Cambridge Lions Visit Boy Scout Troop 41
In the backwoods heading towards Jefferson on HWY 18 on the left hand side just before Park Street there is a small driveway. Continuing down the drive you end up heading down what appears to be a road heading into deep woods. Just over the hill you will come upon the Cambridge Boy Scout Troop 41 facility with a fire pit on the right and a bow and rifle range in the back.
We started with Scout Master Jerry Thiltgen providing some history about the 5 acre property and a brief history of the troop. Lead by an attending troop member, we started the evening with the Pledge of Allegiance, Scout outh, and the evening prayer. From there the attending members went inside the troop building for dinner and to continue the meeting.
The boy scouts are a continuing youth program with the cub scouts as the precursor. The boy scouts sell wreaths to support their members attending camps and scholarships. They emphasize leadership, confidence, courage, and mental strength serving the community in which they live. The boy scouts are not just an organization that work with the community they are a lifestyle in which young men learn and grow to become strong members of society.
Scout Master Jerry Thiltgen further explained what charter organization means to the Lions. The Cambridge Lions are in essence an owner and supporter of the organization. The reason is that the Boy Scouts of America want the leadership and support for the local troop to come from the community in which they are based.
- Lions represent the troop at higher levels of the Boy Scouts of a America.
- Lions also vote and receive information concerning the Boy Scouts
- Lions contribute to the facility as part of the responsibility
- Lions cover costs associated with the facility
- The largest part is providing the leadership - meaning that Lions nominate potential leaders for the program
- Lions can assist with community projects the Boy Scouts sponsor and Lions can reciprocate.
Scout Master Jerry Thiltgen thanked the Lions for visiting and being proactive in the organization. He strongly recommends that the Lions members continue to do so and are welcome anytime to participate in more meetings and events.
Who can become a Boy Scout?
Anyone 12 years old can become a boy scout.
Is membership word of mouth?
Most members come from the cub scouts and some come from word of mouth.
Do you have to pay membership to be a boyscout?
1. $5.00 per month in dues and wreath sales provide the primary operational income. $5.00 per sale go to the selling scout, which then is placed into a scout account which then the scout can use for camps and such.
2. Donations are another means of income.
Scout Master Jerry stated that Money will never prevent a young man from becoming a scout
What is the path to become a Scout?
TigerCub - 1st grade
Wolf
Bear
Webalows 1
Webalows 2
5th grade or 12 years they become boy scouts
New Scout
Tenderfoot
2nd Class
1st Class
Star
Life
Eagle - 6 to 7 years to meet the requirements of this honorable level.
What are some of the activities that boy scouts participate in?
- fun campouts — hang out, board games, going to the lake
- whitewater rafting
- rock climbing
- devils’ lake
- conoeing campouts
- tent campouts
- make believe campouts ( swamp monster campout )
- compass work
- working on the camp - improving the grounds
- winter camping
- klondikes : go around to different activities such as compass, fire starting, building snowman
- snow shelter campouts
- high adventures - costly however very fun. glacier national park, grand canyon, seabase, hiking in the badlands
- Cobia in Mantiwoc
What motivates a boy to become an Eagle Scout?
Differs per scout for one it is the military. The military gives one rank advancement for all joining scout members and the lessons and skills learned in the boyscouts are put to use in the military.