1

(Hermantown, MN. – March

5, 2008) The Voyageurs Area

Council, Boy Scouts of

America has been recognized

w i th the p r e s t i g i ous

“Centennial Quality Council”

designation for 2007 by the

National Council of the Boy

Scouts of America. It is the first time since 2003 that

the Council has achieved Quality Council status.

The Council received this recognition under the

leadership of President Dave Sauer, Commissioner

Rock Gillson and Scout Executive Kevin Nichols of

the Voyageurs Area Council.

“It's only through significant hard work from

volunteers and professionals alike that a council can

meet the Centennial Quality Council requirements.

Everyone in the Council helped in his or her own way

toward our reaching this goal, so everyone in the

Council should be proud of this achievement,” said

Sauer.

In order to receive this recognition, the Council

achieved a balanced budget and offered quality

programs. The Council used its camping facilities and

hosted several activities to help units ensure that

Scouts were advancing. To encourage literacy, the

majority of youth members in the Council received

Boys’ Life magazine, the official magazine of Scouting

for youth.

The Voyageurs Area Council served more than 4,000

youth and more than 1,500 adult members in northern

Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Gogebic County of

Michigan.

Volume 14, Issue 2 www.vac-bsa.org Spring 2008

ANNUAL RECOGNITION

DINNER SET FOR MAY 3

The Voyageurs Area Council Annual Meeting and

Recognition Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, May 3,

2008 in the Grand Ballroom at the Radisson Hotel in

Duluth.

The Annual Recognition Dinner is our opportunity to

recognize those Scouters who have made 2007 so

successful for the Voyageurs Area Council.

The Council Annual Meeting will be held at 5:00 PM

prior to the dinner. The Annual Meeting will also be

held at the Radisson.

Carole Hawkinson is chairing the 2007 Silver

Beaver Selection Committee. The Silver Beaver

Award is the highest award a Council can award to

local volunteers and is presented at the Annual

Dinner.

A sign-up form for the dinner can be found on page 10.

For more information on the Council Annual

Recognition Dinner, contact the Council Service

Center at (218) 729-5811 or (800) 939-5811.

JAMAR GOLF

CLASSIC

SCHEDULED

Jim Olson, Chairman of the 2008

Jamar Golf Classic, announced the

13th Annual Classic is scheduled for

Monday, August 11, 2008 at

Ridgeview Country Club.

All interested golfers are invited to play in the

tournament. The cost for this year’s tournament is

$150 per participant. This cost includes your green

fee, cart and a banquet following the Golf Classic.

Winners will be for low gross and low net. There will

be a contest on each hole in which a player can

participate in. A silent auction will be held

immediately following the golf tournament and prior to

the banquet.

If you do not receive a golf tournament brochure in the

month of April, contact the Council Service Center at

(218) 729-5811 or (800) 939-5811 and we will see that

one is mailed to you.

2

Ernie Stauffenecker, Vice-

President of Strategic Planning

has announced that the Voyageurs

Area Council is in the final stages

of development of the Council’s

Long Range Plan. It will lead our

efforts to achieve the Council’s

vision, “to be the premier youth

organization providing character

development opportunities to a

d i v e r s e a n d i n c l u s i v e

membership.”

Ernie and his Strategic Planning

Committee; Dave Smith, Reid

Haglin, Dan Jordan and Rick

Klun, have been meeting and

working on the details of the plan

for over a year. Recently, the

committee led the Council officers,

members of the board, and district

and unit representatives from

around the Council through a

series of workshops that helped set

the h igh- leve l goals , the

benchmarks and the action items

to be accomplished to meet the

vision of the plan.

The high-level objectives include:

Su ppo r t ing Q ua l i t y U n i t

Programs, Developing Quality and

Effective Leadership, Serving a

Greater Number of Youth,

Marketing the Scouting Brand and

Ensuring Sound Financia l

Development.

The 2008 – 2012 Strategic Plan

will be posted on our Council

website after its release. Please

take a look at your Council’s long

range plans and become a part of

our legacy.

2008 – 2012 Council Strategic Plan to be

Released at May 3 Annual Meeting

Did you know that over $300,000 in unit commissions

was earned by Voyageurs Area Council units during

the Fall 2007 Trail’s End Gourmet Popcorn sale?

Wow!

This spring the Council is providing an opportunity for

Scouts to raise funds to attend long-term summer

camp, Cub Scout Day Camp or Venture Activities

Camp. We will be conducting a Spring Popcorn Sale,

enabling units to designate the commission earned to

Scouts to use towards their camp fund. All

commissions will be in cash and average 5% of the

youth’s sale. The higher the sales, the higher the youth

cash prize. There will be no prize program available

for the spring sale. You can participate in this Spring

Popcorn Sale as a unit or individual Scouts who would

like to earn money for camp can sell on his own. These

individual Scouts can designate their commission to go

to the summer camp or a high adventure activity (i.e.

Jamboree, Philmont) they will be attending to help pay

the camp fees. We hope your unit will enjoy this

Spring Popcorn Sale, which will provide Scouts ample

opportunity to help earn their way to camp.

Fill the Sheet Bonus – All Scouts who fill their sales

sheet (25 individual sales) will receive $5 in Scout

Bucks that can be used in the Voyageurs Area Council

Scout Shop or at any Voyageurs Area Council Camp

Trading Post.

We will be trying a new item during the Spring sale,

Trail’s End Mix (20 oz Cashews, Almonds, Cranberries,

Raisins, M & M’s and Peanuts). This will be in addition to the

items that were available during the fall sale.

Now, we will still have the fabulous Fall Popcorn Sale

in time for the holidays this year, but let’s try this

Springtime Take Order Sale. The sale will run April

1 through April 26. Orders will be due at the Council

Service Center Monday, April 29 by 10:00 am.

Popcorn pick-up will be by May 8 – 13. Money will be

due in the Council Service Center on Thursday, May

22. Commission checks will be mailed after June 13 if

all money and paperwork is complete and turned in.

All the forms and information you need will be mailed

to you when you let us know you want to participate

SPRING POPCORN SALE

EAGLE

RECOGNITION

BANQUET

David Marshall, Chairman of the

Voyageurs Area Council National

Eagle Scout Association, announced

that the Annual Eagle Scout

Recognition Banquet has been

tentatively scheduled for Monday,

May 13, 2008 at the DECC in

Duluth. The date and location may

change due to speaker availability.

All Scouts who have received their

Eagle Award during 2007 will

receive an invitation in the mail to

sign up the for banquet. Scouts will

be sponsored by community leaders

who are also Eagle Scouts. The

sponsor will pay the fee for the

Eagle Scout at the banquet.

For additional information on the

Eagle Scout Recognition Banquet,

contact the Council Service Center

at (218) 729-5811.

3

Winter cold has been

great for Zero Hero

campers and Klondike

participants, but

preparing for summer

camping and outdoor

adventures are thrilling thoughts. There is still room

for High Adventure program opportunities--be sure to

check the Council web site for listings--and try to make

resident summer camp a reality for every Scout in your

Troop.

Unit Pinewood Derby action has been exciting in

preparation for electrifying Expos across the Council.

What a perfect time to showcase Scouting

opportunities and invite new boys and adults to join

Scouting fun!

A special “Thank You” to FOS supporters, but for those

that missed the chance to give, be sure to contact your

District Executive or District Chairman. Invite adults

to training and be sure to keep the Wood Badge &

NYLT dates on “things to do” lists. Trained leaders

are helpful in developing a sound program, along with

Boys’ Life in each family!

We are approaching our 100th Birthday--be sure your

unit is one of the Quality Centennial Units! Insure

that your charter is on time and discuss your unit

successes or concerns with your Commissioner prior to

review in October.

Thank you for making 2007 a year of various

accomplishments, but we need your hard work and

dedication to continue to attain goals. You are the key

to the realization of a strong program--determination,

dedication, details---what an impact your time is

making. Continue to light the trail for those that

follow, you are the beacon that is making a difference.

On the Trail,

RockRockRockRock

Commissioner’sCommissioner’sCommissioner’sCommissioner’s

CornerCornerCornerCorner Rock GillsonRock GillsonRock GillsonRock Gillson

Council CommissionerCouncil CommissionerCouncil CommissionerCouncil Commissioner

District Volunteer Workshop Set

for June 7

More than just basic training for district Scouters, the

District Volunteer Workshop offers insight into how

to create a successful district. This training helps you

and your district committee start the program year as

a focused, well-coordinated group of Scouters better

prepared to achieve the mission of the district and

council. This course is recommended for District

Chairmen, as well as committee chairs and members

of District Membership, Finance and Training

Committees. Also, members of Camping Promotion

and Outdoor Committees, District Activities and Civic

Service Committees and District Advancement and

Recognition Committees will benefit.

Whether you are already a district volunteer or are

new to the job, this training program will show what

your responsibilities are on the District Committee

team. Experienced volunteers and professional

Scouters will lead sessions that also explore how to

work together and accompl ish these

responsibilities. Plus, you will have the chance to

build relationships that could help you as a district

volunteer.

Watch for the registration form and flyer later this

month on the Council website.

The Council will again be

offering free “Put a Tiger in

Your Pack” patch to all youth

registered prior to June 30, 2008.

We are encouraging Packs to

conduct a Spring Recruiting

Program for Tiger Cubs in their

respective schools. Those youth

registered during the spring

recruiting campaign will also be eligible for the free

youth joining recognition item that will be given this fall

(to be determined). We strongly encourage your unit to

set a date to recruit kindergarten boys to join your Cub

Scout Pack as Tiger Cubs this spring. This will enable

them to participate in Cub Scout Day Camp this

summer and start right off with Cub Scout activities in

the fall. We strongly encourage the Pack’s participation

only if they have an active unit program planned for the

summer. We strongly urge the pack to have an activity

or outing each month during June through August for

all the Scouts, but especially the newly recruited Tiger

Cubs. The den activities samples include a fishing

derby, picnic, field trips to local hospital, fire department

or police department as well as Day Camp or Cub Scout

Overnight Camp.

Recruiting flyers, posters and other materials are

available for your unit to have a successful spring

recruiting campaign. Remember, all youth recruited

in the spring count toward your Race to Cub

Scouting goal.

PUT A TIGER IN YOUR

PACK

4

Since its founding in 1910, the Boy

Scouts of America has had fully

participating members with

physical, mental, learning and

emotional disabilities. The first

Chief Scout Executive, James E.

West had a disability. The best

guide to working with Scouts who

have a disability is to use good

common sense. It is obvious that a

Scout in a wheelchair may have

challenges fulfilling a hiking

requirement, but it might not be so

obvious when it comes to a Scout

with a learning disability. Use the

resources around you, and A

Guide to Working with Boy

Scouts with Disabilities or A

Guide to Working with Cub

Scouts with Disabilities. Begin

with the Scout and his parents;

seek guidance from them on how

best to work with the Scout. Seek

help from the Scout’s teachers,

doctor or physical therapist (after

receiving a statement from the

parents authorizing the release of

information). Each Scout will be

different, so no single plan will

work for every Scout. If the unit is

short on direct contact leaders, ask

the Scout’s parents to help, or

assign one or more skilled older

Scouts to be of assistance. The

Scout with a disability is expected

to do his best to the extent that his

ability will allow. Including a

Scout with disabilities in your unit

will require patience, but the

rewards will be great, for you and

for all of the members of your

Scout unit. For additional

assistance, contact Matthew

Bisbee (218-591-9181 or matthew.

bisbee@gmail.com).

SCOUTING IS FOR EVERYONE!

The Northern Tier National

High Adventure Bases

provide the finest in

w i l d e r n e s s c a n o e

expeditions. We offer fully

outfitted trips into the

Boundary Waters Canoe

Area Wi lde rne ss in

No r the rn Minne so ta ,

Quetico Provincial Park and

the White Otter-Turtle River Wilderness in southern

Ontario Canada and in Atikaki Provincial Park in

Manitoba Canada. We are one of the three national

high adventure bases (which include Philmont Scout

Ranch and the Florida Sea Base) and have been

providing wilderness adventure to Scouts, Explorers

and Venturers for over 80 years! Please consider the

Northern Tier for your unit’s next big adventure

expedition.

We will open reservations for the year 2009 on April

1, 2008 at 8:00 AM at the (218) 365-4811.

Unit Sign-Up Procedures:

1. Call our reservation number on April 1, 2008

between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM. If the line is busy,

please keep trying. The phone lines usually quiet

down in the afternoon. We will not fill during the

first day.

2. We do not accept fax or e-mail reservations.

3. Be prepared with the following information when

you call:

• Which base you wish to attend (Charles L.

Sommers in Ely, MN; Donald Rogert in

Atikokan, Ontario; or Northern Expeditions in

Bissett, Manitoba)

• How many crews you will be sending

maximum of 8 people per crew from Ely or

from Atikokan if going south into the Quetico

Provincial park, 11 from Bissett or Atikokan if

going north.)

• Several choices of arrival dates

• Trip length preferred (6 to 10 days) 6-day trips

offered only at Ely and Atikokan.

4. When you call in, your crew(s) will be assigned a

crew number and letter.

5. After you have made a tentative reservation with

us over the phone, you must fill out the

reservation form (with your Scout Executive’s

signature) and mail the form to us with a $300.00

per crew deposit. The deposit is non-transferable

and non-refundable.

6. If we do not receive the reservation form and

deposit within three weeks, your reservation is

subject to cancellation.

For more details, please visit our web page at www.

ntier.org, contact us for an information brochure and

reservation form or check with your local council

office.

Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases

Al Lipke Named 2008

Titan of Taconite

Al Lipke has been named the 2008

Titan of Taconite by the Hibbing

Winter Frolic Committee. The

retired I.S.D. 701 science instructor

will serve as Titan XLVI in a

continuous line of men deemed

since the origination of the award

in 1962, to have made “significant

contributions to the community.”

Lipke has been actively involved in

Boy Scouts since 1973 in every

capacity from a local pack leader to

organizing trips to national

gatherings.

For his years of service and

devotion to Scouting, Lipke has

been awarded the Silver Scout

Award, the District Award of Merit

and the Silver Beaver Award.

5

Join the fun of

learning about

“Excellence in

Sportsmanship”.

Do you know what

events Scouts

around the world

watch as the

Olympics are played? Or what

Sports belt loops you can earn? Or

what an athlete might eat to

maintain h is f i tness and

competitive edge? During your

time at Cub Scout Day Camp, we

will be answering all these

questions plus much, much more!

Voyageurs Area Council offers Cub

Scout Day Camps at various sites

throughout the Council. The idea

is to bring the program “Close to

Home” so it is convenient for your

Cub Scout and his Pack to attend

Day Camp. Packs can attend camp

in their District or in any or all

Districts.

The fee for each two-day camp is

$50.00. If you register before May

21, the Early Bird Fee is $35.00.

The registration deadline for each

camp is 21 days before the camp

begins. If a predetermined

number of Cub Scouts are not

registered by that date, the camp

may be cancelled.

Registration information and forms

for Cub Scout Day Camp are

available on the Council website at

www.vac-bsa.org.

2008 CUB SCOUT DAY

CAMPS

Eveleth Veteran’s Park June 10-11

Camp Horace Johnson 1 June 11-12

Carlton Co Fairgrounds June 17-18

Barnum

Wah Da Bong, Ironwood June 21-22

Rainy River Community June 21-22

College, Int’l Falls

Oak Hills Christian June 23-24

College, Bemidji

Camp Horace Johnson 2 June 25-26

St. Andrew’s Lutheran July 14-15

Church, Grand Rapids

Camp Newman, Superior July 19-20

Get ready for the first ever

Voyageurs Area Council Cub

Scout Overnight Adventure

Camp to be held on July 12-13,

2008 at Camp Chicagami (just

South of Eveleth)! This is a great

opportunity for Cub Scouts and

their adult partner (parent/

guardian) to enjoy the great

outdoors. You will sleep in tents,

enjoy fun activities and meet lots

of other great folks!

The registration fee for Cub Scout

Overnight Adventure Camp is

$50.00. per person. If you register

by June 15, the cost is $35.00 per

person. A predetermined number

of Cub Scout/parent teams must be

registered by June 21 for the camp

to be held.

So mark your calendars and be on

the lookout for more information.

Watch the Council website for

registration information.

CUB SCOUTS…GRAB YOUR TENTS

Spring Webelos Action Camp

has moved to Camp Chicagami

(just South of Eveleth) in Sleeping

Giant District! But this fun event

isn’t just for the Iron Rangers…it’s

for every first and second year

Webelos Scout in Voyageurs Area

Council.

Come for a great weekend of fun

and activities at Webelos Action

Camp. Experience the wonders of

camping out in a beautiful setting

and cooking a couple of meals over

your campfire.

The registration fee for Webelos

Action Camp is $50.00 per person.

If you register by May 21, the fee

will be $40.00. The registration

fee includes two meals (Saturday

supper and Sunday breakfast),

program materials, a patch and a

T-shirt. A sweatshirt can be

purchased for an additional

$20.00.

Mark you calendar because June

13-15, 2008 promises to be a

highlight of our Scouting year!

Please watch www.vac-bsa.org for

more details.

SPRING WAC MOVES TO CAMP CHICAGAMI

NATIONAL

SUMMERTIME PACK

AWARD 2008

C u b S c o u t

leader, now is

the time to gear

up for fun in

the sun this

summer. By

planning just

one Pack event

during June, July, and August

your Pack can earn the National

Summertime Pack Award, a

beautiful ribbon for your Pack flag

and a certificate. Individual boys

can also earn a special Smiling Sun

National Summertime Pack Award

pin by attending all three Pack

events! Complete details will be

coming in the Program Kickoff

Packets at your district’s program

kickoffs in May, but it is never too

early to plan for a fun and exciting

summer of Scouting. Don’t miss

the chance to carry the excitement

of Cub Scouting through the whole

year!

6

Scout

Night with

the Duluth

Huskies

The Voyageurs Area Council has

teamed up with the Duluth Huskies

baseball team to present the “Wade

Stadium Campout” on Saturday,

June 28, 2008. That evening, the

Huskies will play the Waterloo

Bucks and invite the Scouts and

their families to be their guests and

camp out on the outfield after the

game.

The game will get under way at

7:05 PM. As part of the pre-game

ceremonies, the Scouts will

participate in a parade of flags

(bring your unit and American

flags) just before the national

anthem. After the game, the Scouts

and their family members will be

allowed to pitch their tents on the

outfield. Bring your own tent and

bedding. (Please note: Cub

Scouts that plan to camp overnight

are required to have a parent/

guardian stay with them.) After

everyone is set up for the night,

we’ll show a movie on a big screen.

The next morning, the Huskies

staff will cook everyone breakfast.

Watch the Council website for more

information and registration

information.

Boy Scout Leader Basic Training

with Outdoor Leader Skills

April 18-20, 2008, Camp Horace Johnson Hosted by North Star District

Who should attend? The Boy Scout Leaders Basic Training with

Outdoor Leader Training Skills is part of the newly formatted Adult

Leader Training program of BSA. This training program is open to all

registered adult leaders including Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters

and Committee Members.

New Leader Essentials - Friday night 7- 9 pm is required training for

all adult leaders regardless of position. This is a one-time training, so if

you have taken it at a previous course you do not need to take it again.

Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training -

Saturday, 8:30 am - 5:15 pm is for all Scoutmasters and Assistant

Scoutmasters and is required along with the New Leader Essentials and

Outdoor Leader Skills to wear the Trained emblem.

Cub Scout Leader Specific Training - Saturday 12:30 - 3:00 pm - is

required for all Cub Scout leaders along with New Leader Essentials to

wear the Trained emblem.. Breakout sessions will be held for each

leadership position.

Outdoor Leadership Skills Training - Saturday 6:30 pm - Sunday

4:00 pm - this course is required for Scoutmasters and Assistant

Scoutmaster to be Trained. It is highly recommended for Webelos Leaders

and Assistants, Venture Crew Leaders and Assistants as well. The course

is designed to cover all outdoor skills a Scout encounters achieving the

First Class Rank.

What to Bring: Boy Scout Handbook (if you have one), pocket knife,

insulated mug, notebook, writing utensil, sleeping gear for indoor bunks or

your own tent if you prefer outdoors. Anticipate MN weather and bring

appropriate outdoor wear. You may wish to bring a comfortable folding

chair as most of the training is in the main lodge, which has hard benches.

Facilities: The training will be held at Camp Horace Johnson. The lodge

has electricity and heat. Water is hand pumped and bathroom facilities

are an outhouse. You are welcome to tent camp or bunk inside the lodge

at Horace Johnson (no charge). The bunks do not have mattresses.

Registration and Cost: Cost for the weekend is designed to cover the

cost of food and printing (pay according to the courses you will be taking).

New Leader Essentials: $5.00

Scoutmaster Specific Training: $15.00

Outdoor Leader Training: $15.00

Cub Scout Leader Specific Training N/C

7

Camp Nushka on beautiful Cass

Lake is truly a gem in the rough.

Voyageurs Area Council’s newest

scouting opportunity lies deep in

the Chippewa National Forest on

the shores of Cass Lake. Being a

camping camp it affords troops and

packs the ability to explore new

areas while working on all of the

outdoor skills.

Camp Nushka is a 26 acre parcel

surrounded by thousands of acres

of national forest land. The camp

has two group areas with a picnic

shelter in each site and a stairway

to access the lake. Each site has

both cooking and group camp fire

rings and parking is available

adjacent to each site.

Activities in the area are

numerous. Cass Lake is on the

Mississippi chain and canoeing

adventures are phenomenal. You

can canoe from the camp upstream

80+ miles to the headwaters of the

Mississippi or you can canoe

downstream 2500 miles to New

Orleans. You can do day trips or

overnights as forest service

campgrounds are situated all along

the river in both directions. You

can canoe out to historic Star

Island (the only island in

Minnesota that has a lake in the

middle of it) and camp, fish, swim

and hike all over the island.

Remember to have your Safety

Afloat program and Safe Swim

Defense in place as there is no

outside supervision for these

activities.

Do you like to bicycle? Nushka is

close to the beginning of the MI-

GI-ZI trail that surrounds Pike

Bay and connects to the Heartland

trail. The Heartland

trail connects to

Walker, Park Rapids

and Brainerd. Soon it

will connect to the

Paul Bunyan Trail and

Bemidji. For dirt bike

riding opportunities

there are numerous

forest roads and the

Soo Line trail goes to Remer and

Moose Lake.

The historical sites in the area

offer an insight into the past. Visit

Camp Rabideau, a CCC camp from

the 30s, Cass Lake railroad depot

and logging camp that depict the

life around Cass Lake in the early

century. Knutson Dam is the first

dam on the upper Mississippi and

was originally built in the 1900s.

Nearby are the Ten Section forest

and the Lost Forty where you will

be greeted by 250 year old trees.

On-site activities include all of the

basic camping opportunities along

with orienteering and geo-caching.

Wilderness survival can be done

anywhere around camp as with

hiking and exploring. Winter

camping activities are abundant

from building your own Quinzee’s

to snowshoeing, cross country

skiing and ice fishing.

The Voyageurs Area Council has

made Camp Nushka both easy to

use and affordable. Register

through the Council and use your

wilderness corps card or gold card

for deep discounts. Camp Nushka

is the newest camp and the least

expensive of all of the Council

camps.

For more information on Camp

Nushka go online to www.vac-bsa.

org and click on camping. You can

also call Camp Master Steve Inkel

at 218-751-1404 evenings, 218-

751-6104 days and leave a

message. He will return your call.

We hope you can enjoy the serenity

of Camp Nushka this year and

visit with our resident bald eagle

for a spectacular adventure in the

north woods.

Camp Nushka - A Gem in the Rough BOY SCOUTS +

SUMMERTIME =

CAMPING!

Scoutmasters, now is the time for

your Troops to plan for a

summertime full of camping fun.

While planning for your Troop’s

long-term summer camp and high

adventure trips, please keep your

District’s Camping Committee

Chairman informed of your plans.

***IMPORTANT*** If your Troop

is not planning on going to a long-

term summer Scout camp, but you

have individual Boy Scouts that

still want to go, let your District

Executive know right away! They

can be linked up with another

Troop from your area and still enjoy

a great week at summer camp.

13th Annual Law

Enforcement

Exploring Conference

Spirit Mountain will be the location

to a growing competition October

17-19. Marcus Bruning ,

Chairman of the 13th Annual Law

Enforcement Exploring Conference,

is very pleased with the projections

for this year’s conference. In 2007,

20 Explorer Posts from around the

state were here to test their skills

and get a taste of Duluth.

The three-day event for Law

Enforcement Explorers offers the

opportunity to participate in

various law enforcement training

events. Law Enforcement

Explorers and their leaders will

spend the three-day conference in

Duluth fine tuning their law

enforcement skills.

For information on the previous or

future Law Enforcement Explorer

Conferences or Law Enforcement

Exploring, please contact Marcus

Bruning at bruningm@co.st-louis.

mn.us or the Council Service

Center at 218/729-5811.

8

2010 NATIONAL SCOUT JAMBOREE

CELBRATING 100 YEARS OF SCOUTING

YOUTH HOLD-A-SPOT APPLICATION FORM

The 2010 National Scout Jamboree will be held from July 21 - August 5, 2010 at Fort A.P. Hill near Fredericksburg, Virginia. This is the historic area of Washington D.C., Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia*.

The anticipated cost per Jamboree participant will be $1,600 - $2200*. Every effort will be made to bring this fee in at as low a price as possible, while preserving the quality of the Jamboree experience. The 2005 National Jamboree fee included transportation to and from the Jamboree, meals on route, a tour of Washington D.C., Colonial Williamsburg and the Yorktown area. $100 will hold a spot for you for the 2010 Jamboree. This fee is refundable (with a $15 administrative cost reduction) through October 1, 2009*. After that, it is transferable but not refundable. Later, there will be scheduled payments, with the total fee due February 1, 2010. The Voyageurs Area Council is planning to send up to three troops consisting of 36 youth and 4 leaders per troop to the 2010 Jamboree.* Overwhelming response is expected due to the 100th Anniversary. It is anticipated a Scout will need to apply early to ensure a spot in the contingent, as the slots will be filled on a first-come, first served basis. If you want more information on the Jamboree, or want a spot held for you, please return the form below with the required information and we will see that an official Jamboree Application

is sent to you. Anticipated Jamboree participant's qualifications are as follows*:

1. Be a Scout who has completed the sixth grade or be at least 12 years of age by July 1, 2010, attained the rank

of First Class by July 1, 2010. His 18th birthday must not be before August 2, 2010*.

2. Participate in pre-Jamboree Training.

3. Have a completed Class "3" National Jamboree physical issued to each participant by the national office of the B.S.A.*

4. Have been active in his Troop for at least six months prior to July 1, 2010.

5. Be approved by his Scoutmaster and the Voyageurs Area Council Jamboree Committee. *All items on this sheet are subject to change based upon future cost clarifications and announcements by the National

Council, BSA. This current text is based upon previous Jamboree experiences and local projections of costs to 2010. Final

Voyageurs Area Council Jamboree Contingent cost and itinerary will be announced by June 2008.

Return to: 2010 Jamboree Committee

Voyageurs Area Council

3877 Stebner Road

Hermantown, MN 55811

______ Hold-a-spot for me in the 2010 Jamboree Troop. Find enclosed my check for $100, payable to the Voyageurs Area Council,

BSA. I understand that an official application will be sent later. ______ Please send me more information on the 2010 National Scout Jamboree when available. Name: _______________________________________________ Troop# _________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ City/State/Zip _________________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________Date of Birth _________________________________________ Signature of Parent or Guardian ___________________________________Date _________________________________________ Scoutmaster Signature: __________________________________________Date _____________________________________

9

Books, Uniforms, Boy’s Life, Equipment, Registration, Activity Fees, Meeting Place Costs, etc. ~ This is what your Scouting

families see as the cost of Scouting. But, what is seen above the water is only about 20% of what the true cost of Scouting

provided to members of the Voyageurs Area Council.

Below the Waterline and Hidden Beneath the Surface:

Supporting Voyageurs Area Council’s Unit and Youth Programs We have received good financial support from our volunteers, throughout the Council. From the beginning, we have asked our units

and volunteers to support the budget of our council mainly through these four areas:

Friends of Scouting (FOS)

• The FOS campaign is conducted in the through the winter months. Each unit is asked to conduct a presentation during

these months. Our goal is to reach our pledge goal by June 30 of each year.

• Volunteers, parents and community partners are asked to give a personal gift to FOS. A suggested amount equal to the cost

of Scouting for one youth ($150) in our council is set as a goal.

Unit Popcorn Sales Fundraiser

• Each fall, the Voyageurs Area Council provides support and leadership to the unit popcorn sales fundraiser with Trail’s End

popcorn.

• The fundraiser helps a participating unit’s efforts to provide a fun and exciting Ideal Year of Scouting for its youth.

• By coordinating the $600,000 dollar fundraiser, the Council is able to help our units earn over $420,000 for youth program

funding.

Council and District Programs

• Activities and events conducted by District or Council Committees are designed to provide fun and exciting supplemental

program opportunities for our youth and adult partners.

• By giving support to these activities and other council and district activities, units and families help provide support for all

our program functions such as camp maintenance.

Scout Store

• As part of our support to our chartered partners, the adult leaders and the youth members, our Council provides a well-

stocked Scout Store for the purpose of purchasing the needed Scout supplies.

• Volunteers, units and families are highly encouraged to support our Council programs by making their Scouting purchases

through our Scout Store.

Your support allows the Voyageurs Area Council to bring Scouting to over 6,000 boys and young adults every year.

Volunteer and Staff Training Training for more than 1,000 volunteer leaders every year.

Insurance Coverage To protect our volunteers, staff, members and property.

Support Staff For registration, typing publications and program support.

Reference Publications and Resources Everything from program planning kits and Program Helps to

camping information books.

Camp Promotion For the programs at Camp Barksdale, Camp Newman and Camp

Horace Johnson.

Administrative Needs Postage, computers and link-up to the National Computer System,

copy machines, folding machines, print shop.

Camp Equipment Tents, cooking equipment, building repairs, canoes, equipment

replacement and repair, and upkeep of your council camps.

Recognitions For leaders who attend training, volunteer for special projects and

help out in many roles throughout Scouting.

Professional Staff Our full-time staff who work with volunteers to organize new

units, manage fund-raising programs, conduct trainings, work

with membership recruitment, provide counseling and advice for

your district, our camps and programs.

Charter Fees For every Scouting youth, leader and unit.

Service Center Utilities, insurance, repairs and care for our headquarters.

Audio-Visual Supplies Used extensively in training .

Postage Mailings to leaders, parents and youth members.

Council Newsletter Our quarterly newsletter so you know what is going on in

Scouting.

Council Website Go online to www.vac-bsa.org to learn more about our Council and

its program

Unit Program Calendar/Kit

And many other items provided to help you plan your

weekly program

“The Iceberg Analogy”

But there is a whole lot more below the

waterline!

10

2008 Voyageurs Area Council Annual Meeting & Recognition Banquet

Reservations

_____ Reservations at $30.00 - Early Bird Discount if Registered by April 15, 2008 $___________

_____ Reservations at $40.00 - Regular Registration by April 30, 2008 $___________

Names of those attending:

_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Return to: Voyageurs Area Council

Recognition Banquet

3877 Stebner Road

Acct. # 1-6801-609-20 Hermantown, MN 55811

FEATURING:

• The presentation of the Voyageurs Area Council’s highest volunteer award, the Silver

Beaver.

• The presentation of the 2007 Centennial Quality Council Award to the Voyageurs Area

Council leadership.

• A celebration of Scouting with friends, fellow Scouters and spouses from throughout the

Council.

Early Bird Discount

if pre-registered by

April 15, 2008

$30.00 per person

Regular Registration Fee

$40.00 per person.

No registrations accepted after April 30th due

to Hotel Meal Count

Schedule

5:00 PM Annual Business Meeting

6:00 PM Social Hour

6:45 PM Dinner

7:45 PM Program

A block of rooms have been reserved for Scouters at the

Radisson Hotel (218/727-8981) under “Boy Scouts of

America.”

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Grand Ballroom, Radisson Hotel

Duluth, Mn

11

1. Do you really need a fund-raising project?

There should be a real need for raising money based on

your unit’s program. Units should not engage in

money-earning projects merely because someone has

offered an attractive plan. Remember that individual

youth members are expected to earn their own way.

The need should be beyond normal budget items

covered by dues.

2. If any contracts are to be signed, will they be

signed by an individual, without reference to the

Boy Scouts of America and without binding the

local council, the Boy Scouts of America, or the

chartered organization?

Before any person in your unit signs a contract, he

must make sure the venture is legitimate and worthy.

If a contract is signed, he is personally responsible. He

may not sign on behalf of the local council or the Boy

Scouts of America, nor may he bind the chartered

organization without its written authorization. If you

are not sure, check with your district executive for

help.

3. Will your fund-raiser prevent promoters from

trading on the name and goodwill of the Boy

Scouts of America?

Because of Scouting’s good reputation, customers

rarely question the quality or price of a product. The

nationwide network of Scouting units must not become

a beehive of commercial interest.

4. Will the fund-raising activity uphold the good

name of the BSA? Does it avoid games of chance,

gambling, etc.?

Selling raffle tickets or other games of chance is a

direct violation of the BSA Rules and Regulations,

which forbid gambling. The product must not detract

from the ideals and principles of the BSA.

5. If a commercial product is to be sold, will it be

sold on its own merits and without reference to

the needs of Scouting?

All commercial products must sell on their own merits,

not the benefit received by the Boy Scouts. The

principle of value received is critical in choosing what

to sell.

6. If a commercial product is to be sold, will the

fund-raising activity comply with BSA policy on

wearing the uniform?

The official uniform is intended to be worn primarily

for use in connection with Scouting activities. However,

council executive boards may approve use of the

uniform for any fund-raising activity. Typically, council

popcorn sales or Scout show ticket sales are approved

uniform fund-raisers.

7. Will the fund-raising project avoid soliciting

money or gifts?

The BSA Rules and Regulations state, “Youth members

shall not be permitted to serve as solicitors of money

for their chartered organizations, for the local council,

or in support of other organizations. Adult and youth

members shall not be permitted to serve as solicitors of

money in support of personal or unit participation in

local, national, or international events.”

For example: Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts and leaders

should not identify themselves as Boy Scouts/Cub

Scouts or as a troop/pack participate in The Salvation

Army’s Christmas Bell Ringing program. This would be

raising money for another organization. At no time

are units permitted to solicit contributions for

unit programs.

8. Does the fund-raising activity avoid

competition with other units, your chartered

organization, your local council, and the United

Way?

Check with your chartered organization representative

and your district executive to make certain that your

chartered organization and the council agree on the

dates and type of fund-raiser.

GUIDES TO UNIT MONEY-EARNING PROJECTS

A unit’s money-earning methods should reflect Scouting’s basic values. Whenever your unit is planning a money-

earning project, this checklist can serve as your guide. If your answer is “Yes” to all the questions that follow, it is

likely the project conforms to Scouting’s standards and will be approved.

The local council is responsible for upholding the Charter and By-laws and the Rules

and Regulations of the BSA. To ensure compliance, all unit fund-raisers MUST

OBTAIN WRITTEN APPROVAL from the local council NO LESS THAN 14 DAYS

before the fund-raising activity.

12

MyCouncil® is a new feature of the Voyageurs Area Coun-

cil website. It is a membership system where you can cre-

ate a member account on the Council website. Your mem-

ber account will allow you to receive electronic communi-

cations from the Council in the form of emails and e-

newsletters. You can specify your interests and choose the

type of communications you want to receive so that you

get information that is both relevant and timely.

In the near future, your MyCouncil account can be used to

collect and store favorite pages and events from the web-

site, create a personal calendar and will also be used in

the future to register for events. Your MyCouncil page will

become your personalized Home Page on the Council web-

site.

Join Today! - Becoming a member is fast and easy!

1. Just click the Join link in the upper right corner of

any page of the website.

2. A short dialog will collect your information and will

create a personal profile with your interests. You can

change your e-mail address, password and interest

choices at any time.

MyCouncil will provide for better communications with

the 2,000 plus volunteer leaders, 4,000 plus parents and

others involved with the Voyageurs Area Council.

Current Subscription Features - General Council

Email and Announcements - you can receive general

emails and announcements from the Council regarding up-

to-the-minute news about council happenings and events.

Council E-Newsletter - volunteers can now subscribe to

the newsletter online. Advantages include:

• Receive electronic notification that a new newsletter is

available

• Reduce printing and postage costs, allowing more re-

sources for youth and leaders

MyCouncil Feature Launched on Council Website

Receive the following:

· A 15% discount on all unit purchases at the Scout Service

Center Trading Post

· A 25% discount on all Equipment Rental Fees by the unit.

· $50 off the weekend rental fees of a council operated camp

or $25 per night on weekday.

GOLD CARD REQUIREMENTS AND

INFORMATION

All of us know how important Scouting is for our kids. We all

believe that Scouting is instrumental in developing good

character, citizenship skills and personal fitness. But it does

take money to keep the Scouting program strong, and we do

rely on our Scouting families for support.

This year, every unit that averages a $75 (tax deductible)

contribution per Scout through Family Friends of Scouting,

will qualify as a Gold Card Unit. (Based on the number of

youth registered at most current re-charter).

The Gold Card will be issued providing all current pledges

are paid in full by June 30th. Cards will be valid from July

1st to June 30th.

WHY SHOULD YOUR UNIT SUPPORT THE COUNCIL?

To continue to provide the best possible program, activities

and short term camp facilities, the best possible training and

support for leaders and all of the other things that bring a

quality Scouting experience to our children, we need

everyone's support.

When your unit participates in the Friends of Scouting

campaign and the Popcorn Sale, you will be helping to ensure

a bright future for your unit and for the entire Voyageurs

Area Council.

WHAT IS FRIENDS OF SCOUTING?

The Voyageurs Area Council will support more than 168 local

packs, troops, crews, and posts. 7% of that money will come

from our United Ways and some will come from activity and

camp fees and from the Council Trust Fund. However, these

sources fall short of providing all of the income necessary to

support the programs and services of the Council. The

Council has to raise an additional $150 per Scout to provide

the program your Scouts enjoy.

To make up the difference, the Council conducts an annual

family fund raising campaign (Friends of Scouting) to give

parents of Scouts the opportunity to support their local

Scouting program.

Gold Cards will be issued to all units who qualify by:

♦ Having a full "Friends of Scouting" presentation for

unit’s Scouting families during January, February or

March.

♦ Average a $75 contribution per Scout to the campaign

from its membership (based on the number of youth

registered from the most recent re-charter).

♦ Having all the unit’s current total pledges paid in full by

June 30th. (No cards will be issued until payments are

recorded.)

♦ Participating in the previous Fall Popcorn Sale (2007

sale for 2008 gold card and so on) with a minimum of

$1000 in total gross sales.

Gold Cards are valid from July 1st to June 30th.

GOLD CARD CHALLENGE

13

SCOUTING

CONFERENCE HUGE

SUCCESS!

Learning is a discovery process and

every youth deserves a well-trained

leader who will help him or her

discover the promise that is in each

of them.

The 2008 Scouting Conference

(formerly known as University of

Scouting) was a great success with

promoting supplemental learning in

the BSA. There was great variety

in courses and workshops that were

enjoyed and some were even

devoured. Scouters were able to

prepare themselves to put forth a

quality program for their units.

Thanks to all of the deans, trainers,

and participants for doing their

part in making it a fabulous event.

Many thanks and accolades to

Lynne Smith for her leadership and

dedication to the 2008 Scouting

Conference. Please join me in

welcoming Scott Byykkonen as the

2009 Scouting Conference Chair.

Scott’s work on the Training

Committee, previous University of

Scoutings and so much more, have

enabled him to be a great leader for

2009.

Online advancement entry is here!

The Voyageurs Area Council is

excited to announce that units can

now use Internet Advancement to

record their youth member

advancements from any online

location – at home or at your office.

You will find this new method to

be easy, convenient and accurate

b e c a u s e y o u e n t e r t h i s

information.

Here’s how it works: Our Council

has an internet advancement page

and link with instructions on the

home page at our website, www.

vac-bsa.org .

Internet Advancement makes it

easy for unit leadership to record

awards, ranks and merit badges

for youth via the online process.

The system is related to the new

Internet Rechartering but is

separate from it. The unit uses the

same access code as given to the

unit for Internet Rechartering. At

any time during the year, the

unit’s advancement processor will

be able to record the units’

advancements into our ScoutNet

system.

The Internet Advancement system

will also allow units to print the

following reports:

• Unit Advancement Summary

that shows ranks, merit

badges and awards for each

currently registered youth in

their unit

• Advancement Report lists

each youth member that has

new ranks, merit badges or

awards, if any. This is the

official report that is to be

signed and submitted to the

office.

• Unit Awards Summary

• Current Unit Roster

There is a tutorial on the council

website at www.vac-bsa.org.

The New Internet Advancement

THE VOYAGEUR Published by

VOYAGEURS AREA COUNCIL 3877 Stebner Road

Hermantown, MN 55811-1733

(218) 729-5811 (800) 939-5811

(vac-bsa.org).

Voyageurs Area Council Officers

Dave Sauer - President

Rock Gillson - Commissioner

Kevin Nichols - Scout Executive

Al Braff - Editor

Eagle Scout Application to Change May 1

The Eagle Scout application will change as of May 1, 2008. The

application will require the Eagle candidate to list his Eagle project and

the total number of hours it took to complete the project. The project name

should be descriptive as to what the project entails. Shown below is

Requirement 5 from the new application.

All applications completed after May 1 must use this new form. It can be

downloaded from www.nesa.org/trail If you have any questions, contact

the Council Service Center and ask for Donna.

REQUIREMENT 5. While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. The project idea must be approved by your Scoutmaster and troop committee and by the

council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook, No. 18-927, in meeting this requirement. Project name: __________________________________________________ Date project was completed: _____________________ Grand total of hours: __________ (from page 10 of Eagle Scout Leadership Project Workbook)

14

April Calendar

4-5 Aviation Spring Camp, Duluth

17 District Committee Mtg, 6PM,

Council Service Center

17 All Leaders Roundtable, 7-8:30PM,

Council Service Center

18-20 Boy Scout Leader Training &

Outdoor Leadership Skills Course,

Camp HJ

May Calendar

15th District Committee Mtg, 6PM,

Council Service Center

15th Leaders Roundtable w/ Program

Planning packets 7PM, Council

Service Center

June Calendar

11-12 Horace Johnson Day Camp

25-26 Horace Johnson II, Day Camp

28 Huskies Baseball & Wade Stadium

Campout

28-29 Merit Badge Camp at Horace

Johnson

July Calendar

26-27 Island Lake Fishing Contest

News and Event Information

Thanks to:

-Ann Clark for a fabulous Tiger

Bowl event in January!

-Grant Forsyth, Chris Mathews,

Ann Clark and Tr. 15 for their

help in making the District

Recognition Dinner a success!

-Everyone who attended and led

discussion at the 1st Annual North

Star Unit Summit!

- Grant Forsyth, Tr. 13, Tr. 25,

Roger Amborn, Jacob Ulvi,

J ohn C l a rk , DeWayne

Hendrickson, Phil Solem, Tim

Jezerski, Ray Menzel, Brad

Olson and all of the other adults

and Scouts at the Klondike Derby

for being a part of a great day and

competition in the snow!

-All of the kind words sent to me,

in regards to my leaving the Boy

Scout Profession. Thank you!

Stephanie

All Leaders Roundtable

Update – This school year, the

Leaders Roundtable meetings will

be held on the third Thursday of

every month. The Roundtable is a

monthly help/information meeting

for Den leaders, Webelos leaders,

Cubmasters, Scoutmasters and

Assistants. Upcoming calendars,

important handouts and changes/

additions are brought forward.

Often we have special guest

speakers. Troops - feel free to bring

your youth leadership as well.

F r i e n d s o f S c o u t i n g

Campaign - Thanks to all of the

presenters who helped with a

Family presentation so far this

spring. We have a few more to go

to finish off the season. If you

have the date when you would like

the presentation to be made,

please contact the Council Service

Center at 729-5811 as soon as

possible.

Boy Scout Leader Basic

Training with Outdoor

Leader Skills

April 18-20, Camp Horace

Johnson

Who should attend? The Boy

Scout Leaders Basic Training with

Outdoor Leader Training Skills is

part of the recently revised Adult

Leader Training program of BSA.

This training program is open to

all registered adult leaders

including Scoutmasters, Assistant

Scoutmasters and Committee

Members. Registration materials

are able to be downloaded at

www.vac-bsa.org.

Scout Expo & Pinewood

Derby - The Scout Expo &

Pinewood Derby creates a great

deal of positive awareness of

Scouting, and can be a real fun

project for your group. We are

again combining the North Star,

Gitche Gumee, and Great Bear

Districts’ Expo event. We hope

that every unit in our will be able

to participate. The Expo will be

held at the Mariner Mall in

Superior on Saturday, April 19.

Packs, Troops, Crews and Posts

that participate will receive a

Scout Expo ribbon for their unit

flag. A special Scout Expo

brochure, including booth ideas,

Pinewood Derby Championship

information and a registration

form, was sent to all units in the

beginning of February. To help us

in planning the Expo, we ask that

you select your booth idea and

return the completed registration

form as soon as possible. For more

information contact - Scott

Tollefson (218-628-3580).

Cub Scout Day Camp - The Day

Camp programs are designed to

teach skills and develop attitudes

that make every Cub Scout more

self-reliant and more at home in

the out-of-doors. Boys that have

completed first, second, third and

fourth grades will have FUN!

Some of the activities that will be

included in the Day Camp

programs this year are: Nature,

Crafts, Archery, BB Guns, Games,

Songs and Cheers, and Skits.

Some camps will also offer

swimming. Day Camp will provide

a memorable experience in the life

of every boy that attends.

A packet of information was

mailed to each Cubmaster and

Committee Chairperson, and

brochures were mailed to each

registered Cub Scout in March. If

you did’t receive this information,

please contact the Council Service

Center to get a copy. It is

important that every Pack

appoints a Pack Day Camp

Coordinator as soon as possible.

We can’t pass along information to

your coordinator if we don’t know

who they are! As in the past, we

are looking for volunteers to staff

the activity areas, which are BB

Guns, Archery, Nature, Crafts,

Cooking, and Swimming. If you

are interested in serving on the

Day Camp staff in your area,

please contact the Council Service

Center (218-729-5811).

Boy Scouts Needed for Day

Camp Staff - We would like to

have more Boy Scouts serve on the

Day Camp staff this year as

Activity Station assistants and

Den Guides. If you know of any

NORTH STAR District Chair

District Commissioner Ann Clark

(H) 218-721-3125

District Executive Al Braff

(218) 729-5811

E-mail: abraff@vac-bsa.org

15

Scouts who are 14 years old and

would be good staff members,

please encourage them to consider

volunteering for a staff position.

They would be required to provide

t h e i r o w n l u n c h a n d

transportation to and from Day

Camp. Please have them confirm

with Al Braff at the Council

Service Center.

Program Planning Training –

To get ready for that all-important

recruiting night in September, we

suggest that you conduct a Pack or

Troop planning meeting sometime

in June, July or August. To help

you with your meeting, the district

will be offering a Troop & Pack

Program Planning Training

p r og ram a t th e Leade rs

Roundtable on Thursday, May 15,

7 PM at the Council Service

Center. We’ll hand out the 2008-

2009 Council Planning Calendar

and Program Packets. This is one

of those “must attend” meetings

that your Pack or Troop shouldn’t

miss.

Cub Scout Leader Training -

Most of you now know that one of

the requirements for the

Centennial Quality Pack and Troop

Awards have Direct Contact

Leader Training goals. To help

your unit meet this requirement

the District Training Team is

willing to schedule a Cub Scout

Leader Basic Training program

this spring or fall. Contact Scott at

sabyykkonen@charter.net and he’ll

work to arrange a program to meet

your schedules. Our goal is 100%

“Trained” leaders.

Put a Tiger in Your Pack - Its

almost time for the GREAT Tiger

Cub Scout recruiting program!

“Put a Tiger in Your Pack” is a

kindergarten Cub Scout recruiting

program. The program centers on

a “get to know others in the pack”

activity and meeting the Pack

leaders. Each Pack should set-up

their own “Open House” or “Spring

Round-Up” and make sure that the

Pack has their summertime plans

finalized. We have flyers at the

Council Service Center that can be

made up with your information.

Once your event is completed,

bring in applications to the office

and we will swap you for the

recruitment patches, “Put a Tiger

in Your Pack.” Give Al Braff your

details today at abraff@vac-bsa.org.

Camp Out with the Huskies at

Wade Stadium on June 28 - The

Voyageurs Area Council has

teamed up with the Duluth

Huskies baseball team to present a

“Huskies Baseball Campout”.

Again this year we want the Scouts

and their families to enjoy great

baseball at Wade Stadium and

camp out after the game. The

game will get under way at 7:05 p.

m. As part of the pre-game

ceremonies, the Scouts participate

in a Flag Day parade of flags

(Bring your unit and American

flags.) just before the national

anthem. After the game, the Scouts

and their family members will be

allowed to pitch their tents on the

outfield (note—Cub Scouts that

plan to camp overnight are

required to have a parent stay with

them). After everyone is set up for

the night, we’ll show a baseball

movie on a big screen. Then it’s

lights out. All Scouts must wear

their uniform for the game on

Saturday night! You may purchase

tickets for the game only, or for

both the game & Campout by

contacting the Voyageurs Area

Council (218-729-5811). All orders

must be received no later than

Friday, June 13. All game tickets

are for Grandstand General

Admission (under the roof). Tickets

will be mailed to your Unit

Coordinator in advance of the

game.

Summertime Pack Award -

Your Pack can earn the

Summertime Pack Award by

planning and conducting a monthly

pack activity in June, July and

August. The idea is to keep your

pack together and doing things

during the summer when boys

have the most amount of free time.

Your pack can receive a streamer

for the pack flag when you meet

this requirement.

Boys that attend all three activities

can rece ive the National

Summertime Award pin to wear on

their uniform. Dens that have at

least 50 percent of their boys

attend the three activities can also

receive a ribbon to display on their

den flag.

So what counts as an activity? Day

Camp and the “Scout Night with

the Huskies” are two good

examples. Other ideas can be found

in the National Summertime Pack

Award Planning Guide available in

the Council Service Center.

April Calendar

4-5 Spring Aviation Camp, Duluth

10 Leaders Roundtable, 7PM, Our

Savior’s Lutheran Church, Cloquet

10 District Meeting, 8PM, Our Savior’s

Lutheran Church, Cloquet

18-20 Boy Scout Leader Training &

Outdoor Leadership Skills

Course, Camp HJ

May Calendar

8 Leaders Roundtable w/ Program

Planning Packets, 7PM, Our Savior’s

Lutheran Church, Cloquet

8 District Meeting, 8PM, Our Savior’s

Lutheran Church, Cloquet

June Calendar

17-18 Day Camp, Carlton County

Fairgrounds

28 Huskies Baseball & Wade Stadium

Campout

28-29 Merit Badge Camp at Horace

Johnson

July Calendar

26-27 Island Lake Fishing Contest

News and Event Information

Thanks to:

-Everyone who attended and lead

discussion at the 1st Annual Great

Bear Unit Summit!

-Chris Campbell (Chair), Margi

C h r i s t o f f e r s o n , D o u g

GREAT BEAR District Chair Mark Quiram

(H) 218-879-3916 (B) 218-879-2101

District Commissioner Ted Peterson

(H) 320-233-0215

District Executive Al Braff

(218) 729-5811

E-mail: abraff@vac-bsa.org

16

Christofferson, Ken Branning,

Bruce Bodin, Gary Miller, John

Cavanaugh, Mark Quiram, Jim

Matson, Shelly Matson, and all

of the other adults and Scouts at

the Klondike Derby for being a

part of a great day and competition

in the snow!

- A special Thank-you goes to

Mark Qui ram & Doug

Christofferson for hosting the

district dinner and making the

evening so special.

-All of the kind words sent to me,

in regards to my leaving the Boy

Scout Profession. Thank you!

Stephanie

District Recognition Dinner -

On March 13, the District

Recognition Dinner was held at

Our Saviors Church in Cloquet.

Many Scouters were recognized for

their accomplishments over the

past year. The following units &

people received awards at the

dinner:

Slayter Award - Troop 171 of

Cloquet

Panger Award - Pack 184 of

Hinckley

Soaring High Unit Leadership

Award - Troop 169 of Barnum

Silver Cub Scout – Katrina

Erickson of Pack 188, Pine City

Silver Boy Scout – Carey

Ferrell of Tr. 171, Cloquet

Harold T. Otterson Award –

Ted Peterson, Finlayson

Novice Scouter Award – Tricia

Riel, Barnum

Receiving the highest award that

can be bestowed by the district –

the District Award of Merit; was

John Jorgenson of Troop 171 in

Cloquet.

All Leaders Roundtable

Update – This School-year the

Leaders Roundtable meetings will

be held on the second Thursday of

every month. The Roundtable is a

monthly help/information meeting

for Den leaders, Webelos leaders,

Cubmasters, Scoutmasters and

Assistants. Upcoming calendars,

important handouts and changes/

additions are brought forward.

Often we have special guest

speakers. Troops - feel free to bring

your youth leadership as well.

F r i e n d s o f S c o u t i n g

Campaign - Thanks to all of the

presenters who helped with a

Family presentation so far this

spring. We have a few more to go

to finish off the season. If you have

the date when you would like the

presentation to be made, please

contact the Council Service Center

at 729-5811 as soon as possible.

Scout Expo & Pinewood

Derby - The Scout Expo &

Pinewood Derby creates a great

deal of positive awareness of

Scouting and can be a real fun

project for your group. We are

again combining the North Star,

Gitche Gumee, and Great Bear

Districts’ Expo event. We hope

that every unit in our will be able

to participate. The Expo will be

held at the Mariner Mall in

Superior on Saturday, April 19.

Packs, Troops, Crews and Posts

that participate will receive a

Scout Expo ribbon for their unit

flag. A special Scout Expo

brochure, including booth ideas,

Pinewood Derby Championship

information and a registration

form, was sent to all units in the

beginning of February. To help us

in planning the Expo, we ask that

you select your booth idea and

return the completed registration

form as soon as possible. For more

information contact - Scott

Tollefson (218-628-3580) or Brad

Edstrom (218-940-1561).

Boy Scout Leader Basic

Training with Outdoor Leader

Skills

April 18-20, Camp Horace

Johnson

Who should attend? The Boy

Scout Leaders Basic Training with

Outdoor Leader Training Skills is

part of the recently revised Adult

Leader Training program of BSA.

This training program is open to

all registered adult leaders

including Scoutmasters, Assistant

Scoutmasters and Committee

Members. Registration materials

are able to be downloaded at www.

vac-bsa.org.

Cub Scout Day Camp - The Day

Camp programs are designed to

teach skills and develop attitudes

that make every Cub Scout more

self-reliant and more at home in

the out-of-doors. Boys that have

completed first, second, third and

fourth grades will have FUN!

Some of the activities that will be

included in the Day Camp

programs this year are: Nature,

Crafts, Archery, BB Guns, Games,

Songs and Cheers, and Skits.

Some camps will also offer

swimming. Day Camp will provide

a memorable experience in the life

of every boy that attends.

A packet of information was mailed

to each Cubmaster and Committee

Chairperson, and brochures was

mailed to each registered Cub

Scout in March. If you didn’t

receive this information, please

contact the Council Service Center

to get a copy. It is important that

every Pack appoints a Pack Day

Camp Coordinator as soon as

possible. We can’t pass along

information to your coordinator if

we don’t know who they are! As in

the past, we are looking for

volunteers to staff the activity

areas, which are BB Guns,

Archery, Nature, Crafts, Cooking,

and Swimming. If you are

interested in serving on the Day

Camp staff in your area, please

contact the Council Service Center

(218-729-5811).

Boy Scouts Needed for Day

Camp Staff - We would like to

have more Boy Scouts serve on the

Day Camp staff this year as

Activity Station assistants and

Den Guides. If you know of any

Scouts who are 14 years old and

would be good staff members,

please encourage them to consider

volunteering for a staff position.

They would be required to provide

their own lunch and transportation

to and from Day Camp. Please

have them confirm with Al Braff

at the Council Service Center.

17

April Calendar

28 District Meeting, Ashland

Presbyterian Church, 6:30 PM

May Calendar

19 Leaders Roundtable & District

Meeting, 6:30 PM, Hurley

Courthouse

June Calendar

21-22 Little Girl Point Campground

23 Leaders Roundtable & District

Meeting, 6:30 PM, Ashland

Presbyterian Church

*See Other Newsletter Information on

Other Day Camps*

Klondike - Big thanks to Bob

Wolfram for his leadership with

the Klondike Derby! This year we

had good participation numbers

and a lot of fun. Don’t let your

Troop miss out on all the action

next year.

All Leaders Roundtables &

District Meetings - Want to know

about the upcoming Popcorn Sale,

or the dates for next summer’s Day

Camp? Mark your calendar for the

best informational meetings in the

Distr ic t ; the Al l Leaders

Roundtable & District Meeting.

Meetings rotate between Ashland

and Hurley and are at 6:30 PM.

Plan to attend- represent your unit

and voice your opinion on all

matters in the District. Dates &

locations this school year:

April 28 - Hurley Courthouse

May 19 - Ashland Presbyterian

June 23 - Hurley Courthouse

WAH DA BONG District Chairman District Commissioner Ron Zaleski (H) 906-663-4453 District Executive Adam Haglin 218-393-9784 (B) 800-939-5811 Email: ahaglin@vac-bsa.org

Program Planning Training –

To get ready for that all-important

recruiting night in September, we

suggest that you conduct a Pack or

Troop planning meeting sometime

in June, July or August. To help

you with your meeting, the district

will be offering a Troop & Pack

Program Planning Training

p r ogram a t th e Leade r s

Roundtable on Thursday, May 8,

7PM at Our Savior’s Lutheran

Church in Cloquet. We’ll hand out

the 2008-2009 Council Planning

Calendar and Program Packets.

This is one of those “must attend”

meetings that your Pack or Troop

shouldn’t miss.

Cub Scout Leader Training -

Most of you now know that one of

the requirements for the

Centennial Quality Pack and Troop

Awards have Direct Contact

Leader Training goals. To help

your unit meet this requirement

the district training team is willing

to schedule a Cub Scout Leader

Basic Training program this spring

or fall. Contact Margi at

MChrist452@aol.com and she’ll

work to arrange a program to meet

your schedule. Our goal is 100%

“Trained” leaders.

Put a Tiger in Your Pack - Its

almost time for the GREAT Tiger

Cub Scout recruiting program!

“Put a Tiger in Your Pack” is a

kindergarten Cub Scout recruiting

program. The program centers on

a “get to know others in the pack”

activity and meeting the Pack

leaders. Each Pack should set-up

their own “Open House” or “Spring

Round-Up” and make sure that the

Pack has their summertime plans

finalized. We have flyers at the

Council Service Center that can be

made up with your information.

Once your event is completed,

bring in applications to the office

and we will swap you for the

recruitment patches, “Put a Tiger

in Your Pack.” Give Al Braff your

details today at abraff@vac-bsa.org.

Camp Out with the Huskies at

Wade Stadium on June 28 - The

Voyageurs Area Council has

teamed up with the Duluth

Huskies baseball team to present a

“Huskies Baseball Campout”.

Again this year we want the Scouts

and their families to enjoy great

baseball at Wade Stadium and

campout after the game. The game

will get under way at 7:05 p.m. As

part of the pre-game ceremonies,

the Scouts participate in a Flag

Day parade of flags (Bring your

unit and American flags.) just

before the national anthem. After

the game, the Scouts and their

family members will be allowed to

pitch their tents on the outfield

(note—Cub Scouts that plan to

camp overnight are required to

have a parent stay with them).

After everyone is set up for the

night, we’ll show a baseball movie

on a big screen. Then it’s lights out.

All Scouts must wear their uniform

for the game on Saturday night!

You may purchase tickets for the

game only, or for both the game &

Campout by contacting the

Voyageurs Area Council (218-729-

5811). All orders must be received

no later than Friday, June 13. All

game tickets are for Grandstand

General Admission (under the

roof). Tickets will be mailed to your

Unit Coordinator in advance of the

game.

Summertime Pack Award -

Your Pack can earn the

Summertime Pack Award by

planning and conducting a monthly

pack activity in June, July and

August. The idea is to keep your

pack together and doing things

during the summer when boys

have the most amount of free time.

Your pack can receive a streamer

for the pack flag when you meet

this requirement.

Boys that attend all three activities

can rece ive the National

Summertime Award pin to wear on

their uniform. Dens that have at

least 50 percent of their boys

attend the three activities can also

receive a ribbon to display on their

den flag.

So what counts as an activity? Day

Camp and the “Scout Night with

the Huskies” are two good

examples. Other ideas can be found

in the National Summertime Pack

Award Planning Guide available in

the Council Service Center.

18

April Calendar

3 Cub Scout Leader Roundtable,

United Presbyterian, Superior 5:30

p.m.

9 Boy Scout Leader Roundtable,

Concordia Lutheran Church,

Superior, 5:30 p.m.

11 District Leader Meeting, WITC, Rm.

218, Superior 5:30 p.m.

May Calendar

1 Cub Scout Leaders Roundtable –

Program Planning, United

Presbyterian, 5:30 PM

6 Boy Scout Leader Roundtable –

Program Planning, Concordia

Lutheran, 5:30 PM

8 District Leader Meeting, United

Presbyterian, 5:30 PM

10 District Dinner, TBA

17 Webelos Crossover

June Calendar

14 District Leader Meeting, WITC Rm.

218, 5:30 PM

July Calendar

19-20 Pattison Park Day Camp

*See Other Newsletter Information on Other

Day Camps*

SCOUTER THANKS! -

• Scout Swim Nights: Big Thanks

to Gene Rosburg, Harvey

Hickok, Byron Selbrede, Greg

Kvam and everyone else who

helped with the Scout Swim

Nights in January!

• Klondike Derby: Huge thanks to

Byron Selbrede and all of the

Boy Scouts for another great

Klondike!

District Webelos Crossover -

Webelos, their families, and

Scouters alike will not want to

miss out on this great event! We

have in motion the first ever

District Webelos Crossover. It will

be Saturday, May 17 at Amnicon

State Park. We will be using the

bridge there for the actual

crossover. Troops will be there at

10 am for set-up and Webelos, their

parents and Pack representatives

should arrive between 12:30 pm

and 1 pm. We will have the

afternoon full of stations to help

your Scouts work towards

achieving their Scout Badge for

Boy Scouts and have a bunch of fun

stuff in there as well. We will

wrap-up about 4:30 pm. There will

be a mailing out by the beginning

of April to Webelos and leaders. Be

sure to put this new event on your

calendar today!

Here come the Pirates!!!! -

E x c i t e m e n t i s m o u n t i n g

throughout our area as Expo takes

center stage once again. This

year’s theme will be Pirates, so put

your best peg leg forward and be a

part of the action on April 19 at the

Mariner Mall. This annual show

provides a colorful, adventuresome,

Scouting experience for all

members and spices up the unit

program for weeks, even months

before the activity. It also gives us

the opportunity to showcase our

abilities for the public. Scouting in

action! We hope to see you there.

Leader Training - The Gitche

Gumee District Training Team

reminds all unit leaders- the

C e n t e n n i a l Q u a l i t y U n i t

requirements state that the

Cubmaster and 50% of the Den

Leaders and Webelos Leaders must

complete leader specific training.

The Scoutmaster and 50% of the

Assistants also must complete

leader specific training. Give Brad

Edstrom a call if you need

training. He can let you know

when some possible training dates

are coming up or arrange for a

trainer that can meet your needs.

Brad can be reached at 218-940-

1561.

Cub Scout Day Camp - Are you

ready for some fun in the great

outdoors? Boys that have

completed K – 4th grades will have

FUN at this year’s District Day

Camps! Some of the activities that

will be included in the program

this year are: Nature, Crafts,

Archery, BB Guns, Games, Songs

and Cheers, and Skits. Day Camp

will provide a memorable

experience in the life of every boy

that attends. Come and enjoy the

experience with your Scout at

Camp Newman!

Adults and Boy Scouts Needed

for Day Camp Staff - We would

like to have more adults and Boy

Scouts to serve on the Day Camp

staff this year as Activity Station

Assistants and Den Guides. If you

know of any Scouts who are 14

years old and would be good staff

members, please encourage them

to consider volunteering for a staff

position. They would be required to

provide their own transportation to

and from Day Camp. Remember,

sometimes the most fun is had by

the leaders and volunteers!

GITCHE GUMEE District Chair Rick Klun (H) 715-394-2171 (B) 218-722-2770 District Commissioner Lynne Smith (H) 715-392-6752 (B) 218-728-4293 District Executive Adam Haglin 218-393-9784 (B) 218-729-5811 E-mail: ahaglin@vac-bsa.org

Leader Training - The Wah da

Bong District Training Team

reminds all unit leaders the

C e n t e n n i a l Q u a l i t y U n i t

requirements state that the

Cubmaster and 50% of the Den

Leaders and Webelos Leaders must

complete leader specific training.

The Scoutmaster and 50% of the

Assistants also must complete

leader specific training. Send

Marlene Zaleski an e-mail if you

need training. She can let you

know when some possible training

dates are coming up or arrange for

a trainer that can meet your needs.

Marlene can be reached at

snowbird2606@hotmail.com.

FALL CAMPOREE - Please note

that the Fall Camporee will be held

September 12-14. Your Troop

doesn’t want to miss out on the

fun! Although the details haven’t

yet been finalized you can expect

information to be mailed to each

Troop in August. This year it will

be held at Norrie Park. Webelos

Leaders- remember you can camp

out at this event, it would be a

great first outing as you begin the

new school year. For more

information or to volunteer as a

Camporee staff member contact

Ron Zaleski, 906-663-4453.

19

April Calendar

3 Roundtable, Mt. Iron 7 pm

5 A d u l t L e a d e r T r a i n i n g

Extravaganza, Mt. Iron

10 District Commissioner Meeting

6:00-7:00

10 District Committee Meeting 7:00-

8:00

19 Scout Expo, Virginia

25-27 OA Spring Conclave

May Calendar

1 Roundtable (Program Planning), Mt.

Iron 7 pm

8 District Commissioner Meeting

6:00-7:00

8 District Committee Meeting 7:00-

8:00

16-18 SG Spring Camporee

June Calendar

5 Roundtable, Mt. Iron 7 pm

10-11 Day Camp (Eveleth Veterans Park)

12 District Commissioner Meeting

6:00-7:00

12 District Committee Meeting 7:00-

8:00

13-15 Spring Webelos Action Camp

July Calendar

3 Roundtable, Mt. Iron 7 pm

10 District Commissioner Meeting

6:00-7:00

10 District Committee Meeting 7:00-

8:00

11-13 Cub/Parent Adventure Camp

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL

DISTRICT AWARDEES - A

hearty congratulations goes out to

our two District Award of Merit

recipients, Joe Stewart and Joe

Leoni, and our Silver Scout

recipients, Lee Iverson, Tony

Mariano, and Brian Hopkins!

They were recognized for their

OUTSTANDING contributions to

the Scouting program in their local

units and to the Sleeping Giant

D i s t r i c t a s a w h o l e .

Congratulations also goes out to

Shawn Halverson and the crew

from Troop 427. Shawn was

recognized with the William D.

Boyce New Unit Organizer Award

for starting Troop 427. Make sure

to congratulate these very

deserving individuals on these

well-deserved recognition. If you

would like to nominate a deserving

volunteer for the Silver Scout

Award, District Award of Merit or

a Training Award, please forward

their information to Matthew

Bisbee at matthew.bisbee@gmail.

com.

TRAINING EXTRAVAGANZA -

Every youth deserves a trained

leader. Research has shown that

the main reason why youth drop

out of Scouting is because of

disorganized meetings. Gain the

tools you need to improve your

program and make your meetings

more exciting. Mark your

calendars and grab your great

attitudes and come to the semi-

annual ADULT VOLUNTEER

TRAINING EXTRAVAGANZA at

Messiah Lutheran Church, Mt

Iron. The date is Saturday,

April 5, 2008. The schedule is as

follows:

8:30-9:30 New Leader Essentials

(For All Leaders)

9:30-12:00 Cub Scout Position

Specific Training (Cubmaster,

Webelos Den Leader, Den

Leader, and Tiger Cub Den

Leader)

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-3:30 Pack Committee Chair/

Member Training.

1:00-3:30 Troop Committee

Challenge

1:00-1:30 Youth Protection

9:30-3:30 Scoutmastership

F u n d a m e n t a l s ( f o r

Scoutmasters and the i r

Assistants)

We encourage everyone to attend.

Where else can you go to get all of

the training you need to be

considered trained (Scoutmasters

still need to attend Intro to

Outdoor Leader’s Fundamentals)?

Lunch is $5.00 and will only be

available to those who pre-register.

Contact our District Training

Committee Chairwoman, Jeanette

Curry (218-865-4172), Matthew

Bisbee (218-787-2313/591-9181) or

look for more information on the

Sleeping Giant District page on the

www.vac-bsa.org.

M E R I T B A D G E

E X T R A V A G A N Z A -

Congratulations and thank you to

Shirley Otterson, Natalie

Pankranz-Leff for organizing this

year’s very successful Merit Badge

Extravaganza. A big thank you

also goes out to Tony Mariano

(Plumbing Merit Badge Counselor),

Matt Bisbee (Law Merit Badge

Counse lo r ) , Ione Martin

(Communication Merit Badge

Counselor), Lee Iverson (Art

Merit Badge Counselor), Joette

Erickson (Personal Fitness Merit

Badge Counselor), Natalie Leff

(Citizenship in the Community

Merit Badge Counselor) and John

“Klondike Jack” Lindquist

(Webelos-Boy Scout Transition).

PIRATE EXPO - Avast, Ye Matee!

Come to the best Expo on the Iron

Range! All Sleeping Giant District

Packs, Troops and Crews are

encouraged to attend the 2008

Sleeping Giant District Scout Expo

on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at

the Thunderbird Mall in

Virginia! We have a Pirate theme

this year. We will also be holding

the District Pinewood Derby

Championships and Best of Show

competition at the same time.

Check out the planning packets

that have been mailed out to all

Units. Let’s make this an Expo to

remember . E-mai l Jace

Tramontin with any questions,

iscouter@gmail.com.

GOOD TURN FOR AMERICA -

Good Turn for America is a

national call to service by the Boy

Scouts of America to address the

issues of hunger, homelessness,

and poor health in our nation. By

partnering with respected national

service organizations (Habitat for

Humanity, The Salvation Army,

The American Red Cross and

others), BSA is helping meet the

needs of our local communities.

Please do your part by logging into

www.goodturnforamerica.org and

documenting a l l o f those

community service hours that your

SLEEPING GIANT District Chair Jace Tramontin (H) 218-263-5541 (B) 218-262-0497 District Commissioner Chad Buggert (H) (218) 744-5114 District Executive Matt Bisbee (H) 218-787-2313 800-939-5811 E-mail: mbisbee@vac-bsa.org

20

Scouts and Venturers are already

doing. You will need a unit ID to

create an account. If you do not

have one, please call Good Turn for

America District Chair, Lee

Iverson , (218-262-4332) or

Matthew Bisbee (218.787.2313) to

get it.

FRIENDS OF SCOUTING

FAMILY CAMPAIGN - Special

thanks to all of those Sleeping

Giant Units who have helped so far

in the 2008 Friends of Scouting

Campaign. If we missed you this

year, it is NOT TOO LATE!

Contact Matthew Bisbee

(218.787.2313) or Jim Ballard

(218.749.3427) to schedule a

presentation. Your support of this

important annual effort keeps

Scouting’s support services going

strong year round. Thank you for

your support.

TAKE THE OLYMP IC

CHALLENGE! -This year’s

exciting Day Camp theme is

Olympics 2008: Excellence in

Sportsmanship and is scheduled

for June 10 – 11, 2008 back at the

Veteran’s Park in Eveleth. Our

masters of ceremonies, John

Stanaway and Jeanette Curry

say it’s going to be a WORLD

WIDE EVENT that shouldn’t be

missed. Every Cub Scout Pack in

the District (and in neighboring

D is tr ic t s ) i s inv i ted and

encouraged to participate in this

exciting event. We hope that your

Pack, Troop or Crew can help on

staff at this year’s camp…to get

signed up on staff, please e-mail

Matt Bisbee at matthew.

bisbee@gmail.com.

April Calendar

10 Pepfest

18-20 Spring Camporee at Camp Nushka

26 District Pinewood Derby

May Calendar

3 Council Annual Dinner, Duluth

6 Tiger Cub Join Us Night

8 Pepfest

13 Inventory Night

June Calendar

12 Pepfest

14 Kraus Anderson Fishing Contest

23-24 Cub Scout Day Camp

Greetings from New District

Chairman - Greetings from Bob

Woodke, new District Chairman

for Paul Bunyan District, “I am

excited to be your new District

Chair. I know we can look forward

to another great year of Scouting in

Paul Bunyan District. With your

help, we will give the boys of our

District fantastic experiences they

will remember for the rest of their

lives. Our goal as a Council is to be

the premier youth organization;

and working together we in Paul

Bunyan can help achieve this goal.”

Friends of Scouting 2008

Campaign - Thanks to Marie

Hamre and her outstanding

Friends of Scouting family crew,

Paul Bunyan District is getting

close to reaching 100% of its family

goal of $9,600 for 2008. As we

approach this 100% mark, every

penny counts! We are finishing up

the last presentations and are in

the last $1000 of our goal. This is

the time that it is really important

for each unit to think about who

migh t have m i s sed your

presentation and give them a call

to get their contribution. Let’s get

it done!

I would like to take this time to

give a very big “thanks” to Marie

Hamre. She is responsible for the

success of our Family Campaign.

For the past four years Marie has

put a lot of hard work and many

hours into organizing and

orchestrating this job. We are

grateful for all this work. As Marie

retires now from this job let’s all

make sure to express our gratitude.

Community Friends of

Scouting Campaign - Paul

Bunyan District is excited to

announce that we have a new

Community Friends of Scouting

Chair, Ben Stowe. Ben is an

Eagle Scout from Troop 23. He is a

successful business man who is

going to bring that success to our

Community Friends of Scouting

campaign. Ben has formed a team

and with Bob’s and Allison’s

assistance, it is on the move. Stay

tuned for news about our campaign

success.

Spring Camporee - Paul Bunyan

and Appelget District’s Boy Scout

Troops will be having a Spring

Camporee on the weekend of April

18-20 at Camp Nushka. The

camporee chairman is Thomas

Smith. Tom is working hard to

bring together a fantastic

experience for all the Scouts that

attend starting with the opening

cracker barrel on Friday. The

Spring Camporee is going to

provide something for everyone.

On Saturday, new Scouts will be

getting a big leg up on their

journey to First Class. First Class

and Star Scouts will be challenged

on their abilities and Life and

Eagle Scouts will have the

opportunity to prove their worth as

older Scouts. All Scouts will have a

chance to cheer on their

S c o u tm as t e r s d u r in g t h e

“Scoutmaster Challenge.” With an

afternoon of fun and games,

contests and challenges, there will

be plenty of good times for all. The

day will end with a great campfire

program. The camporee will

conclude with a worship service on

Sunday morning followed by a

service project. Come and join the

fun at Camp Nushka!

District Pinewood Derby -

Saturday, April 19, the Paul

Bunyan District Pinewood Derby

will take place at Paul Bunyan

Mall in Bemidji. As usual, there

will be two races. First the District

Open Race will take place. Every

Cub Scout who built a car this year

is eligible to participate in this

race. The winners of the Open will

then earn a spot to race in the

PAUL BUNYAN District Chair Bob Woodke (H) 218-444-9546 (B) 218-759-1679 District Commissioner Bill Weis (H) 218-751-9296 Sr. District Executive Allison Barta (H) 218-335-6650 (B) 800-939-5811 E-mail: abarta@vac-bsa.org

21

Champion Race. which will be held

immediately after the Open. To

participate in either race, you must

weigh in your car between 8:00—

9:30 AM. All boys will receive a

participant ribbon and trophies

will be give for both races. If you

have any questions, feel free to call

Derby Chair Kevin Breitbach at

751-1262. Don’t miss this race!

Tiger Cub Join Us Night -

Attention all Cub Scout Packs!

Don’t miss hosting a Tiger Cub

Join Us Night. May 6 is the

designated date. This year the

District would like each unit to

hold their own Tiger Join Us Night

at the location of their Cub Scout

Pack. This is a great time to invite

the kindergarten boys to come join

your Pack and give them the

opportunity to attend our 2008 Day

Camp. Check your calendars! If

May 6 is not a good date for your

unit, any date in that week will do.

Please contact your affiliated

schools and find out how many

kindergarten boys they currently

have. Please call Allison and give

her that number as she is

gathering up supplies for those

nights including Tiger Cub

balloons and fun candy. Call ASAP

with those numbers.

Kraus Anderson Fishing

Contest - June 14 Paul Bunyan

Scouters wi l l once again

participate in the Kraus Anderson

Fishing Contest. Paul Bunyan

District is very appreciative that

Kraus Anderson gives us the

opportunity to use this event as a

fundraiser for our District Friends

of Scouting goals. We ask that all

Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops

and members of the Order of the

Arrow mark their calendars and

plan to assist with this event. We

have been proud of the great

success we have had with this

event the past two years and are

looking forward to a ditto of that

this year.

As part of this event, Scouts and

leaders will help host the Casting

Contest for children, check boats,

run fish, set up and take down

chairs and tables and pick up litter

at the closing. Please start

thinking about which part of this

fun event your unit can help with

and notify Bob Woodke at (218)

444-9546.

Day Camp 2008 - John Watts

and his Day Camp Committee will

be presenting another great Cub

Scout Day Camp at Oak Hills

Christian College on June 23-24.

Information has been sent out to

every Cub Scout. Each Pack

should have a Day Camp

Coordinator and begin collecting

registrations for each boy. See you

there!

April Calendar

8 Roundtable/District Meeting/

Commissioners

26 Expo, Grand Rapids

May Calendar

3 Council Annual Dinner, Duluth

13 Roundtable/District Meeting/

Commissioners

15 Tiger Join Us Night

20 Inventory Night

June Calendar

10 Roundtable/District Meeting/

Commissioners

July Calendar

14-15 Cub Scout Day Camp

Family Friends of Scouting

Success - Congratulations and

THANK YOU to all the families of

Appelget District for their

contributions to the 2008 Friends

of Scouting Campaign. We are

almost at 100%. Yeah!! Let’s get it

done! Thank you to Justin

Linnell for his help as a presenter

for this year’s campaign. Great

job! Now we need to focus our

efforts on the Community and Gift-

in-Kind Goals. April 15 is our goal

date. Your help is appreciated!

Klondike 2008 - Big thanks to

Rick Barta for chairing the 2008

Klondike Derby at Balsam

Community Center the weekend of

February 19. The weather was

great and everyone had a lot of fun.

Nine units were in attendance

including an impressive number of

Webelos from Great Bear Pack 42.

Rick had a great lineup of events

that were enjoyed by all. Any

extra energy that was left over at

the end of the day was used up in

the annual sled derby, which was

won by Troop 23 of Paul Bunyan

District. As nightfall arrived, snow

fell softly during a fantastic

campfire program of skits and the

award presentation. Many Scouts

slept “under the stars.” Thanks

again Rick!

Appelget Leader Training -

Denise Engel and her new

training team of Kory Cease,

Carol Herdegen, Toni Burgie,

and Cindy Shevich are preparing

to hold their first training session

the first week of April. If you have

a Cub Scout leader who has never

been trained, please motivate them

to attend this training. The team

is excited and ready to hold their

first session. Let’s give them a big

crowd to teach. Please call Denise

at 256-1055 or 245-1892 if you

know of someone who should

attend.

Scout Expo - Appelget District

Expo Chairperson, Shelly Steere,

has once again put together a great

Expo program. By now everyone

should be signed up to participate

by setting up a booth to share

Scouting skills, games or history.

Don’t forget that this is also the

day of the District Pinewood Derby.

There will be participation ribbons

for all units in the Expo and

trophies and ribbons for the Derby,

plus patches for all! If you have

any questions please call Shelly at

326-4466.

Spring and Fall Camporee -

Attention all Boy Scout leaders of

Appelget District! Paul Bunyan

APPELGET District Chair

District Commissioner Rick Barta

(H) 218-326-1547

Senior District Executive Allison Barta

(H) 218-335-6650 (B) 800-939-5811

E-mail: abarta@vac-bsa.org

22

April Calendar

8 Roundtable

12 Scout Expo, International Falls

25-27 OA Spring Conclave

May Calendar

3 Council Recognition Dinner

6 Roundtable (Program Planning)

June Calendar

13-15 Spring Webelos Action Camp

21-22 Cub Scout Day Camp

July Calendar

8 Roundtable

11-13 Cub/Parent Adventure Camp

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR

DISTRICT AWARDEES - We

would like to extend a well

deserved congratulations to Tom

Parish and Fran Barry. Tom

was recognized for his outstanding

volunteer work at the unit and

district level with the District

Award of Merit. Fran was singled

out for her tireless efforts to bring

an exciting program to the Cub

Scouts in Pack 145. For her work

she was awarded the Silver Scout

Award. Congratulations to both of

you and thank you for all that you

do to improve the lives of the youth

here in North Border District.

PIRATE EXPO - Avast, Ye Matee!

All aboard as we set sail for the

North Border Scout Expo. All

Packs and Troops are

encouraged to attend the 2008

North Border District Scout Expo

on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at

the Mall in International Falls!

We have a Pirate theme this year.

We will also be holding the District

Pinewood Derby Championships

and Best of Show competition at

the same time. Check out the

planning packets that have been

mailed out to all Units. Let’s make

this an Expo to remember.

GOOD TURN FOR AMERICA -

Good Turn for America is a

national call to service by the Boy

Scouts of America to address the

issues of hunger, homelessness,

and poor health in our nation. By

partnering with respected national

service organizations (Habitat for

Humanity, The Salvation Army,

The American Red Cross and

others), BSA is helping meet the

needs of our local communities.

Please do your part by logging onto

www.goodturnforamerica.org and

documenting a l l o f those

community service hours that your

Scouts and Venturers are already

doing. You will need a unit ID to

create an account. If you do not

have one, please call Matt Bisbee

(218.787.2313) to get it.

FRIENDS OF SCOUTING

FAMILY CAMPAIGN - Special

thanks to all of those North Border

Units who have helped so far in the

2008 Friends of Scouting

Campaign. If we missed you this

year, it is NOT TOO LATE!

Contact Matthew Bisbee

(218.787.2313) to schedule a

presentation. Your support of this

important annual effort keeps

Scouting’s support services going

strong year round. Thank you for

your support. TAKE THE OLYMP IC

CHALLENGE! - This year’s

exciting Day Camp theme is

Olympics 2008: Excellence in

Sportsmanship and is scheduled

for June 21st – 22nd, 2008. We are

still nailing down the location, but

wherever it is, it’s going to be a

great time! Our master of

ceremonies, Lois Averill says it’s

going to be a WORLD WIDE

EVENT that shouldn’t be missed.

Every Cub Scout Pack in the

District (and in neighboring

D is tr ic t s ) i s inv i ted and

encouraged to participate in this

exciting event. We hope that your

Pack, Troop, or Crew can help on

staff at this year’s camp…to get

signed up on staff, please e-mail

Matt Bisbee at matthew.

bisbee@gmail.com or Lois Averill

at Lois_averill@hotmail.com.

NORTH BORDER District Chairman Lois Averill (H) 218-285-7604 (B) 218-285-7550 District Commissioner Julie Joslyn (H) 218-286-5636 (B) 218-283-9477 District Executive Matt Bisbee (H) 218-5919181 800-939-5811 E-mail: mbisbee@vac-bsa.org

District is organizing both Spring

and Fall Camporees and they are

shaping up to be really cool events.

Spring Camporee will be at Camp

Nushka and information has

already been sent to every

Scoutmaster. Don’t delay, register

today!

Fall Camporee will be exclusively

for the Boy Scouts Troops because

Troop 23 of Bemidji is putting

together a firearms event. There

will be a limited number of Scouts

allowed at this event so get your

numbers together and be ready to

register when the information

appears. Don’t miss this

opportunity!

Tiger Join Us Night - Currently,

Appelget District is preparing to

have its second annual Tiger Cub

Join Us Night. We are excited to

invite all the future first grade

boys to join our Packs now and be

able to enjoy our fantastic Day

Camp and Summertime Pack

Award events. May 15 is the

scheduled day for this event.

Pack’s have been calling Allison to

give her kindergarten boy totals so

she may order enough supplies to

have a really grrrrreat Tiger Join

Us Night. If you haven’t called

Allison yet with these numbers,

please contact her as soon as

possible.

Day Camp - Once again Tina

Comstock and Julie Halvorson

are organizing Day Camp for

Appelget District. As usual, they

have worked really hard to put

together an outstanding camp.

Day Camp flyers have gone out

across the Council so everyone

should now be filling out their

forms to turn in to their Pack

Coordinator. Please don’t delay,

you want to get in on the early bird

discount camp price. If you have

any questions regarding Day

Camp, Tina (885-1460) and Julie

(327-1156) will be happy to answer

them.

23

ADULT LEADER

AWARDS

Cub Scout Den Leader Award

Katrina Erickson Great Bear

Toni Burbie Appelget

Webelos Den Leader Award

David Patnaude North Star

David Celley Sleeping Giant

Cub Scouter Award

Bruce Jendrusina Wah Da Bong

Matt Bisbee Sleeping Giant

Evan Sandstede Sleeping Giant

Tina Comstock Appelget

Justin Linnell Appelget

Shelly Steere Appelget

Scoutmaster’s Key

Bruce Jendrusina Wah Da Bong

Bob Wolfram Wah Da Bong

Boy Scout Training Award

David Patnaude North Star

Kyle Riel Great Bear

Dan Erspamer Wah Da Bong

John Jacisin Wah Da Bong

William Kerwith Wah Da Bong

Bob Wolfram Wah Da Bong

Commissioner’s Key

Bruce Jendrusina Wah Da Bong

Chad Buggert Sleeping Giant

Arrowhead Honor

Bruce Jendrusina Wah Da Bong

Chad Buggert Sleeping Giant

EAGLES’

NEST

We are proud to announce that the following Boy

Scouts have earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Voyageurs Area Council since September 2007:

Joshuah Schmitz S0009 Duluth Aaron Johnson S0152 Esko Peter Bussa S0009 Duluth Johnathan Wilkin Phaneuf S0126 Mt Iron Jeremiah Johnson S0043 Duluth Grant Aubol S0177 Carlton Ian McCumber S0213 Superior Matt Driscoll S0180 Moose Lake Steven Sellers S4128 Buyck Matthew Peterson S0213 South Range Eric Grytdahl S0015 Duluth Matthew Elverud S4144 Bovey Ian Syndergaard S4144 Grand Rapids Brandt Devich S4126 Buhl Nathan Leustek S4170 Ely Forrest Brownlee S4001 Hibbing

We congratulate these fine young men on earning Scouting’s highest honor.

Voyageurs Area Council

HELP DESK

Kevin Nichols knichols@vac-bsa.org

Scout Executive - Ext 12

Al Braff abraff@vac-bsa.org

Program Director - Ext 11

Susan B sberg@vac-bsa.org

Office Manager/Accounting Specialist -

Ext 14

Accounts Payable, Popcorn, Friends of

Scouting, Golf

Donna dhickok@vac-bsa.org

Program Administrative Assistant -

Ext 17

Eagle Scouts, Events Registration,

Training, Popcorn

April abyykkonen@vac-bsa.org

Registrar - Ext 18

Membership Registration, Boys’ Life

Subscriptions, Order of the Arrow,

Unit Rosters

Sue M sumeyer@vac-bsa.org

Trading Post Manager - Ext 15

Awards, Supply Orders, Unit Ac-

counts, Camp Reservations, Advance-

ment

Scouting in the Voyageurs Area

Council is supported by: United

Ways of Bemidji Area, Gogebic

Range, Hibbing, N.E. Minnesota, One

Thousand Lakes, Carlton County,

Superior-Douglas County and

Greater Duluth.

Friends of Scouting - People with a

special interest in Scouting.

Remember the Voyageurs Area

Council, Boy Scouts of America, in

your Will.

SSSCOUTCOUTCOUT S S SHOPHOPHOP H H HOURSOURSOURS

8:30 AM—5:00 PM

Monday - Friday

The Scout Shop will be open the 2nd

& 4th Saturday - January - May

10:00 AM—1:00 PM

Scout Shop Closed on Saturday

June-August

Check the Council website for dates.

APRIL CALENDAR 1 Spring Popcorn Sale Begins

13 OA Lodge Executive Committee

Meeting

15 Executive Committee Meeting

26 Spring Popcorn Sale Ends

25-27 OA Spring Conclave

29 Spring Popcorn Orders Due in

Council Office by Noon

MAY CALENDAR 3 Annual Meeting & Recognition

Dinner, Radisson Hotel, Duluth

24-26 Office Closed—Memorial Day

JUNE CALENDAR 8 OA Lodge Executive Committee

Meeting

13-16 Spring Webelos Action Camp,

Camp Chicagami, Eveleth

17 Executive Committee Meeting

JULY CALENDAR 4 Office Closed—Independence

Day

12-13 Cub Scout Overnight Activities

Camp, Camp Chicagami, Eveleth

13-19 National Youth Leadership

Training Conference, Camp

Horace Johnson

PROGRAM KICKOFF

PLANNING PACKETS

PROGRAM KICKOFF BOOKLETS

and Calendars for the 2008/2009

PROGRAM YEAR are on their way!

Be sure to have a representative

from your Unit at the May

Roundtable to pick up this

ESSENTIAL PLANNING TOOL.

Inside, you will find most

everything that you will need to

plan a fun and exciting program for

your unit as well as a resource CD

that will direct you to all of the on-

line support websites that are

available to you. If you are unable

to attend, contact your Unit

C o m m i s s i o n e r , D i s t r i c t

Commiss ioner , o r D is t r i c t

Executive to pick up yours.