Summer Camp feature story-2003 Joliet Herald See 2004 promotional video at: http://youtu.be/06WA21hGGjA

1. Outdoor learning
The Herald News - Joliet (IL)
July 30, 2002 | Catherine Ann Velasco
Boy Scouts play on a floating island in a strip mine lake at Rainbow Council Scout
Reservation overnight camp in Morris.
MORRIS -- Even though he walked into a tree, Trevor
Laseman had a great time at Boy Scouts camp. The tree
episode wasn't his fault.
Trevor was blindfolded and was depending on his buddy to lead him safely down a
path.
"We were doing the walk.
He said, `There is a tree up here.' I said, `Where is it?' He said, `Over there,'" recalled
Trevor, 17, of Belvidere.
"He told me to go left.
By the time he said, `No, right' I ran into the tree.
"I'm just limping," Trevor joked.
"I love it.

2. I've done stuff like this before.
It's an adrenaline rush."
The blind trust is one of the activities Scouts get to experience at Rainbow Council
Scout Reservation, a 755-acre preserve, located in Grundy County, about seven miles
southeast of Morris and 25 miles southwest of Joliet.
Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts spend the summer at the camp earning an array of merit
badges, including those for swimming, snorkeling, archery, weather, environmental
science, astrology and meteorology.
Some boys can opt to spend the week doing a program called Challenge Outdoor
Personal Experience -- a series of outdoor challenges, including climbing, swinging,
balancing, jumping and rappelling while they think through solutions to a variety of
challenges.
Most find that they can do much more than they thought they could -- like walking
blindfolded.
"It was kind of fun.
You had to be totally dependable on a person," said Kevin Chachakis, 16, of Richton
Park.
"When I had to guide, it was kind of freaky.
You are responsible for someone else's life.
If you are not careful, you could walk them into a tree."
Camp is a huge step backward from the electronic, fast-paced, fast-food schedules of
adults and kids, ages 11 to 17.

3. Here, hand-held video games get replaced by swatting away bugs while walking
through a forest to get to your next activity, whether its breakfast, a flag ceremony,
church service or learning how to light a fire without a match. Volunteering time
As his 12 boys worked on merit badges and got ready for the flag ceremony, Scout
leader Steve Nodine of Bolingbrook relaxed in his hammock, reading a book.
"This is my vacation.
I take all my vacation and use it for scouting," he said.
I have spent my vacation at camp for six years.
Nodine, 46, a troop leader for Troop 34 in Bolingbrook, didn't even bring his 14-year-old
son this year -- but his wife and children understand the importance of it.
If it weren't for people like Nodine volunteering his time, boys couldn't go to camp.
"I think she is kind of happy to get me out of the house for a week," Nodine said.
But it really isn't a true vacation of relaxation.
Nodine helps boys get through homesickness, thunderstorms, boredom and a week
without their computers and video games.
"If someone is bored ... they get to clean the latrine," Nodine said.
"They learn pretty quick not to tell Mr. Nodine that they have nothing to do."
Electronic games and portable CDs aren't allowed at camp, and Nodine adds a twist of
humor to the rule.
"My rule is if I find it -- I get to keep it," Nodine said.
"I tell them I need a portable DVD player, if you want to give it to me.

4. I give them a whole shopping list."
However, Nodine isn't as rough as he sounds.
One year, he returned a forbidden electronic game to a boy at the next Scouts meeting
in Bolingbrook.
Sleep also seems to be a rare commodity at camp.
After getting them to quiet down around midnight, a big storm passed through and woke
them up.
"They were up at 3:30 a.m.," Nodine said.
"I can hear every word.
I hollered a couple of times to be quiet.
Tonight I will remind them I need my beauty sleep.
I'm really ugly without it."
Dennis Brower, assistant scoutmaster of Troop 82 in Plainfield, shared a site with the
Bolingbrook troop because he had only two Scouts to bring.
Brower's son, Vincent Brower, 13, wasn't able to go with his troop on another trip, so
they went later with a friend, Kevin Schroll, 13, an eighth-grader at Timber Ridge Middle
School. Medical attention
During downtime, Kevin practiced wrapping up Vincent's head and arm in order to move
up in another level in Scouts.
"I wanted Vincent to go to summer camp.
It's a good chance to earn merit badges," Dennis said.

5. "It's a good time to do bonding with the boy.
In my hectic schedule, I don't have much time to spend.
We get together and get a little closer."
"Dr. Kevin, save me!" Vincent joked around as he got his arm wrapped up in a sling with
a neckerchief.
"They learn they can use part of their uniform for first aid," Dennis said.
When there is a real emergency, Dan Stankus, an emergency medical technician in
charge of first aid shows up, riding his golf cart along with "Wilson" from the movie Cast
Away. Or at least a distant relative of Wilson's.
Instead of using a volleyball, Stankus uses a softball for a head because it is less
expensive, but dresses Wilson in style with a raincoat.
The summer air leads to a carefree atmosphere where staff goes by nicknames like
"Superfly" and "Brian the Seal Boy."
As camp stretches to an end, staff acts goofier and goofier.
One night, they all decided to bleach their hair blond.
Camp Director Sean Denoyer had them call their parents first before they did it.
"I call them the Blond Ambition tour," he said. Kitchen rules
It's also a place where if you are caught chewing gum or wearing a hat in the dining
room, you'll get in trouble by the cook.
Patty Provance runs a tight ship in her kitchen and dining room.

6. If she catches Scouts or adults wearing a hat or chewing gum in her facilities, they're in
trouble.
The punishment? For wearing a hat, you have to buy her a Butterfinger candy bar -- her
favorite.
For chewing gum, you have to stay after dinner and scrape off chewed gum stuck under
the tables.
"One staff kid is habitual.
He gets caught almost every week," she said.
She also keeps an eye on boys trying to get a third helping of dinner, which isn't
allowed.
After everyone goes through the line, she announces seconds, which many guys go for,
especially when she serves chicken-fried steak with her special gravy.
As the 200 chicken patties quickly disappear, she catches one Scout going for thirds.
"Is this your third time? Adios! Seconds only.
No thirds," she said, laughing.
"That gets ridiculous."
But clever Scouts know how to get around that rule.
They send in a younger Scout with a smaller stomach who doesn't want seconds and
will give it to them.
The camp is a family affair for Provance.

7. She serves as cook while her children are staff members and her husband, Jerry, is
commissioner for the full five weeks where 375 youth from all over the state will come
for summer fun.
Provance, a special education teacher at Heritage Trail Middle School, likes the change
of pace.
She is in charge of putting together nutritious meals that Scouts will eat from food
donations such as fruit fillings, cake mixes, noodles and pasta sauce -- given by area
businesses.
"It gives me something to do than sitting home all summer," she said. Place to learn
But most of all, camp is a nurturing place where Scouts can learn and grow.
Jake Stott, 15, a sophomore at Coal City High School, can do 11 knots in 40 seconds,
including a sheepshank, slipknot, clove, hitch and a bowline on a bite.
"I've always been into pioneering," Jake said.
Jake set up a camp where kids could learn pioneering skills, such as building basic
shelters and bridges.
Jake, who plans to major in engineering, likes knowing basic skills on how to survive in
the wild.
He is trying to get more Scouts interested, but it's difficult.
On humid afternoons, many boys go to the lake to get relief from the sticky day.
At the sound of a loud whistle, they quickly get out of the water, find their buddy and
stand next to him on the pier or raft so lifeguards can count them to make sure
everyone is safe.

8. With water dripping from their bodies, they hold hands and raise them in the air when
their group is called before diving in the water again.
There is a count every 10 minutes.
The lake is divided in different areas for beginning swimmers and for kids who are more
advanced.
Here, boys can earn merit badges in swimming, canoeing, rowing, lifesaving and
snorkeling.
Nathaniel Lambert, 12, a Scout with Troop 39 in Bolingbrook, loves to swim during his
free time.
"Swimming gives you a bunch of exercise, and you get to get wet," Nathaniel said.
This year, he decided to learn how to kayak.
"It's only my second time, and I'm pretty good at it," he said.
"I learned how to stay up without falling out.
Once, I had to swim all the way back to shore with the boat."
Catherine Ann Velasco
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