rich

Thank you staff member for deleting my earlier post. Rich Waite, I responded to your last post. After posting and reading it I realized that it didn't make sense. I forgot your name was Rich also. Sorry for the confusion. I agree with you. I have many great memories from CBG as a camper and a staff member.I was quite emotional being there 20 years later. I wish I had more time and a better camera. Does anyone know what has become of the CBG website? Earlier this week I was going through some things at my parents house and found two more items from CBG. First one is a Year-Round Outdoor Program Guide from 1984. It contains information about the Scout Ranch, Big Timber, Kedeka, CBG and Chief Shabbona. It is quite informative. Some info about CBG: How large the camp is, weeks in operation, camp fees, facilities(trading post, commissary, central shower, quartermaster, health lodge, chapel), camp fees, campers guide, transportation, arrival and check in, equipment issue, health and safety. It talks about the camp program including scoutcraft, field sports, aquatics and trips hikes N things. The second is the staff manual for 1984. It contains info on purpose of summer camp, purpose of the camp staff, preparing for camp. It also has all the names, addresses and positions held of the staff members for that year.

(This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Cliff, I'm glad to here that there is a web site under construction. I could gather many pictures to submit along with many stories. I was also in Troop 45 with Brian. His dad was Scoutermaster when I joined. His last year in the troop was my first year. I can still remember watching him receive his Eagle Scout Award. Brian still has relatives I see regularly that live in the area but he has moved to Apache Junction, Arizona.

Cliff, Do you know what years John attended during the 80's and what position or positions he filled? I some what remember his name but I can not put a face with it. I would like to see a web site dedicated to chin-be-goto. There could be a place for people could submit their pictures and camping experiences they had. Could have a forum board. The Order of the Arrow had to be the most memorable experience I had from a staff view. If I remember correctly, I think we had the OA tap out during the Wednesday fireball. I was the lead torch barer ever week that summer. I think there were 8 camping weeks during the 84 season. We would suit up with the Indian gear in the quartermasters building and walk down to point beach were we had bought two canoes over from the boat beach earlier that day. We had to be so careful getting into the canoes without making any noise and paddling half way to the fireball. Any noise would travel so easy across the water after dark when it was calm and that quiet. I can still remember the fire chant the rest of the staffers would have the campers say while the fire was lit. (burn fire burn) We would sit in the canoes waiting for the Indian to light the arrow from the fire and shoot it into the lake. Kind of amazing that none of us sitting in the canoes got hit by any arrows over the summer. After the arrow was shot we would light the torches and start paddling. The most memorable part I can remember being a camper was sitting on the hillside and seeing the flames from the lake and then hearing the loud echoing sound. You had no idea what it was until you saw the canoes. One Indian would hit his paddle across the top of the canoe in the same rhythm that the drum would be used in as we walked around the fireball picking scared scouts from the hill to be tapped out. I could go on and on but its late. PS. Cliff do you remember Brian Bernhardt?

I took about 24 pictures and have them on a disk. I wish I would of had my digital camera. I would of took so much more. Some took ok and others are dark. The camp is so over grown with trees. I remember one of the years I attended the camp it was logged just to let some sun shine through. I'll email you a copy if you would like. My email address is rmcmi87337@aol.com

I'd like to start by saying that I was a member of troop 45 from 1980 till 1987. I attended CBG from 1981 to 1983 and was a staff member for the summer in 1984. CBG opened in 1959 and closed after the season in 1985. I have many great memories from attending this camp. This summer I was vacationing in Wisconsin with my parents and was planning on staying in Wausau. Before I left home I went through some of my old scouting items. I found a map of CBG and the directions to the camp folded up in my field book. After I checked into the hotel I grabbed the map and a camera and headed off to find out what had happened to the camp. It had been 20 years since I had been there and 19 years since the camp had closed. I was surprised to find the directions were still accurate with all the original landmarks still present that were on the map. One other thing I would like to mention before I continue. I drove to the camp with my father. He camped there in 1959 with his troop and in 1983 with me as an Asst. Scoutmaster. We were both anxious to find out what had become of the camp. We pulled up to the main entrance also known as the picnic area. The stone structures that held the camp signs on each side of the entrance are still there. The one on the right side has a couple of stones that have fallen out and are lying on the ground. The original CBG signs are gone. There is a sign hanging on the right side. It shows a picture of the lake. The signs used to hang from a small tree trunk that was anchored to the top of the stone structures. The left side trunk is rotted and completely gone. The right side trunk is soft and rotted but sill there. This is where the current sign hangs. Before we got out of the truck we met someone coming from south beach. After speaking with him we learned that some church organization owns the area where the lodge and other building are located. He said he was there with 5 somewhat troubled teens and gave us permission to look around. After taking some pictures of the entrance we noticed someone across the road were staff camp used to be. We walked over to talk. When you first walked into staff camp there was a staff lounge with showers on the right side. That building is now a small house. The owner said recently they took part of the floor up for repairs and couldn't figure out why there were so many drains. I remember there being a long row of sinks which probably had their own drains plus the outside shower had several. The tents in staff camp were arranged in a semi circle with each one having a 4x4 post sticking out of the ground with a GFI outlet for electricity. Half of them are still there. The owner also said he took the siding off a small building not far from the house to build a shed. This building turned out to be the rifle range building. After walking through staff camp we went to south beach. The beach was to the left of the main entrance and had a raft anchored out a ways you could swim to. While a staff member we would swim there once in a while. This was also open to the local kids to swim. It didn't look like anything I remembered. It was small and over grown. You would never know that it once was a place to swim. After some more pictures we headed up to the lodge. The parking lot is now full of weeds and grass. All of the buildings look pretty much the same on the exterior with the exception of a couple of chimney flews sticking out of the roof of the lodge. All 5 buildings are still there. Lodge, health lodge, quartermaster and 2 directors buildings. I did manage to get a peek inside one of the windows of the lodge. As far as a could see the main structure looks the same with all the natural log beams in the ceiling. There are some newer rooms built in the center of the lodge though. The small white painted weather station that used to sit in front of the lodge is gone. There is now a large square screened gazebo in its place. The rope is gone that used to go through all the rough sawn wooden columns that lined the inside corner of the lodge. The gate is also gone that you had to drive through to get to the campsites. We started to drive down the road toward camp site number 1. We did not even make it to the fire bowl. A large cable was strung across the road and locked. We got out and walked to the fire bowl. Standing at the fire bowl looking toward the lake there is a huge house up on the hill to the right side. Looking around the fire bowl there is a swing, a pier going out into the lake and a large fire pit exactly were we used to have ours. One other thing that caught my eye was were we used to sit on the side of the hill facing the fire. There use to be small diameter tree trunks cut into the ground that stair stepped up the side of the hill. We sat on these during the fire bowls. After looking closely at the side of the hill we determined that about half of them are still there. After some more pictures my dad went back to the lodge. I took off to find campsite number 1. This is where I camped in 1981 and 1982. Further down the road it splits off to the right and left. This is where the shower house use to be. It's completely gone. There is now a small pole building there. I went right toward campsite number 1 and number 2. A little further down the road the first thing that came into site was an outhouse. As I walked around the right side of it, still visible was the large white #1 painted on it. The outhouse is surprisingly in good condition just dirty. In front of it there is a small wooden frame looking structure that had started to rot and fell over. After looking at it for a minute I remembered that we use to keep a plastic garbage can sitting on it that had a spigot mounted on the side. You kept water in it. This is where you washed your hands. The rest of the campsite was still cleared like it is mowed once in a while. The well pump is still there but missing the handle. As I headed back I could also see the outhouse for number 2 campsite on the right. I went back to the fork in the road and headed left toward instructional beach. Sitting right in the entrance to the beach is another huge house. The only thing I recognized is the small white building on the right side of the beach. It's not in the best of condition. We use to keep life saving equipment and a phone inside it that rang inside the lodge. A little further down and across the road I found site number 14. Those that camped at CBG would remember the large wooden pallets that the tents sat on. Looking around I found 4 to 5 of these pallets still there. They were full of moss. Some are partially rotted. Some are covered in weeds. The site is really over groan and full of small trees. I took some more pictures and figured I had kept my dad waiting long enough plus being on private property had me slightly worried. As I walked back I past site number 3. I looked inside the outhouse out of curiosity. I saw something that made me laugh to myself and smile. Lying in the yearnal was a rusted can of mosquito repellant. Some boy probably in the last troop to camp there in 1985 dropped it there. Just thought it was funny. By this time the sun was starting to set and I knew I had to get back but there was one more thing I really wanted to do. I walked back to the fire bowl, went down by the lake and behind the fire pit. It took only seconds to find. The Eagle Trail. This was a hiking trail that followed the lake from the fire bowl to point beach. I was so surprised that it was still visible. I was able to follow it with ease even thought here were some small tree limbs laying across it and also some small evergreens starting to grow on it. When I got to point beach you would never know that it was ever a beach. There was grass knee deep everywhere. Point beach was used for scheduled troop swims. I took more pictures and headed up toward the lodge. The railroad ties used for steps are still there and I found a picnic table at the top of the steps in a small clearing. It was full moss and the wood felt really soft. After thinking about it I remembered that is were the nature class was held. I finally made it back to the lodge. Before we left we walked over to the commissioners cabin which was across the road from the lodge. This building is in sad shape. The doors were open. It was full of junk. Looks like it could fall over any time. We went back to the main entrance took pictures of each other standing by the sign and left. As we turned right after passing the field sports entrance I looked through the woods and caught a glimpse of the rifle range building. The roof was completely gone and so was the siding of the building on the right side. It looked like a skeleton of a building with just 4x4's and 2x6's standing there. Even though it was kind of sad walking through the camp it brought back a lot of great memories. The more I think about what it was like to camp there the more I remember. I'm going to continue this post with different memories as a camper and as a staff member. Anyone else that would like to add there own please reply. Thanks