Troop 33 - DeKalb, IL

February 18-19, 2012 - Indiana Winter Adventure

2012-02-22T10:18:00.001-08:00

INDIANA WINTER ADVENTURE

February 18-19, 2012

The weekend was unseasonably warm. All remnants of snow had melted away, but we still found a great weekend in Indiana.

On Saturday we traveled 230 miles to Pokagon State Park near Angola, Indiana for tobogganing on their world class trackway. That was followed by enjoying an indoor pool at a nearby hotel, then pizza and television.

Sunday began with more toboggan runs at Pokagon followed by travel, then some dune hiking at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore at the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Hiking atop a high dune and hiking along a sand beach finished off a great weekend.

February 11, 2012 - Starved Rock Adventure

2012-02-17T15:29:00.000-08:00

STARVED ROCK ADVENTURE
February 11, 2012

This event is broken down into several activities. We started the day at the Illinois River Lock & Dam Visitor Center in Utica, Illinois where we watched the eagles that congregate on Plum Island. We also enjoyed the center's exhibits and hands on displays.

We hiked to the top of historic Starved Rock which provides a great experience overlooking the Illinois River and enjoying more eagle watching.

We ate our sack lunches at Starved Rock Visitors Center which also has several exhibits and displays to enjoy.

Hiking St Louis Canyon is usually highlighted by a giant waterfall, but due to warm weather the major icefall had thawed and replaced by new parial icefall which had formed.

We visited the Starved Rock Lodge which is a magestic structure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the depression years of the 1930's.

Another hike featured Ottawa Canyon which still had remnant ice falls. The hike along the canyon meanders back and forth over a stream which was mostly frozen. Council Overhang is a large cavern like structure that is interesting to visit along the trail to Ottawa Canyon.

Normally we would conclude the day with sledding at Allen Park in Ottawa, Illinois, but with the snow all gone, we visited the local McDonalds and returned to DeKalb.

February 10, 2012 - Eagle Banquet

2012-02-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

EAGLE BANQUET

February 10, 2012

Over 600 people attended a fine banquet at the Wyndham Hotel in Lisle, Illinois to honor the Three Fires Council Eagle Class of 2011. Max McArtor & family/friend represented Troop 33 at this event. Our table included an Eagle from Troop 4. It was great food, great program, highlighted by a giant procession of Eagle Scouts going onstage and being recognized for their accomplishment.

February 4, 2012 - Klondike Derby

2012-02-17T14:27:00.000-08:00

KLONDIKE DERBY
February 4, 2012

Trop 33 joined the other troops of DeKalb County for the annual Kishwaukee District Klondike Derby held at Sycamore Sportsman's Club in Sycamore. The weather was very warm for February, snow gone, but still fun with great activities. Activities included an indoor rifle range, first aid, animal track identification, fishing, sled race, fire building, log sawing, and orienteering. It was a well run event with over 300 youth attending.

January 29, 2012 - Ice Fishing

2012-02-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

ICE FISHING
LAKE SHABBONA
January 29, 2012

The temperature was cold and the wind was strong. It made for a challenging day for ice fishing at Lake Shabbona State Park in Shabbona, Illinois.
Scouts drilled many fishing holes with an auger. Two fishing locations were explored off Somonauk Point on Lake Shabbona. Though the fish seemed uninterested in our efforts, Scouts leaned some things about ice fishing and enjoyed a brisk windy day engaged in a winter sport.

January 28, 2012 - Adventure Travel Show

2012-02-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

ADVENTURE TRAVEL SHOW

January 28, 2012

Held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, the Travel Adventure Show and the American Outdoor Show offered countless opportunities to learn and explore.

Scouts explored hundreds of booths which offered freebies and information of adventure locations all over the world. Special cultural events took place on stage. Presentations by nationally known experts in the travel industry drew hundreds of spectators.

Most exciting were hands on experiences, such as segway driving, a camel for riding, and a heated pool where Scouts could experience Scuba diving.

There was also an indoor archery range and a caged grizzly bear (who mostly just slept). It was a great day to explore, learn, and experience the many opportunities for adventure in the world.

January 21-22, 2012 - Ski and Water Park Weekend

2012-01-23T21:39:00.001-08:00

SKI & WATER PARK WEEKEND
JANUARY 21-22, 2012

The weekend began with skiing and snowboarding at Cascade Mountain Ski Resort near Portage, Wisconsin. The temperature wasn't too cold, the snow base had a fresh six inch layer from a snowstorm the night before. We purchased groceries and drove to the Glacier Canyon Lodge at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

Our stay at the resort included a 3-bedroom unit with 2 1/2 baths, kitchen, dining, living room, fireplace, 4 TV's, and water park activities nearby.

After a dinner of breadsticks and pizza, the evening was spent at a water park. The water park included: hot tub, basketball pool, lazy river rafting, water play area, giant slides, and water funnel.

Breakfast on Sunday morning included sausage, eggs, waffles, and Hawaiian pizza. After breakfast we checked out of the Glacier Canyon Lodge, we enjoyed some hours at the water park plus the wave pool. After water park activity we enjoyed an early dinner buffet, then drove back to DeKalb, IL. in freezing rain.

January 15-16, 2012 - MacQueen / Russell Woods Weekend

2012-01-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

MACQUEEN / RUSSELL WOODS WEEKEND

JANUARY 15-16, 2012

Our weekend activity began with sledding at the hill at Russell Woods Forest Preserve near Genoa, IL. It was a great time on the hill. We purchased groceries and checked in at Cabin #2 at MacQueen Forest Preserve near Kirkland, IL. After lunch we returned to Russell Woods for more sledding which continued into the dark hours. It was fairly crowded with people on the hill. Returning to the cabin at MacQueen a meal featuring chili made for a great dinner. for dessert blackberry cobbler made for an excellent dessert. A movie was watched, The Majestic, starring Jim Carey. The movie centers on a story of an individual that helps to make a positive change in a community, which helps satisfy one of the requirements for Citizenship in the Community merit badge. The morning of MLK began with a hot breakfast featuring sausage and scrambled eggs. After cleaning our the cabin and checking out, a return to Russell Woods included sledding down the hill. Warmer temperatures made the snow melt. It was a very wet time for sledding. There was less snow on the hill by the time we left.

January 14, 2012 - Merit Badge Day

2012-01-23T20:53:00.001-08:00

MERIT BADGE DAY
JANUARY 14, 2012

We held a program on two merit badges held at the DeKalb Public Library downstairs in the Meeting Room.

CITIZENSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY
This was the first merit badge Scouts worked on. They were able to complete many of the requirements, with several requirements to be completed later.

FIRST AID
This was the second merit badge Scouts worked on. They were able to complete many of the requirements, with several requirements to be completed later.

Scouts will need to take responsibility for completing the last few requirements on their own.

January 7, 2012 - PLC Conference

2012-01-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

PATROL LEADERS
COUNCIL CONFERENCE

JANUARY 7, 2012

A group of Scouts gathered to discuss upcoming activity plans for the new year. Plans for summer 2012 look to include a trip to New York and the East Coast. Another major high adventure trip will include a Scuba activity. There was discussion of a 4-day trip to Kentucky focused on high rope courses.

Looking farther ahead a major activity was discussed for 2014.
A trip to Africa would include wildlife safari, water activities on the island of Zanzibar. A major part of the trip would include a service project involving the construction of a community center, to be named after John Grant, a Troop 33 leader who passed away in December 2011. They have labor and material in Africa to build the walls. Money for roofing materials would be something we could provide.

Other details of smaller trips were also discussed.

December 28-31, 2011 - John Grant Memorial

2012-01-10T14:28:00.001-08:00

JOHN GRANT MEMORIAL
December 28-31, 2011

John Grant was a very dedicated adult leader serving the Scouts of Troop 33. He served year round from 100+ degree heat to subzero cold, in all types of outdoor adventures. In October 2011 he moved to Euharlee, Georgia hopeful to enjoy a long retirement after expected recovery from a major health issue. His tragic passing on December 25, 2011 was a devastating event to everyone in Troop 33. Fifteen people from Troop 33 traveled to Georgia to pay final respects and bid a last goodbye to John. Eight Scouts served as pallbearers with others serving as honor guard during John's Memorial Services. A funeral service was conducted at Dow Funeral Home in Cartersville, Georgia. At the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia a service was held with full military honors followed later by a Native American service at his grave site honoring John's Cherokee heritage. It was the final Scouting event for 2011. We traveled to Georgia in support of John's family and his Eagle Scout grandson A.J. We traveled to pay honor and offer our deep respect to a great Scouter and a valued friend, John Howard Grant 1947-2011. John spent many years being there for the boys. In the end the boys were also there for him. May John rest in peace.

December 19, 2011 - Troop Holiday Party

2012-01-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

TROOP 33'S HOLIDAY PARTY

December 19, 2011
Troop 33's Holiday Party included plenty of food, watching a movie on a giant screen - Car Story 2 - , an optional gift exchange between Scouts, popcorn prizes, and our annual Senior Patrol Leader Election. Congratulations Nathan on becoming our Senior Patrol Leaders for 2012!

December 10-11, 2011

2011-12-13T21:35:00.001-08:00

CHIEF SHABBONA
WEEKEND
December 10-11, 2011

The temperature started at 8 degrees on Saturday morning, but did warm as the day went on. The afternoon was spent at Lake Shabbona for fishing and exploring. Dinner included beef stew, french bread and deviled eggs. Overnight a wood stove in the cabin kept sleeping at a comfortable temperature. Sunday morning featured a hot breakfast of eggs and sausage. The intended program of a K9 rescue dog training didn't happen on Sunday due to some injuries and schedule conflicts. Instead the boys enjoyed some hiking through the forest preserve.

December 4, 2011 - Horseback Trip

2011-12-13T21:20:00.001-08:00

WHITE PINES RANCH
HORSEBACK TRIP
December 4, 2011

At the ranch a video was shown explaining some of the basics of horsemanship and safety. Scouts had the opportunity to choose their horse. The day was crisp and cold. The wind was a little bitter. The previous day's rain made the trail a little muddy, which made uphill and downhill sections a little more exciting. The trail passed through pastures, woodland, up and down hills and across streams. It was an exciting ride and everyone enjoyed the experience very much.

December 3, 2011 - Pancake Breakfast

2011-12-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

PANCAKE BREAKFAST
December 3, 2011

Our pancake breakfast wasn't very well attended for this event. The food however was excellent and the Scouts worked very hard. Our spring Pancake Breakfast is very successful and we'll probably not do another December breakfast next year.

November 28, 2011 - Court of Honor

2011-12-13T21:02:00.000-08:00

COURT OF HONOR
November 28, 2011

Many awards were presented to Scouts. The highlight event was the Eagle Scout Presentation to Max McArtor. A video presentation highlighted Max's Scouting career. There were also video presentations on September and October activities.

November 20, 2011 - First Lutheran Church Banquet

2011-12-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

FIRST LUTHERAN
CHURCH BANQUET
November 20, 2011

Scouts served beverages and washed and dried dishes for the annual banquet and hymn fest at First Lutheran Church in Dekalb, our troop sponsor. Five turkeys and two hams were featured as well as a host of side dishes, salads, and desserts. About 175 people were in attendance. Our boys worked hard and enjoyed some really great food as well. It was a great service project.

November 13, 2011 - Patrol Leaders Conference

2011-12-13T18:31:00.000-08:00

PATROL LEADERS COUNCIL
November 13, 2011

Scouts gathered together to plan out the troop calendar for the first months of 2012. Our calendar is complete up through Easter. A range of winter activities include skiing, sledding, camping, dog sledding, eagle watching, canyon hiking, etc. The first months of 2012 look like they'll be good ones.

November 12, 2011 - Three Fires Training Academy

2011-11-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

THREE FIRES COUNCIL
TRAINING ACADEMY
NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Troop 33 had some representatives at the training academy this year. Adult training classes and youth Den Chief Training. The one day event is attended by 800+ people and features well taught classes that are both fund and educational.

November 11, 2011 - Veterans Day

2011-11-25T13:30:00.001-08:00

VETERANS DAY CEREMONY AT
OAKCREST RETIREMENT CENTER ON
11-11-11 11:11 a.m.

A group of Troop 33 Scouts visited Oakcrest Retirement Center in DeKalb.

A few flag activities were performed.

First, Scouts retired an American flag which flew in front of the building and replaced it with a new one.

The Veterans Day Ceremony conducted at Oakcrest first involved the retired American flag being presented to a WWII veteran.

Scouts presented an American flag at the ceremony and retired the flag at the end. The ceremony began at 11:00 a.m. with a prayer, poem, and presentation. The American flag was presented and posted at 11:11 a.m. on 11-11-11. It was a honorable moment in time.

The ceremony was very dignified and well done. The names of all the veterans residing at Oakcrest were called, identifying the branch in which they served. Oakcrest takes pride in the 57 veterans who reside there. Two thirds of the veterans served in World War II, others served in Korea.

After the ceremony was concluded Scouts assisted wheelchair bound residents return to their room. The were honored to provide assistance to the heroes of the 2oth century. It was precious time well spent.

Scouts were treated to a luncheon buffet at the center, which featured excellent food. Veterans Day at Oakcrest was an important event to experience.

November 5-6, 2011 - DYFL Food Booth

2011-11-25T13:18:00.001-08:00

DYFL TOURNAMENT
FOOD BOOTH
November 5-6, 2011

Troop 33 operated a food booth at the 2nd annual DeKalb Youth Football League charity tournament. Our food booth was located at Clinton Rosette Middle School, where 8 games took place on Saturday and 5 games on Sunday. We provided hot chocolate, coffee, cold drinks, donuts, nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pizza, and candy to those who attended. We also sold souvenir t-shirts for the tournament. The weather was fairly warm for November with some strong winds in the afternoon. The charity designated was juvenile diabetes.

October 29, 2011 - Food Drive

2011-11-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

FOOD DRIVE
OCT 29, 2011

Boy Scout Troop 33 worked with Cortland Cub Pack 134 to accomplish a food drive in portions of Cortland. Some Scouts helped distribute fliers to homes days prior to the food drive. Two crews of Scouts collected food from homes on Saturday October 29th. The food was donated to the food pantry at St Mary's Church.

October 29, 2011 - Last week of our AYSO Concession

2011-10-30T15:48:00.001-07:00

AYSO CONCESSION
Last of the Season
October 29, 2011

Our final Saturday of AYSO Soccer began with a frosty morning. It was sunny gradually warming into the 50's by afternoon. Everyone was in good spirits and we enjoyed a day of good sales. For the ten Saturdays, we only experienced one rainy day, which is very fortunate. 2011 was a great season.

October 23, 2011 - Mississippi Palisades Climbing Trip

2011-10-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

MISSISSIPPI PALISADES ROCK CLIMBING TRIP - October 23, 2011

Sunday morning some Scouts and adults met for a trip to the Mississippi Palisades State Park to so some rock climbing.

Mississippi Palisades State Park offers the best rock climbing in northern Illinois. We don't have mountains in the Midwest, so this place is a climbing paradise for local climbers. The park is in a scenic setting overlooking the Mississippi River. There are over 150 routes in the limestone (Dolomite) bluffs that range from class 5.2 to 5.12. Most routes are about 50ft in length, some over 100ft.

Located in northwestern Illinois, the 2,500-acre park stretches about 3.5 miles in length. The bluffs run parallel to the river. Some areas are closed due to rock fall danger. Some climbing areas listed from north to south; Twin Sisters, Indian Head, Bee Wall, Butter Walls, Upton's Cave, and Dihedrals.

It was good weather for the trip and everyone had a great time rock climbing on the Palisades of the Mississippi.

October 22, 2011 - AYSO Concession

2011-10-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

AYSO CONCESSION
October 22, 2011

It started as a cold day with frost on the ground and warmed by 1:00 p.m. to 60 degrees, warm enough to change from coats to t-shirts. The day was highlighted by Volunteer Recognition Day where referees and coaches were treated to a hot dog and a drink. Overall it was an active sunny day great for playing soccer and running our concession stand.

October 15-16, 2011 Three Fires Council Camporall

2011-10-21T03:35:00.000-07:00

October 15-16, 2011
TFC CAMPORALL

The Camporall was attended by thousands of people. There were over 50 activities available for Scouts to enjoy. Among them were archery, riflery, climbing, radio station, solar oven, handicapped awareness, BMX biking, model railroading, Order of the Arrow, special games, exhibits, and Shelter Box USA provided a demonstration area. A highlight at the conclusion of their big arena show was a spectacular fireworks display. It was quite impressive. Troop 33 left early for home after the fireworks due to Cliff's health situation.

October 8, 2011 - John Goes to Georgia

2011-10-21T03:23:00.000-07:00

OCT 8, 2011
JOHN GOES
TO GEORGIA

Some Troop 33 members along with neighbors worked to load up a truck for John and Lila Grant's move south to Georgia. John is undergoing chemotherapy and is very weak from the medications. Once loaded, Jim Overmann volunteered to drive the truck to Catersville, Georgia. Jim flew back to Illinois and Bill Todtz drove him back to DeKalb. John's prognosis is positive for recovery, though he has a long and difficult journey ahead of him. Georgia will offer a much warmer winter and an early spring. Hopefully John will be healthier and able to enjoy some rest and recovery in the gentle warmth of the deep south.

October 8, 15, 2011 - AYSO Booths

2011-10-21T03:07:00.000-07:00

AYSO
CONCESSIONS
OCT 8, 15, 2011

OCT 8 AYSO
October 8 was a perfect Indian summer day. It was like a last breath of warm weather before fall temperatures. Sales were pretty good.

OCT 15 AYSO
October 15 was cold and windy. We sold a lot of hot chocolate. Fewer people stopped by the booth.

October 7-8-9, 2011 - MISSISSIPPI PALISADES

2011-10-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

OCT 7-9, 2011
MISSISSIPPI
PALISADES

This was an introductory backpacking experience at Mississippi Palisade State Park. The weather was perfect with high temperatures in the 80s and plenty of sunshine. Great hiking provided fantastic views of the Mississippi River. Building survival shelters added to the adventure. Cooking meals with lightweight backpack stoves added to the educational benefits. A nighttime visit by a mysterious raccoon made for a great story. Everyone had a great weekend camping experience on a perfect Indian summer weekend.

October 1, 2011 - AYSO Concession

2011-10-05T15:15:00.001-07:00

AYSO CONCESSION
Week #6

Our concession stand at the AYSO soccer fields went well. Sales were especially big on hot chocolate. The morning started cold then got warmer. A nice sunny day for the soccer season.

October 1, 2011 - Electronics Recycling

2011-10-05T14:59:00.001-07:00

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

We helped the Electronics Recycling program which was co-sponsored by the DeKalb County Health Department and the DeKalb County Farm Bureau. Our Scouts helped by unloading cars as they arrived. We unloaded computers, printers, fax machines, copiers, scanners, cell phones, stereos, tv, and monitors. In five hours of work we helped collect about 50,000 pounds of electronics, which was enough to fill three trucks. The recycling program helps the environment by preserving landfill space and recycling some precious metals and other materials. After the work was done everyone was treated to pizza and pop.

September 23-24-25, 2011 - SeptemberFest 2011

2011-10-03T15:48:00.001-07:00

SEPTEMBERFEST 2011

- An event at St Mary's School, DeKalb, Illinois

SeptemberFest is a large fun fair activity to benefit St Mary's Catholic School. They have a sound stage, beer garden, food booths, games, and carnival rides. Dark clouds filled the skies but luckily it never rained. They enjoyed a good weekend event attended by thousands of people.

Troop 33 provided a few different services at SeptemberFest this year. 1.) We provided a food booth preparing and selling funnel cakes and lemon shake-ups. 2.) We emptied all the trash containers into a central dumpster at night. 3.) Our Scouts slept inside their bigtop tent to provide overnight security.

FOOD BOOTH

We had 28 Scouts and adults working shifts to man our food booth at SeptemberFest. We were doing set up mostly on Friday and weren't ready for sales until the end. We experienced steady sales on both Saturday and Sunday. Our schedule was pretty good and people worked hard to do a great job. We did a special delivery funnel cake to John Grant at the rehab center. I don't know if funnel cakes are medicinal, but the gesture is.

OVERNIGHTS

Both overnights were staffed by a crew of a dozen or more people. We were treated to leftovers from the main food booth. We emptied trash containers from around the festival. Scouts made themselves a sleeping area on tables, under tables, on cots, camp chairs, ground cloths, anywhere and everwhere they felt comfortable. A video projector showed movies covering an entire wall of the bigtop tent. One by one everyone eventually drifted off to sleep.

We had a full and successful weekend. Scouts earned money for their Scout Accounts by working at the booth. The overnights were fun. While this event happened we also ran another food booth at AYSO. It was a very busy weekend.

September 24, 2011 - AYSO Concession Week #5

2011-10-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

AYSO CONCESSION WEEK #5

We had a cold morning and introduced hot chocolate that day to our menu. It was a good day for sales, a cold morning warming up to be a fairly nice day.

September 18, 2011 - Glidden Homestead Project

2011-09-22T01:40:00.000-07:00

GLIDDEN HOMESTEAD
SERVICE PROJECT

We worked at Glidden Homestead on Sunday afternoon despite the rain. In the photo you see ponchos being used to stay dry. Weeding a large area and applying mulch made for a long afternoon. It was raining when we arrived, it was raining when we left. Our worker turnout was extremely low due to the rain. Our workload was dirtier and less pleasant due to the rain. The work was done correctly and completed in good time due to the hard work of those present. We could have postponed the project, but it was better to get it completed so the Glidden Homestead would look good for next weekend's events. Despite the rain and few people working, it was a good community service project for an important local historic site.

September 17, 2011 - AYSO Concession Week #4

2011-09-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

AYSO CONCESSION
WEEK #4

The weather was a perfect Saturday. We had record sales for donuts and coffee. Our grill started leaking gas and we shut it down. Luckily we had a second grill as back-up. Unfortunately the back-up grill was missing it's propane connector. So hot dog and polish sales were way down since we had to stop grilling. Otherwise it was a good day with a great crew of Scouts running things.

TRAILERS
After booth take down we worked at Algus on two trailers. We cleared the bike trailer and Winnebago for winter storage.

VISIT TO JOHN
We went to Bethany Rehab Center to visit John Grant, where he is recovering from recent surgery and cancer. John had gone on an outing with his wife and daughter before we arrived. We actually saw them riding in John's truck while driving to the rehab center. We visited John after he returned to the center. He has lost 50 lbs and is restricted to a wheelchair until his strength returns. He had a very positive attitude and his prognosis sounds like a successful future recovery. His cancer is expected to be very responsive to treatment, though it will be a long hard road of chemo-therapy and radiation. Seeing John in such good spirits and talking with him made for a very good day.

September 12, 2011 - DeKalb Kite Festival

2011-09-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

DEKALB
KITE FESTIVAL

The DeKalb Kite Festival was a fun time to close a busy weekend. An array of kites, some as long as 100 feet, filled the sky. Booths and games, candy drop, and bol races with kites made the event extra fun and amazing. Some Scouts brought their own kites to fly.

Nathan was the kiteboy who inspired the festival 6 years ago. He worked on staff helping to run the event for the community. It was a great event to close out a long weekend of Scouting.

September 11, 2011 - 9-11 Remembrance

2011-09-12T22:43:00.000-07:00

9-11 REMEMBRANCE
September 11, 2011

The tenth anniversary of 9-11 attack marked a point in history. A special remembrance was held at the healing garden of Kishwaukee Community Hospital. Scout slipped out of t-shirts and into uniform shirts for 12:30 p.m.

Well attended by Scouts, firefighters, and citizens from DeKalb County, a line of fire engines parked nearby highlighted by “big John” the county’s highest snorkel unit, which raised a giant American flag 100+ feet above the ceremony site.

A contingent of uniformed firefighters flanked by hundreds of Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts gathered in the garden. Flags filled the area as speakers reflected on the significance of the event. Bagpipes and drums provided music, a chorale of high school students provided song, a bell ringing and 21-gun salute added drama. It was a time in history marked well by a moving remembrance. Something the boys will never forget.

September 10-11, 2011 - Jonamac Orchard Overnight

2011-09-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

JONAMAC ORCHARD
OVERNIGHT

Our camping trip to Jonamac Orchard in Malta began simultaneous to the Tailgate Event set up at the church. We joined over 250 other Scouts camping at the orchard. Boys explored the corn maze at night and spent time playing a zombie game in an open grass area after dark.

Camping in tents, we arose early. We fed about 175 people at our pancake breakfast. After clean up, took down campsite, loaded the trailer. Scouts then had free time for more corn maze, petting zoo, jumping pillow, and several other fun activities before leaving the orchard. We returned to DeKalb at 12:00 p.m.

September 10, 2011 - Church Tailgate Event

2011-09-12T22:24:00.001-07:00

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH
TAILGATE EVENT

We helped set up our church parking lot to become an active social area Saturday evening kicking off the year's youth ministry. There were games, special info booths, and a wide variety of activities. Our troop grilled dogs and brats for about 150 people, plus other misc service tasks. Our team of Scouts did an exceptional job. They cleaned up after dark.

September 10, 2011 - Soccer Concession #3

2011-09-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

AYSO SOCCER
CONCESSION #3

Week 3 in a 10-week soccer season, we operated our concession stand. We had a good team of Scouts running the booth. Great day for sales, selling out of coffee and donuts fairly early. Best concession day of the season so far. We cleaned up, shut down, then moved on to more activities that day.

September 3, 2011 - Aluminum Recycling

2011-09-06T00:56:00.000-07:00

ALUMINUM
RECYCLING
A crew assembled on saturday morning to recycle aluminum cans. We were able to fit the bags of cans in two trucks and one trailer. Our load consisted of about 4500 cans collected from DeKalb Cornfest. Our project does two purposes, one is to raise money, the other is to improve the environment by recycling aluminum and preserving land fill space.

Afterward we realigned equipment in trailers for upcoming projects and moved trailers.

August 26, 27, 28, 2011 - DeKalb Cornfest

2011-09-06T00:38:00.000-07:00

DEKALB CORNFEST
Troop 33 celebrated its 25th year with DeKalb Cornfest. We work at different levels within the festival. Our operations included 56 people who worked over 600 man hours during the weekend festival.

ICE VENDOR
We are the ice vendor, selling and delivering ice to other vendors at the festival. We sold almost 8,000 pounds of ice during the weekend.

FOOD BOOTH
We operated a food booth selling: funnel cakes, sweetcorn, lemon shake ups, hot dogs, polish sausage, pop, and water. Running the food booth is the greatest effort and the greatest profit.

CLEANING &
CAN RECYCLING
We cleaned the KC Beer Garden on Friday and Saturday evenings. Our payment is in collection of aluminum cans at Cornfest. We collected about 4500 aluminum cans for recycling.

August 20, 27, 2011 - AYSO Soccer

2011-09-06T00:25:00.000-07:00

AYSO SOCCER CONCESSIONS
We provide a food concession to serve the AYSO soccer program at Kiwanis Park in DeKalb. We operate on 10 Saturdays beginning in August 20 and running through October 29, 2011. Our only weekend off is the Saturday on Labor Day weekend.

AUGUST 20 - AYSO
We started out OK on our first Saturday of soccer. The sky was gray to the north and moving toward us. Early in the day, after the first game, thunder and lightning struck, which eneded the soccer games. Rain became steady, then more harder, with wind gusts driving the rain sideways at times. Thunder and lightning continued throughout the morning ending soccer for the day.

AUGUST 27 - AYSO
Our second week of AYSO was challenging due to our simultaneous involvement in DeKalb Cornfest. A great soccer concession crew made for a great day at AYSO. It was a successful day of sales.

There are still eight (8) more Saturdays left in the season.

August 7, 8, 9, 10, 2011 - Michigan Dunes Adventure

2011-09-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

MICHIGAN DUNES ADVENTURE
Sunny days at beaches, climbing giant sand dunes, camping the great woods, kayaking down a winding river, during an end-of-summer adventure at a special place in Michigan.

SILVER LAKE STATE PARK
Our adventure started with camping at Silver Dunes State Park and swimming at a beach on Silver Lake. Giant sand dunes rose from across the lake making for an amazing backdrop offering us something more to explore.

SILVER LAKE SAND DUNES RIDE
The next morning an adventurous dune ride took us up climbing onto giant dune summits and down steep sweeps of sand and even riding onto the Lake Michigan shoreline. The ride was as exciting as it was educational, serving as an introduction to a world of windblown sand slowly moving and supporting its very own unique ecosystem.

LITTLE SABLE POINT BEACH
Historic Little Sable Point Lighthouse, built in 1874, stands 115 feet and is one of the tallest working lighthouses on the Great Lakes. Below the lighthouse an expansive sand beach provided us a refreshing experience in Lake Michigan.

EMPIRE BEACH
Farther north we enjoyed another swim at beautiful Empire Beach, tucked between two dune areas, the Empire Bluffs from the south and the Sleeping Bear Dunes to the north. The beach fronts two waters, Lake Michigan to the west, and South Bar Lake to the east. After a swimming in both lakes and watching a magnificent sunset, the beach became ablaze with several campfires and eventually a colorful fireworks display filled the night sky.

A hardwood forest canopy provided great camping in Empire Township. Long fun filled days were brought to rest in quiet woodland for a deep sleep.

After a morning of fun at Empire beach the tour continued northward.

SLEEPING BEAR DUNES
On Lake Michigan west of Traverse City, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was recently voted by morning show “Good Morning America” as the most beautiful place in America. A scenic drive through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was followed by steep climbs to the top of towering sand dunes for panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

We made brief visits to the historic lakeside towns of Empire, Glen Haven, and Glen Arbor.

KAYAKING CRYSTAL RIVER
Kayaking on the Crystal River became an exciting conclusion to our adventure filled days. Each Scout paddled his own kayak on a narrow twisting river that wound its way through maple and beech forests. Shallow spots and downfall trees had to be negotiated with skill. Two portage areas required kayaks to be carried overland a short distance to a new launch site. One exciting point on the river included shooting through a giant conduit under a roadway on fast moving water. Kayaking was a great fun way for them to test their skills and explore an unspoiled area of wilderness.

August 5, 6, 7, 2011 - Pathways to Eagle

2011-09-05T23:49:00.000-07:00

PATHWAYS TO EAGLE
Troops gather in Bolingbrook to earn merit badges. About 900 Scouts attended this event, some camping, some for the day. Friday evening they had a climbing wall and ice skating at an indoor ice arena. In the morning Scouts attended different merit badge classes they had chosen in advance. Prerequisites had to be completed in advance. Meals were provided. Saturday evening we made a visit to the giant Bass Pro Shop, then went to the Pelican Harbor Water Park with giant slides, tube river, and pool. It's a great event that included Camping, Merit Badges, Ice Skating, Climbing, and a Water Park. It provides a challenge for advancement and a lot of fun.

August 4, 2011 - Glidden Homestead

2011-09-05T23:44:00.000-07:00

GLIDDEN HOMESTEAD PROJECT
We worked on the grounds at Glidden Homestead. We did some weeding and laid mulch. It was a working on a hot day. The temperature started at 90 degrees. As the time wore on the temperature dropped then exploded into a thunderstorm minutes after the project ended.

July 17,18,19,20,21,22,23, 2011 - Camp Lowden

2011-09-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

CAMP LOWDEN
SUMMER CAMP
A fun filled week of summer camp was spent at Camp Lowden. Even though a heat wave created days with heat indexes above 100 degrees, boys maintained good spirit and energy. Safety required some quiet time in the pool on hot days. The campsite pump water was closed for a few days due to unsafe test results, but these inconveniences did not effect the fun of camp.

Scouts completed the Mile Swim and participated in Snorkeling BSA. Activities like Archery, Great Campfire Programs, Camping, Canoeing, Climbing, Cooking, Games, Hiking, Nature Study, Scoutcraft, Pioneering, Riflery, Swimming, plus Merit Badge classes at Camp Lowden in Oregon, Illinois made it a week that will be remembered as a highlight of the summer.

A special commemorative tee-shirt was created for Scouts in honor of their success and determination in overcoming a weather challenge at summer camp, and still having fun!

July 16, 2011 - Oregon Trail Days

2011-09-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

This event involved Native American Culture at Lowden State Park which included demonstrations throughout the day: Flute Playing, Arrowhead Creation, Drumming, Dancing and much more. Displays of Tipis of the Plains Indians - Sioux, Cheyenne, Crow & Blackfeet and also a Birchbark Lodge of the northern mid-west Indians

July 15, 2011 - Rock Cut Canoeing

2011-09-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Traveling to Rock Cut State Park north of Rockford, Illinois for some paddling. A perfect sunny day made canoeing on Pierce Lake a great activity. Some highlights included a flock of geese that came right up to the canoes for snacks. We canoed into a shallow area clogged with aquatic plants and followed a narrow creek until it couldn't be paddled anymore.

July 13, 14, 15, 2011 - Order of the Arrow

2011-09-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

Some members of Troop 33 traveled north to Camp Freeland Leslie near Oxford, Wisconsin to complete their Order of the Arrow Ordeal memberships. Isaac, Nathan, Alex, and Kevin are now members of the Order of the Arrow.

July 9, 10, 2011 - Russell Woods

2011-09-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend was filled with camping, cooking, and developing Scout skills for younger Scouts such as knots, lashing, firebuilding, wood tools, nature hike, map and compass.

Capture the flag was an activity in the evening. We also had racoons visiting us in the evening as well.

This was the lasst weekend camping trip before summer camp. It was a great weekend.

July 8, 2011 - Lake Shabbona Canoeing

2011-09-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

LAKE SHABBONA CANOEING
Our canoeing at Lake Shabbona State Park took place on a warm sunny day. We followed the lakeshore north to the smaller portion of the lake. Lake Shabbona contains a 15-acre seasonal nesting area for migratory waterfowl such as Canvasback, redhead and pintail ducks and Canada Geese. Motorized boats are restricted from that area at all times.

We continued paddling as far as we could to the lake source of a small winding creek. We saw many species of waterfowl that day.

July 4, 2011 - Hopkins Park

2011-09-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

HOPKINS PARK
FOOD BOOTH
This event involved a food booth at Hopkins Park. It included selling food at an event, which featured a concert by the DeKalb Municipal Band followed by a spectacular fireworks display. Our menu included hot dogs, polish sausage, chips, lemon shake ups, soda and water. Scouts earned money by working at this event.

July 3, 2011 - Ellwood House

2011-09-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

ELLWOOD HOUSE
FOOD BOOTH
This event involved a Food Booth at the Ellwood House Art Fair, which included cooking some excellent food. Our menu included chicken wraps, veggie wraps, sweetcorn, funnel cakes, lemon shake ups, soda, and water. Scouts worked hard and had excellent results. This was a high profile public event which helps to promote Scouting. Boys learned to work together while earning money to pay their way on future activities. We worked hard to provide the public with excellent food at fair prices.

June 25, 26, 2011 - Haigh Quarry Scuba

2011-09-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

NAUI OPEN WATER
CERTIFICATION
FOR SCUBA

The Scuba Diving class had completed classroom instruction, and in-water pool experiences. Open water scuba diving was the final part required for NAUI Scuba certification.

Scouts learned about specific equipment, regulations, safety procedures, first aid, underwater skills, techniques and dive planning.

They learned how to determine no-decompression limits for single and repetitive dives, dive tables, planning and executing a dive, underwater communications, diver assistance, buddy system techniques, underwater navigation, logbook, regulations and protocols.

Scouts demonstrated their skills during open water dives at Haig Quarry, a former limestone mine site located near Kankakee.

The quarry offered underwater features such as training platforms, stone crusher, sunken boat, dump truck, tunnel, amphibious vehicle and artifacts for underwater archaeology.

Scouts saw a large population of sunfish, bluegill, crappie, bass, perch, catfish, plus northern pike and paddlefish. It made for exciting and interesting dives.

Kurt Clifton of Clifton Diving Ventures in Sycamore served as instructor for the Scouts. Each Scout was individually tested to demonstrate his diving skills and knowledge.

Scouts earned the Scuba Diving merit badge and also Open Water Diver Certification through the National Association of Underwater Instructors.

Diving was an exciting program that challenged Scouts’ abilities, developed new skills, tested their teamwork, all while providing a unique and exciting new Scouting adventure.

June 19, 2011 - East Race Rafting

2011-09-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

This was an exciting fun-filled event rafting on the East Race of the St Joseph River in South Bend, Indiana. Their park district operates the program. An 18-year-old person had to be in each raft. No flip flops allowed. You needed tennis shoes, water shoes, or sandals. We suggested everyone wear swimwear, and they all got plenty wet while rafting. Park district stationed lifeguards and rescue kayaks along the whitewater run for safety. We used them a couple times during our runs. It was a great starting activity for whitewater fun and rafting.

June 13, 20, 2011 - First Aid CPR Training

2011-09-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

RED CROSS - CPR
Red Cross First Aid and CPR Training took place during two classes on June 13th and 20th. First Aid is an Eagle required merit badge. These classes instructed Scouts in all the first aid training for ranks and First Aid Merit Badge, plus CPR certification. Scouts earned an important merit badge and more importantly learned lifesaving skills to be prepared as a Scout.

June 10, 11, 12, 2011 - Gebhard Woods Dulcimer Festival

2011-09-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

This event draws thousands of people to Gebhard Woods State Park in Morris, Illinois for the Gebhard Woods Dulcimer Festival. The festival features folk music and dulcimers. Troop 33 provided the food concession for the festival. Scouts earned money for their Scout Accounts while working at our food booth.

We camp at the park during the weekend and also attended a car show, Cruise Night, on Saturday night in Morris as a fun event.

Our menu included funnel cakes, chicken wraps, veggie wraps, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, polish sausage, sweetcorn, lemon shake ups, pop, and water.

It was a free campout, where boys earned money, worked hard, and had fun.

June 5, 15, 2011 - Scuba Class #3 #4

2011-09-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Scuba Class #3 and #4 were both conducted at Clifton Diving Ventures in Sycamore, IL.

These extensive training classes were conducted in-water pool where Scouts learned specific equipment, regulations, safety procedures, first aid, underwater skills, techniques and dive planning.

They learned to determine no-decompression limits for single and repetitive dives, dive tables, planning and executing a dive, underwater communications, diver assistance, buddy system techniques, underwater navigation, logbook, regulations and protocols.

June 3 - Pack 123 and June 4 Astronomy

2011-09-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

PACK 123 CROSSOVER
Cub Pack 123 in Malta held their Blue & Gold Banquet and crossover. Troop 33 welcomed Ryan, and Bryce into Troop 33.

ASTRONOMY PROGRAM
Scouts and leaders attended an astronomy night at Afton Forest Preserve south of DeKalb. The event supported by the Northwest Suburban Astronomers Club, took us on a visit to the universe. We saw outer space through computer aided telescopes which gave us the opportunity to look at stars, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and the planet Saturn.

May 30, 2011 - Glidden Homestead Service Project

2011-09-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day was a very busy day for Scouts in Troop 33. It started with a flag project at DeKalb Square Park and Memorial Park in downtown DeKalb, followed by a flag project at Fairview Cemetery, followed by marching in the Memorial Day Parade. Some free time was avaiable for lunch. We met again to work at the Glidden Homestead for an afternoon service project.

At the Glidden Homestead Scouts and leaders spent the afternoon working on the grounds, which included weeding large areas, pruning trees, raking, and making some floral plantings.

Following the project at Glidden Homestead we enjoyed a backyard cookout provided by a troop family, then retired and folded flags at Fairview Cemetery, followed by retiring flags at Memorial Park and DeKalb Square Park in downtown DeKalb.

It was a very memorable Memorial Day holiday.

May 30, 2011 - Memorial Day

2011-09-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

Troop 33 was involved in multiple projects on Memorial Day.

Two flag service projects made much of the day, which included downtown DeKalb and Fairview Cemetery. Scouts marched in the Memorial Day Parade. In between a service project at Glidden Homestead Museum also took place, which is described in a separate entry.

1. MEMORIAL DAY FLAG PROJECT
American flags were placed in downtown DeKalb locations. Flags at the Memorial Park and at the DeKalb Square Park.

2. FAIRVIEW CEMETERY FLAGS
Troop 33 helped raise the Avenue of Flags at the entrance to the Fairview cemetery. We returned in the evening to retire and fold the flags.

3. MEMORIAL DAY PARADE
Troop 33 marched in the DeKalb Memorial Day Parade. Several local Cub Packs and Scout Troops participated in the parade. We marched through downtown DeKalb to the Ellwood House Museum.

May 28,29, 2011 - Russell Woods

2011-09-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend is filled with camping, cooking, and developing Scout skills for younger Scouts such as learning knots, lashing, firebuilding, wood tools, and nature hike for plants and animal identification. Capture the flag was a major activity in the evening.

While dropping camp on Sunday morning a major thunderstorm struck creating flash flood conditions, which added some drama to a great weekend.

May 20,21,22, 2011 - Cuboree

2011-09-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

Cuboree draws 500 Cubs and parents, supported by 100 staff members. Troop 33 was responsible for feeding the 600 people for Saturday breakfast, dinner, and Sunday breakfast. We set up a field kitchen in a barn.

Saturday breakfast included french toast, pancakes, eggs, and fruit.

Dinner included a selection of roast pig, five roast hams, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, tossed salad, fresh vegetables, plus hot dogs and bratwurst. Desserts included brownies, cookies, and cheesecake.

Sunday breakfast included french toast, pancakes, fruit, and eggs.

The boys worked very hard the entire weekend. At the evening campfire a crossover ceremony took place where we welcomed new Scouts from Cub Pack 173 which included: Aiden, Ethan, Jake, John, Keegan, and Tom.

May 3, 8, 2011 - Scuba Merit Badge Classes 1, 2

2011-09-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

Two class dates for Scuba merit badge took place in May. In addition to the class time there wiere also be online training modules.

Scuba Diving requires an extensive program of classroom instruction, in addition to pool experiences, and open water scuba diving.

Scouts learned about specific equipment, regulations, safety procedures, first aid, and dive planning.

They learned to determine no-decompression limits for single and repetitive dives, dive tables, planning and executing a dive, underwater communications, diver assistance, buddy system, regulations and protocols.

May 13,14,15, 2011 - Survival Campout

2011-09-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

Our survival campout took place at a private location near Clinton, Iowa. The weekend was spent tent camping with some cooking and review of survival information with shelters constructed. Weather was mostly light rain which continued througout much of the weekend.

May 7, 2011 - Pancake Breakfast

2011-09-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

Our annual spring Pancake Breakfast is the first fundraiser of the year. The menu includes all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, eggs, coffee, lemonade. It attracts a number of people who enjoyed a good hot breakfast and some pleasant social time together. Boys worked hard to make it a successful event with a strong profit margin. Money earned helps Scouts pay their way to Scouting activities.

April 30, May 1, 2011 - Galena Weekend

2011-09-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend camping trip was filled with a variety of activities and locations in Illinois and Iowa. It included visits to historic sites, exploring a historic city, camping, hiking, caving, etc.

APPLE RIVER FORT
We began with the reconstructed Apple River Fort in Elizabeth, Illinois. Originally built during the Blackhawk War in 1832, it's historic reconstruction is a glimpse of another time.

U.S. GRANT PILGRIMAGE
We spend much of the day at the U.S. Grant Pilgrimage in historic Galena, Illinois, which includes activities and hiking to various historic sites. Thousands of Scouts gathered together from Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and even other states to participate in the event. We celebrated dinner with pizza at Happy Joes in nearby Dyersville enroute to our camping destination.

BACKBONE STATE PARK
We enjoyed tent camping at Backbone State Park in Iowa. In the evening we watched the movie Field of Dreams in our campsite on a small portable TV to help prepare for the Sunday afternoon.

BACKBONE TRAIL
The highlight event on Sunday was hiking on the Devil's Backbone Trail in the morning. Boys enjoyed the rugged trail with narrow slots and rock formations along a narrow rocky ridgeline.

FIELD OF DREAMS
We also visited the film location site for the movie Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. Scouts were able to walk the bases around the diamond. The wind was way too intense for any baseball that day.

CRYSTAL LAKE CAVE
Our final adventure for Sunday was caving at Crystal Lake Cavern south of Dubuque. We normally would be caving and hiking at Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa, but due to the epidemic white-nose syndrome, which has killed over 1 million bats, the caves were closed.

We enjoyed a busy weekend of adventure before returning home to DeKalb.

April 25, 2011 - AvIation m.b. Day

2011-09-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

AVIATION DAY
MERIT BADGE
DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport was the perfect location for Boy Scout Troop 33 Scouts to earn their aviation merit badge.

CLASSROOM
INSTRUCTION
The day began with classroom instruction, exploring navigation history, aircraft familiarization, physics of flight, power plants and aircraft instrumentation, taught by merit badge counselor David Marx of American Airlines.

MiG 21 AIRCRAFT
Airport manager Tom Cleveland provided a guided tour of the facility, highlighted by showing the boys a MiG 21 fighter aircraft. Russian-built in 1973, the MiG 21 was flown by the Polish Air Force before eventually finding a home in DeKalb. Its maximum speed is 1,500 mph.

PREFLIGHT INSPECTIONS
John Galante of Fly America talked about aircraft preflight inspection as he guided Scouts to various planes in the main hangar. Boys learned many details about aircraft engines, how to work wings and steer tails, interior cockpits and the complex methodology a pilot uses as he controls his plane.

FLIGHT SIMULATORS
Bruce Griffith and students with Kishwaukee Education Consortium’s aviation program provided quality time for boys as they used flight simulators to learn about flying. Boys were thrilled with their experience of flight as they simulated flying and landing a plane.

A mixture of classroom instruction, displays, tours, and hands-on instruction provided a great learning experience for 16 Boy Scouts as they earned their aviation merit badge.

April 23, 2011 - Shabbona Bike Ride

2011-09-05T14:43:00.001-07:00

Scouts biked a 32-mile route between DeKalb and Shabbona, Illinois. It included both directions during a time with very strong winds. The route is mostly flat riding on lightly traveled paved roads. It was made more interesting by riding past dozens of high tech wind mills whose top blades reach nearly 400 feet high. Shabbona State Park was a food stop during their windy bike ride.

April 9,10, 2011 - Chief Shabbona Weekend

2011-09-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a unseasonably warm weekend for our early April overnight tent camping at Chief Shabbona Forest Preserve near Shabbona, Illinois.

Scouts enjoyed camping, cooking, hiking, and a special night hike followed by flashlight tag. The highlight was fishing at Lake Shabbona State Park.

Also included in the trip was a visit to Watson Farm to see their sheep herd with new born lambs.

March 19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26, 2011 - Kentucky Spring Project

2011-09-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

For the past two years, Troop 33 has spent spring break on a special service project in Kentucky, helping to turn an abandoned high school into a national disaster resource center.

The former Hughes-Kirk High School in Beechmont, Ky., is becoming a disaster resource center known as HIS House, operated by God’s Kitchen Inc., a faith-based organization dedicated to disaster relief work.

HIS House will be used as a distribution center, a training center for disaster relief and first responder volunteers and a central warehouse to organize disaster relief items. It will also serve as an emergency shelter and central communication center.

Scouts cleaned up the grounds, unloaded truckloads of equipment and supplies, moved equipment and cleared and cleaned classrooms.

After their daylong work projects, Scouts found fun in the evenings, enjoying television, ping pong, foosball, basketball and other games.

Scouts also visited Fort Knox, explored Mammoth Cave and toured the Corvette assembly plant and museum.

The eight-day trip was packed with hard work and play. Since the project began last year, 11 Scouts and three adult leaders have contributed more than 700 hours of service work and raised more than $3,250 to help a cause in which they believe.

March 13, 2011 - Climbing Gym

2011-09-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

Scouts enjoyed some indoor climbing at the Vertical Endeavors Climbing Center in Warrenville, Illinois. It is one of the largest indoor climbing facilities in the nation. The center provides several different levels of climbing activity. Our climbers enjoued auto self belayed top ropes for their climbing adventure. A variety of routes provide for different levels of difficulty.

March 12, 2011 - Kishwaukee Dinner

2011-09-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Kishwaukee District Dinner is an annual event for adult leaders. It is a celebration of the past year's Scouting program. Great food and fellowship mark it as a special night and included some special awards. Leaders in our troop included Tara Keith and John Grant who received special adult recognition awards. Two District Awards of Merit were the highlight presentations. Troop 33's Committee Chair Kevin McArtor was one of the recipients. It was a great night enjoyed by all.

March 12, 2011 - Scouting for Food

2011-09-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

This annual food drive collected food to benefit the Salvation Army Food Pantry in DeKalb. Troop 33 Scouts and leaders divided into teams to collect food on several routes in southern DeKalb, Malta, and Cortland, Illinois. Thousands of food items were collected and sorted. With tough economic times its more important than ever to have food available for families in need. The area Cub Packs and Scout Troops worked together during the Scouting for Food service project to meet that challenge.

February 26, March 6, 9, 2011

2011-09-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

PACK 134 CROSSOVER - FEBRUARY 26
February 26 was the Blue and Gold banquet and crossover for Cub Pack 134 Webelos. We welcomed Travis, Caeden, Zachary, and Allan into Troop 33.

PATROL LEADERS RETREAT - MARCH 6
Scouts worked on planning for upcoming activities. They nailed down some details and worked out new ideas.

SCOUTING FOR FOOD BROCHURES - MARCH 9
Teams of Scouts distributed brochures door to door in a part of DeKalb to publicize the upcoming Scouting for Food event.

February 25, 2011 - Eagle Banquet

2011-09-05T03:03:00.000-07:00

Three Fires Council honored a gathering of the Eagle Class of 2010, nearly 300 new Eagle Scouts, at the Wyndham Hotel in Lisle. Those Eagle Scouts came from DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, and DuPage Counties. The dinner and program were excellent.

Dale Coyne, of Indy car racing fame, was the featured speaker that night. In 2010 he sponsored #19, an Indy car dedicated to Scouting's 100th Anniversary.

Attending the banquet were Troop 33’s 2010 Eagle Scouts: Jonothan West, Steven Murphy, and Alex J Rouse.

PACK 134
The next day February 26 was a Blue and Gold banquet with a crossover for Cub Pack 134 Webelos. We welcomed Travis, Caeden, Zachary, and Allan into Troop 33.

February 18,19,20,21, 2011 - Great North Adventure

2011-09-05T01:53:00.000-07:00

This is a 4-day winter adventure that our Scouts have always enjoyed. It's part road trip and part outdoor challenge combining several activities into an exciting, fun, adventure experience. The Great North Adventure trip takes us through Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.

MINOCQUA
The first day involves a long drive from DeKalb, Illinois to Minocqua, Wisconsin. We spend our first night in a large hotel complete with large game room and indoor water park. The water park has two giant water slides, a water play area, large pool with water basketball, and a giant indoor-outdoor hot tub. After our first water park session, we dry off for a pizza party at a restaurant, then returned for some time at the game room and more time at the water park. The first day is part of the road trip with all the luxury.

The second day we drove to Eagle River to see the giant ice palace. Unfortunately the ice palace had been demolished a few days earlier after warm weather created dangerous structural damage. We drove into Michigan and followed U.S. highway 2 through beautiful rolling woodland, having a close encounter with a deer.

CAMP BARKSDALE
Camp Barksdale is located near Ashland, Wisconsin on the shoreline of Lake Superior. Scouts had the option of staying in a cabin with wood stove or sleeping outdoors in snow shelters. About half elected to stay indoors, and half outdoors. The remainder of the day was spent preparing shelters. An accident required a hospital ER visit regarding a face and a snow shovel. A tooth was partially broken. Otherwise it was an exciting overnight with temperatures in the single digits. A couple Scouts elected to change their minds about sleeping outdoors in their snow trench partway through the night. The cabin was warm and welcoming.

ICE HIKING
After a hot breakfast the next day we left camp for some ice hiking on Lake Superior. The intent was to hike to the Mainland Ice Caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Unfortunately the ice was considered unsafe by the National Park Service. Instead we hiked on the safe ice in the vicinity near Meyer Beach. It was still exciting for the boys.

After our ice hike we intended to drive across the ice bridge from Bayfield to Madeline Island, but due to conditions the ice bridge was closed. We enjoyed time exploring the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. A major winter storm was sending gail force winds from across Lake Superior as we drove to Duluth, Minnesota, where we intended to stop at the Great Lakes Aquarium. Due to the fast approaching storm we continued on.

BLIZZARD
The drive south to Hinckley, MN on the interstate was challenging due to high winds creating blowing and drifting snow. We arrived at our hotel and enjoyed dinner and their indoor pool.

We awoke to a very white day. Ten inches of snow had fallen overnight. Our drive to Danbury, Wisconsin for dog sledding was a longer drive than normal due to the blizzard. We were happy to finally arrive at the Pawtuckaway Dog Kennel.

DOG SLEDDING
The dogs were very happy to see us. We used two dog sleds with boys rotating between riding in the sled and driving a sled. A mile long circular trail took them through a great northern woodland. A professional musher, Cliff Maxfield, drove the lead sled with a Scout following him driving a second sled. A Scout rode as passenger in each sled. It was a great introduction to dog sledding. For those boys waiting, dozens of friendly energetic dogs and a warm campfire kept them occupied. All the fresh snow made the trail more exciting and the scenery all that much more beautiful.

The long drive back to DeKalb was uneventful. The four-day trip seemed much more like a week long adventure. It included indoor water park, pizza party, snow camping, ice hiking, and dog sledding. It was a great way to share a celebration of winter.

February 8, 2011 - Cortland School Project

2011-09-05T01:47:00.000-07:00

CORTLAND SCHOOL PROJECT
We volunteer to support the Cortland PTA meeting by providing a youth care program for children in the school gymnasium. Scouts try to provide games and pay attention to the children and keep them entertained while their parents attend the PTA meeting. This is one of the small community service projects that we do.

February 6, 2011 - Starved Rock Adventure

2011-09-05T00:38:00.000-07:00

This was a free trip. Scouts only needed a sack lunch and money for McDonalds or a second sack lunch. We began our trip driving about 60 miles south to Utica, Illinois.

EAGLE WATCHING
The first part of our day was spent at the Starved Rock Lock & Dam where we could watch American Bald Eagles as they fished in the Illinois River below the dam. Many Eagles were roosting on the trees on Plum Island visible from the Lock & Dam Visitor Center. Inside the visitor center are many exhibits that depict area history, birds and wildlife along the river, and even a full scale pilot house where Scouts could adjust levers and lights and act as captains piloting a river barge. The river was open during our visit. In addition to watching Bald Eagles flying over the river we also saw a river barge pass through the lock.

CANYON HIKING
We first stopped at the Starved Rock Visitor Center to eat our sack lunches and explore the exhibits and information they have on display. From there we headed for the trail. Hiking at Starved Rock is always fun, especially in winter. With the structure of the canyon becoming more rocky and vertical as you hike into it, you get more involved in the scenic beauty of the canyon until you finally end at a breathtaking sight. Giant waterfalls of ice hang frozen in the canyon wall high above you. It provides an unbelievable sight. The boys spent some time exploring the rocky ledges and cave openings and admired the giant pillars of ice and the magical beauty of an amazing winter scene.

SLEDDING
We drove along the Illinois River to the city of Ottawa and to Allen Park. The park is home to an excellent sledding hill which was excavated into the high river bank rising to the south of the Illinois River. It is one of the finest sledding hills in the area and one that is well worth the drive. Scouts enjoyed the last hours of daylight sliding down the hill, over and over again.

We visit McDonalds for dinner before returning to DeKalb. Since this trip was on Superbowl Sunday we returned to DeKalb earlier than usual. Other years we have included some of the things detailed below.

We normally also watch Bald Eagles from atop Starved Rock and do more hiking in the canyons. We also visit the William D. Boyce Memorial at the Ottawa Avenue Cemetery. We have sometimes visited the Ottawa Scouting Museum as well.

February 5, 2011 - Klondike Derby

2011-09-05T00:26:00.000-07:00

The midwest was buried under a massive blizzard on February 1, 2011. Schools were closed, roads were buried, and our Klondike Derby was scheduled for the Saturday after. Most of the Scouts signed up for the event didn't show. Our trailer used to haul our klondike sleds was packed in a drift of wind blown snow. We were an hour late arriving at the event.

The snow was plentiful and the temperature was pleasant, in the high teens, low twenties.

Our Scouts enjoyed participating in: Fire Building, Log Sawing, Sled Race, Orienteering, and Indoor Rifle Range. We had to depart the event early to attend a Crossover Ceremony scheduled by a Cub Scout Pack. Unfortunately as a result of our late arrival and early departure our Scouts didn't have time to participate in: First Aid, Tomahawk Throw, or Track Identification.

At the Crossover Ceremony we welcomed Logan into Troop 33.

January 29, 2011 - Adventure Travel Show

2011-09-04T23:57:00.001-07:00

This is a one-day activity was held at the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. It is free to Scouts under age 16, they just needed to bring a sack lunch or McDonalds money.

The Travel & Adventure Show features hundreds of exhibits, shows, demonstrations, and cultural performances. Exhibits include local, national, and international destinations, loaded with photos and brochures, and native representatives to talk with.

Activities included: camel rides, driving a segway on a special course, and most popular was a heated pool where Scouts could experience an introduction to Scuba diving. Also wildlife exhibits featured exotic birds and reptiles.

In another section of the convention center was a second show called American Outdoor Sports Show, which provided a second major attraction to explore. The show highlights various outdoor sports, camping equipment, boating, fishing, riflery, archery, etc., and even had a 100,000 gallon indoor lake constructed to try out boats. One popular attraction was an exhibit on dangerous reptiles which featured giant snakes and a full size alligator.

It was a fun and educational day the boys thoroughly enjoyed.

January 22-23, 2011 - Wisconsin Super Weekend

2011-09-04T23:26:00.000-07:00

Our weekend began at Cascade Mountain Ski Resort in Portage, Wisconsin. The weather was clear and sunny, all trails open, temperature in the upper teens and twenties. Boys were half skiers and half snowboarders. Some were first timers on a hill. Those new to skiing had lessons, while others ventured straight to the high hills. The day was full of fun and downhill adventure.

We enjoyed a dinner of fried chicken and stayed overnight at a hotel with indoor pool. The boys enjoyed the pool they shared with a girl's volleyball team who were also staying at the hotel.

The morning was sub-zero temperatures. After a hot breakfast we set out to Kalihari Indoor Water Park. The large water park provided many water activities to choose from. The wave pool and water slides were fun, but the Flowrider was the most popular. It provided 50,000 gallons of water each minute flow under you to create a five-foot ocean-like wave. It provided the boys a chance to do some surfing in Wisconsin during January.

We had a late lunch at a buffet restaurant where we listened to the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers playoff game. We continued listening to the game on the way home. We had both Bears fans and Packers fans on the trip. The Packers won an exciting game, taking them to play Pittsburg, and becoming the Superbowl Champions.

January 16-17, 2011 - MacQueen Overnight

2011-09-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

Our overnight took place at MacQueen Forest Preserve near Kirkland, Illinois. We stayed inside a cabin heated by a wood stove. After lunch we visited nearby Russell Woods Forest Preserve at Genoa, Illinois for an afternoon of sledding. The temperatures were mild and the snow was fairly thin with some grass showing through in spots. Benches around a campfire provided for a warm break. Back at MacQueen we enjoyed a great chili dinner. Evening activities included flashlight tag, and a movie, "Grown Ups".

The second day began with a hot breakfast of pancakes and bacon. It had been snowing. Some time was spent hiking around the bridge over Kingsberry Creek which leads into Potawatomie Forest Preserve. We finished the trip with another visit to Russell Woods Forest Preserve for sledding on the hill. The fresh layer of snow, coupled with new snow falling, made it a great time for sledding.

January 8, 2011 - Patrol Leaders Retreat

2011-09-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

PATROL LEADERS RETREAT
Scouts worked on developing plans for upcoming activities. They had discussions and developed good ideas into program events for our Troop 33 Calendar. Boys have the energy and imagination that provide the basis of what we do.