Volume 2, Issue 4 recess Edition September 13, 2013

By now you've settled back into your normal rou-tine (even though there may be a certain song or tune constantly playing in the back of your mind) but the time will pass quickly and we'll all be back at Gilwell before you know it. The planning and preparation you do during this interim period will define the quality of the second weekend of Wood Badge. Who's bringing the food? Who has the cof-fee pot? Who has responsibility to bring the patrol totems? What about the project? You get the idea. Don't let your team down.

And those questions are all about your Patrol. What about you individually. Will I remember my chair? My rain gear? My pillow? What about my work clothes and tools for the conservation project? And what about my hat, songbook, activity shirt and name badge? And then there are those ticket goals. Has your Vision become more clear as you develop your ticket goals and start to make mental plans on how this will get done in the 18 months allowed? Planting acorns can be hard work but fun at the same time.

The second weekend at Wood Badge is a contin-ued learning experience but it's also a wonderful time with the other members of your Patrol and the rest of the Troop. The staff is still working hard with final preparations and I know you've seen the ex-citement that comes with executing this course. Come back September 19th prepared. Sounds like a good motto to me.

Ron Peterson

Scoutmaster, Troop 1

Ron Peterson—Course Director John Duncan—Senior Patrol Leader

B. P. and the Beads

This story is taken from the Australian Scout Handbook pub-lished in 1973. Enjoy.

The place was Zululand, in the heart of a strange continent. The main army of African warriors had surrendered to the English forces, but a few bands were still to be rounded up. A young Army captain was leading his men on one of these expeditions, using new methods of observation, camouflage and scouting.

He was lying face down on the top of a cliff, looking for native scouts. His orderly waited well behind him in the bushes. The young captain was noting the countryside beneath, waiting for an enemy scout to betray himself by sudden movement.

Suddenly, a glinting spear rose behind the young officer, who was still face down on the cliff. The spear revealed itself in the hand of a mighty, colorfully plumed Usute warrior, just about to spring forward. A shout came from the orderly. The young officer, obviously alert and in first-class condition, sprang up and around in one movement. The warrior was taken off balance. He sprang back into cover. The officer rushed towards the spot, revolver drawn—but he did not shoot, though he could have done so suc-cessfully.

Thinking quickly, he decided to track the native to his hideout. This he did and found a gully in the great bulk of cliff where many natives were packed together. The officer moved towards them, and as he did, women screamed, for they feared revenge. A small baby fell off a rock in all the confusion.

The young captain, to everyone’s surprise, picked up the baby, soothed it, and gave it his lanyard to play with. The noise died. Natives peered out and could not believe their eyes. Realizing now the intention of the officer, and knowing his tribe’s needs, the chief surrendered. The chief was none other than Dinizulu, the owner of the famous beads of which Scouters may wear cop-ies of when they complete Wood Badge. And the brave young officer was our own Robert Baden-Powell, whom we know as B.P.

Gilwell Gazette - Wood Badge Recess Edition

Page 2

Volo Bog State Natural Area

Or was there? The second weekend of our Wood Badge experience will fea-

ture Patrol camping and Leave No Trace (LNT) methodology. While the or-

ganization of LNT might be new to you, chances are you learned some of the

principles of LNT growing up.

Remember the saying “Only you can prevent Forest Fires?”

That was first spoken in 1949 by Smoky the Bear, the representative of the

US Forest Service (shown on the left for the 50th Anniversary of the BSA!).

And don’t forget “Give a hoot—don’t pollute!”

That spoken on the first Earth Day in 1970 by Woodsy Owl as part of the US

Forest Service campaign to raise awareness of protecting the environment.

Leave No Trace– it’s been taught by some of our best childhood role models

from the beginning. Leave a legacy and pass it onto the next generation!

To teach your troop or pack about Leave No Trace sign up for The Trainer

Course which assists participants in learning more about the seven principles

of Leave No Trace and techniques for disseminating theses low impact skills.

The next course is November 16-17. Sign up at www.neic.org

Forty-five miles northwest of Chicago in Lake County, Volo Bog is the only “quaking” bog in Illinois. The bog is a regis-tered National Natural Landmark and a dedicated nature preserve. Picnicking, hiking, and cross country skiing are offered at the site. There is an abundance of unique plants and wildlife that can be seen in Volo Bog. Volo Bog State Natural Area is home to Illinois' only remaining open-water quaking bog. A gift of the Wisconsin Glacier, Volo Bog began forming in a kettle hole lake over 6,000 years ago. A floating mat of vegetation encroached from the lake edges toward the center. The initial plant community included sphagnum mosses and sedges. As these plants died, they did not decompose but formed a floating substrate of peat from which more plants grew. As the mat thickened, it supported larger plants such as cranberry, leatherleaf and poison sumac. Deciduous tamarack pines gained a foothold as the mat thickened to support their increasing weight. Highbush blueberry, the carnivorous pitcher plant and several orchids also make their home in Volo Bog. Today, five plant communities encircle a half-acre pond like a target. The pond has no true bottom; suspended peat thickens toward the bottom of the old kettle hole 50+ feet below. A 1/2 mile trail including a wooden boardwalk loops through all the stages of bog succession to overlook the center pond. Volo Bog was designated an Illinois Nature Preserve in 1970 and a National Natural Landmark in 1973. It is an excellent outdoor laboratory and classroom. To set up a visit with your troop or pack call Stacy Iwanak at 815-344-1294

Mink in the marsh zone

BACK WHEN I WAS A KID, THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS LEAVE NO TRACE….

Page 3

WHEN DOES WOOD BADGE

START?

On Thursday, September 19, check in begins at 7:15 am with morning Gilwell starting at 8:00 am and it continues nonstop until Sat-urday at 5:00 pm.

DON’T FORGET TO BRING BACK THESE ITEMS

FOR WEEKEND 2

Class A uniform

Wood Badge hat

Song Book

Name Badge

Neckerchief & Woggle

Activity Shirt

Water bottle

Chair

5 Ticket Goals

FUN HOW DO WE GET OUR GEAR TO OUR CAMPSITE?

One vehicle at a time is the answer! ONLY one vehicle per patrol will be allowed in the camp at a time, but once the first vehicle returns to the parking spot from unloading, a second vehicle can proceed to your site. Once you arrive gather your patrol gear and consolidate it down to one or two vehicles. After morning Gilwell Assembly you be shown a proper Leave No Trace campsite and then you will be released to to return to your cars or proceed with your Troop Guide to your des-

ignated campsite. When the assigned members of the patrol show up at your campsite with the gear you can start to set up camp. There will be a patrol emblem for the vehicle that is allowed into the camping area and with-out that emblem no vehicles are allowed past the front park-ing spaces.

Questions about weekend 2?

WHAT FOOD IS BEING SERVED?

Your patrols will be the Quartermasters for this weekend, please remember that you have no refrigerator to keep your items cold, Food must be packed and protected in such a way that you won’t need your trailer as no trailers will be in campsites. Your patrol needs to be self sufficient as to ice for the entire weekend. If that is too difficult we may be able to have the Support team make an “ice run” so do the best you can and we’ll monitor things throughout next weekend.

There also will be no microwaves, re-member your camp stove or cooking equipment to camp over a open fire. So being the trustworthy Scouts that we are we need to honor the law that pro-hibits bringing firewood from Illinois into Wisconsin. You are welcome to bring wood to Crown for your patrol fires but it must be obtained in Wisconsin. If the weather is not too cold you will probably

have at most, four fires (Friday night, Saturday morning, Sat-urday night and Sunday morning.) Plan accordingly but please do not bring any wood from Illinois to Wood Badge. Don’t forgot about your Patrols contribution for the mid day feast on Day 6 (Saturday), remember we’re feeding about 65-70 people. All receipts and /or money must be returned to us for our booking records.

Wood Badge Trading Post

The Trading Post will be open during the course at breaks. You can purchase or order Wood Badge patches as well as items to show pride in your course and in your critter. We will be able to accept credit cards for this session. Profits from these sales go towards the Wood Badge Schol-arship Fund.

Pictures sent to Gilwell Editor taken Weekend 1

THROUGH NORMAN’S EYES

The great artist Norman Rockwell worked with BSA for many

years. In fact, his first job was with Boys Life! Through Nor-

man’s eyes, we have glimpses of the early days in the BSA.

This daily article will feature a Norman Rockwell painting

and share some insight of what Norman saw when he painted

the Boy Scouts of America.

Today’s featured Rockwell Print, “Men of Tomorrow” shows

a young Cub Scout dreaming of his first Boy Scout adventure.

In his right hand we see a book—probably his Cub Scout

handbook. I believe he just finished reading a chapter on

camping. In a couple years, this young Cub Scout will be able

to join his older brothers in the Boy Scout Troop at the annual

canoe trip. You can see by the packs on their backs, they are

traveling with all of their equipment as they portage the ca-

noes along the trail. These are strong lads. Notice how the

whole Troop wears the same uniform—they look sharp. Now

the Boys scouts might look a little “too clean” for a canoe trip,

but in the imagination of this Cub Scout—this is what the Boy

Scouts look like. Broad campaign hats, red neckerchiefs, and

long green socks—the uniform of a real Boy Scout. You can

see the right angle flashlights and pocket knives clipped to

their belts. If you look closely at the lead Boy Scout you can

see a the red Life Rank Badge on of his left shirt pocket. This

older, seasoned Scout is leading the way for the whole Troop.

The line of eye contact between the day dreaming Cub Scout

and the lead Boy Scout suggests the young Cub Scout dreams

of someday becoming that older Scout who leads the “Men of

Tomorrow”. MF

Gilwell Gazette - Wood Badge Recess Edition

If Found Please Return

to ...

I am so not paid

enough for this!

ROCKET BOYS

Having A Ball!

Owl Power

The things I do for a

Tootsie Pop

Now tape my hand to the rocket...

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!