rickrayfield

Little Archie can be seen at Google Earth at N45 18' W 88 34' or go to Google Earth and search Little Archibald Wisconsin How funny that what we recall as wild areas were less than a mile from lots of farms, etc. I drive by other Scout Camps in my travels and wonder how they can stand being so close to civilized areas. Duh. That does not lessen the experiences we had. And there is a difference in the air, the smells, the moss on the trees etc the further from home you are. Where I live in Vermont is same latitude as our summer cabin near Hayward Wisconsin. The same in many ways- birch, damp, rocky, and yet so different- lakes vs mountains, rock types, birds, and more. I took city kids on a bike trip down to Kankakee Illinois. We had a standing snack stop next to a pasture, and the Scouts were absolutely mesmerized by the cows in the field. They rode their bikes to summer camp near Muskegoen Michigan the next year, and you should have seen these kids biking across the upper penisula of Michigan the following year! (My solution to parents who were "too busy' to drive us to outings.) I remember a kid from my hometown Princeton Illinois staring at Lake Michigan from the museum parking lot with his eyes agog and asking, This that the ocean? The rest of the world may be only a few miles away, even with the internet. The real world smells, squeaks, roars, blinds, awes, and pinches. The opportunities to meet great people, to develop on your own, making choices, so much richness to this program it is no wonder we have strong emotional memories. Best, Rick

The document at the above link is an excellent and clear presentation of many of the issues in applying the ADA to Scouting programs and facilities. It may not be the actual Court ruling. As an eternal skeptic, I cannot resist pointing out that the linked document has the language and appearance of a Court ruling. It is not a link to the court web site, and it is not signed by the Court. It could therefore be a proposed ruling written by one of the lawyers, but not necessarily approved by the Court. Courts love it when a lawyer does the writing for them, so lawyers do it to get their way, and to get paid for the time. I note that this document is copyrighted, which would be odd for a public Court. So handle with care. Who would not wish Scouting to be available to as many disabled people as possible? I note that this document rests on the letter of the law, as it must. But I am pleased to see the appearance of people in Scouting doing their best to welcome disabled people into Scouting activites as much as possible. Rick Rayfield former SM

OK so now I am trying to track down Little Archie Lake where the Chief Shabbona Wilderness Camp was. I was a roving aquatics staffer there for a week, and the troop out on the "island" did not need any help. SO I "chased" loons in a canoe and tried to keep the raccons from stealing Chuck Wagner's wife blind. Anyone recall the nearest town, or road names, or other hints? Bets on which Troop it was? Patrols took turns asking Scoutmaster and staff to dinner. Had their own buddy board. Staff was all Eagle Scouts from that Troop. Best, Rick Rayfield

Chin Be Gota GPS lat/long N 44 58.380' W 89 05.154' Elevation 777 Baker Lake not shown on Garmin Nuvi Go to Google Earth and just punch in Lake Drive, Birnamwood, WI and it'll take you there. Best, Rick Rayfield Waitsfield Vermont

I was aquatics staff in 1968 and staff cook in 1969. For a number of years I taught Red Cross Swimmin. I still cook for 25 people at holiday dinners. Great start at CBG. Lodge Chief for a year. Lots of fine memories. Saturday nights in Wausau. Laundry runs to Mattoon. Canoe trip when Jim Rumchack had to bend a Grumman canoe in half to get it out from under the water roll. Waterskiing with Pete Kleinpaste. Train stories from Cecil Piggott. Drove nearby last week (august 2009) and I searched my GPS for the lake near Birnamwood, but I could not recall its name. Darn busy life. Baker-\ oh yeah- found in this thread thanks gang. Did not read all the posts yet- hi to former quartmaster Dan Starck. My old confirmation watch is at the bottom of that lake- we tipped a sailboat and I almost choked to death with the mast pinching my neck to the deck. Buddy system worked. Still in touch with Harlan Wolfe from that era. He can fill you in on some stories. Sorry to hear about Gerry Streit's 2002 stroke in his 50s.- we touched base about 10 or 12 years ago. I had a stroke in 2005 at age 52 but survived it and continued to work at rehab. Weird coincidence, except stroke is 2nd leading cause of death worldwide. I used my experience at Chin-Be-Gota to become Scoutmaster of an inner city Troop in Chicago, taking them to Owasippe Scout Camp in Michigan for 13 years, and on High Adventures too, and monthly camping trips out of the city. My ex-mother-in-law told my teen daughter I was basically a liar when I claimed to have cooked over a thousand chickens one summer. It gave me the chance to review all the details of our Saturday chicken lunches for campers and families. Whee ha. Pet skunk on staff row. OA inductions in the campfire bowl. Delivering food to ground iceboxes by tractor, or the world's most beat-up but forgiving truck. Wrestling in the dining room. Moving tents and platforms on Saturday afternoons. Paul Hanlon used to say- It's a democracy, but a controlled democracy. One of my inner-city Scouts sent me a photo by email last year- himself, and two kids and wife on top of Mt Katadhin in the snow. Thanked me for sparking his interest in the outdoors. I thank Scouting. At an environmental lecture four years ago, E O Wilson (42 merit badges) said Scouting is one of the great self-instruction programs in the world. But much more of course. Sad to see old camps go, and numbers continue to drop. Really wonderful to hear stories about CBG from those who came before, after, and at the same time. I am not alone in fond memories, I see. Rick Rayfield rickrayfield.com Waitsfield Vermont