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2010-11 Future Outings:
September
  ScoutTrek
October
  Signal Hill
  Fall Camporee
  Cantigny/
  Gourmet Cooking
November
  Devil's Lake
December
  First Aid Meet
January
  Klondike Derby
February
  Sledding
March
  Camp Louden
April
  SH Spring
  Camporee
May
  Scouting for Food
  Memorial Day Parade
  Watersports
June
  TBD
July
  Ben Delatour Scout
  Ranch, Colorado

 

Boy Scout Activities

Campouts & Activities
Currently, Troop 69 has about 25 members and is very active. We enjoy outdoor activities such as camping and hiking. Every year we take a trip downhill skiing/snowboarding, biking, and our annual (and popular) gourmet cooking campout. We also camp one weekend every month during the year (except December) and attend summer camp as a troop. We learn outdoor skills such as camping, cooking, and orienteering.

Past adventures included backpacking, cross-country & downhill skiing, and even camping in a cave and on a submarine. These excursions have taken us to New York, South Dakota Black Hills, Colorado, New Mexico, Michigan, Iowa, and Tennessee. Not all of our travels are so distant, as we also take advantage of the excellent parks and camps in Illinois and nearby Wisconsin.

On these campouts, we cook in patrols usually on gas stoves. Our troop has extensive camping equipment including tents, stoves, patrol boxes, etc., which are well maintained.

2010-11 Monthly Campouts

  • September 25, 2010—ScoutTrek (photos)
  • October 1-3, 2010—Webelos Unplugged
  • October 15-17, 2010—Cantigny/Gourmet Cooking (photos)
  • November 12-14, 2010—Devil's Lake
  • December 4, 2010—Readyman
  • January 14-16, 2011—Council Klondike Derby
  • February 18-19, 2011—Sledding
  • March 11-13, 2011—Camp Louden
  • April 15-17, 2011—Signal Hill Spring Camporee
  • May 20-22, 2011—Watersports

Summer Camps
In the past, Troop 69 has attended Philmont Scout Ranch and a local (within 300 miles) Boy Scout summer camp in odd-numbered years. In even numbered-years, Troop 69 attends summer camp further away from Palatine, but generally within a 1,000-mile radius.

This summer 2011, we have chosen the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch located near Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, next to the Roosevelt National Forest. This ranch offers over 30 merit badges to select from, handicrafts, shooting, trout fishing, conservation projects, horseback trail rides, whitewater rafting and much, much more ... all at an elevation of 7,200 feet! Ben Delatour Scout Ranch provides 2-person platform tents, while family style meals will be served three times per day in the Camp Jeffery Dining Hall.

Families are encouraged to join us on our trips by staying in the camp's family camping area or nearby campground.

2009-10 Campouts

  • March 2010--Wilderness Survival
  • February 2010--Cascade Mountain Ski Trip
  • January 2010—Klondike
    It started Friday morning with Mr. Cramer going up to help set up.  Then Saturday we all showed up; checked in and started activities!!  The one we did the best in was the “start a fire and boil an egg with it.”  Lunch was tomato soup and chicken-n-potato soup.  We then had four more activities then the sled race!  We came in 3rd ish; thanks to Mr. Olson for making the sled, it was one of the best looking!  After that the boys had dinner with the staff, we also played them in Egyptian Rat Scroo and won.  The weekend ended nice with the camp fire and a warm night!
  • December 2009—First Aid Meet
    There were three areas: Boundary Waters, Phillmont, Sea Base, and the Klondike. We did quite well till Boundary Waters where we “killed” one person. But other then that we did ok!  We had an ok turn out too, with 6 Scouts!
  • November 2009—Gourmet Cooking (PDF photos)
    "Friday night went very smooth as with the rest of the weekend! Camp was set up quickly, and with very little problems. Saturday morning breakfasts were patrol 1 had egg and sausage sandwiches on a bagel with OJ. Patrol 2 had a big omelet in a Dutch oven. And the dads had blueberry French toast with caramel whip cream. Then after lunch we all went to play football in an open field. Lunch and dinner was: patrol 1 had chicken patties and potatoes; dinner was jambalaya, rice pudding and smores. Patrol 2 had Dutch oven pizza for lunch; Brunswick stew for dinner and smores. The dads and Mrs. Cramer had French onion soup and salad (made by Mrs. Cramer) and dinner was beef Wellington, veggies and cheese cake! Then Sunday morning we were out an hour earlier then we thought we would be!"

  • October 2009—Fall Camporee (PDF photos)
    "The weekend started with some of us finishing setting up our station (orienteering). The day was packed with stuff to do until lunch. Some stations were first aid, lashing, potato launch, fire building and many more! For dinner Zack's patrol had paella, John's patrol had short ribs, and the dads had (blank.) After dinner at the firebowl, our two skits were J.C. Penny, and (blank). At the end they retired a few flags, which brought the weekend to a nice close!"

  • September 2009—Warren Dunes (Picasa Web photo album)
    "Saturday afternoon we went to the dunes. We spent just about all day there. We were all over the place; the sand was so soft and took forever to climb up!  As we got back to the cars Mr. and Mrs. Cramer treated us all to ice cream! (Thanks again!) When we got back to camp there were some more troops set up, and as we passed the time waiting for our Webelo Scout to arrive we had had lunch and started dinner prep, when his family showed up! They ate dinner with us, and to end the night Mr. Olson and Mr. Radzik had a jiffy pop off!"

     

2008-09 Activities

  • May 2009—Memorial Day Parade
    Photos
  • May 2009—Railroad Outing
    Permission Slip / Slideshow 18.64MB
    We'll travel to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL. Scouts will earn a Railroad Merit Badge. Class A's are required. Then we'll stay at Camp Lakota. Permission slips due 4/22/09.
  • April 2009—Spring Camporee
    Permission Slip/ Slideshow 14.70MB
    We will be staying at the Great Lakes Naval Base! This year's theme is: World Scouting. The event includes Friday night bowling and pizza party, and all meals in the Training Center mess hall. Class A's required at all times at this event--no Class B's. This year's Camporee is dedicated to allow Scouts to achieve awareness and understanding and promote the goals of the World Scouting Movement. Events include: Rickshaw Races (knots and lashings), Deserted Island (wilderness survival merit badge), Antarctic Exploration (lashings and flag etiquette), Backpack Across Europe (orienteering merit badge), Swiss Alps Rescue (first aid merit badge), and Middle East Conflict (emergency preparedness merit badge). There will also be an Order of the Arrow Call Out ceremony on the shores of Lake Michigan!
    “When we went to the Great Lakes Naval Base for the Spring Camporee, the weekend started with a ‘really hard check in’ and some good pizza and bowling. The theme was ‘around the world.’ We did the following: saw the Ship in a Bottle, which is a scaled ship for training. There was also an orienteering station, races, flagpole building, and flag singing. The Order of the Arrow ordeal members that were picked were Mr. Much, Avery O, Jon C, Ian E, Iain S, and Michael W. The trip went well, although we did not win any ribbons and it rained Sunday morning. The worst part was that breakfast was 1½ miles from camp! But, congratulations to Troop 335 for winning overall.
    P.S. I am looking for our navy friend who followed us almost all day!”
    —By Avery O, Troop Historian
  • March 2009—Climbing
    Permission Slip / Climbing Waiver
    Boy Scout Troop 69 is going climbing at Upper Limits in Bloomington, IL. Upper Limits has many different rooms and areas for a total of more than 20,000 sq. ft. of climbing surface; one of the largest climbing gyms in North America! There are numerous climbs ranging from beginner to routes that will challenge the most advanced climbers. The silos are 65 ft. tall. Three are round silos and two are uniquely shaped featuring stem and chimney type climbs. Each silo contains eight or nine top ropes. What makes this climbing trip even better than past years is that we will be staying at the YMCA, only 1.5 miles from Upper Limits. We will sleep in the youth activity room and have use of the facilities for basketball and more Saturday through early afternoon, then we depart for Upper Limits in the late afternoon and evening.   
  • February 2009—Ski Trip
    Permission Slip / Ski Rental Release / Camp Gray Release
    Boy Scout Troop 69 is going skiing at Cascade Mountain Ski Resort. We will be staying in the St. Vincent Retreat Center at Camp Gray in Reedsburg, WI. The retreat center has 15 sleeping rooms with 4 to 6 beds per room (capacity 75). It has a lounge with a fireplace, tv, DVD and VCR, bathroom, and shower facilities. A ski lesson is included at no additional cost with the ski rental and lift ticket.     Permission slip and rental liability agreement due January 14.
  • January 2009—Sledding
    Palatine Hills Golf Course, 1-4 p.m.
  • December 2008—First Aid Meet
  • November 2008—Gourmet Cooking
    Boy Scout Troop 69 is having a gourmet cooking campout. This is your chance to help make and enjoy exceptional camp food. We will be camping at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, IL. In addition to great food, there is an opportunity to hike and see the beautiful scenery at Starved Rock State Park. Permission slips are due November 5, 2008.
  • October 2008—Trail of History Glacial Park
     Volunteers from across the country portray and demonstrate life as it was from 1670 – 1850 in the former Northwest Territory which encompasses present day Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and portions of eastern Minnesota. The event’s focus is to show the interrelationship between nature, man and cultural development. These demonstrations and hands-on activities include a variety of skills, foods and games from the time period. Our troop will be camping at Chain O’Lakes State Park in Spring Grove, Illinois, which is only 8 miles from the event.   
  • September 2008—OA Fall Fellowship, Oktoberfest, Fishing
    Troop 69 will be fishing at Prophetstown State Park in Prophetstown, IL, located on the northeast edge of the city along the south bank of the Rock River in Whiteside County—a scenic and historic area offering a variety of recreational facilities. Once the site of an American Indian village, the 53-acre park derives its name from the Native American prophet Wa-bo-kie-shiek. We will be fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel and flathead catfish, bullhead, carp, sauger, and walleye in the Rock River.

Past Activities

Council Activities
Troop 69 has participated in running the scenarios for the Council's First Aid Meet, and helps in planning and executing the Camp-o-Ree in April.

Training

Fundraising
These outings are balanced with fundraising and community service projects throughout the year.

Troop 69 has two major fundraisers each year, a wreath sale before Christmas, and a spring fundraiser to be determined each year. Each scout has a portion of the funds he raised credited to his personal scout account to help offset the cost of monthly campouts and/or summer camp.

Community Service
Troop 69 always participates in the Council's annual Scouting for Food Drive in spring, as well as a clean-up day after Palatine's Street Fest every August. Scouts also have helped run activities for Cub Scouts attending Whoop-o-Ree and the Signal Hill Camporee in April.

Eagle Scout projects have included:

  • Repairing and creating new bike trails at Deer Grove
  • Collecting eye glasses
  • Planting large areas in Palatine with bushes, trees, and perennials
  • Built bat houses
  • Held a dance for handicapped students
  • Helped with Palatine Park District's Halloween party
  • Participated in Relay for Life (American Cancer Society)
  • Renovated an historic graveyard

These projects encouraged all Scouts of any rank or age to participate.

         

© 2011 Boy Scout Troop 69