Great Things A Happening

As I mentioned in the last post, Many Point has been a busy place, even without Troop 346 present. At Voyager (our camp), the trading post has been greatly expanded. The rear wall (which was about 1/2 way back in the building) was removed and a new rear wall installed further back. There are now two screen doors in front for more ventilation.

As you enter, the first thing you see is the register counter, that has been moved from the side wall to the front, and expanded into an "L" shape.

There is now room for the cooler, the freezer, the slushie machine and plenty of display area.

Two movable tables have been added to the center of the room for additional display space.

Things won't seem quite so cramped there this year.

NEWS OF FUTURE VOYAGER IMPROVEMENTS:
The big news for Voyager will start at the end of this camping season. As soon as the last camper leaves this year, bulldozers will be removing the shower house and a brand new shower house will take its place. There will be individual showers, each accessible from the outside. There will also be a new adult shower area. Now THAT is something to celebrate.

OTHER T346 INVOLVEMENT AT MANY POINT

As some of you may know, there are two Troop 346 members on staff at Many Point this summer. Taylor Scharf is working at Voyager this summer, teaching the canoeing and rowing merit badges. Nick Yearous is working up at Buckskin, teaching the Weather Merit Badge and helping out at the beach.

We have also had four scouts attend Many Point already as part of one of the All Star Troops. New scouts Hunter A., Elliot C., Ben G. and Josh M. attended as part of an All Star Troop the first week Many Point was open. All Star Troops are an opportunity for scouts to attend Many Point, if they are unable to attend with their troop. An All Star Troop is made up of Scouts from several troops that are put together with Many Point Staff in a Buckskin campsite to experience Many Point as though they were a troop. From what Nick says, they all had a great time.

BACK TO MANY POINT...AGAIN

As I mentioned, I just returned from my second trip to Many Point this year. While Nick is on staff at Many Point, they are giving him two weeks off to attend Philmont with the two T346 crews that are part of the council contingent. To avoid driving 500 miles in one day, I decided to drive up on July 4th and come back with Nick on July 5th when he was done at noon (staff work from Sunday noon until Saturday noon each week).

As long as I was going to be around, I asked the staff to find a job I could do while was waiting (one may as well be useful as ornemental). The project they selected was to spiff up the main counter in the Admin building with some wood paneling. Anyone who has been to the admin building probably remembers this:

Well after several hours of cutting and nailing, it now looks like this:

You might notice that the loon is gone (it was painted on), but have no fear it will eventually re-appear.

The 4th of July week at Many Point is not one of their busier weeks. A lot of troops don't attend that week due to family vacations. Bucksin only had about 65 scouts in the entire camp (that's how many T346 is taking our first week). But there is a big incentive to attend that week. Be sides all the extra personal attention you get in smaller merit badge classes, there is a fireworks display at the closing campfire.

The former Many Point Director, Bob Gagner, got his commercial fireworks license a couple years ago, so he comes back on the 4th of July to put on a fire works display at each of the three camps.

Instead of holding the closing campfire Friday night at the camp fire ring, it was held at the beach.

The staff created a fire ring raft, lit the fire, and the skits and awards were presented on the beach. Near the end of the campfire, the fire works were launched from a point across the lake.

From the beach, we could also see the fire work displays of several near-by towns and the display at Voyager. It was quite a night.

Once Nick was done with his camp duties, we bid a fond adeu to Many Point and headed home for a (very) short stay.

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE

8:00 Sunday morning, it was off to the airport to meet up with the rest of the scouts that will make up the council contingent to Philmont.

THERE, AND BACK AGAIN

Once our interpid crews return on July 18th, while most of the crew will be sighing with relief, we will be making our third trip to Many Point of the summer, to return Nick back to work on July 20th.

However, that won't be the last we will see of Many Point this summer. A short week after that, on July 27th, Troop 346 will be headed to Many Point for our annual summer camp.

This year, partly due to Philmont, and partly due to Minnetonka Schools unfortunate scheduling of their Freshman orientation, our numbers are down a bit. We will have about 65 scouts the first week, and 16 brave souls the second week. We will be trying to fit everyone into Ft. Bill this year, but have Savanna Portage on reserve, just in case. Next year, we have Ft. Bill and the new Two Harbors campsites reserved. Two Harbors is a new campsite where the old South Commissioner's site was.

Be sure to watch your email and the Troop website for updates on Many Point.

That's more than enough for now.

YIS....Jon Yearous