April 21-22, 2012 - Russell Woods

RUSSELL WOODS WEEKEND

APRIL 21-22, 2012

The weekend offered mild weather for camping except for a cold overnight temperature of about 33 degrees.  Activities included some hiking at Russell Woods, Totin'Chip instruction for those in need, a visit to the Natural Resource Center, and some individual cooking activity.

The Natural Resource Center provided some stuffed exhibits of local wildlife, some posters and displays, and live exhibits of snakes, turtles, and a salamander.  A naturalist provided ideas and answered questions and also offered us a live introduction to an African Tortoise, which was 12 years old and about 42 pounds in weight.  The naturalist allowed the boys to pet the turtle, delivered a nice presenation, and answered questions.  It was a highlight event of our visit.

Their afternoon hike took them through the lower camping area to trails following the river.  It was a perfect day for hiking with sunshine and a great temperature.  Special attention was paid to native plants and animals.

Some of the individual cooking activities included dinner foil packs, where Scouts could create their own meal of their choice ingredients; ground beef, potatoes, carrots, asparagus, onions, green peppers.

Their breakfast included sausage links, hash brown potatoes, milk, juice.  They also created their own custom made omelete consisting of choice ingredients, eggs, green peppers, onions, shredded cheese.

Before leaving we celebrated Bradley's 11th birthday with a song and some cupcakes.

For a slide show of this event visit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/troop33dekalb/sets/72157629516248668/show/

April 15, 2012 - Seth Olesululu Brunch Project

Seth Olesululu Brunch Project

April 15, 2012

Pastor Seth, a Lutheran minister from Tanzania, will soon granduate with a Masters Degree in Music from Northern Illinois University. First Lutheran honored Pastor Seth with a special brunch and a Skype phone connection with his family in Tanzania. Scouts worked to serve beverages and food, and bus tables and wash dishes for the event. The food and program was excellent.

A slide show is available at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/troop33dekalb/sets/72157629523574678/show/

April 14, 2012 - Woodworking Merit Badge

WOODWORKING MERIT BADGE

APRIL 14, 2012

Two classes were conducted on Saturday April 14th. A morning class brought 14 students to the class, an afternoon class brought 7 more students. Scouts constructed wooden stands for recycling aluminum cans. The project provides a good lesson for the boys while using manual saw, plane, and drill, plus power saw and drill press. The class went very well.

April 13, 2012 - Pack 173 Crossover

PACK 173 CROSSOVER

APRIL 13, 2012

The Order of the Arrow provided the outfits for a team to conduct the crossover ceremony for Cub Scout Pack 173 of St Mary's in DeKalb, IL. Welcom to Troop 33: Jake, Jason, Luke, Luccio, and Austin.

April 13, 2012 - Totin'Chip Class

TOTIN' CHIP CLASS

APRIL 13, 2012

A group of Scouts earned their Totin' Chip card during a late afternoon class after school. Information was presented and skills were developed regarding use of ax and knife, with safety rules and sharpening routine.

April 7, 2012 - Glidden Homestead Project

GLIDDEN HOMESTEAD PROJECT

April 7, 2012

Scouts worked hard to remove old dead material from the previous year.

Scouts also created some new walkways through the larger floral beds. The walkways were cut through the areasd which were filled with mulch.

A slideshow is available at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/troop33dekalb/sets/72157629523522428/show/

March 31 - April 4, 2012 - Tornado Disaster Project

TORNADO RELIEF PROJECT

March 31 - April 4, 2012

Troop 33 spent part of Spring Break working on disaster relief projects in Harrisburg, Illinois. On Leap Day, February 29, 2012, Harrisburg, Illinois was struck with an EF-4 class tornado which left 7 people dead, over 100 people injured, more than 175 homes and businesses destroyed, with countless more buildings damaged, plus extensive destruction of trees and power lines.

Scouts from Troop 33 traveled nearly 400 miles to Harrisburg to invest themselves in hard physical labor to benefit the community. Their work time was spent in two major projects.

PROJECT #1

Scouts collected storm debris from 4-miles of roadway along U.S. Route 45. Items were a varied including: vinyl siding, wood trim, wood decking, 20lb weightlifting disk, I-Pod attachment, car parts, litter, basketball backboard, plus countless other items. Some things could be easily picked up and some needed to be pryed from the ground. Two truckloads of debris were collected. The result was a clean litter-free roadway.

PROJECT #2

Two lots on Largent Street in Harrisburg had homes destroyed and demolished. Bricks and concrete still remained and needed to be removed to clear the lots for trailer use. The Scouts of Troop 33 removed tons of bricks and concrete from the area using wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, buckets, a big sledge hammer, and a lot of muscle and sweat. It was a project of extreme physical effort. Each day a large container dumpster was filled with tons of material and hauled away. The lots were eventually cleared. Two trailers were moved onto the properties to provide temporaty housing for homeless families. The work of the boys made an important difference in the lives of people.

SUPPORT

Dorrisville Baptist Church provided meals and lodging while in Harrisburg. Operation Storm provided project supervision and support. Scouts enjoyed daily showers, sleeping cots in a gymnasium, excellent meals, and some very positive interaction with other great volunteer workers. Energetic evenings were spent playing basketball and volleyball in the gym. Scouts were invited to outstanding religious services on Palm Sunday conducted by Dorrisville Baptist Church. Local people expressed thanks for our time and efforts. Everyone was gracious and hospitable to us. The boys rose to any challenge with a cheerful spirit of service that brought great pride to our efforts. Our disaster relief projects made a significant improvement in the recovery of the community. The Scouts of Troop 33 lived the Oath and Law while investing sweat, hard work, and determination to the benefit of others.

A slide show is available at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/troop33dekalb/sets/72157629750379501/show/