Thanksgiving Feast - Nov 2-4

On November 2-4 we had our fourth annual Thanksgiving feast and our last campout of 2007.  We had 24 boys and adults who camped at Marengo Ridge.  On Saturday we were up early preparing 3 turkeys one ham, and all of the fixings.   As the food cooked we had a lot of scouting fun and activities.   The dinner crowd started to arrive around noon and we had a total of almost 70 people for our evening meal.   The weather cooperated with clear skies and a crisp fall day.

Later that evening we had a HUGE campfire and a special treat courtesy of Mr. Soldner.   See our gallery for photos

Shotgun Shooting October 28

On October 28 we had 20 boys and adults from Troop 368 that practiced shooting skeet at McHenry County Sportsman Club.   Thanks to Mr. Medina for arranging this.

Sparta Bike Ride and Camp Out October 12-14. 

We'll be riding 30 plus miles along an old railroad line.  There are multiple tunnels so long that it gets pitch black in the middle (bring a flash light).  We'll have chase vehicles just in case anybody's legs give out.  Please fill out the permission slip and bring it with you.  If  you want to go but you were not at our meeting on October 1 when we planned food please let us know by sending an email to scouting@troop 368.com and we will add you to one of the existing patrols.  .  Click here for more info

Indiana Dunes State Park Campout
On September 21-23 we will be camping at the Indiana Dunes State Park.   We will Leave Light of Christ Church at 6:PM sharp so please be on time.  Over the weekend we will be hiking, swimming, and have nature walks/talks from a local naturalist.   Here is a brochure on the park.

Anybody attending the campout (adults and scouts) needs to attend the Sept 10 Troop Meeting as we will be planning meals.  Here is the Permission Slip.

Summer - 2007 High Adventure June 23-30.
I haven't had a chance to sort the photos but here they are:

Note...I will make a DVD of high resolution images for anyone who wants.  Don't download these.
 

May 27, Memorial Day Parade
Each Year we join with our friends and neighbors in Algonquin, LITH, and Cary to remember those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom.   We assembled at the Algonquin Cemetery and after a wreath laying cemetery, taps, and a 21 gun salute we marched in a parade to veterans park on the banks of the fox river.  There we heard from members of our community who reminded us that "freedom is not free" and that it must be defended, at times, with our lives.   Click here for photos

May 19-20 Kosir's White Water Rafting Camp Out
Another great trip to Kosir's.   We had 38 people attend and raft down the Peshtigo river.  The water level was low so we were all in 1 person "funyaks".  They were definitely fun!.    Mr. Soldner has a photo disk from the first big vertical drop (five foot falls).   If you are interested in a copy. leave an envelope in the troop mailbox with a donation to the troop and he will burn a CD.
 

April 20-22 Stronghold Camp Out
The weather was beautiful and we had a bumper crop of scouts and adults.   It is always nice to arrive at a campout and be set up before 9PM on Friday.  Camping was fantastic.  The only "down side" was that Stronghold had put a 12 year age limit on the high ropes so some of our troop members couldn't go up.    Never mind though.  We had lots of fun on the ground level challenge courses too.   Click Here for Photos
 

2007 Winter Court of Honor
On March 19 we held our winter court of honor.   We were pleased to award many rank advancements including Matt Taylor's first Eagle Palm and a dozen Scout badges to our webelos who crossed over in February.  There were a lot of Merit badges awarded as well.   We're proud of our scouts for all of their hard work.  Click here for photos.

March 16-18, 2007 Maquoketa Caves Camp Out
We had a great camp out at Maquoketa caves.  It was our first outing of the year and the weather cooperated.   15 scouts  and 5 adults left Friday night and drove to Maquoketa Iowa.  We arrived at 9:00PM and the temperature was already in the mid 20's.   We set up camp and got into our sleeping bags for our first cold night.   Everyone earned their polar bear badge.  On Saturday we spent the day exploring the caves and hiking.   Nice warm dinners and two camp fires drove off the chill but it was still a frigid night (23 degrees).   On Sunday we packed up and returned home...with just as many scouts and adults as we left with! Click here for pictures

February 24, 2007 - USS COBIA
Did you every wonder what it is like to sleep in a submarine?  We did it!!.  On Feb 24, 2007 we . "camping in" on the USS Cobia in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.  It was really cool (both literally and temperature wise).   Click here for photos.

 

Klondike Derby (January 27, 2007)

"Thar's gold in McHenry!!! Hitch up your dog sleds and lets GO!"   
On January 27, 2007 we joined with scouts from all over Sycamore District at our annual Klondike Derby.  The weather was great for Klondike and we all had a lot of fun pushing and racing our sleds and engaging in scouting activities on a clear winter Illinois day.  Click here for photos

December Court of Honor - December 11, 2006

On December 11 we held our final Court of Honor for the year.   We wish to congratulate the scouts who were awarded rank advancement or merit badges plus all of our other scouts for their achievements this year.   Click Here for Photos

Eagle Court of Honor - December 9, 2006

On December 9 we had a special Court of Honor to recognize Matt Taylor in his achievement of the rank of Eagle Scout.   We are all very proud of Matt.  Click here for photos
 

December 3, 2006 - Pool Party

On December 3 we had our annual pizza and pool party at the Dundee Pool.  We had good attendance with approximately 40 youths and adults.  Lots of swimming and fun and no leftover pizza

Nov 3-5, 2006: Thanksgiving Feast at Marengo Ridge

Every year we gather Scouts and families together for our last campout of the year and a celebration of thanksgiving for everything that we have.  This year we camped at  Marengo Ridge and had a total of 60 people for our Thanksgiving dinner.   We had turkey cooked two ways (fried and roasted) hams, potatoes, vegetables,  stuffing, and excellent deserts.   The weather was cool but only threatened rain once.    A good time was had by all.  Click Here for pictures
 

October 13-15, 2006: New Salem and Springfield

This was a great weekend!  We camped at New Salem State Park, visited the historic village of New Salem where Abe Lincoln lived as a young man, then we went to Springfield where we visited Lincoln's tomb, Memorials to WWII, Korea, and Vietnam war.  We continued on to see the new Capitol (drive by) then take a guided tour of the old State Capitol.  Finally, we visited Lincolns Springfield house.   Click here for Pictures.
 

September 29-Oct 1 2006: High Cliffs Camp Out and Bike Ride

On September 29-Oct 1  camped at High Cliffs State Park on Lake Winnebago near Sherwood Wisconsin.   On Saturday l drive over to Lake Michigan for a bike 28 miles bike ride along lake Michigan from Manitowoc (where the USS Cobia is) to Two Rivers State Park.   Click here for Pictures.

September 18:  Fall 2006 Court of Honor

On September 18 we had our fall court of honor.  We recognized all of our scouts for their achievements and rank advancements   Click here for Pictures.

Summer Camp (July 9-15, 2006)
What could be more fun than a week at summer camp???  (how about a summer at summer camp...but you will have to ask Aaron P-B about that).   We had a great experience again at MaKaJaWan with 40 scouts and 7 adults.   The weather was great, the scouting was great, we earned hundreds of merit badges, and the food was ...well....pretty good.   Click here for pictures.
 

Seabase High Adventure  (June 25-July 1 2006)
Ten boys and five adults from our troop attended Seabase High Adventure camp this year.  It was an action packed week of sailing, deep sea fishing, diving, kayaking, and other cool tropical island activities.  Click here for our pictures:

Sunday   -       Travel  From Chicago to the Keys
Monday  -       Ocean Sailing
Tuesday -       Snorkeling and Bahia Honda
Wednesday - Key West
Thursday -      Deep Sea Fishing and Munson Island
Friday -           More Munson and Luau
Friday -           Going Home


If you want a copy of all of the photos in full resolution for printing let me know and I will burn you a CD  (I already plan to do that for all participants in this year's high adventure so you guys don't have to send me a note). 

High Adventure Travelogue
During the course of the week I jotted down notes and drafted this travelogue (with photos) of our keys adventure  Click here to read it (3MB Download). 

Memorial Day Parade (May 29, 2006)

Each year we don our sharpest uniforms and demonstrate our marching skills to honor our veterans in the Algonquin Memorial Day Parade.   Click here for pictures
 

Kosir's White Water Rafting  (May 18-20, 2006)
Buckets of Fun!   That is the best way to describe our visit to Kosir's this year.   The water level was high (12" above normal) which produced superb rafting.   In the morning we toured an old Iron mine then in the afternoon we hit the water!    

Click here for pictures

Grant Pilgrimage  (April 28-30, 2006)
For 52 years Boy Scouts from the Blackhawk Area Council have gathered in Galena Illinois in the spring to celebrate the life of Ulysses S. Grant.   We'll be joining 4,000 other scouts in this weekend of scouting fun.  We'll camp at canyon camp on Friday and Saturday nights and spend Saturday in Galena doing scouting activities, trading patches, and marching in the Grant parade.  Click here for your Permission Slip.
 

Eagle  (March 17-19, 2006)
Eagle cave is another favorite camp out for our troop.  This year we will be camping outside of the cave (this was our choice....it is a lot drier and more comfortable in our tents).  We will have full access to the cave, we'll have a guided tour of the cave, we can use all of their tails, and we'll be fed in the dining hall.  We can also fish in their pond (which is loaded with large mouth bass).  We'll depart at 6PM (promptly) on March 17 and return around 2PM on March 19.   Please return your permission slips  by March 6.

Note, Originally we were planning to go to Maquoketa caves.  We called the morning that they started taking reservations for 2006 and all group camp sites for this date had already been booked.
 

Klondike Derby (January 28, 2006)

"Thar's gold in McHenry!!! Hitch up your dog sleds and lets GO!"   
On January 28, 2006 we have our annual BSA Sycamore District Klondike Derby in McHenry Illinois.  Approximately 350 scouts from around our area will meet for a day of outdoor winter sports and scouting activities spiced up with a bit of friendly competition.  We will have two or three patrols of scouts competing in the event.     Come Join in the fun. We'll meet a Light of Christ Church at 7:30 AM and return around 4PM the same day.  Here are the permission slips
 

Rock Climbing at the North Wall 
On November 20, 2005 we went rock climbing at the North Wall. We had about 30 scouts, siblings, and Webelos there.   Pictures coming soon!
 

2005 Thanksgiving Camp Out - Marengo Ridge

On November 4-6 we had our last camp out of 2005.  We went to Marengo Ridge Park which is part of the McHenry County Conservation District.  The weather was windy and sometimes wet but it didn't dampen our spirits.  The adults cooked the meats for our Thanksgiving meal (fried turkey, roasted turkey, roasted hams) and the patrols cooked all of the side dishes.   Check out the pictures here

2005 Camporee - Air Camp

On October 7-9 we attended the Blackhawk Area Council camporee at the Rockford Airport.  This was a huge event that included Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from all of the districts of the Blackhawk council.  There were several thousand scouts in attendance.    We all had a good time but, unfortunately, the lines were too long and their were not enough planes for everyone to get to go up with the Young Eagles program. 

Our troop ran the fire building activity. Our scouts demonstrated how to make a fire with flint and steel, a magnifying glass, and a battery and steel wool.  In the evening there was a large Jamboree style show complete with live music and a visit from Miss Rockford.   Click here for pictures.

2005 Fall Court of Honor

September 19 was our fall court of honor.  With a busy summer we had lots of merit badges and rank advancements.  In a very special ceremony Robert Holec was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout.  Congratulations to everyone and thanks to all of the parents and family who attended and helped us to recognize our sons' accomplishments.  Click Here for Pictures

Canoe Trip On The Rock River

On September 9-11 2005 we camped at Camp Lowden and went canoeing on the Rock River.  The water was low and the wind was in our faces but everybody showed great scout spirit and paddled 12 miles down stream.  We all had a great time.  Click here for pictures

NEWS FLASH.....WE'RE BACK FROM SUMMER CAMP 2005

We're back from summer camp at Camp MaKaJaWan.   I promise to put together a nicer web page with some commentary but for the time being .... here are the pictures:

In addition, we also had a group go on a high adventure canoe trip on the Manistee river in Michigan

Bike Ride at Point Beach State Park

On May 20-22, 2005 we camped at point beach state forest  in Wisconsin and went on a 24 mile bike ride along Lake Michigan.  The weather was great and we had a super time.  Click here for pictures.

Maquoketa Caves

On April 15-17, 2005 we went on one of our favorite campouts.  Maquoketa caves.  Maquoketa caves is a located about 5 hours from here in Iowa.  It is an Iowa State Park in a natural forest setting.  In the heart of the park is a ravine with limestone walls (several hundred feet high in places) with a small stream in the bottom.  There is a hiking trail along the ravine and there are 17 caves in the limestone walls.  All are closed end and safe.  The longest cave is  about 1/4 mile in length.  Lots of great exploring was done....lots of mud returned home in our clothes.  Click Here for Pictures

As always, we enjoyed the company and friendship of all of our scouts and adults.   Special recognition goes to Mrs. Z for volunteering to drive at the last minute and for being such a good sport on her first "primative" camping trip.

Spring 2005 Court of Honor

The Scouts from Troop 368 were definitely not sitting on their hands during the long cold  Illinois winter.  That notion was dispelled when we held our spring Court of Honor to recognize their rank advancements and the merit badges that they earned since the December Court of Honor.   We had so many scouts being recognized for their  achievements that I got confused and thought that this was a fall court of honor (after summer camp).  Congratulations to all of the boys who worked so hard on their scouting goals.     Click here for pictures
 

Stronghold Camp Out

On March 11-13 we camped at Stronghold Retreat in Oregon, IL.  For the first time that anyone can remember we stayed in cabins as opposed to tents.   It turns out that was a good plan as the temperature was 14 degrees on Saturday morning when we woke up.   We didn't let a little cool weather dampen our spirits though.  We all donned our snow pants, boots, coats, hats, and gloves for a full day of outdoor activities.  We did a series of team building challenge courses that taught us that if we work together and communicate we can get a lot more done than if we each go our own way.  Click Here For Pictures
 

Alpine Valley Ski Trip

On February 12  we went skiing at Alpine Valley resort in East Troy Wisconsin.   The weather was absolutely beautiful.   It is not often that you get to ski in 47 degree weather so we made the best of it.    Rumor has it that Mr. Soldner was walking around the slopes wearing shorts.    CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Rock Climbing at The North Wall

On November 21 we went rock climbing at the north wall in Crystal Lake.  Between Boy Scouts, Webelos, and Siblings we had quite a crew.   We cleaned them out for shoes and climbing harnesses.   Everyone got to climb as much as they could stand.   We all went home tired, sweaty, and with slightly tender finger tips and bodies.  CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Canyon Camp

On November 5-7 we had our last campout of the year at Canyon Camp in Stockton, IL.   Canyon Camp is one of our local BSA Council Scout Camps.   Camping in November in Illinois can be a risky proposition but the weather cooperated perfectly!!  It was a bit cool at night (34 degrees early Saturday morning) but it warmed up nicely with temperatures in the 60's and clear blue skies.   The nights were spectacular with the clear autumn sky ablaze with stars.

In addition to our regular scouting stuff (camping, cooking , lashing, etc) we teamed up with another troop and the boys got to try their hands at shooting BB-Guns, Rifles, Black Powder, and Shot Guns.   On Saturday evening we had our Scout Thanksgiving Dinner which we all decided will be an annual event.  The adults cooked the meat (one fried turkey, one grilled turkey, and a grilled ham) and each patrol fixed one side dish (potatoes, stuffing, veggies,  and Dutch oven cobbler).  21 boy scouts, five webelos, and 6 adults sat down together for a fabulous meal followed by a huge camp fire.   Click here for pictures

Camporee

On October 8-10 we went to the Sycamore District Camporee at camp Tomo-Chi-Chi Knolls in Huntley.   We had two dozen boys and seven adults.  We had a great weekend of scouting, working on rank advancement, chopping in the axe yard, and playing the games that the 15 troops that attended put on fore one another.  We did stretcher races for our activity.   Memorable moments are the discovery of the deer (carcass) that had been caught in the fence (see photos),   the coyotes  that were in the next field over  both nites of the campout,  the GREAT WEATHER THAT WE HAD, Mr. S sleeping later than 5:30 on a campout, and all of the fun that we had with our regular crew and our new scouts that have just joined.  If you looked before...look again...there are more pictures now thanks to Mr. Z....    Click Here for Photos of the Scouts having fun.  

Click Here for Photos of the Leaders having fun

Camp Timberlee

On September 24-26 we went to Camp Timberlee in East Troy, Wisconsin.  We had beautiful weather for this, our first campout of fall.   Temperatures were in the mid 70's in the day and high 40's at night.  We climbed, shot bow & arrow, and some even repelled down sheer walls of the climbing tower.  

Fall Court of Honor

I am so proud of all of our scouts that I could just about burst.   It has been a very fruitful summer with many scouts achieving rank advancements and hundreds of Merit badges being awarded.   Congratulations to all of our  Scouts.   Click here for pictures from  the court of honor.  Additionally, there was an article in the September 22 issue of the Northwest Herald about our troop and some of our scouts.  Click here to check it out.  (and thanks to Mr. Taylor for contacting and talking to the reporter).

Remember...we need all of the adult help that we can get.    Fill out your troop resource inventory, sign up as merit badge counselors, volunteer for a position on the troop committee, or just say "I can drive to XXX event".   We have a good time (scouts and adults alike) and would be happy to share those experiences with you.  Contact Keith Soldner, Tom Holec, or any of the other troop leaders or committee members.

Summer Camp - What a GREAT time we had.

The week of July 11-17 we attended camp Ma Ka Ja Wan.  It was a great week. There were 44 scouts and 6 full time adults (plus a few additional dad-days in the early and later part of the week).  I really appreciate all of you who helped make this year's summer camp such a rousing success.   I think that everyone had a super time.   Here are some pictures from our adventures

Lake In The Hills Air Expo

For the third year in a row we operated a concession stand at the Lake In The Hills Air Expo.  It was a beautiful day.  Sunny and low to mid 70's.  We could have used 90 degrees to sell more water though.  That said, we did OK selling water, Slushies, candy, and pop.   In addition to all of that we got to watch a fantastic air show.  Click here for pictures
 

Kosirs Whitewater Rafting

I've got the CD with photos of everyone who went down the river with our group on the  3PM Kosir's trip.   I started to post them on the web site and realized that there are 825 pictures so  I could never find all of you on the CD.   Also, if I did post  them all, you would also would never be able to find yourself.  The network connection to this  web site  is fairly slow and if you tried  to download them all to look for yourself there is a good chance that you would have a long white beard before you were done.   It is much more efficient to search for yourself on a CD or Hard Disk.     It looks like they took multiple shots of each group as they went through the rapids.   There are 7 photos of Mr. Holec's boat as they successfully negotiated the white water..

So, here is the deal... if you want the pictures, drop me a note ( photoguru@troop368.com ) and I will make a copy of the disk and bring it to one of our Monday troop meetings.    If I don't see you I will leave it in your scout mailbox.   The only thing that I ask in return is that you make some donation to the troop.  Just drop a check (or a few bucks) in the troop mailbox (the same place that permission slips go).  You choose the amount  (hundreds of dollars would be wonderful, a twenty would be nice, and anything that you feel comfortable with would greatly appreciated).   I bear all of the costs of duplication so 100% of anything that you donate goes to the troop.    That way we are both supporting a great scouting program for our boys (KS).  

If you get the disk.... our pictures are in the vicinity of DSC_2082.jpg  which is shown here.  Find yourself and send me the frame #'s and I'll post them on the web site.

Memorial Day 2004

It was a wet morning in Algonquin when we gathered in solemn remembrance of our fallen heroes and those heroes that are still with us.     We met at the veterans memorial in the Algonquin cemetery and, after a brief ceremony including the laying of a wreath at the monument and a 21 gun salute, we marched down Route 31 to Veterans park on the banks of the Fox river.  There we paid tribute to those who have given their all to guarantee our freedom.    The rain could not dampen our spirits or our gratitude for all of the heroes throughout the history of our great country.   God bless America and God Bless all that have sacrificed so much to guarantee our freedom.   Photos...(click)
 

Lincoln's New Salem

Lincoln's New Salem.  On May 21-23 we went to Historic New Salem and Springfield to walk in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln.   We spent the morning in the old village of New Salem where Lincoln spent his early years as a surveyor, postmaster, and shop keeper.   In the afternoon we went to Springfield and saw Lincoln's house, his tomb, the old capitol building, and the Viet Nam and Korea war memorials.   We had a lot of rain on the drive down, rain while we were packing up to come home, and a nice clear warm day for our activities.   Click Here for photos.
 

Eagle Cave Trip

Caves are definitely dark and damp.  On April 16-18 we camped at Eagle Cave in Blue River Wisconsin.  Click here for pictures
 

Rush Creek.... At least it was warmer than Klondike Derby!!!

We had our first camp out of the year at Rush Creek Conservation District Park in Harvard Illinois.  We had 32 boys and 8 adults for the two night camp out.  It is still early spring in Illinois.   We had a low of 15 degrees on Friday night but, fortunately, warmed up to near 40 on Saturday.   The rain on Saturday night came and went while we were asleep (or at least in our tents) so no one's spirits were dampened.    We built  two signal towers (using almost 1/2 mile of twine on the lashings) then tied them together to form a rope bridge.   We also did a 2 1/2 mile nature hike.  CLICK HERE for pictures.
 

Winter Sure Can Be Cold....Klondike Derby Cancelled 

Our annual Klondike Derby was cancelled due to cold weather.   With temperatures of ten degrees below zero and a wind chill of 35 below zero, the district cancelled Klondike derby.   It should be known by all that the Boy Scouts of Troop 368 showed up ready to participate and, in the absence of any competition, we awarded ourselves first and second place in the event in addition to the "most Scouting Spirit" award.

Rock Climbing at The North Wall. 

On November 23 we had an evening activity.   We went Rock Climbing at the North Wall in Crystal Lake.   Our Scouts, visiting Webelos, and younger brothers and sisters had a good time climbing the walls..  Click here for photos

Stronghold Camping - A weekend in the trees!  

On November 14-16 we went camping at Stronghold in Oregon Illinois.   Oregon (the village not the state) is about 1 1/2 hours drive west of Algonquin southwest of Rockford.   We camped at the Stronghold retreat center.   As it is getting late in the year we were the only campers there but the weather cooperated (somewhat) and we had a great time.

We arrived on Friday evening, set up camp, and hurried off to bed because we had a big day planned for Saturday.  On Saturday we got up. cooked breakfast, then spent the morning working on high ropes (up to 50 ft high in the trees) and the afternoon working on team building activities.  Click here for photos

Popcorn!!! Popcorn!!! Who's got Popcorn???

WE DO!! WE DO!!WE DO!! WE DO!! WE DO!!  

Here are a few of Troop 368's "popcorn colonels" selling at Algonquin Harvest Days. (click on the picture for a larger image)

Popcorn and wreath sales are the major fundraisers that  we do each year in Troop 386.   The profits from the sales are divided between the troop account  (to support operating expenses like badges, trailer license, etc) and the boys' (those who sell) scout accounts.   A boy's scout account can be used to pay for any scout related costs such as camping or summer camp feeds or it can be used to purchase things like camping gear from official BSA sources.

 Get out there and sell.  Wear your uniforms.  Be cheerful.  Have fun.

If you missed camporee you missed a good time!

On October 10-12 we attended the Sycamore District Camporee at camp Tomo Chi Chi.  Camp T-C-C is located in Gilberts about 15 minutes from here (near the Huntley discount shops).     There were over 300 campers from around the district.   Scouts worked on merit badges (our team made great progress on the backpacking merit badge) and a number of fun activities.  If you weren't there look at the pictures (click here) and then ask one of the scouts who was  about the "nuclear waste" game.    

The weather was great.  Saturday was sunny and temps near 80.  We had a bit of rain Saturday evening but it was clear and crisp again by Sunday morning.   

Camp Timber-Lee was great fun!!!

On September 26-28 we went camping at camp Timber-Lee near East Troy Wisconsin.  Twenty boys attended and we had a lot of fun hiking, climbing, doing obstacle courses, and cooking.  Check out our pictures here

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