Reflections, Spring 2000, page 1

SOMMERS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

REFLECTIONS

Summer 2000

NORTHERN TIER NATIONAL HIGH ADVENTURE

Volume 10, Number 2

Millennium Rendezvous Very NearHol-Ry Charlie Guides. Ren-

dezvous 2000 will be held duringthe first three days of September,the first through the third. The lo-cation will be the end of MooseLake Road - The Charles L.Sommers National High AdventureBase, Ely, Minnesota, 55731.

Don't WaitYou need to register now, in ad-

vance, if you plan to stay at theBase. Please do this by returningthe registration form, not by con-tacting the base. You will be noti-fied if cabins are full when yourreservation form is received. Thenotice will go to the address yougive on your reservation form. Staffand crews will be on the Base whenwe are arriving for the reunion, soplease be discreet. Not all cabinswill be available to us. Do not moveinto a cabin until you check-in.

Check-inAt the Ely base check-in cabin

will last until about 9:00 on Fridayevening and resume Saturday morn-ing after breakfast and continueuntil about 11:00 a.m. If you willbe arriving later than that, pleaselet us know when you register. We'lldeal with unexpected matters andsurprises on an ad hoc basis.

DetailsRendezvous 2000 formally

opens on Friday evening withcheck in and cabin assignments.There will be no ceremony, justpeople getting together and renew-ing acquaintances. There will beplenty of open time to meet yourfellow travelers and reminisce at theplace of your choosing.

StuffWe have a new item this year.

Red Jac Shirts (staff item in the 50s& 60s) will be available this year.For those of us from a different era,this is a heavy wool shirt made atBemidji Woolen Mills. Color op-tions are Red or Red. It is high qual-ity material and nicely built. TheSAA logo is embroidered on thebreast. T-Shirts, Polos, Red JacShirts and Knives are available by

preregistration. Even if you can’tattend you can pre-order and it willbe mailed to you after the event.We ran short and could not fill allrequests last time (pre-orders werefilled first). Grohmann knives withspecial markings on the blade forthe reunion are also available. Moreon theknives onpage three.

AuctionW e

will holdan auctionof somed o n a t e dcampingand canoe-ing relateditems onSaturdayprior toour fea-t u r e dspeaker. Ify o uwould liketo donateitems forthis auc-t i o n ,p l e a s econtact ei-ther Patrick Cox or Chuck Rose.

SpeakerThis year’s Rendezvous

speaker will be Robert Olson. Rob-ert worked on the Sommers staff in

the 40s and is the son of the distin-guished author Sigurd Olson, whowrote much about our beloved ca-noe country. Robert is president ofThe Listening Point Foundation,Inc., which was founded in 1998 topreserve and protect “ListeningPoint,” the Burntside Lake prop-

erty that served as a getaway placefor Sigurd F. Olson, and to promoteSigurd’s philosophy and build onhis legacy in the field of wildernesseducation. Robert said last year at

the Sigurd Olson EnvironmentalInstitute centennial dinner, "Manystrive to see the world through SigOlson’s eyes and to follow his ex-ample as much as possible, whichis both praiseworthy and natural.But Sig always urged his studentsand friends and, indeed, his sons,

to follow their own feelings, to dowhat they thought best for themand not to imitate him or anyoneelse."

Sigurd Olson's cabin on Listening Point of Burntside Lake. Sigurd's son Robert is nowpresident of The Listening Point Foundation, which works to preserve Sigurd Olson's legacy.

Robert, a former Sommers staff member, is the featured speaker for Rendezvous 2000

Making BWCAW ReservationsApplications for the 2000 sea-

son may be submitted by web site,fax, or mail. The BWCAW Reser-vation Fee has changed from $9.00to $12.00 for the 2000 season. Theovernight user fee will remain thesame. However, when making anovernight reservation, a $20 depositis required regardless of party size.The remaining user fee is paid basedon group size upon arrival at thepermit issuing station.

Last year's storm changed the

wilderness for years to come andhas created the opportunity fornew experiences as well as newrisks for visitors. Because of thepotential fire danger associatedwith the blowdown, fire restrictionsmay be put into effect. Check oncurrent fire restrictions just priorto your trip, as you may be requiredto use a campstove. There are ar-eas in the BWCAW where it is im-possible to hang your pack becauseof a lack of standing trees. BWCAW

recommends that you pack fooditems in specially-designed bear-proof containers.

Call the Forest Service at(218)626-4300 if you need moreinformation. To make reservations:BWCAW Reservation CenterP.O. Box 462Ballston Spa, NY 12020Phone: 877-550-6777 (toll free)TDD: 877-TDD-NRRS (toll free)FAX: 518-884-9951Web Site: http://www.bwcaw.org/

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 2

Alumni AssociationDirectors and Officers*

Director/President (2)** Dave Hyink (253) 863-6406Director/Vice President (1) Barry Bain (612) 944-5178Director/Secretary (2)** Butch Diesslin (218) 365-6904Treasurer** Nigel Cooper (651) 738-1242Director (3) Patrick Cox (847) 223-6074Director (3)** Dave Greenlee (605) 594-6287Director (3) Chuck Rose (320) 252-2768Director (3) Jay Walne (901) 278-2633Director (1) John Christiansen (417) 646-8512Director (1) Mark Nordstrom (614) 833-0499Director (1) Linnea Renner (218) 365-3655Director (2) Roy Conradi (770) 972-8115Director (2) Robert Welsh (425) 454-5628At-large** Michael McMahon (651) 483-5759*Number in parenthesis is years remaining in current term**Executive Committee Member

Program LiaisonsMr. Keith Galloway National Director of High Adventure

Philmont Scout Ranch, BSACimarron, NM 87714(505) 376-2281

Mr. Doug Hirdler Director and General Manager,Northern Tier NationalHigh Adventure ProgramP.O. Box 509Ely, MN 55731-0509(218) 365-4811

Mr. John W. Creighton, Jr. Chairman, National High AdventureCommitteeMadrona Group1000-2nd Ave. Suite 3700Seattle, WA 98104

Mr. John L. Parish, Sr. Chairman, Northern Tier NationalHigh Adventure CommitteeP. O. Box 550Tullahoma, TN 37388

Volume 10, Number 2. Reflections is the official publication of the CharlesL. Sommers Alumni Association, Inc., P.O. Box 428, 5891 Moose LakeRoad, Ely, Minnesota 55731-0429. Reflections is published three times ayear (Oct, Feb., and July). The Charles L. Sommers Alumni Association, Inc.is a nonprofit Minnesota corporation. The IRS has determined that thealumni association is an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of theInternal Revenue Code. Donations to the alumni association are tax deduct-ible. Membership in the Sommers Alumni Association is open to all persons18 years and older. Association dues are $10 for Annual membership, $25 ormore annually for Sustaining membership or $150 (one time) for Life Mem-bership. The association’s dues year begins January 1. Moving... please no-tify the alumni association of your new address, phone number, etc. We willinclude your e-mail addresses in the member directory. Send your addresschanges or additions to P.O. Box 428, Ely, MN 55731-0428 or to ButchDiesslin via e-mail at: b.diesslin@mail.vcc.mnscu.edu

President’s Messageby Dave Hyink

For years, I’ve labored underthe misapprehension that as I gotolder, I’d be less prone to procras-tinate. Looks like I’ve been wrong.I will say, that as I mature, I doseem to worry more about thosethings that have been the object ofmy procrastination. Take, for ex-ample, registering for the 2000Sommers Alumni Rendezvous.I’ve had the form since the lastnewsletter was published in April(Heck, when I was in charge of plan-ning Rendezvous, I was lucky tohave the form to folks by mid-July!). Perhaps this is the reason

that the Rendezvous of recent yearshave been so successful! Could itbe that “proper planning preventspoor performance?” I’ve fussed forweeks about taking time to fill itout. It isn’t like I had to make upmy mind about going. I always at-tend. And I always have the timeof my life! Wouldn’t miss it!

So today, I completed the formand sent it in? What’s your ex-cuse? Return your form today andgive our great Rendezvous 2000 theinformation they need to make thisyear’s event one of the best ever. Ilook forward to seeing you there!

Membership has its privilegesby Chuck Rose

Honestly, I didn’t know. Butwhen the sirens flashed, I glancedat my speedometer. Yep, too fast.

“May I see your license?” theofficer said. After the usual ex-change, he continued, “Well, every-one appears to be buckled up tightand anyone from Sommers can’t beall bad so I’ll just give you a warn-ing.” He had seen my HOLRY!

bumper sticker and SommersAlumni Association membershipdecal.

Seems that he had been to theBase three times as a Scout, he ob-viously had a good time. If youhaven’t already, join the SAA(your membership benefits mayvary).

Tidbits on the Sommers ClanVirpi Vayrynen-LamminpaaWorks as Information Technol-

ogy Assistant, Nokia Communica-tion. Her address is:Lahtomaenkatu 10 B 9FIN-33580 Tampere, Finlandvirpi.vayrynen@nokia.comvivayryn@sci.fi+358-3-356 3339, home+358-40-747 5620, mobile

Mikko Lamminpaa works forthe Food and Veterinary Office ofthe European Commission, in Ire-land. His address is:Lahtomaenkatu 10 B 9FIN-33580 Tampere, Finlandmikko.lamminpaa@sci.fi

Ingrid Ploke, 1987, of Switzer-land moved to Australia in late1980s.

Marja Tuominen, 1984 is nowa-days Marja Kosola.

Paivi Vuorela, 1984 is PaiviMiilunpalo.

Kurt Muller, 1984 summer andwinter, works as a researcher,Ph.D., at the University ofJyvaskyla, Finland

University of JyvaskylaP.O. Box 35Fin-40351 JyvaskylaFinlandmuller@psyka.jyu.fiAnne Lyly 1992 and Jussi Lyly,

1984, 1987, 1988, 1992 had trip-lets in August, 1999.

The daughter was namedKerttu and the sons are Valtteri andVerneri. Previously they alreadyhad a daughter, Iida. Watch out, youhave only some 18 years of time tolearn the identical twin brothersapart!

Kai Puustinen, an Okpik In-structor of 1989, is the editor-in-chief of the first outdoor magazinein Finland.

Last summer a group of sixscouts from Voyageur Area Coun-cil, Minnesota, led by Ray and Vir-ginia Hatinen, visited Finland on aseven-day visit. It included a cy-cling, hiking, boating, Finnish base-ball, visit to Iittala glass factory,and literally building a bridge be-tween scouting in USA and Fin-land, on the camp area of Virpi´stroop.

As the second part of the Finn-ish American Scout Exchange, agroup of scouts from Tampere, Fin-land, led by Mikko, visits Minne-sota in July-August. The highlightof the visit is of course a seven-daycanoe trip Quetico.

Information provided by MikkoLamminpaa

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 3

Good Memories and Gridlockby John O Thurston

Last weekend my wife, Becky,and I were visiting our daughterGretta and our grandson in Dallas.Our other daughter Robin and hertwo daughters were with us aswell. Saturday morning we allloaded up to go to our five year oldgrandson’s soccer game. We wererunning late and found ourselves inthe kind of traffic produced bythousands of soccer parents, ontheir way to the most importantsporting event of the week. At onepoint, we sat in total gridlock, whena pickup, pulling a trailer-load ofcanoes, came into sight.

My daughter must have noticedthe effect it had on me because shesaid “What are you thinking, dad?”She knew very well where the sightof a canoe takes me. I think thatshe goes there too. I am transportedto the calm of a beautiful wilder-ness lake and that “little mini mindtrip” has a very calming effect onme. Just before the canoe sighting,I was thinking to myself, how doesan old Charlie Guide, an avidoutdoorsman, find himself in somany traffic jams and other un-pleasant big city situations. Just theday before I had been packed like asardine into a very unpleasant com-muter flight going to Dallas.

Actually, even though the quar-ters were horrible on that flight, itwasn’t really so bad because I wasbusy pointing out the clouds to mytwo year old granddaughter and

keeping track of all the rivers wecrossed as we flew from South toNorth Texas. The guy ahead of memust have heard me describing ornaming every lake, reservoir andriver to my granddaughter. Hestarted to ask about every town andcity we saw. I have always lovedmaps and I guess it is second na-ture to keep track of where I ameven on a plane. The time on thecramped plane was actually quitepleasant for me. I wasn’t really onthe flight. I was busy messing withboats, and rivers, and showing mygranddaughter the clouds.

Like many old Charlie Guides,I find myself in an administrativejob spending much of each day at adesk with a computer screen wor-rying about cash flow, liability, andkeeping a complex organizationmoving ahead. That was definitelynot my life’s dream was when I wasa Charlie Guide long ago. That’s notwhat I dreamed about doing as Ipaddled down a wilderness lake, ina Seliga, on those warm summerafternoons 35 years ago. But, pad-dling down a wilderness lake or sit-ting in a good campsite, after a goodfish dinner, up in Mackenzie Bay,watching the loons play on the calmcool lake is exactly where I findmyself when I need a “little minimind trip.” What I did 35 years agois exactly what I do several timesevery day, and I am grateful that Ihave those memories to go to when

I have the need.There are lots of positive out-

comes that we can describe after atrip into Boundary Waters. Thereare skills learned, leadership les-sons, good food, good fellowshipand if we are doing it right, we aremolding good character in somepromising young people.

It was hard for me when we be-gan to call the Charlie Guides, In-terpreters. But, as I think back,that’s exactly what the good oneswere. They helped the

crewmembers by letting them seethe beauty, the calm, the history andthe natural world around them. In-terpreters and old Charlie Guideshelp the crew member understandand really feel the experience. If wedo our job as an interpreter, we alsoteach them to collect real memories.. . and those memories can beplayed back later, when they needa little calm or adventure in the moreurban lives which will likely layahead. Good memories can makegridlock fun.

New Chief Executive is Parent of A ScoutThe Boy Scouts of America

came under a new administrationJune 1 of this year. Roy L. Will-iams is the new Chief Scout Execu-tive, directing the administration ofapproximately 7,400 employeesand almost 1.3 million adult volun-teers.

Williams has been active inScouting since his youth and is nowactive in his son's troop. He hasalso served as Wood Badge instruc-tor and Order of the Arrow chap-ter and lodge adviser. He is a VigilHonor member of the Order of theArrow. His professional career in-cludes service as a district execu-tive in Graham and Abilene Texas;finance director in Little Rock, Ar-kansas; and Scout executive in To-peka, Kansas, and Providence,Rhode Island. He has held the na-tional positions of director, Boy

Scout Division and regional direc-tor, Western Region. Williams hasserved on several Boy Scout pro-fessional conference steering com-mittees and chaired many taskforces on issues relating to Scout-ing.

Williams is succeeding Jere B.Ratcliffe who retired as Chief ScoutExecutive.

Roy L. Williams has served as amember of his church’s board andchairman of its pastor parish com-mittee. He has chaired severalUnited Way committees and UnitedWay agency campaigns in severalcommunities. He is a U.S. Air Forceveteran, having served in Texas,California, and Okinawa. He hasbeen active in the Veterans of For-eign Wars, American Legion, Ro-tary International, Kiwanis andJaycees. He has served as presi-

dent of his parent-teacherassociation.

Northern Tier GeneralManager Doug Hirdler isenthusiastic about Will-iams’ selection as ChiefScout Executive. “Need-less to say, we cannot waituntil Roy comes to North-ern Tier. Hopefully, thatwill be with his son's unit,as Roy hiked the trails atPhilmont this summer asan adult leader with hisson’s troop.”

Hirdler says this is thefirst time in at least 32years that the Chief ScoutExecutive was youngenough to have a son in-volved in Scouting duringhis time as chief. “Roywill be good for high adventure and

Chief Scout Executive Roy L. Williams

Reunion Memento KnifeGrohmann knives for the reunion are

being made up now. We are making 100 ofthem. The folding knives are 1.4 oz. inweight. The blade is 23/

4 inches long and

the knife is 33/4 inches long, folded. The

handle is black Zytel and is very thin forcarrying in the pocket, but rugged enoughfor the woods. It will have the twilightpaddlers on one side of the blade and theIndian in the canoe on the other side of theblade. The sales price will be around $29.We wanted to make this an item that every-one could afford and something that theycould carry for everyday use, but yet bestrong enough for the woods. This knifewill not have a sheath. It is made for light-weight pocket use. They have a strong blade,though and are easy to sharpen. They alsohave a lifetime warranty from GrohmannKnives of Picto, Nova Socia. The bladelocks open. The knife shown in this pic-

ture from Grohmann has a serrated edge, the reunion memento knife has astraight edge. Information supplied by Larry Whitmore

Northern Tier will be good for him!”

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 4

A Charlie Guide Can Make TheDifference

by John LeBlancSix canoes approached Prairie

Portage in a soft, light rain. Justtwo hours earlier those same ca-noes carrying thirteen scouts, fouradult leaders and one Charlie Guidehad left the Sommers Canoe Baseon Moose Lake for a ten day canoetrip into Quetico Provincial Park.For seventeen of those paddlers, itwas the trip of a lifetime. For theother, a Charlie Guide, it was hisjob.

Donnan Christensen was theCharlie Guide. He worked atSommers to help pay college ex-penses. It was a tough job leadingcanoes of scouts all summer long,but someone had to do it. Don didit well.

The canoe trip had been the fo-cus of attention for over a year asTroop 82 in Port Arthur, Texasprepared themselves for theirnorthern journey. Physical trainingwas on schedule when we lefthome. We had worked hard and wewere prepared. Or so we thought.What we were not prepared for wasthe weather. For a group of peoplefrom an area that gets more rain thananywhere in the United States ex-cept Seattle, we were not doingvery well. The rain was getting toour boys. Complacency was set-ting in. This was only the first dayof a ten day voyage. At this rate,we were in for a long and miserabletrip.

Boys rode the middle “duffer”position almost in a daze. Packsthat were opened to get to rain gearstayed that way. Bilge began to fillwith rainwater and soaked throughthe Duluth packs. Rain trickleddown into the dry corners of sleep-ing bags. At the first lunch stopright after the portage into CarpLake, three boys wanted to turnaround and go back.

From my position in the bowof Don’s Seliga canoe, I could seethat things had to change. My jour-nal entry expresses my concern andhope for turning it around. Don andI talked various strategies to get thecrew functioning properly.

Listening from his position inthe middle of the canoe was BobbyJefferson, the smallest boy on thetrip. Bobby had constantly workedto bail out the rainwater from thebottom of the wood and canvasscanoe that we were traveling in andhad done a good job. He was using

his drinking cup and bandana andwas keeping it almost as dry as ona sunny summer day. He spoke up.“Just tell them what they got to doand make them do it,” was his so-lution to the problem. “I mean I amnot having the most fun in my life,but at least our packs and clothesare all dry and so are the sleepingbags. All you got to do is work atit.”

Several portages tested ourmettle to see if we really wanted tobe on Knife Lake for the first nightof the trip. After some moaning andgroaning, our crew all made it ontoKnife and found a vacant campsitejust across the Canadian border anddown a ways from DorothyMolter’s Isle of The Pines.

As the tents were going up, itcontinued to rain. Not hard, butsteady. The cooking detail fixedBoundary Waters Stew and all en-joyed a warm meal. After a dessertof warm pudding, the cleanup de-tail did their thing in the kitchen.Don then called all the scouts to-gether. We had what some called“thorns and roses.”

People aired their likes and dis-likes. Listening to the crew, I wasappalled. Bobby Jefferson was thefall guy. The smallest boy, the onlyone who had successfully kept hiscanoe bilge and packs dry wasblamed for anything and everythingthat went wrong. I did not like whatwas happening to Bobby and toldDon so. I knew what he was goingthrough. Just seven years earlier, Iwas in those same shoes atPhilmont. Don told me, “we’ll fixthat.”

This treatment is pretty hardto take as an adult, but is nearlyimpossible at age fourteen. Bobbysimply wanted to please. He wasriding in the wood and canvas ca-noe with the Charlie Guide, a posi-tion of pride and had earned his keepon the first day. Very few of theothers could say that. So far, hewas pretty much holding his own.Finally the session ended. A fewminutes went by, then Don calledeveryone together under the diningfly to escape another rain showerand said the things that needed say-ing. He told the scouts what eachjob was and how it needed to bedone. These things would haveworked themselves out in time, buttime was running out for us.

We already had wet sleepingbags that needed drying out and wewere just in the first day of the trip.It was “show and tell,” “touch andfeel” as Don went over the finerpoints of packing their gear in aDuluth pack so it would stay dry.The duties of the “bilge keeper”were defined and understood by all.

The eight sleeping bags thatwere soaked were a total disasterfor most people, not for Don. Withsome help, he cut up a big deadfallinto two-foot logs, split them andbuilt an enormous fire that wouldwarm and dry the wet gear. Bytoday’s standards, it was unaccept-able, but very welcomed in the “bigbonfire” days back then.

As the sleeping bags were beingdried, Bobby huddled around thefire in his shorts and T-shirt. WhenDon asked if he thought he mightneed to put on a jacket, Bobby saidhe could not because he had left hisback at the base. “I’ll be O.K.,” hesaid with a smile. Don being a manof few words simply winced at thewords.

In a few minutes Don said,“John and Bobby, come with me.”While the crew dried sleeping bags,Don took us down the lake to seeDorothy Molter. It was after darkwhen we got there. Don told herwe wanted to buy some root beer.“not until you come in and warmup first” was her reply. There inher cabin we warmed Bobby withcoffee and her wood stove, fed hima candy bar or two and a root beer.

Don explained Bobby’s problem.Dorothy found a jacket tuckedaway in the corner to loan Bobby.When he told her that we wouldnot be coming back this way, shesimply told him to mail it back toher when he got home.

What ensued was and still is themost memorable evening visit withanyone I have ever had. What wedid not talk about does not exist.After about two hours, we told herthat we had to go back to check onthe others. We swore Bobby to se-crecy as to what we had done andwhere we had been. He told no one.

We returned to our campsite justin time to hear the cheers as the lastsleeping bag was declared dry. Thefire was doused and we all went tosleep.

The next morning proved to bea different kind of day. It was stillraining, as it would for the rest ofthe canoe trip, but it was a differ-ent group of boys as they busilydid what they had to do. Abouthalfway through the trip, Bobbycommented to Don, “See, I told youhow to get them to do it.” Bobbywas so proud that his method hadworked

Donnan Christensen lives withhis family near the shore of LakeSuperior in Hayward, Wisconsin.John LeBlanc lives with his familyin the coastal town of Bridge City,Texas. Both are avid canoeist andoutdoorsmen. Bobby Jefferson’sspirit lives on in their hearts andminds.

Tales from the Tall Timbersby Lodgepole Larr

Flying Little PigsThe moonlight swellsAcross Glistening waters deepAnd whistling wingsAbove the Isle of Pinesin night flightHas brought them homeward

boundFrom winter'sLong eminence, abandoned sleep

To find their mentor goneFoster motherWho had born them wellFrom babeto winged fowl

No longer to hearThe swish of corn

Along the shaded sandsNo longer to take a tasty treatFrom out of loving handsOh! To hear the voice!With sweet refrain!Be gone! You flying little pigs!!!Only, now! Left!Wandering upon the northern

Winds!That whisper through those IslesAnd spearied pinesShadow into a silvered mistThat glimmered and dancedBefore fading light and life!To find that Dorothy!Their beloved friend!Had Moved!!To another island!

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 5

Alumni Association Looking for “Lost”Members

There are many former stafferswho find the association and join,others can't find us or don't knowanything about us. If you can helplocate some of the former staffmembers and introduce them to theassociation, please do it soon. Thisis the second part of the long list offolks the association has not beenable to locate. Look for the rest ofthe list in upcoming issues. If yousee a name you know, try to findthe person. Introduce them to ourweb site, get their address so wecan send them a newsletter, letthem know about the reunions.

Flinsch, F. Michael 1956Fosgate, Lonnie 1974Fowler, Kim 1984

Fox, Rick 1987Fritzmeier, Bob 1966Furey, Patrick 1987-90

Gallant, John 1975-78Garriott, Charlie 1968-69Gauffin, Claus 1991

Georgitis, Nathan 1996Gill, Bill 1966Gillen, Mark

Gillespie, Kim 1976Gillingham, Heidi 1996Goebel, Jill 1977

Golding, Daniel 1987-89Goodman, Scott 1983Gossman, Bill 1970

Grabar, PaulGrabow, Paul 1975-76Graham, Justin 1993-94

Granskow, David 1956Grant, Scott 1977-78Gray, Bill 1968-69

Gray, John 1974Gribble, Kathy 1978-79Griffith, Mark 1986-87

Gruner, Bob 1975Grunzweig, Nick 1974Guttormsen, Hal 1968

Guttormsen, Joel 1972-73Guttormsen, Judy 1973Haas, Fred 1974

Haas, Jerry 1968Haas, Steve 1961Habicht, Dave 1970

Hammerton, Neil 1978Hanson, Dan 1971-73Hanson, Jerry L. 1958

Harjula, Jay 1974Harmon, Ben 1979-80Harrison, Matt 1980

Hart, Alexander 1991Hart, C. Tom 1978-79Hawker, Brian 1980

Hawkins, Gregory 1992Hedenberg, Jack 1986-88Heise, Warren 1956

Helledy, John 1956Henderson, John 1961Hendricks, Ed 1956

Henning, Tim 1986Hepner, W. Sandy 1969-70Herman, Bob 1969

Herther, Terry 1955-56Heverly, Michael 1955Higdon, Samuel 1956

Hilde, Hal 1970-71Hileman, Doug 1977Hill, Nicholas 1956

Hoffbeck, Chad 1956Hoffman, JohnHolm, Dick 1966

Houchin, Dan 1968Howe, Jim 1975Hoyt, David 1990

Hughes, Chris 1975-76Hughes, Jason 1991Hullar, Timothy 1987

Hulstrand, Mark 1985Hutchinson, John 1975Isaacson, Ben 1997

Isackson, Ron 1966Iverson, Ryan 1998Jacisin, Chris 1983

James, Steve 1978Janssen, Willis 1970-72Johnny, Bob 1986

Johnson, Bruce 1966-68Johnson, Jeff 1974Johnson, Jon 1970

Johnson, Mark 1970Johnson, Michael 1987Johnson, Paul 1955-56

Jones, Anthony 1974Jones, P. Wayne 1956Jones, Reed 1979

Jones, Todd 1990Jones, WillKarch, Rick 1975-76

Keating, Kelly 1975Keeton, David 1978Keller, John 1990-91

Kelley, Lionel 1978-80Kelley, Warren 1984Kerschbaum, John 1976

Kilmer, David 1969Kimball, Bud 1961King, John 1966

King, Tim 1968King, Vince 1978Kizer, Robert 1953

Kleager, James 1991-92,96Kline, Jim 1970Klusman, Jim 1966

Knouse, Chuck 1970Knudsen, Jerry 1953Knutson, Arlen 1956

Koelker, Timothy 1985Koenig, Eddie 1955Koester, Karl 1984

Kolodji, Paul 1984,86Koons, Dave 1974Korf, Phil 1974

Korteum, Kevin 1994Kortz, Jim 1970Kotovsky, Jack 1986

Krueger, Leonard 1956Kumler, Jay 1983-84Kurt, Wayne 1975

Laduke, Kerry 1966LaFollette, Dennis 1975-76Lamon, Brian 1975-76

Landon, John 1966Languell, Bob 1975LaPlante, Bill 1982-84

Lawrence, Alan 1974Lawver, George 1990Lawver, Jeannine 1990

Leggate, Warren 1963Likely, James 1984-85Likely, Scott 1986-87

Linden, Hank 1972-72Little, Chris 1969Loomis, Bill 1961

Ludman, Don 1966Mahoney, Sean 1987-88Malmskog, Judy 1989

Maloney, James 1955-56Mantell, Bob 1980Martin, Dave -1975

Matheson, Jeff 1970McCain, Cris 1961McClary, Robb 1966

McCloskey IV, Charles 1987McCommons, Scott 1971-73McCormick, Cameron 1986

McCoy, Richard 1972-73McCulloch, Jim 1963-66McCurry, Paul 1969

McDaniel, Terry 1965McElroy, Kevin 1980-84McEwen, Pete 1966-70

McGauley, Erin 1997McHardy, George 1985-86McKee, Brad 1979

McKee, Phillip 1986-87McKinney, Dale 1975McKinney, Kenny 1975

McLaren, Bruce 1961-62

McNeil, Robert 1955McNichol, Brian 1960

McRoberts, David 1990Micklavcich, Shawn 1987Millard, Steve 1964

Miller, AnthonyMiller, Bob 1968-70Miller, Lewis 1956

Monson, Lynn 1975-77Moore, Bill 1966Moore, Greg 1967-69

Moreno, Claudia 1983Muller, Kurt 1984Munson, Gary 1968

Musberger, AndrewMyers, John 1970Neal, Brian 1990

Neisse, Bruce 1966Neisse, Darryl 1966Nellis, Don 1978-80

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 6

The Home of the Northern Woodsmenby Clyde S. “Sandy” Bridges

In the slightly faded memoriesof my early Scouting days (the early1950s) I can very clearly see a dooron a room in the staff quarters atCamp Quapaw. Camp Quapaw waslocated on the Saline River betweenLittle Rock and Hot Springs, Ar-kansas. For several years it was mysecond home. There was a map ofthe canoe country on that door anda crude sign that read “Home of theNorthern Woodsmen.” To live inthat room you had to have been ona canoe trip to the canoe base inEly.

Later that summer our camp hadScout visitors from Sweden. Youshould have seen them! Their uni-forms were different, they hadsleeping bags filled with crushedfoam that rolled up about the sizeof a football, packs that were re-ally neat and fancy sheath knives.

Well, that did it. I had twoquests. One was to somehow getto the Canoe Base so I could live inthat room! The other was to some-day meet other internationalScouts. Those quests, however,seemed similar to wanting to seethe dark side of the moon. Or so Ithought.

The year 1956 was a big one forme. I became an Eagle Scout andwas elected Lodge Chief for theOrder of the Arrow. The biggestthrill that year was having thechance to serve as an assistantleader on a trip to the Canoe Coun-try. When I returned, I also had theopportunity to attend the NationalOrder of the Arrow conference inBloomington, Indiana. At the con-ference I got the chance to meet Dr.Goodman, the founder, and attenda special program called “Lite PackCamping.” It was a project of ErnieSchmidt, BSA National CampingService, and focused on campingwith lightweight equipment espe-cially for canoe trips.

The trip to Ely was really fan-tastic. Our guide, Paul Johnson —called the “little Swede” — took usto Kawnipi where we caught someof the largest fish I had ever seen. Iwas one of the largest in the groupso I was picked as a canoe carrier.Our canoe was an Old Town so Igot a taste of portaging early on.On the way home there was a badstorm on Agnes, and much to mydistress, I lost my glasses. When Igot home I vowed to someday re-turn to see what I had missed.

The turkey dinner in the dininghall in the Lodge was great. I had

also enjoyed the “beans andwieners” before we went out. Thewieners were actually polish sau-sage, and they were much betterthan the “hot dogs” I was used to.The last evening on the Base whenwe were presented with the em-blem of the Indian in the canoe andwe sang the Canoe Base song wefelt that we had “arrived.” We allhad really been awed by the expe-rience.

The men in charge - Oren Felton,Parley Tuttle and Henry Bradlich -all seemed as though they were truePaul Bunyans. The guides werevery special, with names like“Cherokee” and “Swede.” They allhad knives with beautiful handmadesheaths; a couple even had sheathsmade from the tail of a snappingturtle. Each guide also had a leathersheath to hold a small pair of “side-cutting” pliers and a pouch for theirpocket knife (no self-respectingguide would carry their pocket knifein a pocket). On the other side oftheir belt they had a hank of cordto use for the food bags. They wereour idea of what real Scouts wereall about. They were more confi-dent than anyone I had ever met.

I had spent many summers atQuapaw but what a difference tobe at an Explorer Canoe Base.When I returned to camp it tookme almost a week to find a pair of“side-cutters” and to have a pouchon my belt for it and my “pocket”knife.

The summer of 1957 was mylast a Camp Quapaw. I had justgraduated from high school and hada National Guard commitment forAugust, so traveling anywhere elsewas out of the question. A closefriend, Jim McDaniel, who hadbeen on a previous trip to Ely, ap-plied at the Canoe Base and wasaccepted. I am sure my envyshowed. Later that summer I waspresented with the Vigil award inthe Order of the Arrow. During theall-night vigil, my thoughts turnedtoward two things. First, to thosethat helped me through my earlydays of Scouting, and second, tothe experience of the canoe trip -the real highlight of my Scoutingdays.

I finally applied for a positionat the Base in 1959 and, to my sur-prise, was accepted. I was now oneof those “guides.” I couldn’t be-lieve it. During our training, one ofthe main things that was empha-sized was “tradition.” The staff

members at the Base were veryproud of the long tradition of ca-noeing in the northwoods and whatit meant to be a “guide.” They em-phasized how important it was forus to pass on these traditions tothe crews that we would take out.They said that as soon as possible,we should choose a totem and paintit on our paddle. At the end of the“guides trip” they branded ourpaddles with the Region Ten “X”and dipped the tip in red paint. Likeit or not - we were committed! Weeven had official Canadian GuidesLicenses to prove it.

They spoke of Carl Chase andHod Ludlow as if they were saints.Years later when I finally met Hod,I guess I would have to agree; hewas really something special andhis vision and wisdom were so im-portant in the early days.

During the summer I mentionedto Henry that I would really like tosee what the canoe country lookedlike in the winter. His comment was“come on up -I’ll show you!” SoMick Hedrick and I decided to goon a snowshoe trip. Henry and Janewere fantastic hosts when I arrivedin Eveleth (with more clothes onthan I had ever owned before).Henry and Bill took me to Ely andout to the Base the next day.Wouldn’t you know it, it rained andrained, so there was no snowshoetrip but a delightful opportunityto be hosted in Ely by Sig and Eliza-beth Olson - something I still cher-ish. I suppose the seeds for OKPIKwere planted that day.

In 1960, I was fortunate to re-turn again. But in 1961, the Rus-sians decided to build a wall in Ber-lin, so my summer experience wasat a Fort run by our Uncle in Wash-ington. During my Army days,reminiscing about the canoe coun-try helped me to stay focused. Iwrote and sent canoe countrysketches to Sig and Mr. Randall (Ihad carried a Randall knife on mytrips). They both wrote back andwere very supportive. I began tosee that if you wanted something,the first step was to just get outand do it.

I returned to the Base for a win-ter trip in December of 1962. Thistime I did get to go snowshoeing. Itook a solo trip from Deer TrailLodge on Twin Lake to visit myfriends, Canadian Ranger and hiswife, Rod and Lee Salchert, at Cabin16 on Basswood. A real experienceand one I will never forget. I had a

US Air Force survival kit with me.Much to my surprise, at below zerotemperatures, nothing muchworked! The paulin (tarp) came outin pieces, all the plastics werecracked, etc. The temperature thefirst morning had been below mi-nus 40, the plastic on my steeringwheel drew up around the metalframe leaving a gap of about oneinch on each side. I once again trav-eled to Minnesota in the late win-ter (1963) to spend a year at theBase. I never returned to the“Sunny South.”

In 1970 Cherie and I were mar-ried in the Lodge. On the first ofSeptember, I became the Base Di-rector. What a change. What re-sponsibilities! Just upholding thetraditions of the Base was awesome.I needed help, and I got it. I hadmany talks with people I had knownat the Base and those from St. Paulwho were the professional peopleresponsible. I, of course, had spenta great deal of time with Henry. Hewas my ideal of what we were allabout. One of my closest contactsand a real mentor for me was GeorgeHedrick.

George had three sons who hadworked at the Base. His oldest son,Robert, had been a guide but hadbeen killed during a college outing.I had been on the staff with bothMick and Dave. George had neverbeen the Director (actually he al-ways joked and said that he hadserved for a month or so at one time)but his dedication was legendary.He impressed on me how impor-tant it was to be a steward of asuccessful program, to innovatewhere I could, but to preserve thethings in the program that had beenso successful. He also spoke of menlike Carl Chase and Hod Ludlowwith real reverence. He told me thatwhen I needed support to just goto the Lodge, that all of the thingsthat had ever happened were stillthere, you just had to listen forthem. Now that George is gone, Ihope that he is pleased that theRobert Hedrick Library, thanks tothe dedication of the Alumni As-sociation, is in the Lodge; lookingover that sacred past and prepar-ing for the future.

Region Ten had been the par-ents, but now in 1972 the NationalCouncil merged the twelve regionsinto six and the Canoe Base becamea National Base. Because of many

(continued on page 7)

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 7

factors it looked as though therewere going to be major changes inthe BWCAW and the Quetico so Itook the advice George had givenand began canoeing programs atAtikokan and Bissett. OKPIK, thecold weather camping program wasoff the ground as well.

Cherie was a very strong part-ner and sensitive to world Scout-ing. She encouraged me to considerhaving International Camp Staff. In1974, Jack and Mary Osborn spon-sored our first two young Scoutsfrom Scotland. It was one of ourfinest hours. The international pro-gram was to become a major influ-ence for the next few years. Thefriends we, the staff, and partici-pants have made are now scatteredall over the world. The visions andtraditions of the Base are carried tothe far reaches of the world ofScouting. Having staff from somany different cultures has been apositive influence that would behard to duplicate. In 1961, I had tospend a summer with the Armybecause of the Cold War threat. In1995, we had a staff member fromthe former Soviet Union. What adifference! What a change - I wasso pleased that I could be a part ofit.

Not only had my second quest

been met but I was also able totravel to Scandinavia and enjoyScouting in other countries. Adven-tures North was a program withScouts from Europe, Canada, andthe United States taking a canoe tripin the Boundary Waters and then acold weather trip in Arctic Norway,Sweden and Finland. What an ex-perience!

The association with ScoutsCanada is also very special. Thefuture looks bright and as we con-tinue to move ahead, Scouts Canadastaff will play a greater and greaterrole. Just think, a truly internationalprogram. This is something that Iwould have never dreamed of in myearly days.

The support given me has beenabsolutely tremendous. My fam-ily has been a reward I could haveonly dreamed of. As I leave, I knowthat each of you, in your own way,will remember and enjoy your days“on the trail.” Keep a lofty goal foryour program as you seek to bestewards of one of the greatest pro-grams Scouting has ever offered.

As the Water Rat said to theMole in Wind in the Willows...”there is nothing, absolutely noth-ing, half so much worth doing assimply messing about in boats.”

Submitted by Dave Hyink

Woodsmen(continued from page 6)

Alumnisupportfor staffIn support of Northern Tier sea-

sonal staff, the Association pro-vides a copy of Gene Felton’s "ADiamond in the North" to eachnew staff member. Other itemsprovided to seasonal staff include:a Trading Post gift certificate tofirst-year staff to help them outfitthemselves for the trail, a custompaddle by Don Meany for second-year staff, a Kontos guide packembroidered with the recipient’sname for third-year staff, and aGrohmann-Russell filet knife forfourth year staff.

There are now thirteen 3rd yearstaff.: Christy Eaton, TimHartmann, Curt Haworth, KateHill, David Japikse, Darren King,Mike Kingsley, Karl Kruger, BenMatthies, Chrissy Mayer,Nathan Prather, Bob Richards,Rene’ Sequin.

4th year: Jeff Kracht, DonMacDonald, Kevin McKee, LizOrman, Charlie Shrewsbury, aswell as Doug Hirdler - GeneralManager, Terry Schocke - Direc-tor of Program

5th year: Paul Laine, JayTimmerman

6th year: Eric Dobry

7th year: Doug Ramsey - Ac-counting Specialist, MikeSawinsky - Maintenance Direc-tor

16th year, Joe Mattson - ProgramDirector

1st year there are now ....... 1052nd year there are now ........ 533rd year ............................... 134th year ................................ 55th year ................................ 26th ........................................ 1TOTAL .............................. 179

Provided by Joe Mattson

Robert D. Banks, Banker, civic leader

Robert D. Banks, 80, of CapeCartaret, NC, formerly of Superior,WI and the Town of Highland, WI,died Sunday , June 11, 2000, aftera short illness. Mr. Banks was bornJune 18, 1920, in Duluth, MN toJohn L. and Dorothy (Dowse)Banks. He attended McCaskillSchool, graduated from SuperiorCentral High School and attend theUniversity of Minnesota, wherewas a member of the Chi Psi frater-nity.

Mr. Banks was the chairman ofthe Region X Charles L. SommersWilderness Canoe Base Commit-tee from 1956-1974. Mr. Bankswas a Life member of the SommersAlumni Association.

Mr. Banks served in the Navyas a Corsair pilot and flight instruc-tor during World War II. He joinedthe First National Bank of Supe-rior 1946, which was founded byhis grandfather in 1887. He servedas President and Chairman until hisretirement in 1987. His commit-ment to banking was once summa-rized, “In the banking business thereis an association with people at avery basic, at a very elemental levelof human need. It is pretty hard toseparate a person’s life from finan-cial needs.”

Mr. Banks was a civic leader inSuperior and Duluth, providingleadership and service to many phil-anthropic, educational and commu-nity organizations including the Su-perior School Board, Boy Scouts,Charles L. Sommers WildernessCanoe Base BSA, CampNebagamon for Boys, Kiwanis,

United Way of Superior-DouglasCounty, Duluth-Superior AreaCommunity Foundation, Univer-sity of Wisconsin-Superior Foun-

dation and Board of Visitors,Superior Chamber of Com-merce, Sigurd Olson Environ-mental Institute, Kitchi GamiClub and Brule River Preserva-tion.

Mr. Banks was an avid con-servationist, historian and out-door enthusiast. His dedicationto wildlife and forestry projectshas been recognized by stateand local officials.

Mr. Banks is survived byhis wife of 54 years, MargaretNoyes Banks, children MarionLamm of Grand Junction, CO,Margaret (Gordon) Castor ofLake Park, Ga, Cornelia(Raymond) Raab of Duluth andRobert (Marna) Banks, Jr. ofSuperior; 13 grandchildren;three great-grandchildren; abrother John L. Banks, Jr. ofTucson, AZ; and a sisterCornelia (James) McDermottof Madison, WI.Memorials may be sent to the

University of Wisconsin- SuperiorFoundation or the Duluth-SuperiorArea Community Foundation.

In 1970 Chief Scout Executive Alden Barber visited to evaluate whether thebase should become a national program. Bob Banks was chairman of thebase committee. He's in the light pants. Also in the picture, L to R, Butch

Diesslin, Bill Wadsworth of BSA, Sandy Bridges, Peter C. Paulson ofRegion Ten, Barber, and Al Rieger of BSA. Picture taken at waterfront.

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 8

NONPROFITPOSTAGEPAID

Ely MNPERMIT NO. 102

SOMMERS ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONPO BOX 428ELY MN 55731

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

2000 SAA Holiday Greeting Card SaleCharles L. Sommers Alumni

Association is taking orders fornew Holiday Greeting Cards. Youcan use the cards to send holidaygreetings as well as send a messageof commitment to Northern TierHigh Adventure programs.

This year’s card features a BobCary’s drawing of the Northern Tierarea. The subject is being chosennow and you can get in your ad-vance order now. It’s printed usinghighest quality thermography onpremium cards of recycled paper.

The cards are blank inside. Youchoose your own message. Theback of the card carries a messageabout Northern Tier High Adven-ture. This is a distinctive and veryhandsome greeting card. The cardscome 25 per package, including en-

velopes. A limited number of 1993,1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and1999 cards: “Sled Dogs,” “Com-missary,” “Lodge,” “HansonHouse,” “Canoe Yard,” and “Gate-way” are available at discountedprices. All orders are subject toavailability.

Quantity Holiday Greeting/Blank inside____ 2000 Cards - Pre-order x $25.00= ____________ 1999 Cards - Sled dogs pulling Christmas Tree __/__ x $20.00= ____________ 1998 Cards - Commissary NA/__ x $20.00= ____________ 1997 Cards - Portage at Basswood Falls __/NA x $20.00= ____________ 1996 Cards - Fort Gateway __/NA x $20.00= ____________ 1995 Cards - Canoe Yard __/NA x $20.00= ____________ 1994 Cards - Hanson House __/__ x $20.00= ____________ 1993 Cards - Winter Lodge NA/__ x $20.00= ____________ 1993 Cards - Summer Lodge NA/__ x $20.00= ____________ Holiday Sampler - 25 assorted cards x $20.00 _____________ Special, save 40%, off original issue price. 1999-1993 x $75.00= ________

(five boxes, 125 cards) Our choice. Will try to honor requests.____ Tax Deductible Gift to the Alumni Association for 2000 ___________

FREE SHIPPINGTotal ________________

SAA Holiday Card SalePO Box 428Ely, MN 55731-0428

Ship to: ____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 9

Sommers Alumni Association’sRendezvous 2000

Celebration of Scout Canoeing

Registration Form

Submit by July 31

Return Registration and payment to: Patrick Cox1011 S. SycamorePalestine, TX 75801

Contact information to reach Pat:Home Phone: 847-223-6074E-Mail: patrick.cox@kemperinsurance.com

Your Name: _______________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________

City/State/Zip: _______________________________________________

Telephone: (H)___________________ (W)_________________

Housing Options

Option 1) Cabin accommodations at the Base on a first-come, first-served basis for avail-able space. You will need to bring your own bedding and towels. For fee seeregistration below. Space is assigned at check in on the first day of the event.Special requests are on a space available basis only.

Option 2) Arrange for off-base accommodations on your own. There are several localhotels. The host of our Rendezvous ’00 Banquet on Saturday night is the HolidayInn SunSpree Resort at (218) 365-6565. Holiday Inn has agreed to hold a block often rooms until July 15, 2000. Rate is $99.00 per night plus taxes.

Your registration includes one Rendezvous ’00 T-shirt. Please see the next pageto specify size and for information on how to order extra shirts.

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 10

Rendezvous ’98 T-shirt

Your registration includes one Rendezvous ’00 T-shirt. Additional shirts may beordered later in this form.

Circle your size: S M L XL XXL XXXL

Just some questions to help us make better plans

Would you like to have us arrange for a baby sitter during the banquet? Yes / No

Would you like us to arrange for older children’s activities? Yes / No

Are you interested in the fur trade theme? Yes / No

Would you be interested in purchase of Voyageur clothing? Yes / No

Would you and/or your family be willing to participate as Voyageur actors in areenactment? Yes / No

Would you be willing to participate in fur trade skits/stories/songs? Yes / No

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 11 Housing, Meals & Registration

Day/Date Item or Number of Per Person TotalEvent People Cost

Registration Family $35 Total

Individual $25 Total

Friday Supper - Adult $5.0009/01/2000 Supper - Child* $2.50

Overnight Stay $2.00

Breakfast - Adult $3.00Saturday Breakfast - Child* $1.5009/02/2000

Lunch - Adult $4.00Lunch - Child $2.00

Supper - Adult Not Available N/A N/ASupper - Child* Not Available N/A N/A

Reunion GatheringAdult $20.00

Child* $15.00

Overnight Stay $2.00

Breakfast – Adult $3.00Sunday Breakfast - Child* $1.5009/03/2000

Lunch – Adult $4.00Lunch – Child $2.00

Supper - Adult $5.00Supper - Child* $2.50

Overnight Stay $2.00

Breakfast - Adult $3.00Monday Breakfast - Child* $1.5009/04/2000

Lunch - Adult $4.00Lunch - Child $2.00

Overnight Stay Not Available N/A N/A

Total Meals & Lodging $

* Child is defined as less than or equal to 11 years of age as of 1/1/00.Age of 12 or greater is on adult rates.

Requests for families to occupy a cabin privately will be honored tothe extent we can. No guarantees as beds are limited.

Adult and child overnight cost is the same.

Reflections, Spring 2000, page 12

T-Shirts and Such

Item Sizes Quantity Per Item TotalDesired Cost

T-Shirts Sm $12.00

Med $12.00

Lg $12.00

X-Lg $12.00

XX-Lg $12.00

XXX-Lg $12.00

Polo Sm $30.00

Med $30.00

Lg $30.00

X-Lg $30.00

XX-Lg $30.00

XXX-Lg $30.00

Red Jac Sm $100.00Shirt w/SAA Logo** Med $100.00

Lg $100.00

X-Lg $100.00

XX-Lg $100.00

Special N/A $29.00Knife

Total T-shirts and Such Page $

Total Meals & Lodging $

Grand Total* $

* Please enclose a check in this amount payable to “Sommers Alumni Association”.