scout Handbook and drinking cup (to be hung in the mess hall).  Be prepared, plan accordingly and bring everything you need.  Start packing now, instead of Friday night.

Also, if you don’t have one, a tent fan is an awesome thing to get you through a “hot, humid, air is not moving and the sweat is pooling in my summer bag” kind of night.  Mr. Hanson and I spotted a $12 one at Soukups.  Walmart, Target, REI and others have the Coleman Cool Zephyr Ceiling Fan with Light, $22. FANtastic idea.

LEAVING FROM THE CHURCH
Reminder, because every year someone goes to the library…we will meet at the First Congregational Church Saturday morning at 7:15am sharp.  NOT THE LIBRARY, we leave from the church because of the bathrooms (we will return the following Saturday to the library for pickup).  Remember to bring your prescription medications.

SORRY FOLKS, NO ELECTRONICS
Troop 41 does have a policy about electronics on campouts, and we have noticed an increasing trend of that policy not being followed, especially with phones.  Adults in camp will have phones and can be contacted at any time.  This has been a long-standing rule, as described in our scout packet: Can he bring his phone, iPod, game?  No.  This is increasingly becoming a huge problem and we need to get some control over it.  If a scout brings his phone, it must be left in the car he came in.  There is NO reason a scout should have a phone on a trip.  If there is a reason, please discuss it with the scoutmaster.

Electronics will be confiscated if found, and, it will be written up as a strike towards our “three strike policy”.

DO NOT BRING
Video Games or players (PSPs and like)
MP3 Players
I-Pods
Cell Phones
Laser Pens
Lap tops

Yours in Scouting,

Mr. Evans
–
Bradley Evans
Scoutmaster
Boy Scout Troop 41
Glen Ellyn, Illinois