To stay in touch and to develop our communication skills the troop held a virtual online meeting via Skype on December 26, 2011. The Skype meeting was not mandatory, but we did learn a great deal about how touchy technology can be. It was an opportunity to talk about upcoming events and what needs to be planned by our SPL, and there was a little time to just talk about movies people went to see. On Monday, December 19, 2011—Troop 39 held its annual Secret Santa grab bag and Christmas Celebration. Both Scouts and Leaders brought in gifts ranging in price between $10 and $20 that were wrapped. Using a modified lottery, Mr. Lamble had a hat full numbers written on paper—more numbers than participants. Starting from the lowest number drawn, the lucky Scout (or leader) took his or her turn picking one present from the more than 25 brought in. Gifts ranged from electronic Yahtzee to head-gear flashlights. Some scouts got mess kits, fire starters, walking staff, or a tool kit.

Additionally, scouts and leaders brought in food, and some of it was healthy. There was a wide range of cookies and cupcakes as well as brownies. The troop had crackers, cheese and sausages, and for the vegans and vegetarians in the group there was plenty of hummus and pita bread. To round out the table there were two trays of fresh vegetable with dip and apples. But it would not be a complete Christmas party without cheese puffs.

There were a couple other important things that happened at the meeting. The troop got to see young Mr. John Kryl, who was back from Carthage College to visit his old troop. Andrew Mroczkowski completed his last board of review for a bronze palm. He turns 18 at the end of the month and plans on registering as an adult leader in the troop. And of most significance, Mr. Lamble announced that it was his last meeting as Scoutmaster of Troop 39. This does not come as a surprise, and he has worked very hard at preparing the troop and the new leadership for this transition. Mr. Lamble has served as Scoutmaster for more than seven years. He will be around, and promises to give help to Mr. Marco Rodriguez, Troop 39's new scoutmaster.

In January, Troop 39 will be holding a formal Court of Honor at which time we would like to properly express our appreciation to Mr. Lamble for all his work.

The troop announced it will not meet on the next two Mondays, December 26th and January 2nd. However, as discussed at the meeting, on Monday, December 26, the troop is planning on conducting a virtual meeting via Skype over the Internet. More information will be forwarded around via email to parents and scouts from our Webmaster, William S. Of course, a Skype meeting will not be a typical meeting, and will be geared toward just staying in touch over the two week break until the troop meets again on January 9th, 2012. There are plans for a January weekend hike, a visit to the practice facility on the Northwestern Campus, and much more. We hope that everyone had a great time, and has a warm, wonderful and very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. On Monday, November 28, long-time Life Scout, Nicholas Klupchak, earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Nick is just the sixth scout in Troop 39 to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Congratulations to Shawn Klupchak, him mother, pictured here with him just after he completed his Eagle Board or Review. Monday, October 24, 2011—Troop 39 set up a grill and toasted marshmellows in the parking lot of St. Ignatius Church in preparations to greet prospective scouts to join the troop. Although no new recruits came, the warm, balmy night in late-October did not go to waste. Scouts turned in their pop corn orders, and enjoyed fixins' for 'Smore and GORP brought by Mr. Lamble. Scouts also watched a short video about the activities Troop 39 has participated in. Great photo taken by Mr. Lamble on his new cell phone. Saturday, October 22, 2011—The Chicago Area Council dedicated the Steve Fossett Center for Scouting on a beautifully sunny Fall day at 1218 W Adams in Chicago. The ceremony begain shortly after 11:00 a.m. Scouts, Scouters and dignitaries thanked Peggy Fossett and the Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation for their donation and support that has allowed the Chicago Area Council to create a beautiful space named in honor of her late-husband, Steve Fossett. Members of Crew 2889 from Fort Dearborn District performed the flag ceremony.

The ceremony included several speeches from friends of the Fossetts, including Scott Fleming and Robert Kirkland. Both gentlemen are Eagle Scouts and pointed out the importance of scouting in Steve Fossett's life and how he shaped his business around his scouting experience. Alderman Walter Burnett from the twenty-seventh ward spoke as did Alderman Bob Fioretti of the second ward. Representing the Chicago Area Council, there were three speakers who expressed the gratitude of everyone in attendance: Louis Sandoval, Council Commissioner; John Leonard, Council President (who also served as Master of Ceremonies); and Chuck Dobbins, Scout Executive and CEO of the Chicago Area Council. On behalf of the youth, Quinn Kasal, Eagle Scout from Troop 1, Menomonie Club, and part of Fort Dearborn District, spoke eloquently about the legacy and inspiration of Steve Fossett.

The ribbon cutting ceremony took place at 12:00 p.m. and was followed by tours of the office. Steve Fossett's Eagle Scout Award was proudly displayed in reception area. A limited number of special edition patches and mugs commemorating this event were given to those in attendance. In attendance from Troop 39 were Andrew Mroczkowski, Mr. Lamble and Mr. Mroczkowski. Beginning on June 26, 2011, Troop 39 started two weeks of camping at Owasippe Scout Reservation near Twin Lake, Michigan. Owasippe breaks camping into weekly sessions. During the first session, Troop 39 had sixteen scouts and seven adult leaders attend camp. The second session began July 3 and is currently in progress. Many of the scouts from the first session headed home on July 2, while two new scouts and one leader came up from Chicago. With three adult leaders and seven scouts in attendance, the second session for the troop is geared for boys who have been to camp in previous years and know the camp well. Troop 39 is creating a composite article on our experience, and we are asking all scouts and leaders to contribute a paragraph of two (or more), which will be added to our Troop History page of the website. Send any pictures and notes you have on your experience to Mr. Mroczkowski, and he will add them to the article. Look at our Troop 39 Chicago FaceBook page for some pictures that have been submitted.

(Picture: Troop 39 performing "Great Big Gobs Of Greasy Grimmy Gopher Guts" at the closing campfire. As you can see there was a little trouble finding a match.) A great time was had by everyone from Troop 39 over the Memorial Day Work Weekend up in Twin Lake, Michigan at Owasippe Scout Reservation. The troop camped in Site 7, which we filled up with nearly a dozen tents. It rained. It was foggy. The sky cleared. It was hot. It was cool, and overall everyone had a great time. May 9, 2011—Troop 39 cannot say that the big one got away, because one may never have been there. Catches were slight and light, but what could be more enjoyable than hanging out with spirited scouts, leaders and Troop 39 alumni on wonderful evening along Lake Michigan. With nearly the entire troop and many parents in attendance, burgers on the grill, and on a generally balmy evening (for those who wore jackets and long pants); the night was a great time to throw a line in the water. Scouts began arriving around 6:30 p.m., and the lures hit the water around 7:30 p.m. With nary a nibble and appetites churning like the waves from the steady easterly wind on Lake Michigan, having burgers grilling on a Smoky Joe, and a compliment of chips and soda, everyone’s hunger was calmed to match the smoothness of the water in the harbor. Not all the boats that usually fill the harbor were out, but there were many at the docks. Circling overhead Ringed-billed gulls, Forester’s terns, Tree swallows, Mallards and Red-winged blackbirds filled the sky, along with a couple of nesting Canadian geese and one Black-crowned Night Heron. Scouts and leaders began leaving around 9:00 p.m. and the evening wrapped up completely by 9:30 p.m. Thank you to everyone for participating and making the event a success. Galena, Illinois—Between April 29 to May 1, six Scouts from Troop 39, along with five adult leaders and an enthusiastic sister, traveled to Galena, Illinois for the 2011 Grant Pilgrimage. The Troop camped at Mississippi Palisade State Park surrounded by dozens of other troops from Blackhawk Council and Northeast Illinois Council. The campsite extended along a small bucolic brook that was explored by scouts (see video at 0:15) without obtaining one soggy sock, and although no frogs were spotted a possible tadpole sighting was made. In Galena, Troop 39 watched the Army Golden Knights paratroopers land (0:43) on the Galena High School football field amid strong winds. In the old part of town, scouts hiked along the five mile historic trail, visited the Civil War Museum (2:53), ate lunch near the Post Office from local vendors, crossed the bridge (3:44) that spans the Galena River and a railroad line, acquainted themsleves with a variety of canons (4:00) including one that fired upon Fort Sumter to start the American Civil War, visited and toured Ulysses S. Grant’s home (4:30), and spoke with Revolutionary War and Civil War reinactors (5:47), who demonstrated how black-powder muskets and rifles were fired. They learned the origin of the phrase 4F and half-cocked. Additionally, the weather was clear making for great meals (7:56) made by scouts and leaders, a wonderful campfire on Saturday evening, and a very efficient breakdown of camp on Sunday. On Saturday, March 19, 2011— Troop 39 attended the Chicago Wolves versus the Oklahoma City Barons hockey game at the All State Arena. Sitting in the upper Southeast section of the area, Troop 39 had a clear view from row C. Six scouts and four adult leaders enjoyed the atmosphere of the game with the laser light show before the game, the skating, the intermission shirt tosses (although we were behind the protective netting), but they did not enjoy the result of the close game. The Wolves lost 4 to 3, but it was not without a comeback goal with about five minutes left in the game that came during the "Chicken Dance" song. Once again, the Chicago Wolves provided a family friendly, scout friendly evening for the everyone to enjoy. co-written by scouts MM and PO, and Mrs. Wrenn

On February 25 to 27, 2011, Troop 39 took seven boys and four leaders to Camp Crown located just off of Wilmot Road near Trevor, Wisconsin. On the first night, Friday, camp was setup inside of a long cabin with two large garage doors. One of the scouts did not expect to be sleeping in a garage, but it was large, clean and well heated.

"Thank goodness we were in a heated garage!" Mrs. Wrenn said.

Even though the toilets were not. "Surprisingly refreshing, and well ventilated," said Mr. Mroczkowski.

Scouts climbed into their sleeping bags early for bed, excited about skiing the next day. Although they had sleeping bags and pads, some scouts found it a challenge to sleep on the concrete floor. The leaders on the other hand found the floor soft as a down comforter. Although, some made a note to look for cots on eBay.

The next morning, scouts and leaders woke with little encouragement from the leaders and made breakfast. After clean up, many of the boys rolled back in their sleeping bags before Mr. Lamble, Troop 39's scoutmaster, and the other leaders had the scouts dress for an invigorating hike. On the hike, the scouts and leaders climbed hills and explored. Everyone agreed with Mrs. Wrenn when she said, "What a beautiful view."

Some of the signs of animal life they found were turkey tracks, rabbit tracks, mice tracks, bird nests, the sounds of black-capped chickadees, crows, cardinals, and pileated woodpecker holes...and of course deer scat.

After lunch, one of the scouts said, "Let's play King of the Hill." On the hill just east of the cabin, they played. It was snowing softly, and there was very little wind. Mr. Lamble read while two of the leaders took a short nap. The King of the Hill game was enjoyed by all of the scouts, when they were called in to get ready for skiing.

Around 3:00 p.m., the troop drove a short distance to Wilmot Mountain. Some of the scouts rented their skis and snow boards, others brought their own, and all were required to wear helmets. Some scouts went directly to the more challenging slopes, while others had lessons from ski instructors, because of their different levels of experience. After being trained, everyone hopped on the ski lifts, hit the slopes either racing down the mountain or occasionally falling, but they got back up and did it all over again. Mr. Monty enjoyed the slopes with the scouts, while the other leaders saved a section of the lodge as a meeting point.

Despite the soreness from the long day and effort, the scouts had fun. Skiing lasted until 8:30 p.m., when all of the scouts were too tired to continue. The scouts bought their dinner from the resort's concessions, which included hot dogs, Italian beef, pizza, and cookies.

Camp was a short ride away, and even though the boys suggested a fire be built, back at camp everyone climbed right into their sleeping bags. Lights out came early, but a few scouts stayed up to tell jokes until 10:30 p.m. The night was filled with the sounds of quiet breathing, punctuated by some bear-like snoring.

On Sunday morning, breakfast was made after a good deal of encouragement from the leaders for the scouts to rise. The food area was cleaned, sleeping bags and equipment packed up, and the room swept clean before the ranger came by to inspect the room. Before leaving, the scouts and leaders gathered up in the bright morning sunlight to share "Thorns and Roses," one thing they liked about the trip and one thing they did not like about the trip.

In unanimous agreement, Troop 39 had a successful winter outing. January 9, 2011—Two members of Troop 39, Sean Lamble and Andrew Mroczkowski were called out as Vigil candidates at the Owasippe Lodge 90th Anniversary Winter Banquet of the Order of the Arrow (OA). Sean and Andrew were among eight candidates selected from the Lodge #7 membership, and will be inducted at the end of May 2011. The dinner was held at Biagios in Chicago with more than 240 members of Owasippe Lodge #7 in attendance. Some of those members were inducted into the order as early as 1946. At the afternoon dinner were Richie Ferolo, 2010 Central Region Chief, who was the evening's Keynote Speaker, and Dan Dick, National Vice-chief. Also in attendance from Troop 39 and our Shkote' Pne'shi Chapter were Louis Koll, Michael Lamble, Mr. Lamble and Mr. Mroczkowski.

The OA is the honor society of the Boy Scout program, and is run by the scouts with adult advisors. Owasippe Lodge #7 is one of many OA lodges nationwide, and was founded back in 1921, just 10 years after the founding of the oldest Boy Scout Camp in America, Owasippe. To enter the OA, a scout is selected by his troop and recognized as a dedicated scout, "someone who you would want to be with you if you were lost in the woods." The scout must have earned the rank of First Class, and is selected by a majority of boys in the troop (not the adult leadership). Once candidates are selected they participate in an Ordeal ceremony and weekend. There are three levels in the Order of the Arrow: Ordeal, Brotherhood and Vigil. Likewise, OA members advance by being recognized by their peers in the order as having contributed cheerful service to the program and society.

Andrew Mroczkowski is Vice-chief of Camp Promotions and Sean Lamble is Vice-chief of Unit Elections for the Lodge, which serves all members in the Chicago Area Council. Andrew and Sean's Vigil Ceremony will take place during the OA Memorial Day Work Weekend. December 20, 2010—The Chicago Area Council announced nine recipients of the 2010 Silver Beaver Award, the highest award for adult leadership from a council. Among the recipients is Dr. John "Jay" Lamble, Scoutmaster for Troop 39. He is also Order of the Arrow Chapter Advisor for the Shkote' Pne'Shi Chapter of Fort Dearborn and was elevated to Vigil member for his endless efforts in the program. He is a former Skipper for Chicago Area Sea Scouts, and has been chairman for numerous First Aid Meets and Fall and Spring Camporees. He is also the Chartered Organization Representative for Pack 3822 and was formerly a Den Leader and Cubmaster for Pack 3822. The award will be formally presented at Council Dinner on February 27, 2011. We ask that you please consider attending.

This brings the total number of Silver Beaver Recipients involved in Troop 39 to three. The others are Mr. William Dreasler and Mr. John Kryl, III. December 11, 2010—Thank you to all the scouts and parents for bringing and collecting bags and bags of food for the Chicago Food Depository. With so many people going hungry in the Chicago area, this good deed is among the greatest for those in need. The bags were taken to St. Matthias where Senator Dick Durbin visited volunteers from Fort Dearborn District to lend his support and encouragement. by WC, Star Scout
Over the weekend of November 5, 2010, Troop 39 went to the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Museum in Oshkosh to earn the Aviation merit badge. On the way to the EAA museum we stopped at Hardies for lunch. There we met Troop 53 out of Aurora. They were also on their way to the EAA museum. There were seventeen scouts from our troop and twelve from theirs.

When we got to the museum we met a very nice man, who gave us a tour. His name was Mr. Don Wolter, and he is what you call a docent, which is a volunteer. Some of the planes we learned about were the Spirit of St. Louis, Wright Brother’s airplane, and World War II planes and many more other cool things.

After we finished the tour we went into a classroom to work on the Aviation merit badge. Mr. Jay B. Beck was our counselor. After finishing the paper work, we split up in two groups. One group went to the computer room and flew a simulated route from a St. Louis airport to under the famous St. Louis Arch and back. The other group did a preflight inspection, climbed into a small plane, learned about its controls then walked back to the class room for a test about everything we learned. Then the groups switched, so everyone had a chance in both areas.

When everyone finished our merit badge work, we brought in our sleeping bags and ate dinner in the cafeteria. For dinner we had the finest sloppy Joes in Wisconsin and had lemonade. Once dinner was over we split up in two groups again. The first group went to the flight simulators and the other went to Kid adventures. Later, we watched a short film about a week long “adventure” called Air Adventure that happens every summer in Oshkosh. It was narrated by Harrison Ford. We also learned about the Young Eagles program, where volunteer pilots will take interested youth up for a free plane ride.

Once again both groups were reunited. We did a project. The project was to make something out of the supplies you were given so when you dropped an egg from the balcony it wouldn’t break. After that was done we had a little snack, and free time to go to anywhere in the exhibit that you wanted to go.

This was a fun trip because we were able to meet another cool troop and we learned a lot about the history about Aviation. Their leaders invited us to share an outing with them, which we need to plan. For the full story read more on our dedicated ScoutFEST 100 page. Tell us about your experience at our BBQ Fundraiser on Saturday, an outing, a meeting or a personal experience about a scout's adventures in our troop. Step up and tell your tale. They don't have to be long, a paragraph or two is great way to start. (Articles from leaders and parents are welcome, too.) Email them to Mr. Mroczkowski. They will be reviewed and posted on our site. July 4, 2010—Welcome home Troop 39. We're looking for a few good articles written by the Scouts and leaders, who attended Camp Wolverine (ZAXIE)!

From Sunday, June 27th through Friday, July 2nd, our troop worked on merit badges ranging from basketry to shotgun, from lifesaving to mammal studies, and we should mention photography, leatherwork and nature. We went on hikes to the eagle's nest, visited the horse coral, and climbed above the tree tops at C.O.P.E. Mr. Mroczkowski will post any and all perspectives on the trip along with photos. Show your scout spirt, and please forward your articles to him at damroczkowski@yahoo.com.

Read our journals. May 28-30, 2010—Still, warm air under a cloudless sky greeted Troop 39 when they arrived at Owasippe in Whitehall, Michigan on Friday night. First time for many of the scouts to set tents up in the pitch black dark may have been a challenge, but one by one they over came the obstacle. The following morning, three of the older scouts went off and worked with the Order of the Arrow on projects around camp and participated in ceremonies for the honor society. The other seven boys raked and cleaned at site 7 and enjoyed a hike out to Quaking Bogs. Along the way they identified trees and plant life and spotted wild life, including birds, frogs, turtles and the Eastern Hognose Snake pictured on this page. They learned where the outposts are located for earning merit badges at camp. The day was hot, the sky was blue and spirits were high.

In the afternoon, the scouts went fishing and hunting for frogs. While only one blue gill was caught, amazingly no one fell in. For dinner the boys cooked up frajitas before gathering around a spectacular campfire where various versions of ghost stories were told and many bars of chocolate with marshmellows were transformed into smores.

Reluctantly, the troop said goodbye at noon on Sunday to the eastern peewees that were nesting on a ledge under the eaves of the KYBO before heading into Whitehall to refuel the two-vehicle caravan and get Monster Shakes at Dairy Treat. Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 10:00 a.m., Andrew Mroczkowski and Truman Brady planted a small sapling of a redbud tree near the entrance to Unity Lutheran Church in celebration of Scouting's 100th Anniversary. While the tree is small and barely noticable among the hostas and exotic ferns, with care and time hopefully it will grow to 25 to 30 tall. Mr. Dreasler, Mr. Kryl and Mr. Mroczkowski gave proper instructions on how to plant the tree, "If you have a $20 tree, dig a $100 hole." On the weekend of May 14-16, 2010—Troop 39 participated in the Fort Dearborn Spring Camporee held at Chain Of Lakes State Park. The theme was Iron Chef! (cooking). While four hardy members participated in the activities, Troop 39 had and additional four scouts provide cheerful service as part of the Shkote' Pne'Shi chapter of the Order of the Arrow. Watch the 6:08 video on YouTube. On Saturday, May 8, 2010, four members or Pack 3822 crossed over to being Boy Scouts along the Lake Michigan Shore in Loyola Park. We welcomed them with four of our scouts. In addition, the Shkote' Pne'Shi chapter of the Order of the Arrow performed an Arrow of Light Ceremony. The day was off and on rainy and sunny, but the cold northeasterly wind never let up. Mr. Todd Gross, the Cubmaster, along with Mr. Gred Wojcicki awarded the four scouts their final merits. Friday, January 29-31—Troop 39 headed to Wilmot Mountain for two nights of camping and an afternoon and evening of skiing. The troop stayed at Camp Crown in Trevor, Wisconsin. Camp Crown had a heated lodge—warm enough for a couple flies and wasps to get trick into thinking Spring had arrived early. The scouts enjoyed using a saucer sled on Saturday morning to slide down a nearby hill. They headed over to Wilmot at 2:30 p.m. and skied until the last possible moment at 11:00 p.m. Friday, January 15, 2010—Troop 39 held a lock-in with dozens troop members and webelos ffor an evening "Geekerie" of endless fun. After playing dodge ball in the gym, eating pizza, playing foosball, and playing scouting appropriate video games (there are some amazing guitar heroes); everyone settled into watching Pirates of the Caribbean. Dawn came early, and there were way too many donuts. Congratulations to Mr. John Kryl for being among eight recipients of the 2009 Silver Beaver award. The Silver Beaver is the highest award a local area Council of the Boy Scouts of America gives for service to youth.

Other recipients included: Eddie L. Banks – Scoutmaster, Troop 534, Greater Southside District;Thomas C. Brezill Jr. – Scoutmaster, Troop 1732, Greater Southside District; Randy V. Etapa – Roundtable Commissioner, River Trails District; Michael R. Garcia – Cubmaster, Pack 3815, Indian Trails District; Denise Jeannine Lee – Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 1441, Iroquois District; Howard A. Niemuth – C.O.R. Ship 5924, Fort Dearborn District; and Leon Reed – District Training Chairman, Western Trails District. Monday, December 7, 2009—Troop 39 was honored to have State Rep. Harry Osterman speak with the scouts and explain his duties and responsibilities as an elected official in Illinois. Osterman encouraged the scouts to continue participating in positive activies like the Boy Scouts, and talked a little about his time as a scout. He answered a variety of questions ranging on topic like the environment, Asian Carp, his schedule, and his relationship to President Obama. (Please pardon the blurring cellphone picture.) November 16, 2009—The first of our new monthly meals was held on November 16th, sixteen people attended and it was a huge success. Five scouts from the Dragon Patrol cooked a garlic-lemon chicken entree with a cranberry-carrot cous cous and steamed snap peas. For dessert the scouts served pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Next month's menu is still under discussion, and parents are advised to ask their son how the monthly meals work. Additionally, we be sending home a letter on the first Monday of the month with a complete explanation. We hope to see you all there.   On Saturday, November 14, Troop 39 hiked from the Scout Store at 1218 W Adams out to Northerly Island, and made a short visit to the Field Museum. Along the way, the scouts prepared a meal of Ramen Noodles and other assorted detectibles. The day was perfect with little to no wind, clear skies and temperatures warm enough to force the removable of jackets. The entire trip was estimated at 10 miles, which included the walk through the museum’s Nature Walk section. The scouts went there to work specifically on the Bird Studies Merit Badge, and see the large exhibit of bird specimens from around the world, which includes several extinct species. The hike began at 9:00 a.m. and concluded just before 5:00 p.m. And if you are wondering if on an urban hike scouts can find ten signs of animal life, here is a list of the birds spotted along the way: Ringed-bill Gull, Rock Pigeon, House Sparrow, Canadian Geese, Mallards, American Coots, Northern Cardinals, American Crows, Starlings, Sharp-shinned Hawk and an American Kestrel. Also, take a good look at the wonderful skyline, which will be the backdrop to ScoutFest 100 in September 2010. Saturday, October 24, 2009—An Eagle Court of Honor was held at Unity Lutheran Church for Benjamin Weshe. Scouts from Troop 39 joined with Mr. Wesche’s family to celebrate his achievement. Mr. Jay Lamble performed the duty of master of ceremonies. Mr. Lamble walked through the ranks in Boy Scouts pointing out the significance of imagery on the patches and related the various steps Wesche took to earn them. Mr. David Mroczkowski said a few words about the origin of the rank of Eagle, and provided some statistics on how just how great an accomplishment obtaining the rank is. Wesche's uncle stood up and said a few words about how proud the family is to have Ben earn the rank. Mike Lamble, also an Eagle Scout in Troop 39, read the obligations to Weshe and they recited the Eagle Scout promise together. After the ceremony, the gathering enjoyed a wonderful meal in the basement of the church.

Wesche completed his Eagle Project a few days before his eighteenth birthday, but his path in scouting began back when he joined Cub Scout Pack 3822 as a first year Webelos. He held many positions in Troop 39, including Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leader. Wesche camped multiple times with the troop at Owasippe Scout Reservation, Camp Dewan, Grant Pilgrimage, Rock Island and Devil’s Lake. As he matured in the troop he was helpful with the newer scouts teaching them skills to earn the first ranks. Having turned eighteen, he has decided to continue in the troop as an adult leader and holds the position of Assistant Scout Master. On September 12, 2009, Troop 39 ran a barbeque fundraiser at Unity Lutheran Church during the Lakeview-Balmoral Yard Sales. Scouts arrived at 9:00 a.m. to set up directly in front of the church. They helped Mr. Dreasler set up the trailer, new canopy, tables and “kitchen” area. The troop used three BBQ grills to cook hot dogs, hamburgers and brats that were purchased from Vienna. In addition to usual fair, we also cooked veggie dogs and veggie skewers. The price of a meal was $3.00 and included chips and a soda. Also available were funnel cakes and flavor-ice, which were not as popular.

While the main goal was to raise money for both the church and our troop, the troop learned important lessons in working together as a team. Scouts were assigned to different positions such as cashier, order takers/waiters and kitchen staff. With adult supervision they carried out their respective roles. There were challenges and lessons learned, but over all everyone had a great time.

Another benefit from holding the fundraiser is drawing attention to our troop and sharing with the neighborhood information about when we meet. In addition to having time to talk with people interested in joining scouting, we were able to hand out fliers about the Boy Scouts and times when our troop meets.

Of course, whenever food is served, there includes clean up. A special thank you to all the scouts who stayed until the very end washing dishes, sweeping up the church and cleaning up the outside area of the church. We're looking forward to the event again next. CHICAGO, July 5, 2009 — Troop 39 returned to Chicago in eight cars pulling one trailer, filled with nine scouts and eight leaders. The scouts were full of memories of merit badges, Order of the Arrow ceremonies, great camaraderie and monster shakes. During the days at camp, scouts worked on merit badges while leaders helped the boys and worked on a variety of certifications including trip planning and boat and water safety. All around us were animals, including deer, frogs, turtles, turkeys, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, and many species of birds. At night we heard two juvenile Barred Owls calling for food from their parents. Despite the animals competing with a cacophony of adult leaders sawing wood, everyone slept well. The mosquitoes troubled us little, and the cooler temperatures with mist and drizzle could not dampen our spirits. Two scouts earn recognition from the camp director for embodying the spirit of scouting through aspects of the Scout Law: Louis Koll for being Helpful and Phillip O’Reilly for being Friendly. On the last day, the sun broke through helping everyone enjoy farewells to Owassippe until next year.

Please email your written memories or pictures to Mr. Mroczkowski of Camp Wolverine (Zaxie), and he will post them to our Web site. On Tuesday, June 16, 2009, three scouts and three adult leaders returned from a kayaking adventure to Rock Island, Wisconsin. The weather could not have been better. While the mornings were cool, the afternoons and evenings were warm. Skies were blue and it only drizzled once overnight the first night. The waves on the first day posed a challenge, but after initially making land near our campsite the water was smooth as glass. While the trip was designed as a kayaking challenge, the scouts and leaders also hiked up to the Pottawatomi Lighthouse for a tour, followed by a hike around the Thordarsen Trail. There was time for snake hunting and a talk by Paul King, the island naturalist (and Eagle Scout), about the proper treatment of snakes and their behaviors. Everyone on the trip dipped their toes in frigid waters, just before being goaded into taking a breathless plunge. Water temperatures were not quite 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The meals were great, the campfires wonderful and there was time to play Clue-Simpson's Murder Mystery board game in the boathouse.

We tip our hats to everyone who helped us along the way: Dave Olson and Louis of Kayak Chicago, Valerie Fon of Bread and Water, the captain of the passenger ferry, the Karfi, for porting some of our supplies that didn't fit in our kayaks (and served as our backup in case of poor weather), Paul King (camp host and naturalist on Rock Island), and to the members of Troop 39 who participated in the trainings over the winter months.

Mr. Mroczkowski will be putting together a video of the trip to hopefully plants seeds of imagination for future adventures. He would like to express his appreciation to Mr. Lamble, Mr. Brady and the three scouts for helping him complete his fifth and final Woodbadge ticket. "It is hard to imagine a more perfect way to complete this last ticket," he said. "I hope every leader will consider taking the Woodbadge training, and have this feeling of accomplishment through teamwork." On June 1, 2009, through the efforts of Judy Huppert, pottery merit badge counselor, Troop 39 visted Ceramic Supply Chicago in Evanston, Illinois. Charles Jahn gave the troop a tour of his studio, which is in the building, a demonstration of throwing on a wheel, showed the troop how his gas kiln is fired, and explained the difference between commercial and his homemade glaze. Mr. Jahn is a ceramic artist and has taught cermics at the Art Institute of Chicago. We would like to thank them for letting us visit the facility. On Monday, June 8, scouts will meet at Unity Lutheran and have the opportunity to work on a wheel and throw a piece. The weather was great, and the scouts had fun. During the May 2009 Owassippee work weekend, Mike Lamble was awarded the honor of vigil in the Order of the Arrow. Mike's Vigil name is Pischk Gischenaxin which translated means Prepared Nighthawk.





On Wednesday, May 20, 2009, Troop 39 completed the fourth lesson from Kayak Chicago. We practiced Eskimo Rolls, and one of scouts, John Kryl, got it on his first attempt. A rare feat! The adult leaders and scouts attempted to roll, but it's quite challenging. During the previous sessions, we practiced bow rescues. Bow rescues involve flipping the kayak completely over without exiting the kayak, slapping the side of your kayak three-times, waving your hands so your partner can bring his kayak perpendicular to yours, and by reaching up to the bow of his kayak right yours.

All of this work is in preparation for our high adventure trip to Rock Island, Wisconsin. Valerie Fon of Bread and Water on Washington, Island has graciously agreed to rent the troop kayaks for a very reasonable price. If scouts are available, we would like to have a meeting at Kayak Chicago's lake front location to test our skills on the lake and plan how much we can and will pack.

Our trip will be between June 13 and 16, 2009. Even if you have not participated in the kayak lessons, you may still be able to join us on the trip by taking the Karfi, a passenger ferry, across to Rock Island. (There are certain requirements if you plan on joining us.) On Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 10:00 a.m., two scouts joined Mr. Mroczkowski on a ten-mile hike, which began at the Scout Store, 1281 W. Adams. Ben Wesche and Truman Brady hiked passed the Art Institute and over to the Lake Front. Along the way, they blended in with the hundreds of people participating in the Walk For Autism, which went all the way to the Field Museum. The scouts headed past the Shedd Aquarium and past the Adler Planetarium. They hiked along Northerly Island, and spotted several Canadian Geese, Purple Martins, Ring-billed gulls, Barn Swallows, and about half a dozen Killdeers. After reaching the end of Northerly Island, the scouts circled around and head back. But they stopped at the Field Museum to have lunch and walk through the "Nature Walk" exhibit, and through good fortune visit the Pirate Exhibit. After museum, where Mr. Mroczkowski enthusiastically pointed out the collection of avifauna, they headed back to the store. A full day that ended about 4:30 p.m. with beautiful weather. On Tuesday, May 5, 2009—Troop 39 presented to CUB Scout Pack 3822 what it means to become a Boy Scout during their bridge ceremony at Saint Gertrudes. It started at 6:30 p.m. Part of the presentation included a Power Point presentation, an explanation of what scouting in Troop 39 is all about, and a closing song that is a tribute to everything we know about camp cooking, Granny's in the Cellar. We look forward to welcoming all five boys who crossed over on Monday, May 13, 2009 to our first meeting as Boy Scouts. On Monday May 4, 2009, Troop 39 held a Court of Honor. It was well attended by scouts and family members. This was the first Court of Honor held in 2009, and the emcee was Nick Klupchak. Klupchak was entertaining, very clear and well prepared. He handed out awards to several of the scouts, invited adult leaders to step up and make announcements, and had several scouts explain what the troop has been doing for the past couple of months. Sean Lamble explained how several scouts have been going to do kayak training at the UIC pool. John Kryl, Jr. talked about summer camp and Andrew Mroczkowski lead everyone in the song "Granny's in the Cellar." Mr. Wall from the Chicago Area Council made a Friends of Scouting presentation. After the Court of Honor was over, everyone enjoyed snacks and beverages brought by the scouts. Mr. Mroczkowski set up his laptop and everyone watched the presentation that will be given to Pack 3822 the following evening. Savanna, Illinois, Saturday, April 25, 2009—Frog hunt? Well, not all of Saturday, April 25, was spent in Galena, Illinois at the Grant Pilgrimage. Troop 39 did tour the City of Galena and hike from stop to stop, visiting Grant's home, the Museums, and watch the annual parade; but they did take time to visit a tree house of a friend of Mr. Lamble. Yes, tree house. Near the tree house was a retention pond that held a chorus of frogs. Troop 39 camped in the Mississippi Palisades State Park. Friday night was warm enough to sleep in our tents outside of our sleeping bags. Saturday, the weather cooled and there was on and off again drizzle, nothing compared to deluge that hit Chicago. There were wild turkeys around the camp site, and a kettle of two dozen Broad Wing Hawks gathered in the tree tops.

Due to a job commitment, Mr. Lamble had to leave early. He was leaving on Saturday night, and since the trip was one of the better attended outings it would make the trip back on Sunday at tight squeeze. Scouts decided to pack up on Saturday evening, eat dinner and have a camp fire program. William C and Patrick C acted as emcees for the evening. They told jokes, introduced the Flaming Arrow patrol, Dragon patrol, and Big Foot patrol, before closing the camp fire with the troop singing Granny's In The Celler.

Over the weed end starting Friday, March 27 to Sunday, March 29, 2009—Nine Scouts and three leaders participated with Pack 3822 in a camp out near Burlington, Wisconsin at Camp Dewan. The troop arrived around 9:40 p.m. After setting up tents up the slope next to Camp Dewan's barn, the scouts took advantage of the gym and played ping pong, basketball and foosball. The troop has visited Camp Dewan five times before, so they were acquainted with pleasant accommodations.

Mr. Lamble arrived a little after the rest of the troop, and once his tent had been set up the troop went over the plans for the weekend. Saturday morning was spent working on lashings and filming of the proper way to building and light a fire. The film was being shot in order to complete one of the requirements for the Cinematography Merit Badge. In the afternoon, Cub Scouts started to arrive. Mr. Lamble helped the Cubs with earning their whittling chips. Mr. Wojcicki ran a orienteering course. Scouts played Chess, and every patrol and den planned skits or songs for the evening. For dinner Pack 3822 and Troop 39 shared a pot luck dinner of macaroni and cheese, chili, hot dogs, and fruit salad.

Andrew M acted as emcee for the evening’s camp fire, which was conducted in the cabin next to the barn. The weather fluctuated between snow, rain and sleet. Our troop performed "The Great Spitando", Phillip R told jokes, and the song in tribute to the television classic Hee Haw. While the performance was going on, the snow was coming down heavy. Afterwards, the scouts walked up to the camp site to find their tents had collapsed under the weight of the snow. They removed their sleeping gear and took it to one of the cabins at the end of the camp. Many of the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts stayed up and watched the Goonies.

On Sunday morning, the chore of striking camp was made that much more difficult by the complete collapse of the tents. They had literally been laid flat to the ground. It looks as though none of the tents had been set up. But the scouts worked quickly and the scouts were left at 10:00 a.m.


On Sunday, March 22, 2009—Mr. Lamble, Sean Lamble and Andew Mroczkowski joined Mr. Mroczkowski on the Troop's monthly hike, which began at Unity Lutheran Church and went to Montrose Harbor and back. It was warm by March's standards, but the breeze running out of the Northeast brought a fog in along the shore. When the four members of Troop 39 reached Montrose Harbor they took time to look around the Magic Hedge, a location sought out by birders. There were several dozen Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles, Starlings, an American Kestral, Ringed-billed Gulls, Dark-eyed Juncos, House Sparrows, American Robins, House Sparrows, (possibly a Fox Sparrow), and the bird in the series of pictures above. Mr. Mroczkowski could not get close enough to get detailed image. The series of images are all of the same bird. It's a type of woodpecker, but it doesn't hunt for insects on trees. Unlike many woodpeckers that make small holes in trees to get the sap ooze out, which attracts ants and other insects they eat, this bird pictured to the right pokes the ground for ants and insects. It's under-wing feathers are a bright yellow. It has a black bib under its bill and a red triangle on the back of its neck. Also, a tell-tale identifier is the separated, pointed tale feathers. Roll your cursor over the image to see the name.


Saturday, March 21, 2009—Troop 39 took up the invitation from Pack 3822 to join them in two hours of swimming at the High Ridge YMCA. Mike Lamble and John Kryl ran swim tests for Cubs Scouts and the other three Boy Scouts that participated. While swimming around is fun, they played a little variation on waterpolo, get the brick (from the bottom of the deep end) and practiced the rescue toss.


On Monday, March 9, 2009—Mr. Ray Toller presented the first in a series of Cinematography Merit Badge workshops to the Scouts in Troop 39 and Troop 825. Scouts learned the basics of cinematography: rules for framing shots, telling a story through pictures and basics of story boarding. They were given an assignment to watch commercials on TV and to read at least one comic book for the following Monday. Scouts who missed the first meeting, made arrangements with Mr. Toller to cover what they missed. Many of the scouts used this resource. During the second week on March 16, Toller presented a video of a movie he produced on Owassippe. The Scouts learned how to write a script and develop a storyboard.

Troop 39 CPR Training

Troop 39 wins second place in Wilderness Survival.

King Helps Scouts Discover Summer Snow

Rock Island, Wisconsin, August 5, 2006 — The diverse foliage on Rock Island afforded an ideal opportunity for the scouts in Troop 39 to identify wild plants. With the help of Paul King, the camp host and naturalist of the State Park, and two troop leaders 35 varieties of plants were identified.

The searching for plants began when the scouts worked on a conservation project removing Hounds Tongue, an invasive plant. It had gone to seed, and we helped to prevent it spreading further. Hounds Tongue adherses to deer fur and then falls off near plants they eat, wild raspberries and thimbleberries. If the deer eat the plant, it causes liver failure.

While pulling the withered Hounds Tongue, it was important to keep an eye out for Poison Ivy. This variety of Poison Ivy is deceptively smaller on the island and grows along the sandy shoreline and at the edge of the cedar tree line. The poison ivy was in the vicinity of the Hounds Tongue, and plants like Wild Raspberries and Milkweed.

Plants identified
Harebell
Herb Robert
Common Burdock
Common Mullein
Baneberry (Doll’s Eye)
Red Hellebore Orchid
Hounds Tongue
Bull Thistle
Indian Pipe
Hoary Alyssum
Pearly Everlasting
Common Vervain
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (with seeds)
White Yarrow
Wild Raspberries (which we ate)
Thimbleberries (tarter than Raspberries)
Wild Strawberries (just the leaves)
Red Clover
Spotted Knapweed
Starry False Solomon Seal
Beach-Pea (NOT edible)
Wild Bergamot
Sharp-Lobed Hepatica (without the flower)
Bloodroot (just the leaves)
Sulfur Five Fingers
Black-eyed Susan
Columbine
Orange Hawkweed
Day Lilly
Ox-Eye Daisy
Poison Ivy
Milkweed

After we finished the service project and were headed down the Blueberry Trail back to our camp site, one of the scouts noticed a whitish-colored plant that resembled a mushroom. Mr. Lamble said he knew it as Indian Peace Pipe. Having purchased a copy of Wildflowers of Door County, Mr. Mroczkowski was interested in seeing how many plants he could identify. The book confirmed it as Indian Pipe.

On the second day we hiked up to the Pottawatomie Lighthouse. We began with the larger plants, because they were the most conspicuous.

Looking at a four foot tall plant with small yellow flowers at the end of single stalk, Mr. Mroczkowski opened the book, which is color coded by flower. Bam! He went right to the page. It was Common Mullien. Turning to the right there was a broad-leafed plant, he flipped through the pages and Bam! Again, Right to the page. It was Common Burdock. It gave us a false sense that identifying plants would be easy.

Well, we quickly found that identifying all plants would not be so simple.

The next plant was a bit of mystery. It had leaves like Solomon Seal, but they did not fit the pattern and the flowers were at the top of the single stem, not under the leaves. The interest in identifying the plant, which was all along the path, helped to pull focus of the scouts off video games they left behind.

At the lighthouse, Paul King suggested our mystery plant was Red Hellebore Orchid. Looking it up in the book, we were able to confirm his suggestion. The Red Hellebore Orchid happens to be a protected species. After touring the lighthouse, we continued on a ten-mile hike around the island. Searching for plants was not our main focus, but stopping and looking at leaves and flowers made the hike more pleasant. In the end, we were able to identify thirty-three varieties.

There was one plant that we had trouble identifying. It was plentiful, but it was not in the book. The flowers were 1/8" blossoms of whitish pink at the end of thin stems. Mr. Mroczkowski thought it was a form of heather, but Paul King pointed out its origin. The island’s previous owner, Chester Thordarson, had it brought in from Iceland. It’s called Saxifrage Pink. Additionally, Thordarson had Icelandic Thyme and Summer Snow (both from Iceland) planted at the northern end of the plateau.

We identified only a small number of the varieties of plants on the island. One of the requirements for the Nature merit badge is to identify 15 varieties. We owe a big thanks to the authors of Wildflowers of Door County and Paul King for making our search a success.

 

Dispute Over Visitor's Identity

Owasippe Scout Reservation — On the morning of July 4, 2006, Troop 39 had a unexpected visitor. It had rained the night before, and perhaps our visitor needed to dry its wings. High above our meeting tent a hawk perched for nearly thirty minutes, before soaring off.

Through binoculars the scouts and leaders squinted against the brilliant blue sky as it pierced through the branches of a towering white oak, which made identifying the species difficult. With hushed voices and soft scurrying feet scouts flipped through an Audubon field guide.

Mr. Dreasler, Troop 39's COR, captured the bird with his camera, which helped us come to a conclusion. But we'd like to hear your opinion.

So, just what species of raptor visited camp site 7 one morning while Troop 39 was up at Owassipe: a Rough-legged Hawk, a Red-tailed Hawk or a Ferruginous Hawk well out of its territory?