HIGH ADVENTURE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK
When a Scout hears high adventure, he thinks of backpacking Philmont in New Mexico or canoeing the boundaries waters of Canada or sailing the Florida Keys from Sea Base. Great trips to the far corners of the United States. But excitement and high adventure don’t have to be a thousand miles away. Right here, in our back yard lie some of the greatest adventures a Scout could want. It’s called the Blue Goose High Adventure Base. Located on the east side of Camp Napowan in Wild Rose Wisconsin, the Base is the jumping off point for some extreme adventures. Recognizing the need for more varied and challenging activities for our older scouts, the Camping Committee took a chance. The first summer they ran a few higher adventure trips attached to Napowan and met with limited success. 50 scouts the first year then a jump to 75 the next. Then the committee expanded the program and invested in a marketing campaign to get the word out. 250 scouts the next year! Word was out.
Now they had to go all the way. The decision was made last year to formally create a separate camp and apply for certification as a BSA authorized High Adventure Base. This brought a new level of recognition and a much higher set of standards to be met. The team was up to the challenge and last year saw nearly 300 older scouts pass through on great trips. The new base needed a new name. Separate but still attached to Napowan, the name and the logo borrowed a key element from the Napowan patch. The “goose” was born and evolved into the Blue Goose.
Offering exciting programs at affordable prices, trips start at Camp Napowan on Sunday afternoon heading off to one of seven different adventures. Each has it’s own age and skill requirements. Check the Council website for exact dates, fees and age requirements. Go as group, go as a single, take a couple of adults with or leave the troop adults back at camp and rely on Blue Goose staffers to chaperon.
Here are the offerings for the 2004 season:
Canoeing: Flambeau Canoe Trip. Spend five days and nights in the Flambeau Wilderness area of Northern Wisconsin.
Backpacking: Porcupine Mountains; Five days of backpacking along the shores of Lake Superior.
Rock Climbing: Spend the week climbing the challenging cliffs of Devil’s Lake State Park.
SCUBA certification: Five days at Devil’s Lake, working with a PADI firm undergoing qualifications and certification.
Biking/Kayaking: On this combined event you will explore Wisconsin, traveling portions of the Sparta bike trails. After two days of biking you spend a day kayaking.
Advanced SCUBA: This extreme adventure for pre-certified divers starts the week with a deep water dive and ends with doing a wreck dive on Lake Michigan.
Haven’t had enough? How about combining a day on the COPE course, followed by a day of biking, then a day of kayaking, wrapping up the week with two days of rock climbing at Devil’s Lake. What a week!
So now when you think of high adventure, think of the goose, the Blue Goose High Adventure Base that is.
New James E West Fellows
The Northwest Suburban Council has six new James E. West Fellows so far in 2004.
Each West Fellow contributes a minimum $1,000 to the council's endowment program over and above their regular Friends of Scouting gifts. Our thanks to Council President John Frieburg, Council Executive Steve Taylor, Council Commissioner Rich Politowicz,
Finance Director Jason Erpelding, Council Program Director Randy Toland, and Council Vice President for Strategic Planning Marie Diffley.
Friends of Scouting Campaign off to a Solid Start!
We’re off and running, and happy to report a great start to the 2004 Friends of Scouting Campaign!
FOS is the Northwest Suburban Council’s direct fundraising campaign and is budgeted to raise $380,000 to support Scouting right here in our own council. After a record-setting year in 2003, we ended January with $73,252 in pledges, or 19.3% of our goal. That is up over $9000 from the same point last year!
Thanks to all council units, volunteers, community leaders, and businesses that have already pledged this year. Your FOS dollars go towards training, camps, insurance, maintenance, full-time professional and support staff, the Northwest News and other publications and marketing efforts.
Jamboree Troop Leaders Selected
Scoutmasters and Assistants for NWSC’s four Jamboree troops are now in place and aiding with troop presentations created to recruit 144 qualified youth.
Selected by the Jamboree Committee are: Troop A – Scoutmaster Michael Crismyre (T-76), 1st. ASM Raul Rodriquez (T-182) and 2nd ASM Tom Lobacz (T-38); Troop B – Scoutmaster Bill Kaisling (T-38), 1st ASM Mark Dunne (T-964), 2nd ASM Jim Ray (T-34) and 3rd ASM Bob Galassi, Jr. (T-175); Troop C –Scoutmaster Mike Tangen (T-964), 1st ASM Ernesto Soler (T-91), 2nd ASM Rick Romani (T-38) and 3rd ASM Brent Ratter (T-964); and Troop D – Scoutmaster Mike Stanbary (T-297), 1st ASM Wayne Bernacki (T-16) and 2nd ASM Jim McKinzie (T-193).
The Jambo Unit Presentations are in full swing and youth applications are coming in! One Jambo troop of 36 youth has been filled! Sign up your unit NOW for a presentation! Contact any of the above, Marty Schultz (847-824-6880, mschultz@bsamail.org; or Carl Laub (847-394-5115, duke@nw.nwsc.org.
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Got Members?
To borrow from a familiar ad campaign … members do a unit good! And now is the time to find those members – Tigers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers. Why now? Why knot?
All clichés aside, every unit should be scheduling a Spring Recruitment Night or an Open House. This means every unit – Pack, Troop or Crew. More members means more fun for the boys. More members means more parents to help. More members means economy of scale – for money and for effort. We can go on, but the bottom line is that Scouting is for the boys and without the boys, there is no Scouting.
Advertise now and advertise often. Send invitations by mail, through school, and in person. Post fliers and posters at your library, coffee shop and convenience store. The more people who are aware of Scouting, the better.
Northwest Suburban Council is ready and waiting to help. Contact your Membership Chairman or District Executive for ideas, fliers, posters, brochures, parent orientation guides, and to schedule boy talks. Brian Urlacher recruitment patches are also still available for boys who recruit other boys.
Council Officers Elected for 2004
The election of officers, confirmation of District Chairmen and Commissioners, a 2003 review and the setting of 2004 goals were key agenda items for NWSC’s Annual Business Meeting, hosted by Baxter International in Deerfield on 21 January.
Conducted by retiring Council President Doug Chidley, the meeting was attended by 91 Council Executive Board members, Advisory Council members, Charter Organization Representatives and council staff members.
Elected as the 2004 Council Officers were: John Frieburg, President; Rich Politowicz, Commissioner; Al Knox, Treasurer; Doug Chidley, Past President; Paul Pinderski, Chair-Legal Advisory, and vice presidents: Ken Becker, District Operations; Bill Cormack, Manpower; Marie Diffley, Strategic Planning; Linda Kolbusz, Educational Programs; Bob Manning, Scoutreach; Earl McDermid, Properties; Ron Schagrin, Endowment, Joe Trexler, Membership/Relations and Hugh Smart, Program.
With “GET ON BOARD” as his rallying slogan, Council Executive Steve Taylor challenged all present to help meet our council goals. He stated, “The need to be a Quality Council, secure funding for facility and program improvements at both Camps and Lakota, increased diversified membership and a growing endowment fund are all necessary to provide a future quality Scouting program for our youth.”
2004 Distinguished Citizen’s Banquet
The Northwest Suburban Council’s premier annual fundraising event is the Distinguished Citizen’s Banquet scheduled for March 18th at the Sheraton Chicago Northwest in Arlington Heights. This year’s honoree is Mr. John Eilering, President and CEO of Mount Prospect National Bank. Retired Marine Corps General Mike Mulqueen will be our featured speaker.
Seats are still available for this event, which is expected to draw over 400 people from all corners of the Northwest suburbs. For information call Finance Director Jason Erpelding at 847-824-6910.
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