Reflections, page 1

SOMMERS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

REFLECTIONSWinter 2000Volume 10, Number 3

NORTHERN TIER NATIONAL HIGH ADVENTURE

2000 Gathering of Sommers Clanby Dave Hyink and Mark Nordstrom

The Millennium rendezvous ofthe Sommers Alumni Associationfeatured a look at base programsfor historical re-enactment, a tripto the Sig Olson writing shack andListening Point cabin, a keynotespeech by Sig's son, Robert, sing-ing led by Larry Whitmore, JeffCahill, and Roger Clapp, lots ofpeople happy to see each otheragain together in the North Woods,and meal after meal of that distinc-tively-flavored base cuisine (servedwith a smile, cafeteria style) thatdraws every reunion visitor backyear after year.

Robert Olson talked aboutgrowing up in Ely while Sig workedto restrict fly-in access and owner-ship in the Boundary Waters area.He said the pressure from peopleopposing his father's efforts couldbe difficult. Robert worked as anoutfitter and guide in Ely, then en-tered a career in the American For-eign Service that took him aroundthe world.

After Robert's talk he joined theaudience in watching a film show-ing him and Sig canoeing throughthe Boundary Waters. It was madeto support Sig's efforts to estab-lish the Boundary Waters area. Heremembered making the movie, buthad never seen it. He was about 20years old when the movie wasmade. It was easy to recognize him.There were two people in themovie, he was the one who wasn'tSig. Dave Greenlee found the moviein a Minnesota library while he wassearching for things that listed SigOlson as author.

Robert worked at the SommersCanoe Base the summer the lodgewas dedicated. He missed being in-cluded in the picture of the lodgededication, though. He came downwith pneumonia and was in hisbunk recovering when the picturewas taken. He said he didn't thinkhis mother thought very fondly ofthe base after he returned homefrom the experience. Apparently itdidn't do anything to hurt his

Butch Diesslin was honored for his decades of service to Northern Tierprograms. He was presented with a Bob Cary portrait. Butch said

thank you for the indication that his work had not been in vain.

father's attitude toward the base.Sig often visited the base to talkabout wilderness andwoodsmanship.

Association members visited SigOlson's writing shack and cabin onListening Point. The writing shackis maintained just as is was whenSig worked in it. The visit includedseeing the stone wall, stone fire-

place and scrub oak mentioned inSig’s books. The listening pointcabin is also maintained as it waswhen Sig used it.

The tours were organized byChuck Rose, who assisted Pat Coxin organizing the entire Rendezvousevent. Pat reports that about 150people attended and that incomeequaled expenses. Pat and Chuckgot the weekend activities going,answered everyone’s questions andgot everyone in touch with all thepeople they were looking for.

Members had a great time sing-ing Friday night in the dining hall.It was where everyone got togetheras they arrived and renewed old

acquaintances. A lot of old experi-ences were relived, with at least asmuch enthusiasm as when they firstoccurred. Larry and Jeff suppliedmost of the guitar and vocal leader-ship while members who knew thewords joined in. Roger played alittle guitar and a lot of harmonicato create a dining hall band that keptfolks stomping, laughing and sing-

ing until after Friday ended. Jeffhad driven up from Minneapolisfor the sing that night. He droveback the same night to make an earlymorning rehearsal for a RenaissanceFestival performance

History MakersThe Rendezvous’ Saturday

events included Voyageur-era re-enactments by Cory Kolodgi andDavid Hanson. Cory operated theVoyageur camp, which includedcooking and hatchet-throwing dem-onstrations. David operated anopen-air blacksmith forge under acanvas tarp just off the dining hallporch. They were both extremely

popular activities - with childrenand adults - and they may have hadsome impact. Later, during the an-nual meeting in the lodge, the mem-bership voted to help staff mem-bers buy what they needed to makeperiod costumes. The group votedto make $1,000 available for thatuse. The meeting ended with agroup singing of "The FarNorthland."

After the meeting everyoneslowly wandered outside for agroup picture in front of the lodge.The absence of Roy Conradi wasfelt when the group just stoodaround for several minutes, with noidea what to do next. LarryWhitmore managed to organize thegroup into a semblance of aphotographable line after anotherseveral minutes of coaxing, com-manding and cajoling. Allen Rench(although he sometimes tellspeople his last name is spelled witha “W,” that’s just a wilderness leg-end), who was later elected theassociation’s new president, iskneeling in the front row, a littleright of center, wearing a broad-brimmed hat (pages 6 & 7).

Butch Diesslin Honoredby Alumni

Several generations of SommersAlumni were witness to a rare eventat the Rendezvous! Butch Diesslinwas temporarily at a loss forwords! Recognized for nearly 40years of service to the Canoe Base,he was presented with a portrait ofhimself, drawn by Bob Cary, andframed in portage yokes by RedRenner. Butch joins an elite groupof Northland personalities whohave, through their distinguishedaccomplishments, been the subjectof Cary’s artistic talents. No livingperson, with the possible excep-tion of Henry Bradlich, has hadmore “hands-on” contact with theBase and its programs. Manythanks from all of us, Butch!

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Alumni AssociationDirectors and Officers

Director/President (3)** Allen Rench (507) 536-0736Director/Vice President (2)** Patrick Cox (847) 223-6074Director/Secretary (1)** Butch Diesslin (218) 365-6904Treasurer Nigel Cooper (612) 738-1242Director (1) Roy Conradi (770) 972-8115Director (1)** Dave Hyink (253) 863-6406Director (1) Robert Welsh (425) 454-5628Director (2) Dave Greenlee (605) 594-6287Director (2) Chuck Rose (320) 252-2768Director (2) Jay Walne (901) 854-4947Director (3) Brian Volmer-Buhl (541) 513-4124Director (3) Lynn Reeve (507) 235-5107Director (3) Linnea Renner (218) 365-3655At-large** Michael McMahon (651) 483-5759Number in parenthesis is years remaining in current term**Executive Committee Member

Program LiaisonsMr. Keith Galloway National Director of High Adventure

Philmont Scout Camp, BSACimarron, NM 88714(505) 376-2281

Mr. Doug Hirdler Director and General Manager,Northern Tier NationalHigh Adventure ProgramP.O. Box 509Ely, MN 55731(218) 365-4811

Mr. John W. Creighton, Jr. Chairman, NationalHigh Adventure CommitteeMardonna Group1000-2nd Ave. Suite 3700Seattle, WA 98104

Mr. John L. Parish, Sr. Chairman, Northern Tier NationalHigh Adventure CommitteeP.O. Box 550Tullahoma, TN 37388

Volume 10, Number 3. Reflections is the official publication of the CharlesL. Sommers Alumni Association, Inc., P.O. Box 428, 5891 Moose LakeRoad, Ely, Minnesota 55731-0429. Reflections is published three times ayear (Feb., July, and Oct.). The Charles L. Sommers Alumni Association,Inc. is a nonprofit Minnesota corporation. The IRS has determined that thealumni association is an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of theInternal Revenue Code. Donations to the alumni association are tax deduct-ible. Membership to the Sommers Alumni Association is open to all persons18 years and older. Association dues are $10 for Annual membership, $25 ormore annually for Sustaining membership or $150 (one time) for Life Mem-bership. The association's dues year begins January 1. Moving... pleasenotify the alumni association of your new address, phone number, etc. Wewill include your e-mail addresses in the member directory. Send your addresschanges or additions to P.O. Box 428, Ely, MN 55731-0428 or to ButchDiesslin via e-mail at: butchnlucy@juno.com

President’s Incoming Messageby Allen Rench (The Pink Panther)

I have told Dave Hyink beforebut I must say it again, “You areOne Hard Act To Follow.” Whenpresented with the opportunity toserve as the President of the AlumniAssociation I accepted it, but withsome reservation, like, “Oh my goshwhat have I done now.” It isn’t thatserving as President is an impos-sible position to manage, or too timeconsuming. The real reason isDave’s phenomenal leadership andvision that he donated to our orga-nization during his time in office.

Over the years, our directorsand executives, under the guidanceof Dave have tirelessly committedthemselves to the success and lon-gevity of the Sommers AlumniAssociation. We have seen out-standing growth in our member-ship, establishment of educationalscholarships, incentive programsfor returning staff, individual me-morial funds, renovation of theLodge, commemoration of theHanson House, Crossing Portagesprogram, Hol Ry Web site, contin-ued training for the guide staff, ourRendezvous, and the list goes on.Without Dave at the helm the SAAwould not be where we are today.This is why I was uneasy accept-ing the honor of presidency. Ouralumni organization is used as astandard for all other High Adven-ture alumni groups. Our hats areoff to you Dave for a JOB WELLDONE.

Dave has a love and passion forthe ideals and traditions ofSommers Canoe Base that goesclear to the bone. This can be ex-emplified by our first meeting. Itwas late August in 1989. I was end-ing an 8-day family canoe trip. Itwas a crisp clear morning out onthe South end of Basswood, when

I heard echo off the water The FarNorthland. I missed the opportu-nity to yell out Hol Ry, but I caughtup to this family party on WindLake at the end of Wind Bay por-tage. It was Dave at the beaverstream singing and passing on ourhistory of the Base to his family.After we introduced ourselves welearned about our connection to theBase, and I heard their singing. Hewas disappointed I did not call HolRy. It was that moment on Bass-wood, he was reminiscing of hisguide days. He was telling thatwhen one would hear a Base songor catch the sight of a green Seliga itwould elicit our call.

It is his dedication not only forour long-standing traditions, but tothe growth of new ones as well thatdeserve our never-ending apprecia-tion and admiration.

We, have a vested interest in thepast but more importantly to thefuture growth of the Base. This is aplace and an experience that I wantfor my family and for yours. Ourprimary focus is to support theBase and its staff. Our number oneresource is our willingness to shareour experiences and knowledge thatwe gained while serving there.

My task at hand is to maintainthe momentum that has alreadybeen generated, to move forwardwith the goals and desires of theSommers Alumni Association andhelp pave the way for new ideas.

This is an exciting challenge be-fore me and I welcome your help,support and suggestions. Our fam-ily of alumni remains healthy be-cause of your willingness to takepart and add your own special fla-vor. I am looking forward to thecoming months in service as yourPresident.

Outgoing-President’s Messageby Dave Hyink

As I make the transition to therole of Immediate Past Presidentof the Sommers Alumni Associa-tion, I bring to an end the four-yearviolation of my own rule that oneshould not hold a key leadershipposition in a volunteer organizationfor more than three years. It hasbeen an easy rule to break, largelybecause the SAA has been such awonderful group to lead. Boundby a common experience and a com-mon vision, SAA members con-tinually step up to the plate andget the job done - particularly if

SAA leadership helps provide theneeded resources and then gets outof the way!

The succession rule is impor-tant to keep. Important becausethe long-term viability of any orga-nization relies on the infusion ofnew ideas and new energy thatcomes from continually develop-ing and promoting new and evenmore effective leadership. Howmany organizations are you famil-iar with that have struggled or failedbecause key leadership left beforeadequate succession was in place?

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Reflections, page 3

Remembrances of Edward B. Chapinnance chairman. I know that, hav-ing been a Scout when Ed was fi-nance chairman, he played a major

role in raising the funds for a newScout camp - Tomahawk ScoutReservation. Thank you Ed.

St. Paul’s Indianhead Councilrecognized Ed’s ‘giving back’ byhonoring him with the Silver Bea-ver award in 1958, and with an hon-orary life membership in 1981.

In 1962, Ed joined the BoyScout’s Region Ten canoe base com-mittee. Ed saw the canoeing pro-gram through the Sommers base asthe ultimate opportunity in Scout-ing and directed his Scout volun-teer efforts toward the support andbetterment of this program. In 1964the canoe base needed a new sewersystem and Ed agreed to be the fi-nance chairman for this less thanglamorous project. Ed looked atthe overall merit of things, not tothe glamour of the results. Edachieved his true recognition for theleading the project in October,1998, when “Chapin’s Pond” andsome ducks were on the cover ofNational Geographic magazine.Ed’s volunteer service was also rec-ognized by Region Ten through theSilver Antelope award.

When Sommers canoe base be-came a national high adventure base,Ed became a charter member of thecanoe base’s advisory committee.Ed remained an active member ofthis committee until his death. Ed’sservice to the canoe base was rec-ognized by the Sommers AlumniAssociation, by awarding Ed theGeorge D. Hedrick Memorial Vol-unteer Service Award in 1998.

Ed’s life and achievements showhis duty to himself. Anyone wouldbe proud to “be like Ed.”

Words from the General Managerby Doug Hirdler

As we prepare for OKPIK2000-2001, I wanted everyone toknow what has happened over thelast few months.* Our second highest figure of par-

ticipants experiencing the North-ern Tier program was recordedas 4,728 attended in 623 crewsduring the summer of 2000.

* We employed a staff of 185 to“Deliver Wilderness Adventure”to those registered throughNorthern Tier.

* 3,648 have already registered forthe 2001 season (this is 1,065more attendees than ever in anyNational Jamboree year.

* $530,000 worth of Capital Re-quests was approved. The fol-lowing projects were accepted:Atikokan Sewer Expansion; Ely- Build New Tent Drying Build-ing, Build New Staff Duplex,Build a Heated Sewage SystemBuilding, Complete Sewage Sys-

tem Study, and Replace Waste-water Treatment System; and forNorthern Tier - Purchase a 20004-WD Chevrolet Tahoe plus Pur-chase a Bobcat with a Backhoe.

* $463,000 worth of Capital Re-quests from previous years weretransferred into 2000. Theseprojects were transferred: Ely -Build Female Addition ontoShower/Sauna, Build NewBaypost, Re-roof Dining Hall,and Purchase Diesel 100 KWGenerator.

* Capital Requests for 2001 wereturned in totaling $712,000.Projects requested: Atikokan -Remodel 2 Crew Cabins, BuildNew Program Center, Build 2New Crew Cabins; Bissett -Build 1 New Crew Cabin andBuild an Addition onto the TentDrying Building for Outfittinguse; Ely - Additional Cost forBaypost/Tent Drying Facility;

and Northern Tier - Purchase2001 4-WD Chevrolet Tahoe.($1,705,000 will probably be

spent on Northern Tier Facilitiesand Equipment in a two year pe-riod of time compared to 1 and 1/2million from 1941 to 1987 and anadditional 1 and 1/2 million from1988 to 1997. The National Officeand the High Adventure Divisionare doing what is needed to bringour programs into the New Mil-lennium.)* Our first paid advertisement ap-

peared in the October issue ofScouting Magazine.

As we prepare for OKPIK -even this program should record ourhighest attendance over the lasteight years. But, without your sup-port since the inception of the Ca-noeing and OKPIK Programs noneof this would have happened.Thanks a MILLION!!!

canoe base. During these almost40 years, Ed and I developed awonderful friendship.

I came to know Ed as a personwho took his promises seriouslyand one who had a great apprecia-tion for the life principles he hadlearned through his being a BoyScout. Two promises Ed madewhile he was a Scout seemed to havebeen a very strong guiding force inhis life. The first promise Ed tookseriously as a Scout, was the ScoutOath - to do his duty to God, tocountry, to others, and to himself.The second promise Ed took seri-ously was his promise to give back

to Scouting. This was a promisethat Ed made when he achieved therank of Eagle Scout in 1931.

Ed’s commitment to God is ex-emplified by our presence here to-day in Edgcumbe PresbyterianChurch. Pastor Ray will commentmore on Ed’s duty to God in herremembrances of Ed.

Ed showed his commitment tohis country through his militaryservice and though his involvementin community activities. Theseactivities have included the com-munity chest, and the statetaxpayer’s association.

Ed’s duty to others, and hispromise togive backto Scout-ing, re-sulted inEd beinginvolved asan adultvolunteerduring hisentire life.He was ac-tive at thelocal trooplevel. Heserved atthe councillevel as thec o u n c i lpresidentand as fi-

Editor's note: These are excerptsfrom Butch Diesslin's remarks atthe memorial service for Ed on July20, 2000.)

I first met Ed in the early ‘60sat the Boy Scouts’ Sommers Ca-noe Base near Ely. Ed was a mem-ber of the canoe base advisory com-mittee and I was a guide at the ca-noe base during the summer whilegoing to college. I got to know Edmuch better over the years, while Icontinued on the canoe base sum-mer staff through the ‘70s while Itaught high school and then college.Since 1982, I have served with Edon the advisory committee for the

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True NorthBy Tim King

Editor's note: Tim says thisabout the name of the guide inhis story: "Just because theguide's hair is red doesn’t meanhis name was Mattson. Al-though I did go on a trip with afellow by that name, my guideis Everyguide." Ray may be flat-tered to be the prototype of"Everyguide." Tim was a guidein 1968. His older brother Johnwas also a guide.

When I was a kid weboys thought everything to thenorth was cleaner, purer. We werenot alone in that. The local judge’swife told me, in my early teens,that just knowing the vast north-ern forests were there helped herget through the day. “I’ll never gothere but that doesn’t matter,” shetold me from her rayon covered liv-ing room couch one day. She had agone look as she imagined the pu-rity and pull of the north. We boysintended to go north. Going theremattered. At night we would fallasleep facing east or west or south.We’d wake facing north. True, purenorth. Nothing we did during theday mattered unless it realignedour molecules to where our dreamshad left them. Besides ourselvesonly Elias assisted in this alignment.All the other adults, excepting thejudges wife, allowed the humdrumof their day to form their dreams.Not Elias. Elias was so old thenthat he had been a Latin teacher inpublic high school. Nobody Iknew, adult or child, could remem-ber any Latin any more. Elias hadbeen kicked upstairs into the stu-dent counselors office to await re-tirement. He was kind. He under-stood boys. He had old fashionedslicked back hair. Every summerhe took some of the older boysnorth. I was too young to go but Iheard stories. “The lakes are a hun-dred feet deep and you can see tothe bottom.” “We paddled for twodays and didn’t see anybody andwe hardly ever wore our clothes.”One group of boys reported com-ing across upturned canoes in midnowhere of a cool blue lake. Therewere bright white girls swimmingnaked around the silver canoes inthe dark water. They were laugh-ing. The boys sat around the campfire late into the night wonderingabout the girls. They poked sticks

into the fire and watched the or-ange sparks sail starward. A loonwailed. The boys ached for themystery of the girls to come in outthe dark and make them biggerthan themselves. Elias sat by him-self on the edge of the firelight. Hesmoked his pipe while his owndreams rose starward. “Awrightboys,” he’d close the day with.“It’s been a long one and daylightin the swamp is soon enough.” Oneof the highlights of a trip with Eliaswas bushwhacking. At that timethere were yet lakes where nobodyhad been for 40 or 50 years. Ormaybe never. Half way throughthe trip Elias and the young guidehe would travel with would get outthe yellow and blue map. The landwas yellow. Lakes were blue.Lakes with portage trails betweenthem had black dotted lines con-necting them across the yellow.Elias and the young guide wouldsip lip burning coffee, puff theirpipes and pore over the map insearch of blue with no connectingdotted lines. They’d point theirindex fingers into the mystery ofthe map and look at each otherthrough the steam of their coffee.In the morning the boys would rise.Daylight would be sending explor-atory fingers into the forest. Ameal of boiled rolled oats with driedapricots, coffee or cocoa, and thegreen wooden canoes would thenbe quietly slipped into still waters.Canoes would fade out and into fog.Good canoeists feathered theirpaddles so no noise was made. Noone spoke. Elias and the guide led.When they lay their paddles ontothe gunwales to study the map thenoise entered the hollow silence andechoed back from the invisible for-ested shore. The men too were in-visible in the silencing fog. Andthen the boys would glide out offog into a bay with black water,dark spruces and the new sun onyellow pond flowers. The youngguide, his wild hair flaming red,would be standing on shore peer-ing intently into the forested dark-ness. Elias would be knee deep inwater alongside his canoe, smokerising from his pipe. “Never touchthe canoe on the rocky shore,” wasa commandment. The guide wouldstride off, disappearing immedi-ately. The boys would wait in theircanoes. They would watch min-nows in the clear brassy water. Alight breeze began. Somebody

might say something. The sun be-gan to climb, warming the back of ahand holding a wooden canoepaddle. Somebody might answer.The guide would appear from theforest, wade into the water, shoul-der his small pack and roll the 100pound canoe from his thighs ontohis shoulders and slip back into theforest. No words were said. Hehad made a trail. The boys cameout of their canoes into the coolwater. Clumsier versions of theguide they shouldered packs. Thencanoes. And through the waterstumbled. Into the forest. The endsof their canoes dripped silver lakewater amongst the fern. The daywould be spent . Stumbling. Swat-ting. A boy has a bee sting. One isstuck to his knees in the mud.Needs encouragement, says Elias.A bright wide grassy meadow inthe midst of dense spruce, the giftof beaver long past. Steep climb-ing amidst treacherous boulders al-ways watching feet. How muchfurther. Sweat burning eyes.Shoulders ache relentlessly. Canoeoverhead blocks upward and for-ward vision. Balsam branchesscratch and tear and poke. Andthen, from atop a hill, a speck ofblue between birches. The guide islaughing, walking toward the boys.“Just down there,” he encourages.And the boys lighten and lengthentheir stride swinging down grace-fully between slender trees as theblue grows larger and now they aresplashing and laughing in the coolblack lake that has not heard boyyell before. Elias puts his packamong the green moss on shore andwatches. Lights his pipe. Some-times I would hear stories of largefish caught in these lakes. Or a greatmother bear with twins. Butmostly I’d learn what Elias taughtthe boys. They wouldn’t tell it inwords. It would be told when Iwould camp with the older boys.They would tell it in the deep sim-plicity of their camps. How theydestroyed no trees to gather fire-wood. Their carefully organizedcamp kitchens. The just right place-ment of the tents. Elias showedthem how to quiet their spirit. Healso taught them about service andhistory. Elias would never leave acampsite in the morning withoutcleaning it as if it were his home.The last campsite chore, the olderboys told me, was to collect enoughdry firewood for the next camper.

“In the evening we would writemessages and put them in a jar orcan where the next people couldfind them,” the older boys wouldrecount around a campfire. Mes-sages would tell what they saw orhow large the fish were or that theysaw the northern lights. Theywould be dated and would welcomethe visitor to the campsite. Theywould be signed and the writerwould say where they were from.It was a tradition of the old-timenorth country travelers like Eliasto leave those messages. It wastrue and pure. I spent that last win-ter repairing a canoe with Elias andthe older boys. That’s what theywould do in the winter when thelakes were frozen and school heldthem all captive. They were re-moving a damaged green canvasfrom a wooden canoe and coveringthe ribs with fiber glass. Theywould let me hold things for themand stand in the corners of theirstories. They named places they’dbeen. “Remember Pooh Bah,Wawiag, Kawishwi, Kawnipi,That-Man,” they’d say like Catho-lics intoning the rosary. That spring,just after ice out, Elias went canoe-ing after school. He never cameback. Every body was confused.And scared. They thought Eliashad drowned in the nearby river.Or a lake. There was a county widemanhunt. Some of the older boyshelped drag a lake or two. Theynever found his Thompson canoeor his paddle or the green canvasDuluth pack with the well-oiledleather straps. It was seven weeksbefore graduation and the town wasin an uproar. A lot of kids were leftwithout advice on whether to goto college or join the Navy. Thensummer started and people’s liveswent on and those who cared playedbase ball. I was scheduled to take atrip to the north with the older boysthat year. We went without Elias.They taught me some of the thingsthat he taught them. How to paddlequietly in the early morning. Howto collect dry firewood withoutdamaging the trees. I began to findwhat I was looking for in my dreamsof the north. That summer one ofmy brothers became old enough toget a job as a young guide. A fewyears later I applied for the job.During a March blizzard I got theletter of acceptance. In early June

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Reflections, page 5

I was to report for training. There was no signifi-cant moment between that blizzard and the greensummer day I arrived in the north. I spent the nextmonths under the sun and on the water teachingnew boys how to paddle quietly in the morningand how to organize an evening camp with a Zenlikesimplicity. I was learning also. That I was strongand my heart was free. I learned to take joy inpaddling in the rain with the wind at my back. Orin my face. I learned to find a portage trail byintuition. Always I traveled with boys and an olderman. The older men gave me, or I took, leader-ship. Their willingness to accept me as their equalcaused me to become their equal. That made for adeep bond. One night the men and boys slept intheir tents in the woods. I slept only in my blan-ket on the rocks by a water fall. The man came towake me in the morning. He shook my shouldergently and smiled. But always I traveled with Eliasas my guide. Toward the end of August that sum-mer the older man and I found a lake to bushwhackinto. A round blue pool in the middle of yellowpaper. No dotted black lines. My intuition toldme the place to go ashore was in a small dark bayringed by cedar. I could see the spot as we quietlypaddled toward shore. I jumped out of the canoeinto cold black water and waded ashore. Therewas an old blaze mark cut into a large cedar. Limecolored lichen grew on the grayed cut. I forgothow strong I had become. I could trot through theforest with a canoe on my shoulders. The trail hadbeen blazed with care but it had been a long timesince anybody had traveled this way. Thick moss

and fallen trees covered any sign of previous pas-sage. I often had to go back to guide the boysthrough. “This away.” “Careful of that root.” “Ex-cellent, good work.” “Why don’t you rest a bithere.” By mid day the flies were biting ferociously.The boys and the man were disheartened. Onlythe continual and regular reappearance of the blazesreassured them. They still shared my desire toreach the lake. The walk down to the lake was onthick green moss under fire scarred Norway pines.A red sand beach greeted us. Every one swam andsoothed insect bites in the healing waters. Theboys had a late afternoon lunch then and relaxed inthe falling sun. The man and I paddled to an islandto see if it was fit for camping. We discovered anold timers camp. Under great Norway pine was arotting hand hewn picnic table covered with brownneedles. Against one of the pine trunks was anample pile of firewood. Nailed under the table wasa message jar. I explained message jars to the manand he opened it. There were only four of them.The man picked one up to read. I did as well. I readthis: “July 14, 1968. I arrived here late afternoonto this beautiful lake. Fishing good. Caught twolake trout from deep water fifty yards off westshore of island. A larger walleye in the rocks justoff the north end. Black flies are very bad but now,after dark, are gone. Tonight there are wolves sing-ing and I heard a beaver slap its tail earlier. Welcometo this place fellow traveler.” The note was signedElias Jorgenson. Under the signature was the ad-dress: “Northwoods.”

Tim, Jan, & Colin King Maple Hill Farms RR 2Box 178A Long Prairie, MN 56347 320-732-6203

Christopher D. Breen Memorial Sea-sonal Staff Scholarship Endowment (seepage 8), and the annual operating bud-get of the Charles L. Sommers AlumniAssociation funded through the Cross-ing Portages Annual Giving Program.

Association Scholarship Awardsby Dave Hyink and Chuck Rose

True North(continued from page 4)

Northern Tier Seeking Digital Video Projector

Y2K Holiday Card: Get It. Design Y2K+1The Sommers Alumni Association holi-

day card for 2000 features the Bob Carypen-and-ink drawing of a pair of moose,browsing near a winter campsite. It has agreeting inside or it’s blank inside (page 12).

Bob Cary has provided the art for theHoliday cards, but now we’re looking for amember to do it. Write to Brook (TomHolleran, 2601 W. 3rd St., Marshfield, WI,

54449) for information. It’s the“Swamper Card Art contest.” The con-test is open to all members. The firstplace winner’s art will appear on the2001 Card. Prizes will be awarded, in-cluding a Kondos Guide Pack, canoepaddle by artisan Don Meany ofAtikokan, Ontario and Alumni Asso-ciation cards. The art must be black on

During 2000, the SAA awarded 32scholarships to Northern Tier seasonal stafftotaling $22,000. Each staff member is eli-gible to receive up to $3000 during theircareer. The scholarships are awarded di-rectly to the financial aid office of the staffmember’s school.

The following staff, having completedtheir second year at Northern Tier, received$500: Adam Beffa, Fort Lewis College;Melissa Bertelson, Cornell College; CarrieClifton, University of Manitoba; JenniferCowey, Fleming College; Evan Durland,Colorado State University; GarrettDurland, Fort Lewis College; Ben Fancher,Colorado State University; Alex Ferrier,Carleton University; Michael Goodwin,Georgia Institute of Technology; TrishGriffith, Fanshawe College; TiffanyHoward, University of Wyoming; KipKruger, University of Central Arkansas;John Lundy, University of Guelph; RobMcKeown, Durham College; Alex Nepple,University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; RyanPettigrew, Hendrix College; Kim Reid,Lambton College; Mike Ryan, St.Mary’sUniversity; Matthew Smith, Universityof Calgary; Melissa Stoops, University ofMissouri; Christa Tuttle, University ofWaterloo; and Mark Vancook, BishopsUniversity.

Third year staff receiving $1000 schol-arships were: Timothy Hartmann, Univer-sity of North Dakota; Darren King, WilfredLaurier University; Karl Kruger, Univer-sity of Minnesota-Duluth; Ben Matthies,University of Northern Iowa; NathanPrather, Washburn University; and RobertRichards, Iowa State University;

The fourth year staff awarded $1500scholarships were: Jeffrey Kracht, Mon-tana State University; Kevin McKee, Cam-brian College; and Elizabeth Orman (ChrisBreen Memorial Scholarship), Universityof North Dakota.

Fifth year staff member, Paul Laine,received a $500 to Laurentian University.He was a third year staff member when thescholarship program started and wasawarded scholarships the past two years.

Funds for these scholarships are madeavailable by personal contributions frommembers of the Northern Tier NationalHigh Adventure Committee, BSA, the

The Northern Tier has recently acquired alaptop computer. This computer allows us topresent Microsoft Power Point or other types ofdigital compositions for promotion and staff train-ing. What we need to complete this capability is aprojector that can be interfaced with the laptop.

This projector would have a lot of benefit forus as most of the Alumni who help with training

could do their presentations in Power Point andbring them to the base. These presentations couldbe used to train late-arriving staff members or asrefresher training. We could also publish some ofthis training in our web page.

If you have a source for a projector that couldbe donated, please contact Terry Schocke at:terry@ntier.org.

white paper, drawn or painted, clear, well-defined black andwhite photos will also be accepted.

Reflections, page 6

Millennium Rendezvous Draws Staffers fro

Fifty-eight years after the dedication of the lodge, Millennium Rendezvous attendees

Extra AttractionsOf course, anyone who attends a

Sommers Alumni Association Rendezvousalso has an opportunity to experience Elyculture. For some this means visits to JimBrandenburg's gallery. For others it’s a stopto chat with Joe Seliga, who attended theSaturday night banquet. For some it’s Ely’sfine restaurants. For others it’s the thrill ofa polka band amidst the aroma of cigarettesmoke and beer. For nearly all it’s high cul-ture (second floor) of the Yugoslav NationalHome, where a large gathering of SommersAlumni Members made merry.

Then there’s the wolf center, and thenearby Dorothy Molter Museum is an at-traction too. However, folks at the rendez-vous didn’t have to visit it to taste the offi-cial Dorothy Molter root beer. It was servedwith a meal in the dining hall.

The Breen Family gatSaturday nigh

Robert Olson spoke at Saturday's banquet.

Cory Kolodgi gave historical demonstrations in the Voyageurencampment on the trail from the lodge to the dining hall.

(continued from page 1)

Larry Whitmore, photographed by Paul Reitemeier. These picturesare by Paul and Larry. Paul is sixth from the left in the front rowof the group picture, wearing a black hat and white shirt.

Reflections, page 7

m Five Decades of Scout High Adventure

gather there. This picture was taken immediately following the 2000 annual meeting.

hered at the Northern Tier sign for a group photo. They attended the banquett for the presentation of the first Chris Breen Memorial Scholarship.

David Hanson gave hands-on blacksmithing demonstrations

Future RendezvousChuck Rose is now assuming control of

the events that will be part of the next Ren-dezvous, in 2002. Assisting him is LeroyHeikes. Contact them to ask for specificevents or to volunteer to help out. Keep inmind that the Voyageur theme is prevalent atreunions. A definition in the American Col-lege Dictionary identifies Voyageur as, "n.,pl. -geurs, French. a French Canadian or half-breed who is an expert woodsman and boat-man, esp. one hired as a guide by a fur com-pany whose stations are in remote and un-settled regions. [F. der. voyager travel].

Paul Holtein one of

the "SilverPaddle

Brigade"hats

presentedto

memberswho gavethe basesweatequity.

Larry Whitmore (l) and Jeff Cahill (r) leading the Friday night singing. RogerClapp joined in on harmonica, but eluded photography.

Reflections, page 8

Outgoing-President’sMessage

(continued from page 2)

Crossing Portages Campaign in Full SwingCrossing Portages: The Journey

Continues is the Association’s2000-2004 Annual Financial Sup-port Program. Members make 5-year pledges, paid annually, thatmake up the bulk of our annualoperating budget. Craig Pendergraftand Dave Hyink report that Cross-ing Portages letters and pledgesheets have been sent to all SAAmembers. Our goal is to give ev-eryone the opportunity to partici-pate and support our efforts finan-cially. If you’ve returned yours –Thank you very much! If not,please do so – even if you choosenot to participate. By doing so, itwill minimize our follow-up effortsand allow more of our resources togo directly to SAA programs.

Returns thus far are very en-couraging. Look for a complete re-

Chris Breen Memorial Scholarship Endowedby Dave Hyink

Dr. John Breen, father of Chris, with Liz Orman. Liz wasawarded the first Chris Breen Memorial Scholarship.

The family and friends of thelate Chris Breen have established aspecial scholarship, endowedthrough the Charles L. SommersAlumni Association, Inc. and theNorthern Tier National High Ad-venture Committee, BSA. Thisscholarship is awarded to a North-

Chris Breen, when he was aNorthern Tier staff member

The Dustby Lodgepole Lar

Iam the DustThat Blew into their facesAs Their Horses Dragged the

Travois Across the PrairieIam the MudThat Clung to Their Feet, as

Their Plows Cut Into MeIam the Substance of All LifeI Hold Your Body, Fast to Me!Iam the Dirt!

That blew into Your Windowsand Doors

That Covered Your FieldsThat Took back What I had

GivenIam Many ColorsLike Those of ManIam That which with Sun Light

and WaterGive You All of What You Are!

And Shall Be!Do Not Abuse! MeOnly Wisely Use! MeFor What IamIs Your Fair, Sweet Mother!And I shall Cover YouIn The End!And take You Back Into MeFrom Whence You CameOnly To Begin again!

port in an upcoming issue of Re-flections.

I’ve seen plenty in my 35 years ofScouting. I am, however, confidentthat SAA will not be one of thosecasualties. And, you can count onme to do whatever I can to preventit!

SAA’s formal leadership struc-ture is embodied in twelve Direc-tors, elected by the membership.Informally, we see exceptional lead-ership displayed by many beyondthat group. Each year the Direc-tors select an Executive Commit-tee (from sitting Directors andMembers-at-Large) and empowerthem to conduct the day-to-daybusiness of the Association. Fromthe members of the Executive Com-mittee, the Directors also elect theofficers. It has been my great honorand privilege to serve seven groupsof Directors. It will also be myhonor and privilege to continue toserve as an Association Directorand member of the Executive Com-mittee for at least another year.

Taking over as your new Presi-dent will be newly elected Direc-tor, Allen Rench. Allen is a “sec-ond-generation” alumnus whosefamily has a long history of servingthe Canoe Base. Allen distin-guished himself last year as he or-ganized and led the Labor Daycleanup effort in the aftermath ofthe July 4th windstorm. He is ayoung man of vision, passion andenergy who will certainly, witheveryone’s support, help take theSAA to new places and to new lev-els.

As the mantel of leadershippasses to Allen, I offer my per-sonal thanks to each and every oneof you for your support these pastseven years. Together, we have putour Association on solid footing. Itrust that you will continue to say“yes” when it’s Allen doing the ask-ing.

ern Tiers e a s o n a lstaff mem-ber whoembodiesthe “cando atti-tude” and“service toS c o u t s ”that wasC h r i s ’l e g a c y .The selec-tion ismade annu-ally by thep r o f e s -sional staffof theNorthernTier Na-tional High Adventure Program,from those staff members seekinga Seasonal Staff Scholarship. Eachyear, the recipient’s name will be

added to a plaque displayed in theCharles L. Sommers Lodge in Elyand at the Northern ExpeditionsBase in Bissett. The 2000 Chris

Breen Memorial Scholarship wasawarded to Elizabeth Orman, afourth year staff member fromDuluth, MN who attends the Uni-versity of North Dakota.

Reflections, page 9

The Canoe Base Connectionby Butch Diesslin

It’s amazing how often a mu-tual connection to Northern Tierturns out to be a very positive thing.Back in May a “Base Connection”became a positive healing factor.

Just after noon when I woke upin intensive care after a double coro-nary artery bypass, I heard thevoice of the nurse calming me andreminding me of the need for theventilator tubes that were gaggingme. A while later, when the tubeswere removed Jeff introduced him-self again. When I was able to re-spond, Jeff the nurse mentioned hisplanned trip to the BWCAW via aLake One entry and wondered if Ihad ever fished down that way. Igrunt an affirmative, but could notdo much with sentences.

Jeff understood that I wasbreathing on my own, but neededto breathe deeper - within reason -to speed my recovery. We had acommon topic - walleye fishing inthe BWCAW. As time went alonghe asked a lot of questions that Icould answer in a word or two-‘walleyes’; ‘minnows’; ‘leecheslater’; ’10 feet’; ‘on bottom’; ‘incurrent’; ‘reefs in August’ . . . Itspeaks highly of his training andunderstanding of the needs of hispatients.

Jeff’s shift ended at 7 PM. Thenight nurse was very skilled also,but we didn’t make a quick conver-sational connection and I was readyfor some rest. I had a very quietnight and was well rested when Jeffcame back on duty at 7 the nextmorning. I was able to talk in shortsentences by then. Jeff extendedthe scope of our conversation tocanoeing experiences. I mentionedhaving worked at Sommers CanoeBase. Jeff had been on a tripthrough Sommers in the mid-sev-enties, and that was one of the rea-sons he was living and working inDuluth, MN. He had been on ahard trip with someone named‘Crazy Joe’. I was able to tell Jeffthat I was working at the base then,that I remembered “Crazy Joe”Keppert (’75-78), and that Joe wasnow in Eau Claire, WI.

The morning seemed to fly byas we talked more about fishing,canoeing the Quetico-Superior and‘Crazy Joe.’ By mid-morning I was

Within My Powerby Forest Witcraft, from Scouting, October 1950

These men would never haveknown that they had averted worldtragedy, yet actually they wouldhave been among the most impor-tant men who ever lived. All aboutme are boys. They are the makersof history, the builders of tomor-row. If I can have some part in guid-ing them up the trails of Scouting,on to the high road of noble charac-ter and constructive citizenship, Imay prove to be the most impor-tant man in their lives, the mostimportant man in my community.

A hundred years from now itwill not matter what my bank ac-count was, the sort of house I livedin, or the kind of car I drove. Butthe world may be different, be-cause I was important in the life ofa boy.

Forest Witcraft was director ofSommers Canoe Base in 1950.

I am not a Very Important Man,as importance is commonly rated.I do not have great wealth, controla big business, or occupy a posi-tion of great honor or authority. YetI may someday mould destiny. Forit is within my power to becomethe most important man in theworld in the life of a boy. And ev-ery boy is a potential atom bombin human history. A humble citi-zen like myself might have been theScoutmaster of a Troop in whichan undersized unhappy Austrianlad by the name of Adolph mighthave found a joyous boyhood, fullof the ideals of brotherhood, good-will, and kindness. And the worldwould have been different. Ahumble citizen like myself mighthave been the organizer of a ScoutTroop in which a Russian boycalled Joe might have learned thelessons of democratic cooperation.

ruled fit to leave intensive care. Jeffhad mixed feelings about my fasthealing and the loss of his source ofinformation.

You can probably tell similartales of how mutual connections toSommers Canoe Base have beenpositive factors in your lives, too.

Dick Shank receives Hedrick Award

Esther Hanson Remembered

The George D. Hedrick Volun-teer Service Award recognizes in-dividuals whose service and dedi-cation to the Northern Tier Na-tional High Adventure Program isnoteworthy in terms of both itsimpact and/or duration. Created in1995 and awarded by the SAA Di-rectors, the award honors theformer Region Ten Executive andardent Canoe Base supporter.

The 2000 recipient is Dr. Rich-ard Shank. Dick has been a mem-ber of the Northern Tier NationalHigh Adventure Committee since1984 and has taught wilderness firstaid to the seasonal staff for manyyears. He is also an active memberof the Seasonal Staff ScholarshipDevelopment Committee.

He joins the group of previous

Nora Seliga Dies

Esther Hanson passed away peacefully inher sleep on August 4, 2000 after a brief boutwith congestive heart failure.

Esther spent many summers at the CharlesL. Sommers Wilderness Canoe Base in the late1950s and the 1960s, with her husband CliffordJ. Hanson and their children C. Bruce, Dale andLorri.

Clifford J. Hanson was a Deputy RegionalExecutive in Region Ten and also served, from1956-1970, as the director of the wildernesscanoeing programs from Sommers Canoe Base.

The Hanson family spent their summersliving in what is now the “Hanson House,”which is located between the lodge and the com-missary at Sommers. The accompanying pic-ture of Esther and Lorri was taken by RoyConradi at the Hanson House naming dedica-tion, which took place in August, 1991 in con-junction with a Sommers staff reunion.

Esther and Cliff’s children each served onthe base seasonal staff.

Hedrick award recipients Robert“Red” Renner, Allan Batterman,Craig Pendergraft, the late Ed

Chapin, Gene Felton, HenryBradlich and Cherie Bridges-Sawinski.

Eleanor “Nora” Seliga, 89, diedSaturday, October 28, 2000 at Ely-Bloomensen Hospital. A memo-rial service was Tuesday, October31 at the Kerntz Funeral Chapel inEly. Memorials preferred to theAmerican Cancer Society.

News of her death came as Re-flections went to press. Our deep-est condolences to her husband andco-canoemaker, Joe. His addressfor messages of support: 224 E.Pattison St., Ely, MN 55731-1355.218/365-4645.

Reflections, page 10

Filling the Blank Spots on the MapBy Chuck Rose

As Lewis and Clark traveled theUpper Missouri, they namedinflowing streams and lakes aftertheir relatives, party members, orgirlfriends. When they ran out ofgirlfriends, they named rivers afterpoliticians (President Jefferson andother supporters). The streamshad native names, of course, butthey were recording the land for thefirst time for their culture; identi-fying the landmarks was essential.However, few of the names sur-vive on subsequent maps due tothe long delay in printing their jour-nals. French-Canadian explorerslike La Verendre faced a similarproblem when traveling through theQuetico-Superior and used a simi-lar solution. Lakes were given de-scriptive names (Rainy Lake for themist at its waterfall outlet), namedfor their shapes, to honor sponsors,and for girlfriends. On a 1975 ca-noe trip on Lake of the Woods, mytroop had a similar problem. Mostof the islands had no names at leaston the map, so (lacking girlfriends)we named the islands after our-selves. Filling the blank spots onthe maps was important to allkinds of people. During writtenhistory, several cultures have comeand gone in the Quetico-Superiorcanoe country. The first nativesrecorded were the Dakota (calledSioux by their enemies) whoyielded the unproductive but pic-turesque land to the Cree andOjibway in the 18th century whohad moved in from the east. Therewere a number of skirmishes in thearea, but the Dakota seemed to giveup the area much more quickly thanother areas such as central Minne-sota. The Ojibway were armedwith fur trade rifles, but to somethat explanation is insufficient.Forest ecologists Clifford and IsabelAhlgren speculate that the hunting-culture Dakota were dependant onlarge prey such as caribou, mooseand deer. The forest shifted to largepines that were less suitable tothose deer; the Ojibway culturewas better adapted to the new land-scape. The Ojibway were moremobile hunter-gatherers and pre-ferred birch bark covered wigwamsto Dakota hide covered teepees.Since native tribes did not have awritten language, their maps weremainly mental, names were passedon by oral tradition As a result,their lake names were often longand descriptive. Batchewaung is

Ojibway for “a current goingthrough narrows.” Kahshahpiwitranslates to “the lakes flowsthrough continuously,” anothertranslation says “long, narrow lakewith high cliffs.” Even Ojibwaylanguage experts have trouble trans-lating current names as the soundsto European ears and the spellings

are not always accurate. Voyageurnames still dot the map and definethe fur trade routes. Deux Riveres(two rivers), and Maligne (bad) aresome examples. Many place namesare English versions of earliernames including Knife Lake (afterthe hard, fine grained rock that wasquarried by the natives for cuttingtools), Curtain Falls was “rideau”in French. As different culturesmoved through, the map nameschanged. One of the next groups toleave their mark was the loggers.Many of the small lakes away fromthe main canoeing routes needednames so everyone involved couldcommunicate. It’s possible thatsome of the female lake names(Alice, Bernice, Fran and others)came from the wives and girlfriendsof these isolated men. The QueticoPark also honored World War I sol-diers by naming (off the beatenpath) lakes after them. Examplesinclude Devine, Fluker, Montgom-ery, Belaire, Tubman, Tario, andWilbur. Bush pilots are represented

Some Lake Name meanings and originsAmik - Ojibway for BeaverBitchu - Cree for LynxBlackstone - Leader of the last per-

manent residents of theQuetico, at the mouth of theWawiag River. He died in 1919trying to get help when theOjibway group suffered an in-fluenza epidemic. In the spring,the few survivors were movedto the Lac La Croix reservation.

Cutty and Sark - a fast sailing clip-per or maybe after the whiskeynamed for the ship.

Kawnipi - Ojibway for where thereare cranberries.

Keewatin - Ojibway for where thenorth wind blows from.

Chatterton, Keats, Shelley - 18th-19th century English poets.

Pooh Bah, Ko Ko (Falls), Yum Yum- Characters in the Gilbert andSullivan opera The Mikado.

Nym - a character in Shakespeare’s

Merry Wives of Windsor.Lac La Croix - translates from

French to lake of the cross, ex-plorer Sieur de la Croix drownedthere in 1688.

Tanner - after John Tanner, stolenas a young boy in Kentucky totake the place of a Shawneemother’s dead son, he becamefamous by his Indian name“White Falcon.” He was shotand left for dead on “his” lake,but was rescued by passingVoyageurs.

Last, but not least Quetico - Aname of uncertain origin, whichone is correct? I don’t know.

A. version of a Cree word for be-nevolent spirit

B. French for searching for routeto Pacific “Quete de la cote”

C. Ojibway for “bad, dangerous” D. short for Quebec Timber

Company.

by Curtis, Ptolemy, Reid, andSwartman. The Quetico also has atradition of naming lakes after parkpersonnel. Art, Atkins, Halliday,Payne, Lemay, Hurn, Buckingham,Dettbarn, Quinn, Rawn, and Val-ley were all Quetico rangers. Natu-ralist Shan Walshe received thishonor after his 1991 death. A

Friends of the Quetico bookletstates “This previously unnamedlake, remote, surrounded by standsof old pine at the end of difficultportages was the kind of place thatShan loved.” Of course, naminglakes after plants, animals, and geo-logic features was also common.Local lore varies on how certainlakes were named. Bill Magie wasan Ely canoe guide, surveyor, andlogger. In the book Wonderful Coun-try (edited by Charlie Guide DavidOlesen) Magie states: “One time,my boss told me, ‘Name some ofthose places!’ So, we did. HurnLake, that’s named after WalterHurn, the ranger at Kings Point.Jeff Lake is named after a ranger atOttawa Island. MacKenzie andFerguson were surveyors that were

workin’ on the park survey.Delahey Lake-I was the guy startednamin’ it Delahey. Delahey wasthe head Quetico ranger then. Iwrote him one day, I says, ‘Whydon’t you name some of thoselakes? There’s three or four rightin the center of the park that haven’tgot a name.’ Veron was his firstname. He named ‘em after him-self!” Well, he probably didn’t havea girlfriend. Note: other sourcessay that Delahey’s first name wasGeorge. Depending on the mapscale, there may not be room toprint the names of all the map fea-tures. As a result, officially namedlakes get additional names frompaddlers including Charlie Guides.Lakes with double or even triplenames from various sources includeDarky/Spirit, Fishhook/Earl,Donna/Irene, Argo/Trout, Tuck/Caribou, Brent/Infinity, Pine/Island/Nym, and Sanctuary/Lemay/Jenny.There are probably a few wives andgirlfriends in these mixtures. WhenCharlie Guides first started travel-ing in Manitoba, many of the lakeswere unnamed, at least on the map.So Lunch Lake became the namefor the resting spot in the middle ofthe Obukowin chain of portages,Scout Lake is our float plane cache,Hot Dog is a long, skinny lake, andeven though we don’t know thetranslation, Wapeskapek justseems like an endless lake. TheManitoba program started in largepart due to Real Berard’s canoeroute maps. In the Boundary Wa-ters, we can travel on Lakes One,Two, and Three. From his firstmaps on, Berard has predominantlyused place names from the nativeCree, Sasaginnigak Canoe Countryor Katunigan Route. “And doesn’tthat sound better than a number fora lake?” he asks.

References used: Lob Trees inthe Wilderness by Clifford & IsabelAhlgren, A Wonderful Country byBill Magee, Lake Names of theQuetico Provincial Park publishedby The Friends of the Quetico Park,The Map Maker by Carole Bhakarand Judy Lord in Manitoba Naturemagazine.

Calling All Seliga OwnersSince many of Joe Seliga’s

records were lost in his shop fire afew years ago, Dan Lindberg hasbeen working with him to help re-construct and update the current

list of Seliga owners. If you areone of them, you can forward yourserial number and any historical in-formation to: DAN_LINDBERG@udlp.com.

Reflections, page 11

Charles L. Sommers AlumniAssociation, Inc. 2000 AnnualMembership Meeting Minutes

The Annual Meeting of themembership of the Charles L.Sommers Alumni Association, Inc.;was held at the Charles L. SommersNational High Adventure Base,14798 Moose Lake Road, Ely, Min-nesota 55731; on the 2nd day ofSeptember A.D. 2000 at 1:30 P.M.,pursuant to Article III, Section 2 ofthe Bylaws of the Corporation.

The meeting was called to orderby President Dave Hyink.

There were approximately sixtymembers present. Members presentand the properly executed proxiesreceived constituted a quorum.

President Hyink opened themeeting by reading the poem UpNorth, by Sam Cook, author andformer canoe base participant.

A moment of silence was takento remember recently deceasedmembers of the Sommers Family:Robert D. Banks, Sr., former canoebase committee chairman and SAAlife member; Christopher D. Breen,former Northern Tier staff member;Edward B. Chapin, longtime canoebase committee member and SAAcharter life member; Esther Hanson,summer canoe base resident, wife offormer director Cliff Hanson andmother of former staff membersBruce, Dale and Lorri Hanson.

Election of Directors - ChuckRose, Pat Cox and Dave Greenlee.The nominating committee submit-ted the following candidates to fill

the expiring terms on the board ofdirectors: Barry Bain, Leroy Heikes,Lynn Reeve, Allen Rench, LinneaRenner and Brian Vollmer-Buhl. Themembership elected Lynn Reeve,Allen Rench, Linnea Renner andBrian Vollmer-Buhl to serve as di-rectors of the association until the2003 A.D., annual meeting of themembership.

Treasurer’s Report - Nigel Coo-per. The association is able to meetits financial obligations. The asso-ciation is working with the North-ern Tier National High Adventurecommittee on fiscal management ofthe seasonal staff scholarships.

Membership Committee Report- Butch Diesslin. Association mem-bership as of September 2 was 432members, about a 8% increase overthe past year. Members are asked toencourage membership of theiralumni contemporaries.

President’s Report - Dave HyinkPresident Hyink stressed the impor-tance of more members becomingactive as the association’s supportinitiatives are expanded. PresidentHyink encouraged all members toparticipate in the Crossing Portagesgiving program. President Hyinkhighlighted the increase in the num-ber of “hits” to www.holry.org. Daveemphasized the value of the SandyBridges Memorial Training Fund inaugmenting the seasonal staff train-ing. It was agreed that the BridgesTraining fund be perpetuated. It wasagreed that the Bridges Training fundshould be used to help cover expenses

for the staff visit to Old Ft. William,an appropriate resource book foreach of the seasonal staff members,and support materials for the furtrade history program. The North-ern Tier Seasonal Staff ScholarshipProgram, a joint effort with theNorthern Tier Committee, is pro-viding educational support for qual-ity seasonal staff members. Dave en-couraged members to participate inthe Alumni Work Week and assistwith Seasonal Staff Training. Bob“Red” Renner commented on howproductive and how enjoyable theWork Week has been and encour-aged others to join in the work andthe fun. Members are encouraged toadd their Miniature Paddle Brand tothe display.

OLD BUSINESS There were noitems of Old Business.

NEW BUSINESS Motion byRoger Clapp/Mark Nordstrom - thatthe alumni association spend up to$1,000 to begin building a fur tradeera costume collection, for seasonalstaff members to use in conjunctionwith the base’s Living History Pro-gram. Motion Carried. The motionwas in response to Martin Sawinski’srequest for such costumes and thecost burden on the seasonal staffmembers. The estimated cost of eachcostume is $150-200. Martin wasthanked for his request.

Motion by Bob Renner/DaveGreenlee - that a plaque identifyingcurrent alumni directors and officersbe made and displayed at Sommers.Motion carried.

Motion by Pat Cox/Cyd Cooper- that a memorial plaque to ChrisBreen be made and displayed at theBissett base. Motion carried.

Honorary Memberships. Themembers of the association approvedHonorary memberships Chris Breenand Winnie Renner.

Hedrick Awards. The directors ofthe association presented the GeorgeD. Hedrick Memorial Volunteer Ser-vice Award for 2000 to Dr. DickShank, an annual volunteer assistantwith seasonal staff training, an asso-ciation life member and a NorthernTier committee member.

OTHER BUSINESS MikeSawinski reported that there is re-newed interest in using wood-canvascanoes by the summer staff. Mikesaid the Sommers base now has 5wood-canvas canoes available for thestaff to use and maintain. Mike wouldlike Sommers to have 10-12 woodcanvas canoes for staff use.

Alumni members Larry Hansonand Chuck Rose are trying to make adatabase of all the canoes that havebeen made over the years by JoeSeliga. They would appreciate know-ing the serial numbers and currentowners of as many Seliga canoes aspossible.

ADJOURNMENT - There beingno further business, the meeting ad-journed at 2:57 P.M. The meetingwas closed with a rousing chorus of“The Far Northland”.

Blaine R. “Butch” Diesslin Asso-ciation Secretary

Charles L. Sommers Alumni Association, Inc.Personal Information Update

NAME:_______________________________________________________________________________________________

(Last) (First) (M.I.) (Maiden)

ADDRESS:____________________________________________________________________________________________

(Street) (City, State, Zip) (Country)

TELEPHONE: _______________________ ______________________ ____________________ _____________________

(Home) (Work) (Fax) (Other)

E-MAIL ADDRESS: __________________________________________________ REGISTERED SCOUTER?

Yes _____ No _____

OCCUPATION: _____________________________________________________ SCOUTING POSITION(S):

EMPLOYER: _______________________________________________________ ______________________________

LOCAL SCOUT COUNCIL: __________________________________________ ______________________________

NORTHERN TIER/SOMMERS STAFF& PARTICIPATION BACKGROUND

YEAR(S) POSITION YEARS POSITION

____________ ______________________________ ___________ _______________________________Send to: Sommers Alumni Association, P.O. Box 428, Ely, MN 55731-0428

or e-mail to Butch Diesslin at butchnlucy@juno.com

Reflections, page 12NONPROFIT

POSTAGEPAID

Ely MNPERMIT NO. 102

SOMMERS ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONPO BOX 428ELY MN 55731

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

2000 SAA Holiday Greeting Card SaleCharles L. Sommers Alumni

Association is taking orders fornew Holiday Greeting Cards. Youcan use the cards to send holidaygreetings as well as send a messageof commitment to Northern TierHigh Adventure programs.

This year’s card features BobCary’s drawing of a pair of moosenear a winter camp. See it on page5 of this newsletter. It’s printed us-ing highest quality thermographyon premium cards of recycled pa-per. The cards are blank inside, or

have a Holiday greeting. The backof the card carries a message aboutNorthern Tier High Adventure.This is a distinctive and very hand-some greeting card. The cards come25 per package, including enve-lopes. A limited number of 1993,

1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and1999 cards: “Sled Dogs,” “Com-missary,” “Lodge,” “HansonHouse,” “Canoe Yard,” and “Gate-way” are available at discountedprices. All orders are subject toavailability.

Quantity Holiday Greeting/Blank inside____ 2000 Cards - Pre-order x $25.00= ____________ 1999 Cards - Sled dogs pulling Christmas Tree __/__ x $20.00= ____________ 1998 Cards - Commissary NA/__ x $20.00= ____________ 1997 Cards - Portage at Basswood Falls __/NA x $20.00= ____________ 1996 Cards - Fort Gateway __/NA x $20.00= ____________ 1995 Cards - Canoe Yard __/NA x $20.00= ____________ 1994 Cards - Hanson House __/__ x $20.00= ____________ 1993 Cards - Winter Lodge NA/__ x $20.00= ____________ 1993 Cards - Summer Lodge NA/__ x $20.00= ____________ Holiday Sampler - 25 assorted cards x $20.00 _____________ Special, save 40%, off original issue price. 1999-1993 x $75.00= ________

(five boxes, 125 cards) Our choice. Will try to honor requests.____ Tax Deductible Gift to the Alumni Association for 2000 ___________

FREE SHIPPINGTotal ________________

SAA Holiday Card SalePO Box 428Ely, MN 55731-0428

Ship to: ____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________