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Archive
Scout Year 2007/08
Camp
Geronimo - Summer 2008
By
Mitchell Rutherford:
This
year with Camp Geronimo running from June 14 - 21, we had a
wonderfully dry year, and peak attendance. The red
army spread across the Payson landscape with smiles and
hydration packs.
With
our regular campsite under construction, and with the high
number of attendees, our campsite spread beyond its usual
limits, leaving the Scouts with their own territory.
Morning
classes kept all Scouts busy, and the afternoon free time
left them time to run between the shooting sports, the
swimming pool and the creek, or to finish merit badge
requirements at the handicraft lodge.
Throughout
the week, numerous small groups of scouts and leaders led
hikes up, down and around the Mogollon rim, and the whole
Troop traveled up to East Weber for our annual frozen-toe,
sack-lunch hike. Scouts also completed dining hall duties
with smiles and enthusiasm and tested their orientation
skills on various night hikes.
Overall,
a fun time was had by all, despite winning the golden
band-aid award from the heath lodge due to our Troop's
unusually high number of visits for various
sicknesses.
Mr
Ballou's final year as Scoutmaster at Geronimo was
celebrated with a mysterious camp-wide prank that left three
boys as mothers, and one tent filled with balloons.
The Adirondack shelters were strewn with toilet paper, and
wired with fishing line to provide the leadership with a
perilous morning. As the Troop convened for our final
picture, lathered in shaving cream, baby dolls and balloons
in hand, toilet paper and streamers serving as the
background, we made our memorable farewell to Scoutmaster
Ballou.
Your
turn next year Mr Giesemann!
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Chevelon
Canyon Backpack Outing
On
May 16 - 18, the troop held an outing to Chevelon Canyon, in
the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest on the Mogollon
Rim. This was the first backpack for many of our new
Scouts.
We
spent Friday night camping at the trailhead in order to get
an early start the next day. Frost greeted us for
breakfast.
It
soon warmed up after we set off. Our hike was quite
difficult since the trail was not always clear and we had to
cross Chevelon Creek many times. After a while, we
found some excellent camping spots in some meadows beside
the creek. With plenty of spare time, some Scouts went
for a day hike further up-stream, while others swam and
fished in the creek.
Saturday
night was considerably warmer than Friday, so everyone woke
up Saturday morning in good spirits for the trip home.
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Golf
Tournament Success
Thanks
to all those involved in organizing and supporting the
fund-raising Golf Tournament. Special thanks to Mr Petkiewicz
for his leadership, and to Mr Baranowski, Mr Derrick and Mr
Hawk. The final tally is not yet known, but the
level of participation and support no doubt means we have
met our goals for 2008/2009.
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James
Harris - Latest Eagle Scout!
On
May 1, 2008, James Harris passed his Eagle Board
of Review and became our latest Eagle Scout. James is
a former Troop 323 Scout who is now a Venturer in Crew 323.
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12
New Scouts Cross Over Into Troop 323
By
Mitchell Rutherford:
On
March 29 & 30, 2008, we returned to our favorite place,
Bumble Bee Ranch, with some new faces to induct Cub Scouts
into Boy Scouts. Shortly after we arrived, red shirts scattered
across the ranch to quickly set up camp and begin with the
day's activities. The morning and afternoon was
spotted with fire and knife training, and tenderfoot
requirements for scouts. All the while their diligent
parents received an introduction to the Troop from the
Scoutmaster on all things administrative.
After
that, parents and Scouts alike gathered round for Chef
Diehn's table for an eclectic lunch, followed by a seminar
on lightweight backpacking gear from James Harris, a
Venturer from Crew 2323.
As
the sun began to set over the pastures and ranch house,
Senior Patrol Leader Andrew Russell led the senior patrol in
a majestic ceremony that welcomed 12 new Scouts to cross
over into Troop 323, when the successfully crossed the
scout-crafted 20-ft rope bridge.
Afterwards
all attendees sought shelter, dessert, and entertainment in
the pavilion. With the evening's festivities headed by
the fabulous Scout emcee's, Adam Skebo and David Meyers, and
the sweet scent of cobbler drifting across the stage, scouts
and adults laughed and relaxed into the night.
In
the morning, after a delicious bite to eat care of Chef
Diehn, camp was taken down, folded up, and packed
away. Then all travelled to the pasture and turned to
the skies. Model rockets built and launched by Scouts
painted the sky, and those without aircrafts of their own
ran as the bulls would have across the fields in an attempt
to catch a spent rocket shell. As the last engines
burned, the pungent smell of sulfur floated away, followed
by the last of the vehicles.
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Winter
Outing 2008
This
year's winter outing from Feb 15 - 17 was quite an
experience. Approximately 30 Scouts and adults
attended, and it was almost cancelled due to inclement
weather. Despite that possibility, the trek was
made to Flagstaff on Friday evening so we were ready to go
the following morning. We arrived about 9:00 pm at
Camp Navajo, a National Guard barracks where we were
staying, and after unpacking, everybody immediately went to
bed.
Wake
up time on Saturday was 4:45 am. Those who had to rent
equipment left early and the rest followed shortly
after. Everyone was ready to ski by about 7:30 am.
It
had snowed the day before and a few days before that, so
there was a nice layer of packed powder. On top of
that you couldn't ask for a better day - the wind was calm;
it was warm; and there was not a cloud in the sky.
When the lifts opened at 9:30 am our troop was first in
line. Even for a holiday weekend, it was not crowded,
and a good day was had by all, well almost all... Mr. Ballou,
had accidentally brought his wife's boots, with his skis, so
he was not able to fit the boots into the skis, and
unfortunately had to sit out. Also, Matt Petkiewicz
took a spill and hurt his arm, so also had to sit out the
rest of the day. There were no other problems,
and everybody made it back in one piece to Camp
Navajo.
Later
on that night some skits were performed, and then everybody
went to sleep, wiped out from the day of skiing.
Next
day, the wake up call was not quite so early. After
everybody packed up, we drove over to a nearby sledding
hill. A few of our more adventurous Scouts (or shall
we say out-of-control Scouts) more than once caught some air
going off of the small jumps in the middle of the run.
After
lunch was passed out, everybody started the journey
home. Many thanks go out to everybody that made this
trip possible. This was quite different from the years
when there was no snow! Also, thanks go out to the
adults that drove the scouts up there and everybody that
cooked meals.
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Michael
Baranowski - Troop 323's Latest Eagle Scout!
On
February 7, 2008, Michael Baranowski passed his Eagle Board
of Review and became the Troop's latest Eagle Scout.
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January
Outing Adventure
Our
January winter backpack outing turned into more of an
adventure than planned! On Friday night, Jan 18, we
camped at the CCC Campground at Seven Springs, about 20
miles northeast of Cave Creek. With the overnight
temperature dropping to around 20ºF, the Scouts managed to
stay warm since they had all brought enough clothes,
sleeping bags and pads for sleeping under the
stars. The cold breakfast and packing-up experience,
however, was enough to cause all the Scouts to vote for
doing the planned 2-day hike in one day - 13 miles in all.
We
still hiked with full packs in case we did not achieve the
newly-set goal.
At
about the 3-mile point, Spenser Sawottke tripped and putting
his arm out to break his fall, looked like he may have
fractured a bone at the elbow. After expert medical help by Mr Christiansen,
including the application of a trail-made splint, Spenser's
load was shared among a few Scouts and adults who returned
to the trailhead with Spenser. Day-hikers we met on
the trail were able to drive the returning group back to
Cave Creek where they were able to call for assistance.
Spenser was later diagnosed with a sprain.
The
remaining group (8 boys and 3 adults) continued the hike,
now under a bit of time pressure if the goal was still to be
made. Needless to say, they all put in the required
effort and made it to the Spur Cross trailhead with the few
remaining minutes of daylight.
The
Baranowski family also experienced some of the adventure as
Jeffery (who had been at a soccer game on Saturday morning),
and his parents, hiked in from Spur Cross to meet us on the trail, doing
their own 10-mile day hike.
This was a truly beautiful hike
along Cave Creek in an isolated valley very close to
Phoenix. Everyone who took part should be proud of the
achievement they accomplished!
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A
Note of Thanks from Mr Fahy
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December's
Bike Outing, Family Feast and Hike
On
December 15 and 16, 2007, 33 riders took part in our annual
bike outing. This year's ride was in the form of a
scavenger hunt where riders had to locate and ride to flags
placed around Usery Mountain Regional Park and punch a
control card to record their visit.
After
the ride, family members joined so that 42 of us feasted on
elk, lamb and turkey with all the fixin's thanks to Mr
Foulger and his bevy of helpful assistants.
For
those who endured the cold, windy night, and after a
breakfast of bagels and cold turkey, we hiked about 1,000 ft
up Pass Mountain. Our destination was the Wind Cave -
an interesting feature carved out of the face of the bluffs
with views as far as the new Cardinals stadium over 70 miles
away.
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Mr
Fahy - Thank You for Your Service to Troop 323
On
December 11, 2007, Mr Willy Fahy, outgoing Committee Chair,
was presented with some thank you gifts from the Boy Scouts,
parents and leaders of the Troop. Mr Fahy has been associated with the Troop for nearly 11 years
and was Chair for almost 5 years. His son, John, is an
Eagle Scout from our Troop and is currently finishing his
senior year at the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.
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Scoutmaster
Earns his Wood Badge Ticket
A
Wood Badge "Beading Ceremony" was held at a
special Court of Honor on December 11, 2007 to recognize
that Mr Ballou has earned his Wood Badge Ticket. He
was awarded Wood Badge beads (representing bravery and
leadership), neckerchief (universal symbol of Scouting with
its Maclaren tartan representing Wood Badge's ties to
Gilwell Park, the property on which the first Wood Badge
program was held) and a brown leather Turk's head knot
woggle.
Wood
Badge is a Scouting leadership program aimed at making
Scouters better leaders by teaching advanced leadership
skills, and by creating a bond and commitment to the Scout
movement.
Wood
Badge is considered by many as a peak experience in their
Scouting careers. It has served as a source of
training and inspiration to thousands of Scouters. In
their turn, these Scout leaders have affected the lives of
millions of America’s youth.
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A
Message of Thanks from Joe Wright
On
December 9, 2007, 34 Scouts and adults gave up their morning
and early afternoon to help Joe Wright with his Eagle Scout
project at the Hospice of the Valley "White Dove Thrift
Shoppe" at 5035 N 7th Ave. He has the the
following message for all who helped:
"I
would like to thank everyone who came out to my
project. It meant a lot to me, no matter the size of
your contribution. Without you, the project would not
have been possible. The store manager at the White
Dove Thrift Shoppe liked it a lot and said it made a huge
difference to the place. So for everyone who helped
out, Thank You!"
Joe
received generous donations in support of his project from
Lowes, Home Depot and Target - he and the Hospice of the
Valley give their thanks.
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Treasure
Found on Lost Dutchman Trail
19
Scouts and adults went on a vigorous 10-mile hike in the
Superstition Mountains on the weekend of November 17/18,
2007. On an unseasonably hot day, we hiked along the
Dutchman's Trail round Miner's Needle towards La Barge
Spring.
Along
the trail, Connor Schira found a full wallet and a set of
car keys. With some detective work, the Scouts figured
out that some hikers ahead had lost them and ran off to
track them down and return the lost articles.
Good
job Connor - "A Scout is Trustworthy"
With
such luck, it was suggested that Connor start searching for
the Lost Dutchman's buried gold.
After
a night's camping at the spring, we returned along the Bluff
Spring Trail - a spectacular scramble back to the trailhead
with breathtaking views of Weaver's Needle outlined by the
rugged ridges of Fremont Saddle.
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Thanks
for Rummage Sale and Car Wash Support
A
big thank you to Maureen Petkiewicz and Marlene Olsen for
organizing the Rummage Sale at All Saints Church on Saturday
November 10. And thanks to everyone who donated
stuff and helped out on the day with set-up, selling and
clearing up.
Thanks
also go out to Dave Christiansen for organizing the Car Wash
and to all scouts and parents who helped out.
Funds
from these 2 events go to supporting Troop outings,
activities and supplies, plus help replenish Scouts' Troop
Bucks accounts.
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4
Scouts Awarded Aviation Merit Badge
On
November 3, 2007, Matthew Petkiewicz, Adam Skebo, Trevor
Lovin and Joe Wright all successfully completed their
training, qualifying them for the Aviation Merit
Badge. Many thanks to Mr Ballou for organizing this
fantastic opportunity for our Scouts and being brave enough
to let them take the controls on their flight over Arizona.
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Camporee
Sieged by Scouts
Thunderbird
District put on a fun Camporee at Heard Scout Pueblo, South Mountain,
Phoenix, on October 26 - 28, 2007. The theme was
"The Siege of Thunderbird Castle" and included a
trebuchet competition (distance and accuracy);
jousting; feast; period recipe competition; medieval
kitchen, woodshop, blacksmith and tannery, banner
competition; campfire with music and song and a 90-second
Shakespearean Theater.
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Missing
Equipment Found
The
cooler and chopping board, lost after the 2006 Bike Outing,
has reappeared buried at the back of the Greutzmacher's
garage. Thanks for bringing it home after the outing
and for locating it for Mr Foulger.
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Fossil
Springs Outing Wet But Great Fun
On
September 22 & 23, 2007, about
40 Scouts and adults went on the first backpacking outing of
the new school year.
As
Scouts were setting up camp, it started to rain very hard -
credit goes to most of the Scouts who made sure their gear
stayed dry even though they got soaked.
Once
the rain stopped and everyone finished camp set-up, fires
were made (even with wet wood) and food was cooked - amazing
how a campfire and warm food can raise everybody's
spirits. Fossil Creek rose and muddied up fast, so we
could not swim.
After
a night of intermittent rain, we hiked out 4 miles. We
had to wade across the creek to reach the cars, so some
Scouts finally got their swim.
Due
to closures on both the Beeline and I-17 highways, it took
most people 7 hours to get home.
Despite
the difficulties we faced, this turned out to be a great
outing and a true test of skills and attitude - a test all
the Scouts passed.
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