Vol. 30, Issue 1 Winter, 2015

’by the Many Point Alumni Association

T he Lantern shined bright this

past summer in 2015, and is

lighting the path for another

successful year for not just the

camp, but for the Many Point Staff Alumni

Association. We have some exciting times

ahead of us in 2016, so I invite all of you

to come together as we celebrate Many

Point’s 70th year.

The traditions and Spirit that infuses

the 2500 acres of paradise continues to

create smiles and energize both the staff

and the over 6600 participants that came

through the gates in 2015. More than ever,

camp continues to improve and innovate

the program that is sought after from

people all over the world.

As we celebrate the holidays in 2015,

we are preparing for the annual event

where we can all come together in April.

This year’s Spring Fling will be held at the

Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club. Not only

does this continue our theme as we build

Many Point’s newest program, it offers

some great social avenues for you and

your camp friends to hang out. The

planning committee for the event is

preparing some special programs for this

event. The Spring Fling of 2016 will

definitely be one you remember. Mark

your calendars now, April 22nd. Also mark

your calendars for the Many Point Alumni

Campout to celebrate this awesome

milestone of 70 years.

Continuing with the theme of Target

Sports, the MPSAA continues to work

towards our goal of $40,000 to build a

Target Sports program area that will

provide years of enjoyment and lifelong

skills to thousands of Scouts each summer.

What a perfect setting, and what a safe

place.

Last year, our generous community

donated nearly $10,000 of the funds we

need to successfully build this amazing

area. We’ve provided a better idea on what

this project encompasses in this letter. I

believe we can reach this goal which not

only provides a pretty cool avenue of

awesomeness for the Many Point program,

but marks us as one of the few Scout

Camps in the nation to have such a

program.

This program was designed to be an

extracurricular project that the alumni is

raising money for; similar to the fire tower

in 1994. Below, we have created a patch

for member’s who donate $40 or more.

For $100 or more, we also have an option

for members to have a personalized name

or in-memorandum at different tiers that

will be incorporated on the programs

plaque. In addition, the $100 or more

members will be invited on a special

weekend to enjoy the new feature.

Let’s come together staff, and make

this happen. Thank you for your years of

support and contribution. Have a happy

holiday season, and a safe new year!

Michael L. Kuklok

President, MPSAA

Tuesday January 14, 2016 Board Meeting - Check Website for More Information.

Tuesday March 8, 2016 Board Meeting—Check Website for More Information.

Friday April 22, 2016 Spring Fling—Horse and Hunt, Prior Lake, MN

More Dates? Check out your Calendar!

Check Out our Website

www.mpalumni.org

Events, Calendar, Mobile, Photos, Videos, Audio….more

Check out our Facebook Page

Events & Discussion

Message from the President ......... 1 2015 - a Year of 6,600 .................. 2 Remembering Bob Birkemeier ..... 2 Remembering John Winkie, Jr. .... 3 The Lantern .................................. 3 Target Sports Outpost .................. 4 Frontier ......................................... 5 Contacts ....................................... 6 Also included is a calendar, pledge

card, and self address stamped envelope.

Engraved Plaque at the

Program Site

Club

$100-$249

YETI:

$250-$499

LOON:

$500-$999

Lantern:

$1000 or more

2

ROBERT C. "BOB" BIRKEMEIER Robert C. "Bob" Birkemeier died May

3, 2015 in Carol Stream, IL at the age of

93. He was the 2nd Camp Director of

Many Point Scout Camp 1954-56. He is

remembered as a friendly and kind leader

who encouraged quality work from his

staff associates. After he left Many Point

he had the following professional Scouting

positions:

Director of Exploring, New York City,

NY

Director of Field Service, New York

City, NY

Director of Camping, New York City,

NY

Scout Executive, Hamden, CT Scout

Executive, Boston, MA

Area Director, East Central Region

Regional Director, Northeast Region

Memorials may be directed to: Many

Point Scout Camp C/O Northern Star

Council 5300 Glenwood Ave. Golden

Valley MN 55422

Condolences may be sent to:

Florence “Millie” Birkmeier

130 Windsor Park Drive #C314

Carol Stream, IL 60188

M any Point celebrated our

69th summer full of new

adventures for Scouts,

Family’s, Leader’s, and

Staff. Over 6600 participants had the best

week of their summer at Many Point. New

attractions continue to bring more Scouts

to Many Point each summer. This year’s

highlights were the two new older Scout

programs; ATV Day ride and the Older

Scout Adventure Blast. Scouts also

enjoyed additional merit

badge offerings this

summer, Chess and

Athletics merit

badges were added to

the lineup, which

means we now offer

over 50 merit badges each

summer! “9-Square in the Air” (think four

-square and volleyball) was a popular

addition to our beach fronts this summer

and kept Scouts active.

The Many Point staff beamed with

pride, and they had every right. Many

Point hosted a Latter Day Saints

Encampment over the 4th of July week.

The LDS group had requested Many Point

to provide as many older

Scout adventures as possible.

We blew them away with

what we were able to

provide! Many Point Staff

showed their dedication to

youth, waking at the crack of

dawn to ensure maximum

adventure for these Scouts.

Many Point Staff Alumni

came to camp to help us provide

additional program, and we couldn’t have

provided this group such a stellar week

without their support.

The Many Point staff were also proud

of the growth we showed in participants.

This year, we had 397 additional Scouts

come join us at Many Point

than the year prior. What do

we attribute

this to? Our

dedication

towards our

traditions –

our

Mission,

Guest

service, and

Innovations. Our

staff shined in these

traditions strongly throughout

the summer. They became expert

counselors during staff week, and put their

skills to work all summer. A shining

example? Countless leaders stopped me to

express many great things Many Point

staff had done.

One quote I’d like to share, “please

pass on to the Many Point staff our

deepest gratitude for making this

one of the most memorable

Scout experiences these boys

have had in Scouts so far. We

look forward to another visit to

Many Point in the future.” Our

staff did not stop there, they

continue to share endless ideas

for new program concepts and

process improvements that continue to

make Many Point a strong Boy Scout

camp.

Summer of 2016, Many Point’s 70th

Anniversary, is one to truly look forward

to. At our opening banquet, we have the

honor of opening the 40th anniversary

time capsule. At our closing

banquet, we will bury a time

capsule to give another future

staff the same joy we are

looking forward to.

Program ideas are in the

works to entice even

more units. We are

currently raising

funds to build a new

Trap Shooting

Outpost for both

Scouts working on shotgun

merit badge and older Scouts looking for a

new challenge. Many Point is proud to

have a strong Alumni Association that

continues to support program

developments, and helps keep Many Point

the place to be.

Evan Yingst

Many Point Camping Director

Eyingst@northernstarbsa.org

(651) 254-9183

2015 - A YEAR OF 6600 SMILES!

3

John Winkie, Jr. (1967-1969) John Winkie passed away this October

at the age of 63 in Kansas City, Missouri.

John was the son of Jack and Pat Winkie.

Jack was the Many Point Dining Hall Di-

rector from 1964 to 1966, the Food Ser-

vices Director in 1967 and the Reservation

Purchaser in 1968. John worked in Explor-

er Camp in 1967 as a Commissary Aide

and in 1968 and 1969 in Ten Chiefs as an

Aquatics Aide.

John and sister, Barb, spent idyllic

summers at Many Point as Staff Family.

John and John Niemi explored every inch

of camp together during those summers

and were always ready to help Boots and

Ale if extra hands were needed.

In 1961, John, Barb and their parents

welcomed Bruce and Brent Martin (1965-

1969) into their family. John learned early

the importance of helping others from his

parents. After graduating from St Louis

Park High School in 1969, John joined the

U.S. Navy and served with the Seventh

Fleet off the coast of Vietnam. When his

naval service was over, he returned to the

Twin Cities eventually moving to Kansas

City, Missouri. It is here that he followed

his passion for woodworking, spending

many years operating a furniture refinish-

ing business.

John and wife, Iris, kept close to fami-

ly and friends. Together, they entertained

often, John being famous for his legendary

barbequed ribs. He maintained a strong

commitment to Scouting and Many Point

in particular. He was amongst the group of

ex-staffers that helped at Many Point after

the severe storm of 1995. Like a good

Scout, he was always there when anybody

needed help! The summer of 2014 found

him helping his brother rebuild a damaged

pontoon boat and Iris's son, Chris, build a

deck on his home, this time in the role of

"Dad".

John's family has long been a Many

Point family. John, Jack, his father, broth-

er, Brent and sister-in-law Diane (Moody)

Martin (1969) have all been on the Camp

Staff. Like John, brothers Bruce and Brent

and nephew, Shane, have been Many Point

campers and with a great nephew, Luke,

joining the Cub Scouts, another family

member is on the trail to Many Point! John

was very proud of his time at camp and

fondly recounted summers spent along its

shore.

- Brent Martin

A s the 2015, Many Point Staff

Opening Ceremony concluded

the story of the lanterns was

again told. This ceremony has

been a tradition of the Many Point Staff

since the first Opening Ceremony in 1947.

Today with the size of the current staff the

ceremony has changed since the early

days.

Legend has it that during the early con-

struction of Many Point in the year before

the camp opened the Camp Director, Wint

Hartman came to camp to confer with the

Camp Ranger, Boots Hanson to determine

if camp would be able to open in the sum-

mer of 1947. Building a new camp in the

years after the Second World War present-

ed many problems.

Construction materials were scarce or

non existent and roads were primitive.

Man power was also in short supply as

men were slowly released from the Armed

Forces.

In those days the REA power grid had

not reached Many Point so Boots put one

of his kerosene lamps in his window to

welcome Wint after his long trip from

Minneapolis. From this simple act of wel-

coming a signal was given that Camp was

on schedule to open for Scouts in 1947.

In the early days each staff position had

a lantern. Attached to this lantern was a

wooden tag that listed all the former camp

staff members who had held this position

in past. Staff members came to feel they

were part of a long and honorable tradi-

tion. The lanterns were stored in the staff

dining room on a lantern rail.

At the Opening Ceremony each per-

sons lamp was lit by seniority CITs first.

Suddenly the room came bright with the

glow of so many lanterns. Each staff mem-

ber was "urged to keep their lantern bright

throughout the summer". The lanterns

were left burning as the staff departed to

gather outside.

At the closing banquet the lanterns

were lit and at the conclusion each person

extinguished their lamp by seniority, CITs

first. At the end the only lanterns still burn-

ing were those of the Camp Rangers and a

candle representing the ever burning light

of Scouting.

After more than 65 years the tradition

lives on. Today each department has a lan-

tern with the names of the members at-

tached. I am sure that the staff this summer

was just as impressed with this ceremony

as I was in 1954.

By Douglas Palmer, MPSAA Historian

The Lantern

4

by Jay Wescott - (Part One. To be

continued in the Spring of 2016)

T he reason I'm bringing this tale

to light after all this time, is

because change over time has

changed Frontier.

My fascinating journey into

the Frontier began in 1955 as an eleven

year old Scout and still remains an

unsolved mystery today. I camped there,

two weeks each summer until 1962, when

I worked as an assistant breakfast cook in

the main area dining hall. From 1963

through 1965, I worked at Frontier as the

Director, eleven weeks of the summer,

serving some of the largest troops in the

Viking Council (now Northern Star

Council). When I say largest troops, I

mean like Troop 403 of Brooklyn Center,

with eight patrols and junior leaders. These

troops brought all the equipment to survive

two weeks in the Frontier.

I need to tell you first where I came

from (I mean other than my parents). I

grew up in Minneapolis at 2734 Girard

Avenue South. This location was one

block East of the twenty-seven hundred

block of Hennepin Avenue and about three

blocks North of Lake Street. I lived in a

duplex that had five apartments filled with

all kinds of sounds and cooking smells.

Streetcars on Hennepin Avenue were

eventually being replaced by buses.

Everything in my world was within six

blocks of my house: the elementary school,

the junior high, the high school, the church

where my Scout Troop met, the grocery

store, restaurants, public library, the bank,

numerous business and shops, the police

department, the fire department, Lake of

the Isles, etc. My world was noisy 24

hours a day with the sound of street cars,

buses, automobiles, police and fire

department vehicles with sirens blaring,

delivery trucks, airplanes and the sounds of

railroad trains. In my city world, I lived in

a very busy place with a high volume of

familiar sounds.

The wonderment and amazing help from real life hero's at Frontier.

Shortly after arriving, unloading

camping gear and setting up patrol sites, I

heard a boat on the lake coming our way.

From some distance, it looked like there

was a man in the stern, a man in the middle

and a bear in the bow. I rubbed my eyes

and repeat, a bear in the bow. My

scoutmaster greeted the three as they

departed the boat and welcomed them to

the land that had no running water. Up

close, the bear somehow turned into a

friendly, happy faced huge dog that really

looked like a bear. Both of the men

were Camp Rangers, hero's that are best

friends, there when you need them. There

was Boots Hanson, the talkative guy and

his partner Ale Nieme, the strong silent

sidekick. What happened next was

amazing. It was Ale, using a dowsing

rod, a Y shaped twig, he held in two hands

and walked around the campsite. The stick

started twitching, and he said, "this is

where we will drill for water". He drilled

on that very spot,

installed a hand pump

and our Troop had

drinking water. He

taught us, sometimes you

have to prime the pump

to get drinking water. I

also learned that you can

never have too many

hero's, friends and a dog

that looks like a bear.

In

1955, Frontier was a

natural place, a place of

wonder, a place of new

and different sounds,

quiet solitude, a place

without any buildings.

On the way to Many

Point, we rode a school bus that traveled

on dirt roads, following section lines, lines

that had many right and left angle turns.

The bus and our old troop farm truck

parked down by the lake, near a beach

house in main area. Our farm truck, carried

all our gear for cooking, sleeping and as

many supplies we could carry for a two

week stay. We then took boats, canoes and

eventually rafts over to the Frontier area,

as there were no roads to Frontier.

We traveled through a time portal and left the city behind.

From reading stories about Native

Americans by Ernest Thompson Seton,

Mountain men by Dan Carter Beard, and

Scouting (boy's small army), by Baden

Powell, we had arrived at Frontier. In my

imagination right there, I could see Native

Americans, Mountain Men and Army guys

in the cloud formations. There was the

land, the trees, the critters of the likes I'd

never seen, and the sound of the wind

blowing through the trees. Along with the

wind sounds, there were the lake water

sounds. At night, you could see thousands

of stars, stars that you couldn't see in the

city. With that many stars, who knows,

maybe there is a star with my name on it.

Originally I thought, it's boy against nature

and if I lived through this experience, it

will be man against nature.

FRONTIER AREA AT MANY POINT SCOUT CAMP

From Main Beach looking at Frontier.

5

Part of the mystery I learned is: boy with nature.

For two weeks in the summer, I was

part of the land, water and sky. In the

clouds I could see visions of past book

heroes watching out for me. Some of the

critters I met and attempted to

communicate included: a snowshoe rabbit

that stood about three feet tall, three deer

that I attempted to out run up a hill, a

kangaroo mouse that chose to eat my t-

shirts, stored in my tent, and an Osprey

(fish hawk), that didn't appreciate my

visits to her nest, in one of the tallest

White Pine trees in Frontier. One day near

my tent site, small tree saplings were

bending and making noise. What then

came was a large snapping turtle that must

have weighed 40 pounds. Once when I

crawled in my sleeping bag, I realized that

a snake wanted to share my space. This

was a closer proximity than I appreciated.

In slow motion, I crawled out of my bag,

put my bag on the floor, next to the open

tent flap and lifted the closed end so that

the snake could slither away. From then

on, I always checked my bag before

climbing in. If I remember correctly what

I think the snake said, “You can check the

first bag for free.”

One evening, without the use of a

flashlight, my tent mate and I thought

there was a small dog or small cat moving

about in the tent. When I turned the

flashlight on, there was a skunk invading

our comfort zone. By not moving and

remaining very still, I did what any Native

American would do, talked to the animal.

I whispered, “please leave without leaving

a scent.” Thankfully, the skunk

understood what I was saying, and left

without a scent. Down at the beach, you

could see tadpoles, mud puppies and fish

of all sizes. At night, you could see flying

squirrels. These squirrels had big eyes and

webs under their arms that could spread

out like a batman cape, as they flew from

tree to tree. Frontier was a quiet, magical

place full of energy and wonder.

Magic or Illusion. The first Order of the Arrow ceremony

I viewed was led by Orly Thornsjo. Orly

wore a fringed buckskin jacket , a hat with

a beaded hatband and eagle feather. In the

firelight, he looked like a Native

American. When he called out,

“Barry” (my best friend), Orly pulled out

a feathered arrow from his quiver and put

the arrow point into the fire. He then said

something quietly to Barry, took hold of

Barry's scout shirt and pulled it open with

buttons flying. In his left hand, Orly took

something from his pipe bag and with his

right hand retrieved the burning arrow

from the fire. Holding his left hand up to

Barry's chest, with his right hand waving

the flaming arrow until the flame went

out, made it look like he was burning the

letters “O. A.” into Barry's chest. The

amazing part was, Barry did not flinch or

scream out. Orly then told Barry, “Always

remember, For he who serves his fellows

is, of all his fellows, Greatest!” Talking

with Barry after the ceremony, I learned

the secret. What Orly took out of his pipe

bag was an ice chip, that he held up

between the hot arrow and Barry's chest.

Orly had not burned “O.A.” into Barry's

chest, and that is why, no scar was visible

on his chest. It was a most memorable

ceremony.

Another part of the mystery. As a twelve year old scout, I was

selected to become a member of the Order

of the Arrow, Tonkawampus Lodge (now,

Totanhan Nakaha Lodge). This experience

found me making a Native American

partially beaded costume based upon

pictures found in the book, Ojibwa Crafts

by Carrie Llford. Many Point Scout Camp

is located near the White Earth Ojibwa

Native American Reservation. After

participating in a few Order of Arrow

ceremonies, I had become a Native

American, if only in my imagination. At a

campfire one night, our scoutmaster told

us that Native Americans camped on this

very spot years ago. It was not a

coincidence, the next day on the beach,

partially buried in the sand, near where we

had the campfire, a scout found a shaped

stone the Native Americans used to grind

corn or grain. Some things are meant to

be. This was not a coincidence, but a

meant to be experience.

(The Mystery Continues in Part Two.

Next Spring.)

2013-2016 Board Members Matt Mencke - 952-891-8514 Scott Rasmussen

2014-2017 Board Members Al Boyce - 952-927-8968 Joel Young - 763-537-1709 Dan Piephoe—763-232-7690

2015-2018 Board Members Corwin Diamond - 612-210-5798 Joe Glaccum - 952-250-1359 Jeremy Linton—612-817-2816

President Mike Kuklok—763-234-7642 kukl0016@gmail.com

Many Point Council Professional Evan Yingst - 651-254-9183 eyingst@nsbsa.org

Historians Doug Palmer—952-831-5006 mn_china@yahoo.com Brent Martin bdmartin1970@comcast.net

Jay Wescot in his tent.

Jay in OA Regalia

6

w e would like to have our members work towards one goal. Many Point and the Alumni Association will be

working toward the construction and program development for a new Shotgun Target Sports Outpost. The

goal is to open the program in the summer of 2016. The sooner we meet our goal, the faster we can release

the program to Scouts.

Background on why! Over the past few years, Clay Target Leagues in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas have been booming. It is the fastest

growing high school sport in Minnesota. In Minnesota alone, there are over 10,000 athletes expected to compete in 2015 with over

80 Minnesota high schools involved. In addition to High schools, 4-H clubs are beginning to enhance their program for clay targets

as well. The coolest thing about this league, is that the sport brings its participants into a sport they will enjoy and participate in for

a lifetime; unlike other high school sports.

In addition, Many Point’s history of hunting and fishing ties very well to this theme. There is even discussion on how to

incorporate some history of Robert Gaylord and other pioneers to enhance the program’s theme.

MPSAA GIFT: SHOTGUN SPORTS OUTPOST

Where will it go? Several perspective locations have been identified.

It needs to be about 3-5 acres of open space. Plus in-

corporate a safe distance behind the shooting fields.

The final location will need to consider the terrain,

resources such as water and power, area that provides

the proper environment and comfort for shooters.

Possible location sites marked around the lake

Who will use the program? The program will be a high adventure program, but will cater to all

skill levels. From Scouts that have never participated in such an ac-

tivity to Scouts who may be a part of High School leagues. The goal

is to also incorporate a field trip for each of the sub-camp Merit

Badge sessions, so they can experience the area. In all, the program

can affect thousands of Scouts each summer.

How does this work with policy? The BSA has some of the toughest rules for safety in the country.

The goal is to make sure Scouts have a safe and fun experience. All

of these policies (still on going) need to be considered when

designing this program area. Each design will serve a purpose as final

plans are developed. Scouts will only be shooting when a certified

instructor is at their side (who provides the Scouts with the shells at

their turn, and barrel limiting frames will be constructed to keep

barrels pointed in a safe direction.

7

How does this differ from our current program? Way different. Currently, we have one clay thrower and a 2

shotguns in each camp. This is enough to handle single target

Shotgun Merit Badges. The NEW program would be isolated

in a new range area at Many Point. In this wilderness setting,

Scouts will be able to compete in different 5-stand, skeet

shooting, trap and possible trail stations. Many Point would

have an official style fields for Scouts to experience the real

sports as they would find in a league setting. So…multiple

What does it take to get this up and running? There is a lot involved with starting a program like this. The

area needs to be safe and be of commercial quality to

withstand the volume of participants. In short, to get the

program running with quality facilities, the program needs at

least $30,000 more.

8

DONATIONS TO MANY POINT SCOUT CAMP:

2014: Aqua Skippers, SkiDo Scooters, Mobile Targets, and

Cargo Nets

2013: Boat Motors, Lake Inflatables, and Climbing Tower

Poles

2012: Sailboards, Tree House Improvements, Voyageur

Climbing Tower Poles.

2011: Sailboats.

2010: Sailboats.

2009: Radio Merit Badge equipment.

2008: 3 Canoes, 45 GPS units.

2007: PFDs, paddles, and lumber to construct the storage

racks for 36 new tandem kayaks.

2006: Crazy Horse Tree House #2.

2005: Bradley Amundson Memorial Fishing Pier at Family

Camp.

2004: Crazy Horse Tree House.

2003: Handicap-accessible hardware, 6 Shotguns, 6 Rifles.

2002: 3 Magna-Scopes, 36 climbing helmets, 4 wide-body

windsurfers.

2001: Bouldering wall handholds, Patrol Boat, Sailboards,

Outboard Motor.

2000: Pontoon boat for Fishing Outpost.

1999: Equipment to establish the new Fishing Outpost.

1998: 3 Adirondacks shelters.

1997: Sea Kayaks.

1996: Climbing Handholds for Climbing towers.

1995: Fire tower.

1994: Beach structure for Pioneer Beach.

1991: Beach Structures for Voyageur/Turner Beach, 8hp

outboard motor,

4 stereo microscopes.

PROJECTS:

2008-14: MPSAA Annual Work Party-Maintenance and cleaning of

Gaylord’s Lodge.

2010,14: Updates to the History Center.

2004: Published "Remembering Wint", a special Edition of the

Lantern's Light

1998-07: MPSAA Annual Work Party-Clearing and maintenance of

Wint Hartman Trail.

1998-14: Teaching Merit Badge seminars to current staff during

staff week.

1996-14: "Staffer for a Week" program.

1998-10: Creation and Maintenance of Many Point Scout Camp

website.

1996: Chainsaw & clean-up of storm of 1995.

1996: Creation of Many Point Songbook.

1996: Creation of 2 Many Point Songbook companion CD's.

1996: Writing & production of Many Point historical novel.

1995-96: Construction & Installation of exhibits in History Center.

1995: Emergency crew for the Storm of '95.

1992: Published "Remembering Boots", a special Edition of the

Lantern's Light.

1991: Installing new seating in Buckskin fire ring.

1989: Staffed the "A Day in the Life of Many Point" Photo

Shoot.

1988: Constructing Family Camp playground.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES:

1985-14: Sponsor 27 years of "The Lantern's Light", Alumni

Newsetter.

2009: Hosted a retirement program for Ron Schroeder at the

Spring Fling.

1997-14: Sponsor of 14 annual Alumni Fall Campouts.

1996-14: Sponsor of the Many Point Alumni Association website.

1988-14: Sponsor of numerous "Spring Fling" social gatherings for

Alumnus.

1985-14: Creation and maintenance of Staff Alumni database and

roster.

1986, 96, 06: Sponsor of 45th, 50th & 60th Alumni Anniversary

Reunions at camp.

1988: Sponsor of the 1988 Ale Niemi Retirement Party.

Your contributions do make a difference!

MPSAA ACCOMPLISHMENTS