ScoutFEST 100
September 18, 2010—Welcome home Troop 39.
Troop 39 met at Unity Lutheran Church to go as a group to ScoutFest 100. We traveled via CTA Bus route 146 express to the Adler Planetarium.
Hiking from the bus stop to the Brentwalda, the Sea Scout ship harbored on the western shore of Northerly Island, we picked up our tents that Mr. Lamble brought down earlier for us. The skies were ominous and rain was eminent. We headed to check in where members of the Order of the Arrow led us to our camping area among the 2,500 participants. In row E we set up our four scout tents and four tents for leaders. No sooner had we gotten our tents up lighting flashed across the sky. We scrambled under the large pavilion tent that housed the trading post. The storm passed after about forty minutes.
Chicago City Council 100th Anniversary Resolution read by Alderman (and Eagle Scout) Robert W. Fioretti at ScoutFEST 100.
The remainder of the day was overcast, but spirits remained high. There was kite flying, human foosball, an Army Humvee, rock climbing and much, much more to do. In the evening we headed over to the stage where we saw fire dancers and leaders from the Chicago Area Council recognize the coordinators of the event. The highlight of the evening came when SmashMouth performed, even inviting scouts on stage to help them play instruments.
We're looking for a few good articles written by the Scouts and leaders, who attended ScoutFEST 100! If you took pictures, please email them to Mr. Mroczkowski along with any notes you have about them.
After the concert along the beach, we gathered to watch the fireworks display that lasted about forty-five minutes. Altogether twelve scouts, seven adult leaders and one courageous sister participated. But don't just take our word for the great time, WGN and the Chicago Tribue posted this story on their joint website titled, "Scouts highlight connections at centennial meeting."
Scouts highlight connections at centennial meeting
September 18, 2010
On a gloomy but fun-filled Saturday, about 2,500 boys and their families gathered at Northerly Island to celebrate the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America, honoring the organization's history at its birthplace in Chicago.
The multicultural gathering, featuring scavenger hunts and GPS-guided tours, showed how far the organization has come in 100 years, and how much has stayed the same.
The centennial comes as the organization battles membership declines and bad publicity over recent lawsuits over its refusal to admit gay members.
To reverse the decline from 4.8 million in 1970 to the 2.8 million today, the organization has tried to tap into the growing Latino population in Chicago and other cities.
In Chicago, those efforts have occurred in Catholic churches, schools and at events in Hispanic neighborhoods, such as the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Pilsen, said Herb Ritchell, spokesman for the Chicago Area Council.
Their success was evident at Saturday's celebration, where parents spoke to their children in Spanish or Spanglish -- a mix of English and Spanish.
Danilo Herrera, 42, said he sees Scouts as a way to connect with his son, Juan Marcos, 12. About six months ago, Herrera said Juan Marcos came home from school with exciting news: he wanted to be a Boy Scout.
The boy heard a recruiter talk about Scout camping and fishing trips and he was hooked. Herrera has been hanging out with his son ever since, going to camping trips and bonding in a way they hadn't before.
"I feel I only have him for three more years; then, he'll be 17, 18 and he won't want to hang out with me," Herrera said.
William Boyce, a Chicago businessman, founded the organization in 1910, modeling it after a scouts organization in London.
While there on a business trip, Boyce got lost in a dense fog and a young scout helped him get to his meeting. Boyce offered him money, but the boy declined, explaining that he was on duty to do a good deed. Boyce decided America could use such an organization.
At the centennial celebration, Matthew Hampe, 7, was searching for "fool's gold" at one of several stations where Scouts could practice their knot-tying skills, rock climbing and kite flying.
"If it was real gold, I would be rich right now," Hampe said while showing a small cotton bag full of pyrite pebbles.
Though it was a Boy Scouts celebration, the event, like many others, was for the entire family.
Jacqueline Tansey, 6, gave a rock climbing wall one more shot. She stretched her arms as far as she could reach and kept going up. And up. She reached the top and looked down at her smiling father, Joseph Tansey.
"There you go, Jacquie," he said. "Good job!"
--Alejandra Cancino
On a gloomy but fun-filled Saturday, about 2,500 boys and their families gathered at Northerly Island to celebrate the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America, honoring the organization's history at its birthplace in Chicago.
The multicultural gathering, featuring scavenger hunts and GPS-guided tours, showed how far the organization has come in 100 years, and how much has stayed the same.
The centennial comes as the organization battles membership declines and bad publicity over recent lawsuits over its refusal to admit gay members.
To reverse the decline from 4.8 million in 1970 to the 2.8 million today, the organization has tried to tap into the growing Latino population in Chicago and other cities.
In Chicago, those efforts have occurred in Catholic churches, schools and at events in Hispanic neighborhoods, such as the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Pilsen, said Herb Ritchell, spokesman for the Chicago Area Council.
Their success was evident at Saturday's celebration, where parents spoke to their children in Spanish or Spanglish -- a mix of English and Spanish.
Danilo Herrera, 42, said he sees Scouts as a way to connect with his son, Juan Marcos, 12. About six months ago, Herrera said Juan Marcos came home from school with exciting news: he wanted to be a Boy Scout.
The boy heard a recruiter talk about Scout camping and fishing trips and he was hooked. Herrera has been hanging out with his son ever since, going to camping trips and bonding in a way they hadn't before.
"I feel I only have him for three more years; then, he'll be 17, 18 and he won't want to hang out with me," Herrera said.
William Boyce, a Chicago businessman, founded the organization in 1910, modeling it after a scouts organization in London.
While there on a business trip, Boyce got lost in a dense fog and a young scout helped him get to his meeting. Boyce offered him money, but the boy declined, explaining that he was on duty to do a good deed. Boyce decided America could use such an organization.
At the centennial celebration, Matthew Hampe, 7, was searching for "fool's gold" at one of several stations where Scouts could practice their knot-tying skills, rock climbing and kite flying.
"If it was real gold, I would be rich right now," Hampe said while showing a small cotton bag full of pyrite pebbles.
Though it was a Boy Scouts celebration, the event, like many others, was for the entire family.
Jacqueline Tansey, 6, gave a rock climbing wall one more shot. She stretched her arms as far as she could reach and kept going up. And up. She reached the top and looked down at her smiling father, Joseph Tansey.
"There you go, Jacquie," he said. "Good job!"
--Alejandra Cancino