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
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.
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
Bjelland Lodge Dedication
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
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