Camping Director Message
"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" –Robin Williams
Winter gave us a couple of rough weeks this year, and its best shots are now puddles on the trails around camp. Combine that with the sun and 50-degree days that we have had, though it is still early February, my mind and heart can’t help but turn to spring.
In the spring, nature starts to shake off its winter nap, and comes back to life. The songbird performs an orchestra for us as the flora and fauna prepares their canvas for an explosion of color. Spring is also when we revisit our project lists at camp, as we prepare for another year of serving Scouts. This year is not any different. Ranger Anna and I have already started comparing lists of projects and maintenance around camp, and it is going to be a very busy spring for the camp and its volunteers. I am reaching out to you to help us out.
On February 10 and March 9, we will have wood cutter days. These days are dedicated to clearing nuisance trees and bucking and splitting firewood. We are asking that all chain sawyers come out and join us for these days. These days are also great opportunities for our Scouts that need to complete their conservation service hours that are required for rank advancements. If you are interested in becoming a Mitigwa Woodcutter we will have chainsaw certification class on March 22 and 23, 2024. Any sawyer that was certified before 2019 must recertify per new policies. Please contact Scott Robinson if you are interested in the class. Cost is $35.00, meals are included. We will be hosting another ATV driving class on Sunday, March 24, 2024. If you are interested in being allowed to drive an ATV on council properties or at Area or National events, please reach out to Scott Robinson for more information. Cost is $30.00.
Looking a little farther out into the spring we will be hosting our second annual trades union workday and one day of service. Our properties committee is working with local trades unions to provide one day of volunteer service. This provides the opportunity for the camp to receive a touch of professional help on some of our more major projects. If your workplace is interested in providing a day of volunteer service, please reach out to the camping team and we will help you set up your own one day of service.
If you are a member of the Order of the Arrow, the lodge has booked two events in the Month of May. Saturday May 6 is their annual Ring Blitz, a day to prepare the Ceremony Ring and trails for the summer camp season. Then May 17-19, 2024, is the annual Spring Conclave, a weekend for Ordeal candidates to complete their ordeal, and Ordeal members to convert their membership to Brotherhood. It is also a weekend of service helping prepare facilities for the camp season. Please reach out to your chapter or lodge officers for more information.
Placed right in the middle of those events is a Mitigwa Service Corps weekend, with planned projects to include painting buildings and structures, deep cleaning lodges, freeing them from the winter grime and landscaping projects. That will be May 11th.
Then to wrap the spring service season we will have our 3rd Annual Staff Alumni and Friends of Mitigwa workday on Saturday June 1st which will be concluded with a bar-b-que and awards ceremony.
As you can see there are ample opportunities to help at camp, and even more opportunities to help support Scouting in your local communities and districts. Often times I have volunteers tell me they don’t know what skills that they would have that could be of use for council or district programs, including those that are hosted at Camp Mitigwa. We have created a volunteer talent survey, which we are asking each volunteer to fill out to help us find projects that you may be interested in. Please find the link to the survey on the home page at CampIowa.org. It takes all talents and skills to make our programs run smoothly, right now we are missing you.
I look forward to seeing you on the trail,
Scott
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