A Scoutmaster's Blog

Parker Scout Reservation is the name of our council’s camp. It is located north of Brainard in central Minnesota. It was the council’s summer camp until the late 1970’s when the council ran into financial difficulties. It is now used mainly for training sessions, Boy Scout weekends, and Cub Day activities.

I attended summer camp at Parker three times during the years that I was a Boy Scout of Troop 68 in the mid 1970’s. I have many fond memories of those week-long camps. We ate in the dining hall and always had to sing a song or two before the evening meal would begin. The Friday night campfire programs were great fun and actually gave me a start in performing during campfire programs, something that has carried on through my time as a scoutmaster. I remember earning the pioneering merit badge and having so much fun that I really did not realize I was earning a badge.

I believe the camp closed down in the summer of 1978. In 1980 or 1981 a motorcycle gang tore through the seldom used camp and did major damage to the dining hall and beach area. Many of the windows in the dining hall were broken, and most items inside the hall were damaged or destroyed. Glass bottles were broken and thrown along the beach making it unsafe to use. I arrived for a training weekend shortly after the damage was done and was extremely saddened to see the vandalism done to this place of so many of my Scouting memories.

The was a bright spot to be found after all this vandalizing. The council began to once again invest money into the camp and begin making improvements. When the council began it’s fall popcorn fundraisers it promised to invest the council profits from the sale into the camp.

A lot of camp improvements have been make during the past two decades. The dining hall and been improved and expanded. The kitchen has been modernized. A new freezer and food storage building has been built next to the hall. A large picnic shelter and barbecue grille shelter have been constructed. New shelters have been built at the rifle and archery ranges. Many of the camp buildings have been remodeled and winterized. A logging company has gone through the camp during the last two years and removed thousands of old growth trees thus reducing the risk of wild fires while adding addition funds for future camp improvements.

The are major projects planned for the next few years. The rifle range and the Order of the Arrow ceremony sites will be moved to another part of camp. This will make room for a new castle-shaped building to be used for Cub Scout Day Camps. A few existing buildings will also be receiving makeovers to make them more usable for weekend functions.

Will Parker even again be used as a summer camp? I doubt it. I think it is actually used more now then it ever was during its years as a summer camp. It will be interesting to see what the next decade or two has in store for this camp that was once know as Camp Clyde.

Here are a few pictures from summer camp at Many Point Scout Camp.

The summer camp season is over. Troops have gone home, adult leaders have gone back to work, and the Boy Scouts are preparing for school to begin. By now the many young adults who spend their summers as camp staff have also gone home. Many of them are preparing for another year of college.

The staff at the Buckskin Camp of Many Point Scout Camp in Minnesota did an excellent job this year. They were hard working, always cheerful, and ready to assist any of the Boy Scout campers who needed a little extra help. The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 attended camp during July 15-21 and had a great time, mainly due to the wonderful camp staff.

So, this post to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast is dedicated to the hard working summer camp staff. This video features the Buckskin staff at the week’s opening campfire program singing the Many Point Rouser. You may notice that we are inside the dining hall during the campfire program. We like to stay dry when we can. I like the way the staff is so fired up and ready for a good time. That attitude spread among the Scouts like wildfire.

Enjoy it and let us know what you think of it by leaving a comment.
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The Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 awoke Thursday morning, July 16, knowing that they had only two days left to enjoy the fun and adventure of Many Point Scout Camp. And they planned to enjoy every minute of it.

The Scouts attended their merit badge sessions that morning, just like they had for the previous three days. The real fun began after lunch. The troop’s first activity was at the archery range. Not only were the boys able to practice their skills with the bow and arrow but they also had the chance to shoot targets with the slingshot and throw the tomahawks.

The climbing tower was the next stop for the troop. The tower had several climbs set up, from fairly easy to rather difficult. The bouldering wall, on which a person climbed horizontally instead of vertically, was also popular with the boys. Zack proved himself as the troop’s best climbing this year when he successfully climbed both the incline climb and the overhang.

The troop’s third activity was to sit back and relax in the Buckskin sauna. The sauna is a building next to the swimming beach that is heated with a wood burning stove. This was a new experience for a couple of the boys. After three times of sweating in the sauna and cooling off in the lake many of the Scouts declared it to be one of their favorite activities.

The Melrose Scouts scattered to all parts of the camp as all the program areas opened after supper. The two oldest members of the troop traveled to Many Point’s Flintlock Camp, the high adventure outpost. Andy and Dakota would be spending the evening and night on the Huck Finn Raft, located out on the lake.

Friday morning was the Scouts last chance to complete the merit badges they had been working on during the week. Then it time to hop into the vehicles for a drive to Itasca State Park, the location of the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The troop spent the entire afternoon at this huge state park. The boys even took the opportunity to walk down the first portion of the river, welcoming the cool water on a warm day.

The week’s activities came to a close Friday night as the campers, adult leaders, and staff gathered for the closing campfire. It was a gorgeous evening as each troop performed a song or skit to the enjoyment of the entire camp. The Melrose Scouts performed a song they had never before done at a campfire program. Imagine the Chicken Dance song done with kazoos as the instruments and you may be able to picture what they did.

As the Scouts reflected on the week before going to bed that night, two boys commented that they were not ready to go home yet. They were having too much fun. However, after a good night’s sleep, they were anxious to get home and back to their families and their own beds.

The Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 began arriving at the meeting place at 8:45 on Sunday morning, July 15. They were packed, in uniform, and excited. They were ready for a week of adventure at Many Point Scout Camp located north of Park Rapids near Podsford, Minnesota.

The eight Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 and their leaders arrived at MPSC near 1:00 Sunday afternoon. After checking in at the administration building the troop headed to the Seton Campsite in Buckskin Camp to begin setting up their gear and tents. As a light rain began to fall the boys headed to the beach for their swim checks. After supper the Scouts took part in a camp orientation. The evening campfire program by the camp staff, was enjoyed by everyone.

A typical day at camp is divided into three parts. The Scouts work on learning skills and earning merit badges during the morning hours. The afternoons are filled with various troop activities. The camp’s program areas are opened in the evening for Scouts to have fun where ever they like.

The Scouts from Melrose found themselves at the beach after lunch on Monday. Some of the guys worked on the swimming skills while others had fun on the camp’s Aqua Trampoline. After the boys dried off it was time to head to the rifle range to shoot 22 rifles. The boys demonstrated they could shoot pretty well. Some of the boys had very nice groupings. The boys spent the rest of the afternoon around the campsite playing ball and games.

Sailing was the first troop activity Tuesday afternoon. Unfortunately, the wind was not very brisk so the boats moved very slowly. The next activity found the boys at the camp chapel to work on their SuperTroop project. The Scouts and leaders straightened a few benches that had moved and become crooked.

The big activity Tuesday afternoon was the camp’s Ironman Triathlon. This three part competition consisted of canoeing, swimming, and running. Scouts could participate individually or as part of a team. The young Scouts from Melrose decided to compete as a team. Three boys were the troop’s canoers. Jonah was the swimmer. Zack was the runner. The boys had a good time and did very well.

The two oldest Boy Scouts from Melrose did not compete in the Ironman because they spend the afternoon and evening at Many Point’s Flintlock High Adventure Camp. They participated in a new camp activity called the Challenge Outpost. The Outpost is an eight hour activity in which a group of Scouts try to overcome various challenges, similar to the television show Survivor, only in this program no one gets kicked off the island.

The Scouts went canoeing during their first activity session Wednesday afternoon. This was followed by a few games during Ethics In Action that challenged the boys in problem solving. As the temperature rose to the upper 80’s during the afternoon the boys appreciated that their troop swim that was scheduled. Several of the boys had fun when they checked out the snorkeling equipment.

Watch for this blog for a future post as I finish covering the Boy Scouts week at Many Point Scout Camp.

He was already sixty years old when his youngest son became a Boy Scout in Troop 68. When the troop needed an adult to attend a week of summer camp he volunteered his time. This year, Eymard celebrated his nineteenth year of attending summer camp with the Boy Scouts. That becomes truly amazing when you realize that Eymard is now eighty years old.

Eymard was never a Boy Scout as a youth. As one of ten children raised on a central Minnesota farm he never had the chance, or the time, to be a Scout. To tell the truth, I do not think Eymard ever thought about Scouting.

Eymard’s son, Peter, joined the troop after a friend talked him into trying it out. Eymard had recently retired from farming and had built a home in Melrose. Peter enjoyed Scouting and it did not take long before Eymard begin helping with activities.

Eymard was 61 years old when he attended a Boy Scout summer camp for the first time, an age at which must men want nothing to do with camping, tents, or a group of teenage boys. Unfortunately, that first summer camp at Crow Wing Scout Reservation was almost Eymard’s last week of camp with the troop. The older boys acted so badly and were so lazy that I myself considered resigning as scoutmaster. It was a true sign of Eymard’s commitment to the program that he continued to help out at troop functions and became an assistant scoutmaster.

While his son was a member of the troop, Eymard attended various training sessions offered by the district and council. By the time his son retired from Scouting (after earning his Life Rank) Eymard was totally dedicated to the Scouting program. He stayed on as assistant scoutmaster and became the troop chaplain. He continues to attend weekend outings and the annual week-long summer camp regularly.

Eymard has a great time working with the Scouts, and they respect him. He ejoyes helping the younger boys attain the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class. He has fun teaching the Scouts how to cook meals from scratch. If they is a little free time during the day you may find him playing cards with the boys. No Scout of Troop 68 will ever forget eating Eymard’s fresh popped buttered popcorn while sitting around the campfire.

Eymard and I have made a good team during these past nineteen years. We value each other’s opinions and are always giving each other some good natured teasing. New boys to the troop pick up on this and quickly accept Eymard as one of their friends.

Eymard has received the “Scouter of the Year” award from the Scenic District. He recently commented that he will continue to be active in Scouting for as long as he is able. I look forward to Eymard being an assistant scoutmaster for many years to come. Hopefully, we will be able to celebrate his 100th birthday during one of our court of honors.

Scott was a typical Boy Scout in many ways. He began as a Tiger Scout, became a Bobcat, then a Wolf, and then a Bear. His father was his Webelos den leader. Both of them graduated into Boy Scout Troop 68. Scott would go on to earn seventeen merit badges and his Life Rank. His father became an assistant scoutmaster and troop chaplain.

Scott attended summer camp at Many Point Scout Camp a few times as a member of the troop. He liked Many Point so well the he and a friend of his became Councilors in Training (CIT) one summer. After he graduated from high school Scott began to spend his summers at Many Point working on the staff. During those years he would switch camps in which he would work, one year at Buckskin, the next at Ten Chiefs, and a few years at Family Camp. The beach areas were a favorite of Scott’s so it came as no surprise when he became the Aquatics Director of one of the camps. Scott loved being outdoors and could not get interested in a job in which he would have to spend his summers in some air conditioned building.

As the years went by Scott continued to work at Many Point. He saw many young men and women come and go as staff members. He began to spend more time each year at camp, arriving earlier, and leaving later, then the camp staff. He began taking on more duties and responsibilities. It did not take long for Many Point to become Scott’s unofficial home.

When the camp’s head ranger announced that he would retire, and that the assistant ranger would step up to replace him, Scott wasted no time in applying for the assistant ranger position. It was a position that Scott had had his eye on for a few years. It came as no suprise to me when I heard that Scott was offered the position and had accepted the offer.

And so Scott, an alumni of Melrose Troop 68, became a full time ranger for the very camp he had attended as a Boy Scout. Many Point had become his official home. I was happy for him, and proud of him. It had reached the goal he had set for himself.

This week eight boys from Troop 68 attended Many Point Scout Camp. Tuesday morning, while the Scouts were having breakfast in the dining hall, Scott stopped by our table to visit with us, catch up a bit with the adult leaders, and meet the troop’s newest Scouts. He told us he really loves his job, and that there could be a wedding in his future, to a girl he met while working at the camp. I wish him the best as he looks toward his future.

As a scoutmaster, it is great to visit with former troop members. It is especially pleasing to hear that they are doing well with their lives. A Scout leader always hopes that the brief time a boy spends in Scouting will have a positive impact on his life. In Scott’s case, in was more then just an impact. It became a career.

It is that time of year. Time to pack up and head out to a week of summer camp with the boys from Boy Scout Troop 68. Once again we will be attending Many Point Scout Camp located in northern Minnesota near Pondsford. The troop will be heading out Sunday morning and getting back early Saturday afternoon. This also means that there will not be many blog entries added during the coming week. I will be in the middle of nowhere without internet access. Not that that would matter anyway because I do not own a laptop. I do plan to bring pad and paper to camp to write blog entries while sitting around the campsite, sipping on root beer and eating marshmallows.

I think the troop has attended Many Point Scout Camp for nearly 20 years. The boys have a great time there. The staff is fantastic and work well with the boys. We stay in Buckskin Camp, so we get to eat in the dining hall, which also means I will be eating better this coming week then I do at home. (Keep in mind that I am single.) I will probably gain a few pounds while at camp, which is something I really do not want to do. Oh, if I could just keep my hands off the homemade Granny Bread!

During the early stays at Many Point, Troop 68 was at the height of its campfire song creation phase. The boys and scoutmaster (me) would take songs and change the words to make campfire songs out of them. After staying at Many Point a few times we decided to create a song about the camp. We wrote the following lyrics based on the Village People’s “YMCA” song. It became a hit the first time we performed it at the Friday night closing campfire. We have repeated the performance a few times over the years.

Interested in what the lyrics are? Well, lucky you. I decided to post them here just for your enjoyment. I bet you may be singing them to yourself before you are done reading the last verse.

MPSC
(sung to the tune YMCA)

1) Young man, When you need to get out,
I said, young man, get away from the crowds.
I said, young man, don’t just sit there and pout.
Get up and camp with the Boy Scouts.

That’s where, you can shoot 22’s.
I said, that’s where, there’s always something to do.
I said, that’s where, you can eats lots of stew,
get belly aches and turn shades of blue.

(Refrain)
It’s fun to go to the M.P.S.C. You’ve got to go to the M.P.S.C.
You can tie a few knots, you can cook your own meal,
You can do whatever you feel.

M.P.S.C. You’ve got to go to the M.P.S.C.
Young man, young man, don’t just sit on your tail.
Young man, young man, get yourself on the trail.

2) Voyagers, is the place you should be
if you want to, cook your food as you please.
Then there’s Ten Chiefs, out among all the trees,
without a shower facility.

Buck Skin, is the camp where you call
patrol members, to eat in the dining hall.
Project Cope is, the place where you do it all
even experience free fall.

3) Young man, the bathrooms are quite unique.
I said, young man, wait till you get a peek.
I said, young man, it’s the place that you seek
When you can’t wait any longer.

Then there’s, the bedroom facilities
Where you can get, a bit caught up on your zzz’s
Where the canvas, let’s in all the bugs and fleas
Unless you’ve got mosquito netting.

(Are you singing yet?)