Trailblazer District

Scouting turns 100! - Monday, February 08, 2010

John Andrews, Northern Star Council District Exec, sends his best as we celebrate this special BSA birthday:

Happy 100th Anniversary, Northern Star Scouting Family!

This is a very special year for our "American Institution", that has tranformed over the past 100 years into an American "Way of Life." During the course of this year, there are two dates that stand out for many: one is today, as the official incorporation date of the BSA, and the second is October 1, which is when Scouting was officially organized in this region (in St. Paul and Minneapolis). We will gather as the Northern Star Family on October 1 for the 100th Annual Meeting of the Council! Where? At the Base Camp, of course - which was the rendezvous point for the first official youth event of our new council in the spring of 1911 - and where our second century will begin with the first-of-its-kind urban Base Camp. Work is underway on the 1907 cavalry drill hall now - the photo attached is of the construction sign that sits alongside Highway 55.

Are you wearing your uniform? This is wear your uniform to school and work day! I am wearing mine - and it got some doubletakes and friendly conversation at the Minneapolis Club this morning, for a breakfast meeting there. Luckily, no one asked me to leave and get a jacket - the Scout uniform is as formal as it needs to be. If you forgot to wear it today - this is Anniversary week! Wear it tomorrow.

The Anniversary is getting plenty of media attention and public visibility, here and around the Nation. Our own Anthony Thomas (two millionth Eagle Scout, and National BSA Centennial Spokesman) has been very busy - he leads the invocation at the Centennial Gala in Washington DC tomorrow night - and he was the star of the BSA's award-winning float in the Tournament of Roses parade on New Year's Day. Did you see him on Good Morning America yesterday morning? Last Friday we were featured on National Public Radio (here is the link to the page - scroll halfway down for the broadcast http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=3&prgDate=2-5-2010 ) We'll be on CBS Radio today, and our own Dave Kenney (author of Honor Bright) will be on Minnesota Public Radio on February 24 at noon. Attached are the full page and half page ads from the Pioneer Press (which ran yesterday) and the Star Tribune (which ran today). Many community papers are also running ads, thanks to the efforts of various packs, troops and districts. If you have reason to walk through the Minnesota State Capitol building in the near future, look in the North alcove for one of our McKenzie Statues! He is camping there for the month of February, and will welcome our youth contingent on February 11 as we present the report to the State, meeting with the Governor, the legislature, etc. The Wisconsin State Assembly already passed a resolution honoring the centennial (at this linkhttp://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/AJR-100.pdf ) Our birthday is being well celebrated.

Speaking of our wonderful history book (Honor Bright: A Century of Scouting in Northern Star Council), we are proud to share that it is a finalist in the Minnesota category of the Minnesota Book Awards! We will learn on April 17 whether it is the top award winner, but it is another mark of distinction that our self published history of Scouting and Scouting volunteerism in this region has been singled out as one of the best books published in 2009. If you have seen and/or read the book, you will be able to vote for our book in the Reader's Choice Award competition during the month of March. We'll send that link in a few weeks.

Here is some recent good news about our Scouters:

- COLE HENDERSON has been named as the incoming Chairman of the National Lutheran Association on Scouting.

- SCOTT ZIMMER has been named as the Regional Chairman of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting.

- MARTHA WEAVER has given birth to a beatiful little girl named Vivien West.

- STEVE WILCOX and his spouse TERRI were honored with the Blakeman Award by the Hudson Chamber of Commerce.

- TED SELBITSCHKA has retired after nearly 40 years in public accounting.

- JON PEDERSON has been named International Commissioner for the National Jamboree this summer.

- RANDY REVERMAN has accepted the appointment to serve as the Lodge Advisor for the Totanhan Nakaha Lodge, Order of the Arrow.

Here are some Scouters and their families to remember in your prayers:

- FLOYD CARON passed away after a long battle with cancer.

- TOM TURBA is recovering from a stroke.

- BOB HARTSHORN has surgery to place heart stents.

- RUSS LINDQUIST has succumbed to colon cancer. A recent photo of Russ is attached, and a letter from one of our Troops is excerpted here, as a reminder that Scouting is indeed a Way of Life. "Dear Scouts and Scouters, troop parents and friends of Troop 72: In 2006 Troop 72 Scouts Andrew and Matt Rugloski, and their cousin Tyler Ruhnke, were on a family camping trip when they noticed an elderly couple in the campground parking lot. They offered to assist the couple, and in doing so they met Mr. and Mrs. Lindquist, and discovered that Mr. Lindquist had been a Boy Scout in the 1930s, 70 years ago, and was an Eagle Scout. As a Boy Scout he had been selected as the only scout from his troop to attend the first-ever National Jamboree in 1935, to be held on the mall in Washington, D.C. At the request of President Roosevelt, however, the jamboree was postponed for two years due to a polio outbreak, and Mr. Lindquist was then not able to attend in 1937. Based on that meeting of scouts in the campground parking lot, ("once a Scout, always a Scout"), a friendship developed, and Mr. Lindquist attended several of our Courts of Honor. In 2007 he was made an Honorary Member of Troop 72 and presented with our distinctive "Troop 72-blue" neckerchief, the only person ever to be so honored. I have attached a photo of Mr. and Mrs Lindquist with Andrew, Matt and Tyler, taken at one of those Courts of Honor. You will note that Mr. Lindquist is wearing an old-style scout uniform, (from his days as an adult scout volunteer leader), and has his Eagle Scout medal pinned to his shirt. You will also note that Matt is holding a red scout neckerchief, from that 1935 National Jamboree which was never held, a gift from Mr. Lindquist, and one of the most rare and valuable items of scout memorabilia." Troop 72 Scouts continued their relationship with Mr. Lindquist through his illness.

Here are some announcements and updates about upcoming events:

- StarCamp has been relocated from the Arden Hills Army Training Site, to Camp Stearns! It would have been nice to invite the public out to our Centennial Encampment by holding it nearby our council's population center, but Camp Stearns will also have many advantages, including already established water and electricity! There was a disagreement between government agencies (at the eleventh hour) about whether such a large event should be held at the AHATS site, and rather than be caught in the middle of the argument, our event committee wisely opted to use one of our camps instead. Here is the link to the StarCamp info!

http://www.northernstarbsa.org/StarCamp

- Would you like to escape from the snow and cold for a few days for a Scouting Centennial Celebration? Join our Minnesota and Wisconsin Scouters who winter over in Naples, Florida for a Centennial Sunset Cruise aboard the Naples Princess on Monday, March 15. We will unveil the original painting "A Proud Past; A Bright Future" (image attached) that is being used for the Friends of Scouting donor art print this year, and will also present highlights from Honor Bright (also a recognition option for FOS donors.)

- Two of the largest corporations in the world will be represented as Scouting honors community leadership with the Distinguished Citizen Award this fall. On September 14, Northern Star Council will honor Supervalu CEO JEFF NODDLE with the Distinguished Citizen Award, and the event will be chaired by GREG PAGE, CEO of Cargill.

-On April 20, the BSA's National Commissioner TICO PEREZ will be the keynote speaker at the Gathering of Eagles event. If you haven't attended one of these dinners in past years, you should this year. It is open to all Scouters, and the event celebrates the rank of Eagle Scout, including presentation of the Eagle Scout Scholarships to our outstanding young men.

This is a Special Day and a Special Year. Please take a moment to reflect on the fact that you are a Special Person because of your commitment to children through Scouting - because you can accomplish Special Things that shape the World. We close with a prayer written many decades ago by our founder Baden Powell for use at international gatherings (as shared by VP of District Ops BRIAN BULLOCK with 200 Scouters at the Council Coordinated Committees Meeting two weeks ago), as Baden Powell sought to shape world peace through the Brotherhood of Scouting. Baden Powell's work is our work, and it is still underway.

"Father of us all, we meet before Thee here today, numerous in the lands we come from and in the races we represent, but one in our Brotherhood under Thy Divine Fatherhood. We come before Thee with hearts grateful and gladdened by the many blessings Thou has granted us and thankful that our Movement has prospered as acceptable in Thy sight. In return we would lay on Thine Altar, as our humble thank-offering, such sacrifice as we can make of self in service for others. We ask that during our communion here together we may, under Thy Divine Inspiration, gain a widened outlook, a clearer vision of all that lies open before us and of our opportunity. Thus we may then go forth with strengthened faith to carry on our mission of heightening the ideals and powers of manhood, and of helping through closer understanding to bring about Thy happier rule of Peace and Goodwill upon Earth. Amen."

John Andrews

Scout Executive/CEO
Northern Star Council, BSA
Direct: 651-254-9140 & 763-231-7240
Fax: 763-231-7202
www.NorthernStarBSA.org

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Great training makes you a great leader! - Friday, January 22, 2010

Learn To Be

A Boy Scout Leader

Saturday, February 20TH

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

. . . and, CUB LEADER TRAINING is coming

SATURDAY, MARCH 13TH

Click here for details about putting

the outing in Scouting!

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District Dinner - Thursday, January 21, 2010

THE TRAILBLAZER DISTRICT

AWARDS DINNER

Hosted by the Trailblazer District and the Order of the Arrow

Sunday, February 28^th

Calvary Lutheran Church, 302 Olena Ave. SE, Willmar, MN

Social at 4:45PM, Opening Ceremonies 5:15PM,

Dinner 5:30PM, Program 6:30PM

We'll be recognizing adult leaders for service to their pack, troop, and district, along with scouts who earned the rank of Eagle during the past year! Spend an evening with scouting friends.

Enjoy a Tasty Meal

Roast Beef, Potatoes, Vegetable, Fruit, Rolls, Desert, Coffee

Adults: $12.00 / Youth: $6.00

Please contact: Bob Ehrlich 320-974-3332,

Mike Cain 320-382-6534, or Dan Hurley 320-235-2021

Please RSVP by February 19^th!!!

Thank you

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Scout Shop, Way-West - Thursday, December 17, 2009

We might be out-state scouts . . but we're not out of luck

when it comes to supplies for Scouting!

You'll find great service for greater Minnesota packs, troops, and crews