Many Point 2011 By The Numbers

“Thanks for one of the best weeks of my summer!”

This is what a Scout from troop 174 had to say at the end of his week at Many Point. This was a sentiment shared by thousands of Scouts, adult leaders, families and CITs alike. “How many thousands?” you ask. Well, here are the numbers…

4139 Boy Scouts and Venture Scouts camped at Many Point

1451 Adult leaders watched their troops and crews grow while here at Many Point

702 Campers stayed at Family Camp’s 20 cabins and 8 tent/trailer sites

37 CITs spent 5 weeks learning and practicing the essential skills needed to be a staff member

152 Scouts and Venturers participated in the Water Sports Outpost and had the opportunity to ride personal watercraft, a truly rare opportunity in the BSA

1354 Older Scouts and Venturers rode the camp bus to and from their Flintlock adventures

8606 Merit badges were earned

2830 Merit badges were started, to be completed at home

479 Certifications such as Kayak BSA, Snorkeling BSA, Boardsailing BSA, BSA Lifeguard and BSA Aquatic Supervision were completed

124,000 meals were served either “for here” or “to go” by our Dining Hall and Commissary, to fuel all the fun

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Roadside Wildflowers

Prior to 1999, all traffic on the camp road went through Ten Chiefs. At that time, a new road was built to bypass the Ten Chiefs subcamp. This road has greatly enhanced the camping experience in Ten Chiefs by eliminating nearly all of the vehicle traffic during the week. The other great thing about this new road was that many stretches of the roadside are covered with wildflowers that offer an ever-changing summer-long bouquet of wildflowers. Here are just a few of the flowers you can find alongside the road.

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You

As the loons serenade you to sleep on your first night,

You eagerly await for a week that will surpass all the rest

With a plethora of things to do, there will be a staff member waiting for you.

You sir, are why we are here.

So I say, thank you for all that you do, in making our summer as memorable as yours.

 

–Boo

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Bjelland Lodge Dedication

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On August 3rd, 2011, the past and future of the Flintlock Adventure Base were united in the new Flintlock Headquarters. Current and former staff, council dignitaries, spouses and friends joined together to dedicate the brand new Bjelland Lodge.

Funded by the generous support of Rolf and Idelle Bjelland, the new lodge truly sets the bar way above the rest of the camp headquarters lodges. The staff dining area is spacious, the kitchen is four times larger than the previous kitchen, and the staff laundry and shower facilities are sure to be the envy of the other camps. Other new improvements that are being touted by the Flintlock staff are the Camp Director’s office and the front porch.

At the dedication, Rolf shared a few words about his experiences on staff in the 1950’s. Some things have changed dramatically since then, like Flintlock transitioning from a resident camp to an adventure base, but other things have remained unchanged, like how the staff occupy their off time on the weekends.

Rolf and Idelle were thanked not only for their financial support, but also their leadership in the design and establishing an endowment to support the maintenance and eventual replacement of the building. The festivities concluded with a photograph of Rolf and Idelle and their friends in front of the new lodge, which mirrors a photograph that was taken in 1958 at the opening of the previous Flintlock Headquarters building.

The old lodge will continue to serve Flintlock for equipment storage, Scout dining, and as a location for program activities.

Favorite Family Camp Memory

As a Family Camp staff member, my best memory of Family Camp was of my first time there. In 1997 I was 9 years old and I was staying in cabin 19. My best memory of that was watching a staffer use a chain saw to cut a downed tree for firewood. I was so interested in it, I was watching him for so long. Then my mom came up and asked if I wanted a picture with him and I said, “Yeah!” So I goat a picture with his helmet and ear muffs on me and him holding the chainsaw. I don’t remember that staffer’s name, but I hope I make some camper as happy as I was.

Cody Aho, Family Camp 2011 Program Director

Some Thoughts From a Scoutmaster

Summer goes so fast and time moves too quick

What I don’t get can almost make me sick

Camping is a time when we learn to share

And to take some time to show a kid I care

Things that are possible things he can be

Values in life he can learn from me

He can learn to be strong and take control

Be part of a troop when he’s in a patrol

He will learn how to separate the good from the bad

How to show he’s happy what to do when he’s sad

He will learn the strength of work as a group

When he’s part of an organized troop

Camping becomes so much more

And knowing what to do will make his spirit soar

When he plans his life and sets each goal

He’ll remember the time he had in his patrol

We created a memory and that’s fuel for his lamp

As he remembers his time at Many Point Scout Camp

 

Loren Fokken

Scoutmaster, Troop 269

Aquatics fun at Many Point

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Many Point Scout Camp is a veritable water wonderland! While most camps are a camp upon a lake, Many Point Scout Camp is a series of camps around a lake. Each of the program camps has a fleet of watercraft that include canoes, rowboats, sailboats, inner tubes for water polo and an impressive aqua trampoline that can entertain fourteen Scouts at a time! A favorite attachment is the Aqua Launch, or simply “the blob,” whereby a Scout can sit at the end and another Scout jumps on the launcher, propelling a Scout through the air and into the lake! Whit a good sound jump, a Scout on the end can perform a triple gainer if the wind is just right. At that, the competition starts as one Scout tries to outdo another Scout in height, distance and even style!

Flintlock offers waterskiing behind the new Mastercraft ski boat, three jet skis, sea kayaks, the Saturn and the Iceberg. While the ski boat and jet skis speak for themselves, the Saturn is a ringed floating structure where Scouts balance teamwork, creativity and one heck of a good time–especially with the hot weather we have had! The Iceberg is a sixteen foot high structure that challenges Scouts to scale its height and slide into the water with a big leap of faith at the top. The Iceberg builds confidence and is also one heck of a lot of fun.

The great thing is that all water items really help Scouts to develop teamwork, communication, initiative, build confidence and help Scouts along the road to fulfilling the mission of Scouting and the elements of the outdoor program. Scouting is truly a series of “games with a purpose.” And Many Point intends to take advantage of every opportunity to help young boys grow into young men with character!

Big Joe

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Joe Glaccum is a Many Point institution who is the unseen man that makes things happen. Joe started in 1987 as trail crew chief, carving out the trail to the Back of the Moon. In 1988, he began his tenure as food service director, which he continues to present. All the while, he has also served in a variety of other roles, including trading post director, services director, business director, driver and sanitation director. In truth, Joe is happy to do whatever it takes to make Many Point run!

His Scouting history is long! He grew up in New York but moved to Minnesota. He was a cubmaster for three years, a scoutmaster for ten years, chair of the Lake Minnetonka district Scout committee for eight years, participated in Wood Badge, conducted a junior leader training program for years and earned Scouting’s Silver Beaver award!

At Many Point he works to ensure an effective food service program. His job starts long before camp by assessing feedback from the previous year, helping to create a menu, acquiring food and establishing a staff that values quality control!

During the storm of 1995, the camp was without power for six days and everyone was worried that all the frozen and refrigerated food would perish. Joe contacted a trucking company and was able to secure a refrigeration truck that preserved the camp’s food via diesel engine! This type of creativity and focus on mission makes Joe a very valuable staff member. His actions have been replayed time and time again in a variety of ways.

Thanks for all that you do Joe, and Many Point hopes you continue for another twenty-five years!

A Look Into The Past

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The cultural history of the people who have lived near Many Point is rich. Scouts have the opportunity to visit the Many Point History Center to learn about the Ojibwe and Dakota, voyageurs, loggers, sportsmen and Boy Scouts that have called Many Point home.

Many Point Staff Alumni Association historians have spent countless hours making this museum a place that is dedicated to sharing the story of these people groups. In one part, Scouts take a guided tour through time and see how each group has shaped the land and how they themselves add to the rich history of the people. Another part of the museum is dedicated to the history of camp and explores how camp life has changed from 1946 to the present. Scouts have a blast as they see how phones used to work or how the camp functioned without electricity. Patch enthusiasts also enjoy a collection of both historical and more current items.

Favorite Many Point Memories

In the summer of 2010, we collected people’s favorite memories of Many Point to create a top 100 Many Point memories list. Here are two of them, both relating to the road into camp:

Favorite Many Point memory #69 by Ian G.

Driving into camp on the first day.

Favorite Many Point memory #59 by Scott W.

In 1997 I was a part of an LDS encampment with about 800 LDS boys occupying all of Ten Chiefs and Buckskin. One morning as I walked along the main road, I noticed that two of the Scout Law signs were damaged, and one was broken by someone having thrown large rocks at the sign. I retrieved the signs and took them to the maintenance shop for repair. I apologized to Bob, the Camp Director, for the damage. He said, “I’m glad we have those boys at camp. This is where we can help them the most.” His helpful attitude toward serving troubled youth has always stuck with me. The staff at Many Point is committed to helping boys, and that’s why I love it here. Thanks to all at Many Point who serve our boys.

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