2008
June 28, 2008 BALA Meeting Minutes
2008 Owner’s Alphabetical List
Where's Grandpa?
Michelle Dahn updated Lake Association members about the following article on Camp Wilderness Boy Scout Camp:
Minnesota camp featured in Boys Life
Patrick Springer
The Forum – 01/23/2008
The fishing on Bad Axe Lake can be pretty good on a cold day, as members of Dilworths Boy Scout Troop 652 can tell you.
Or you can read all about their wintry adventures in the current issue of Boys Life, the national Scouting magazine, which features a color, center spread on the troops ice-fishing exploits at Camp Wilderness, 17 miles north of Park Rapids, Minn.
Minnesota Scouts dont let subfreezing temps and a lake thats frozen over stop them from fishing, the headline of the magazines January edition tells readers.
The writer and photographer visited Camp Wilderness, owned and operated by the Fargo-based Northern Lights Council of the Boy Scouts of America, last March when the temperature was around the freezing mark. The magazine had called ahead, wanting to profile ice-fishing Scouts, and figured northern Minnesota would be a good place to find them, Brad Olson, the councils program director said Tuesday.
Troop 652, with a dozen members, regularly visits the camp, located on 2,400 acres near Itasca State Park and the Paul Bunyan Wilderness, said Tim McDowell, the troop leader. Members and area Scouts were excited about the Boys Life report.
They were all pretty excited about it, McDowell said, especially the ones who had their pictures in the magazine. His son Trevor, though not pictured, was revealed to be the days top angler, landing 15 fish, mostly perch.
Camp Wilderness is busy in January and February with Scouts testing their winter camping skills.
Those hardy enough to camp outside in a snow hut of their own construction can earn a Zero Hero badge if they stay overnight in zero or below temperatures, Olson said. Last weekend, when temperatures plunged to 22 or 25 below, nine Scouts from Alexandria, Minn., earned badges.
Its kind of an honor, Olson said of the write-up. The camp is pretty well-known within the Midwest and even nationally.
Especially now that its been enshrined within the covers of Boys Life.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Patrick Springer at (701) 241-5522