Crew 1776 and Troop 85 Currently Inactive

Effective immediately, Boy Scout Troop 85 and Venture Crew 1776 of Morton, Illinois are both currently inactive. This is due to attrition(older scouts moving on), and not having a substantial pool for recruiting new scouts into our crew and troop. The sponsored organization (Morton Opportunity Club) is offering an open invitation to any new potential scout leaders who would like to reactivate troop 85 in the future. Troop 85 was active for over 80 years in Morton, and the scouting home of over 100 Eagle Scouts over the years.

Several leaders from Troop 85 and Venture Crew 1776 have formed a new reenacting club with a focus on 18th and 19th century living history called River Valley Reenactors (RVR). If you're interested in learning more, please contact Corey Smith or Phil Spengler. You can visit our Facebook page here: RVR Page

Troop meetings are held every Tuesday evening at the Morton Optimist Clubhouse from 6:30-7:30pm. For more information, visit us on Facebook

For information on Optimist Cabin Availability, Click Here

Wotamalo Fall Camporee 2012!

Here are a few pics from the Wotamalo Fall Camporee we attended in October!

Sept. 7,8, 9
Dock Dogs Event
Mrs. Collins (Zack's Mom) is coordinating the dock dog concessions as a fundraiser for Troop 85 We need many scouts and adults to fill slots for Friday Sept 7 (10a to 8p), Sat 8th (7:30a to 8p), and Sun 9th (7:30a to 3p). We are working concessions and parking. If everyone could do 2 or 3 hours it would be great. Please contact her if you can help!

Sept 13th
Pumpkin Festival Parade
We'll have a float once again and be walking in the parade!

Sept. 29th
Tentative Campout / Service Project

Carson Spengler Eagle Project!

Carson Needs Your Help!

SATURDAY:
Meet at the Optimist Club Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. We will be traveling to Camp Kearney. We should be finished around 3:00 p.m.

SUNDAY:
Meet at the Optimist club around 1:00 p.m. Working until 5:00 p.m.

Please let Carson know if you can help!

Upcoming Events

2012 Troop Updates (per Scoutmaster Phil):

Summer Camp:
To meet the early bird discount we need to have all payments in by March 27th.  I will also need to have the merit badge sheet filled out to what the scouts want to earn for merit badges.  Again, please have that information to me by March 27th. $230/scout  $105/adult

Eagle Projects:
We have several boys who will be starting the work phase of their eagle project (Caleb Seaton, Carson Spengler and Seth Hostetler).  Please make an effort to help out with these projects.  For the boys starting the write-up, it is a good experience to learn.  Everyone please make an effort to help.

March Events:
March 9th, 10th and 11th.  We will be having a campout at the Optimist Club.  The theme is wilderness survival.  The boys will need to bring a tarp (for shelter building) and a sleeping bag for Friday night.  They also need to pack for a regular campout.  Other gear not used Friday night will be stored in the trailer.  We will be cooking all meals on the fire!  More information will be coming from our Senior Patrol Leader.

Note: The boys who have been working on metal work.  We can finish up on the merit badge over the campout weekend.

New Patrols:  We have re-voted and we have new patrols.  The Junior Assistant Scoutmaster has informed me on how well the new leadership is doing.  Keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

April Events:
April 13th, 14th and 15th: Spring Camporee/Rendezvous
April 27th/28th Tentative Tanner Swearinger’s Eagle COH

May Events:
May 18th, 19th and 20th: Campout

June Events:
June 8th, 9th: campout Location TBD
June 22nd to July 5th Philmont

July Events:
July 1st to July 7th Summer Camp

August Events:
August 10th and 11th Hunter Safety Course:
Attendees: Jeff Theissen, Tanner Theissen, Ryan Schmidt, Jacob Kolb, Caleb Seaton, Dylan Newell, Alan Hostetler.  (Everyone above has been signed up)
August 17th, 18th and 19th Galesburg Reenactment/Rendezvous

2012- Looking Ahead!

Apologies for the long delay in posting. Here's what's been going on in Troop 85!

• Last December, we had a great time at Camp Wokanda at our annual Troop Christmas Party. Although the weather was fairly warm, and we didn't have snow, the scouts still had a great time playing outside and building a "fortress" from fallen tree limbs!

• In January, we attended the 2012 Klondike Derby, setting up a living history display of items and props from the time period of the Great Klondike Gold Rush. Scoutmaster Phil dressed in his Civil War garb and handled the sled check-in at the derby!

• During the weekend of March 9th-10th, the Scouts will be holding a Wilderness Survival weekend at the Optimist Cabin, sleeping outdoors in a shelter they will build on their own!

• In April, we will be attending the 2012 Pathways /Spring Camporee at Wokanda, where the them is Mountain Man. We plan to dress in period clothes, and try to help out with a few demonstrations, such a flint knapping, tomahawk throwing, etc...

• Also is April, we will be having the Court of Honor for William Tanner Swearinger, who will receive his Eagle Award! Way to go Tanner!

• In June, we're taking 2 crews to Philmont! We have started conditioning and preparing for the trek!

• Over the week of July 4th, The Troop will once again be heading out to Ingersoll for Summer Camp!

• In August, we will be attending a Civil War reenactment in Galesburg, as well as attending a Hunter Safety Course for the Scouts who would like to learn about firearms and gun safety.

Troop Open House

The open house and anniversary celebration was a success! The Journal Star came out and did a story and took a few photos. Dylan & Ryan even made the front page of the lifestyle section in the paper!

Below is the article from the PJ Star, with pics:

Scouts retain members with military living history program

MORTON —

Leadership, responsibility and preparedness aren't usually words that are associated with 14-year-old boys.
But for the members of Morton Troop 85, those are more than words: They're characteristics that are present in every Scout, from Tenderfoot to Eagle.
Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts gathered alongside members of the Morton Optimist Club for a dual celebration of anniversaries on Sunday. The Optimists celebrated 80 years, and for 75 of those the club has been the official sponsor of Troop 85.
Joe Leibold, a past president and current treasurer for the Optimists, says that being an Optimist means forgetting how old you are.
"I'm ancient," Leibold said.
He's actually 55 and was a Scout himself. "Scouts help kids set their morals," he said. "These boys build leadership and lifetime friendships."
Scoutmaster Phil Spegler expressed pride Sunday in the ability to help and the opportunity to watch his Scouts grow from boys into men.
"I don't have (just) two kids," Spegler said of his sons Colby and Carson, "I've got 28."
Spegler's second-in-command, Assistant Scoutmaster Cory Smith, thinks he's found a way to keep kids' interest in scouting after they enter high school, where participation usually dwindles.
The East Peorian established a program where Scouts can choose an era that interests them and study the time period, wear the clothes, and acquire the gear that soldiers from the Revolutionary War up to World War II used on a daily basis.
"This is stuff you can't learn in textbooks. Phil knows that from wearing that Civil War uniform last spring," Smith said of Spegler, who looked at the wool uniform with a decided lack of nostalgia. "Especially with the older boys who lose interest, this is a chance for them to build their own persona."
For 15-year-old J.D. Dishman of East Peoria, his leadership skills are already being put to the test. The Life Scout is a den master for his father's Cub Scouts troop and hopes to make the rank of Eagle Scout before his 18th birthday, something he's optimistic about.
"I'm looking at getting my stuff ready for next year hopefully," Dishman said. "I think I'll make it; all the others in my troop and family are encouraging me, so that makes me feel pretty good about my chances."
Dishman's fellow troop members, Dylan Newell and Ryan Schmidt, donned their era-appropriate dress for Sunday's celebration. Newell dressed in the jungle camouflage of the Vietnam War, while Schmidt wore the formal uniform of the United States Marine Corps, circa 1942.
They talked in the plain-spoken terms of two disciplined young men about what they've learned from Scouting.
"I have a lot better manners now," Schmidt said, as Newell grinned.
Leadership is good, but manners are probably a good start.
Justin Glawe can be reached at 686-3196 or jglawe@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinGlawe.

Eagle Scouts: 1938-2011

Click the link on the left to view the long list of Eagle Scouts from Troop 85 throughout the years!

Coming Soon!!!!

2011 Morton Pumpkin Parade- 2nd Place!

Troop 85 placed 2nd in the 2011 Morton Pumpkin Festival parade this year! Good job to all the adults and scouts who helped put it all together! Here are a few photos!

75 Years of Scouting! 1936-2011

Join us this October as Troop 85 celebrates 75 years of Scouting, chartered by the Morton Optimist Club! Soon, we'll be posting information about our Homecoming Celebration that will take place in October.

If you're a Troop 85 Alumni or former Scout / Adult Leader, we invite you to join in on our celebration.

Details coming soon!

ISNRA Outing

A few pics from our trip to the Illinois State Rifle Association Range Open House last weekend! We had a great time, beautiful weather, and the boys had the opportunity to try different types of firearms!
Logan finally got the opportunity to shoot a .30 cal browning machine gun!

Special thanks to Jeff Theissen for getting the big van and driving us all the way up there! Also- special thanks to Keith for arranging the outing!