I love canoeing in the northwoods -- paddling, portaging, sunny days, starlit nights, catching fish, listening to loons, lying on a warm flat rock watching northern lights, and enjoying the simple serenity that accompanies the silence deep in the Quetico-Superior wilderness. I cherish the memories of the trip I took as a Scout and the many that I later guided as a Region Ten staffer. Iíve always recognized and appreciated the positive impact that the ìSommers experienceî has had on shaping my life and my career. And thus, have been committed to ensuring that the ìexperienceî will always be available to others.
Until recently I would have said that those were the primary factors that motivated my service to the Northern Tier Program through the Alumni Association and the Northern Tier Committee. Today I know better. Yes, theyíre certainly the ìvehicleî that drives me to participate, but the ìfuel for the journeyî is supplied by the many dedicated people with whom I serve! Let me give some examples.
The Recognition Reception and Dinner for Sandy was, bar none, the finest event of its kind that Iíve ever seen! There is probably no way to fully recognize the efforts of the organizers -- Al Batterman, Butch Diesslin, and Linnea Renner to make it so. It was tremendous! Among the unsung heroes is Rogerís Printing in Ely who donated all of the invitations (some 1500), reply cards, and program materials.
There were 175 people for dinner. Another 150 for the afternoon reception. Every one of these people cared about the Base and were there to thank Sandy for the excellent job he did for the past 32 years in both maintaining and enhancing the ìexperience.î As I scanned the audience from the podium, I saw at least four Northern Tier Committee Chairmen: Jack Osborn, Ted Carlsen, Charley Hann, and Steve Fossett. Thirteen of the fourteen Alumni Associationís Directors and Officers were present, as were the vast majority of the Northern Tier Committee members. Scouting professionals: John Pettifer, CEO of Scouts Canada; Jere Ratcliffe, Chief Scout Executive - BSA; other national executives Doug Smith (National BSA Program), Bill Spice (Philmont), Sam Wampler (Florida Sea Base) and Don Wilson (National Jamboree); not to mention retirees Jim Tarr, former Chief Scout Executive - BSA, Chuck Buenger (Philmont Director) and Joe Davis (Philmont Camping Director).
There was Ed Chapin, Northern Tier Committee member who is currently in his 35th year of service to the Committee! And all three recipients of the George D. Hedrick (who was certainly there in spirit) Volunteer Service Award: Robert ìRedî Renner, Allan Batterman, and Craig Pendergraft. Elsewhere in the room were the twenty Sommers Alumni that had come to the Base to help out with work projects and seasonal staff training; many of the returning seasonal staff; and year-around Northern Tier staff members: Judy Bovitz, Doug Hirdler, Liz Hyrkas and Joe Mattson.
It was impressive, inspiring and humbling. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this fine group of individuals. Your energy, enthusiasm, and dedication to our shared vision is infectious. I leave each Alumni meeting, staff training, work week, reunion and/or Committee meeting with heightened spirits and a renewed sense of purpose. Thank you so much for all that you do to support the Northern Tier National High Adventure Program. And, thank you what do for me and your fellow alumni.
The Recognition Dinner held for Sandy was a grand tribute to his years of service, and the outpouring of love and support was good medicine as he struggles to regain his health. Our family appreciates the considerable time and effort spent by those who planned the event, and thanks each of you who were able to attend or sent letters for his ìmemory book.î Thanks also to everyone who contributed to his ìretirement fund.î He has enjoyed pouring through computer catalogues in trying to choose a new system to support the writing he hopes to do in the years to come.
I believe that the greatest legacy the Canoe Base has given us has been a tremendous extended family which extends all over the world! Many of you hoisted the paddles as we left the Lodge after our wedding 27 years ago. Later, you helped to welcome our children as they arrived and have been their aunts and uncles as they have grown up. And, so many of you have been supportive and encouraging over these last few months. We deeply appreciate this.
Our door continues to be open and we look forward to your visits as you are passing through Duluth! We treasure your friendship!
I have been asked to recall some of the thoughts I shared at the Recognition Dinner. My talk that evening was extemporaneous. It was a very emotional time for me and I had no idea how long I could speak, so consequently I had no notes. It was the second time recently that I have really been at a loss for words. The first was when, during the dedication of the new Gateway at the Base, I turned around to see our mentor, Joe Seliga, portaging a canoe that he and his wife had lovingly constructed to be presented to me by a group of alumni and friends calling themselves the ìBridges Brigade.î Through the years I have been able, through my little friends the chipmunks and chik-a-dees, to pretty well keep abreast of the ìsecretsî at the Base. But this time their lips were sealed. In fact, I think they really enjoyed seeing me so surprised.
Like most of you, I was fortunate to have had a very rewarding early Scouting outdoor life. I have always felt that the best of Scouting takes place on the local level. The Pack and then the Troop and Post, with their leadership, are the real key to the success of the early years in Scouting. I have wholeheartedly supported, and still do, the importance of a strong local Council outdoor program with particular support to the Scout camps. Local Camping and the Council Camps continue to need all of the support we can give. The early years are important to the development of our youth in the values, ideals and principles of Scouting through a successful camping program.
But then there is High Adventure!
The very design of ìHigh Adventureî originally, and to this day, is to be a natural extension of the local Council camping program. They offer something that is unique and not usually available on the local level. The High Adventure Bases are not camps, but rather outfitting bases for wilderness and wilderness-like adventures. They are based entirely on the principles of the Scout movement but are the ìnext step.î How lucky we are to have them! ! The Scout Camp is designed to be the ultimate for Scouts from eleven to fourteen years old. The High adventure Bases are for those who have already had the Scout Camp experience and are ready for new adventures. The High Adventure Bases are the platforms for leadership development. The goal is the training of youth leaders to carry camping on to the future generations. During the early days of the Region Ten Canoe Trails, later to become the Charles L. Sommers Wilderness Canoe Base, dedicated Scouters set up a program that was to pass the test of time. Canoeing, the border country, the length of the trip -- coupled with the use of ìguidesî -- were all part of the chemistry that helped make it successful.
Traditions have always been important. The Wilderness Grace, the Far Northland, the emblem presented only to those who successfully complete the trip have served as a link from one generation to the next. Now the Alumni Association forms a bond for all.
One of my goals has always been to continue to offer the adventure of a lifetime to our participants. To be able to provide the young Scout from Texas or Nebraska a true ten-day wilderness adventure. Paddling and portaging in the same country and enjoying the same group spirit that Henry Bradlich and others did in the 1920ís. To keep the dreams of Carl Chase, Hod Ludlow, Oren Felton, Cliff Hanson and many, many more alive and well. To keep the faith like George Hedrick. As I stand here and reflect, I can hear Cliff Hanson addressing the young voyageurs as they prepared for their trip,î...you will leave here tomorrow as kids (Scouts) but will return as young men.î The canoe country has a way about that, it helps to mature our young men and women and give them a purpose. We are all stewards of one of the greatest programs Scouting has ever offered. Thank you for the opportunity of letting me be a part of this stewardship for so many years.
During the interview for the newspaper article in the Duluth Tribune I was asked, îWhat regrets do you have, what did you leave unfinished?î My response was possibly quicker than it should have been. But my answer was ìI have no regrets.î There are, of course, many things I would have enjoyed seeing completed, but that should always be the case. I have enjoyed working on the fur trade history program ìPortages Through Timeî and hope that this will be continued. The International Program has always been a favorite of ours and I will enjoy hearing how it is going. The OKPIK leader training program is something that I hope will grow and expand. The opportunities at the Canadian Bases are unlimited. It will be a pleasure to see these programs expand and mature. Our association with Scouts Canada is really a special one that should be continued and nurtured.
In closing, I would like to again thank each of you for your
kind words and support. And, a very, very special thanks to my
family! The time has come!! With a soft breeze at your back, pick
up your paddle with a firm flexible grip, not too tight though, and
boldly take your program into the twenty-first century.
They came from the east coast and the west coast, from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada. They filled the ballroom at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) to honor the retirement of the northlandís most famous Boy Scout: Clyde S. ìSandyî Bridges, age 58, Director of the National High Adventure Canoe Base at Ely.
He first arrived at the Boy Scout Base from Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1959 as part of a youth camping group. At that time, the facility was operated by region 10, representing the Scout organization from the Twin Cities.
Bridges loved the northwoods and following completion of a military commitment, came to Ely permanently. He began as a summertime staff guide for the base, working at various jobs during the winter, including trapping beaver with veteran woodsman and deputy sheriff Martin Carlson.
He went on the base staff full time in 1968 and became director in 1970. At the same time, the canoe base changed from a Region 10 facility to the Charles L. Sommers National High Adventure Canoe Base.
Bridgesí background in snowshoeing and trapping led him to initiate a winter camping program called OKPIK (ook-pick), the Inuit name for the Arctic owl. Starting with a few sleeping bags, some tents, skis and showshoes, the winter program grew to become the National Cold Weather Facility for the Boy Scouts of America.
At the same time, Bridges became acutely aware that quotas and other restrictions would be appearing on canoe use of the Boundary Waters. His travels had taken him north into Ontario and Manitoba where he felt there were considerable opportunities for youth canoe adventures.
After numerous meetings with Ontario government officials plus a donation of land from a U.S. businessman, an outpost base was opened at Perch Lake, near Atikokan, presently a popular facility used by both Canadian and U.S. Scouts and largely managed by Canadians.
Bissett, Manitoba, 90 miles northeast of Winnipeg, was the site provided by the Manitoba government for another outpost facility. Located in the center of a vast river-and-lake wild area, Bissett offers access to some of the most scenic canoe country in the northland. Eventually the Boy Scouts designated the expansion as the Northern Tier High Adventure Program.
In 1993, Bridges led the charge against a move by Twin Cities environmental groups and their allies to eliminate organized youth groups from the Boundary waters. Not only were the Boy Scouts threatened, but also Outward bound, Girl Scouts, YMCA and church camps. The battle was taken to Washington, D.C. where the youth groups prevailed.
Fittingly, Bridgesí retirement party at the DECC started off the a presentation of colors by Scout Troop 7, Duluth, and an invocation the Rev. Craig Carlson. Master of Ceremonies Dave Hyink, a forest ecologist from the State of Washington and a former canoe guide at the base, introduced prominent Scout officials and retired Scout leaders from all over North America. Included were John Pettifer, representing the Boy Scouts of Canada; Steve Fossett, chairman of the Northern Tier Advisory Committee, and Jere Ratcliffe, Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America.
Lastly, Sandy Bridges addressed the assemblage, touching on the memories he had of a lifetime he and his wife Cherie devoted to the youth of America.
Bridges recently faced another challenge, this one personal and physical. Diagnosed with cancer, he has been under treatment for over a year. But as with other problems he met and overcame during his long career, he is facing this one with resolution and good humor.
He concluded his remarks to a standing and well-deserved ovation... a salute from the Scouts assembled- the very old, those still serving and young men in uniform who will carry on the honored traditions of the nationís largest and most famous youth organization.
*Bob Caryís weekly column, Monday, June 16, 1997, The Ely Echo. Reprinted with permission.
At the June 8, 1997 Annual members meeting of the SAA, Craig Pendergraft (1968-75) of Belmont, California was named as the 1997 recipient of the George D. Hedrick Volunteer Service Award. Established by the Directors in 1995, this award recognizes significant long-term contributions to the Base -- particularly in the form of ìhand-onî participation. In that vein, the Annual meeting was temporarily adjourned so the attendees could move to the Lodge for the presentation, where Craig was busy teaching a map and compass course to new seasonal staff members. Past recipients include Robert ìRedî Renner and Allan Batterman.
Donít make any plans for the 1998 Labor Day weekend
unless they include attending the Sommers Alumni Reunion
commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the summer canoeing program
at the Ely Base. It will be a time to remember! The Base will be
available for gathering and events from Friday, September 4 through
Monday, September 7, 1998. Plans call for the Saturday evening
dinner, September 5, to be held in Ely at the Holiday Inn Sunspree
Resort with northwoods writer Sam Cook as the featured speaker. If
you have ideas for reunion events and/or you can help with
organization, arrangements, registration, or events, please let us
know. Watch for additional details in upcoming editions of
Reflections.
Scouting is organized under the concept often referred to as the ìKey Three.î For example, a Council President, a Council Commissioner and the Council Executive. Itís a great concept! In engineering, the triangle is fundamental to strength in construction because it is one geometric form that can only be deformed by breaking it. Like the simple three-legged milk stool that becomes steadier and more stable under increased pressure; the Northern Tier Committee, the Sommers Alumni Association, and the BSA professional staff make up a formidable Key Three indeed!
As a Director and current President of the Alumni Association, it is my honor and my pleasure to offer a few remarks about Sandy Bridges on behalf of hundreds of former staff and thousands of past program participants.
Iíll do that by using the two of the most important words in the English language... Thank You!
Thank you for choosing the Boy Scouts of America. Cub Scouts, the Arrow of Light, Boy Scouts, Eagle rank, Order of the Arrow, Vigil Honor member, Council Camp Staff, Region 10 Staff, National Executive. Your citizenship, character, and cheerful service have made -- and continue to make -- a real difference in the lives of your fellow man.
Thank you for combining your innovation and creativity with your vast on-the-ground experience to continuously produce leading-edge advances in outdoor equipment, trail food, wilderness programs, program delivery and wilderness safety.
Thank you for your faithful and devoted stewardship of the wilderness canoeing program that your predecessors placed in your care in 1970. The many voices that each of us hear when we sit quietly in the Lodge echo a resounding ìThanks for a job well done.î
Thank you for the vision, insight and determination it took to slowly but surely build a solid foundation for future expansion designed to meet the ever-increasing need for a high quality wilderness experience by a rapidly growing BSA membership. Future generations of scouts and scouters will be indebted to you for the creation of the cold weather camping programs and for establishing the satellite bases in Atikokan and Bissett.
Thank you for your wonderful sense of humor. It helped us through many tough situations and provides many wonderful memories for those of us fortunate enough to have spent time with you. Uncle Dan and Aunt Sue, #5, chipmunks, grub hoes, Randy Kits, handcuffs, outboard motors and many other ìmemory joggersî will ever remind us of your wit and wisdom. And, our lives have been enriched by those events.
Thank you for understanding that in addition to providing high adventure experiences to scouts and scouters; the Canoe Base, Sea Base and Philmont have both the obligation and the ability to deliver one of the best leadership development opportunities anywhere for their young adult staff members. Many of us ìcame of ageî under your mentorship by being given challenges that we thought were ì beyond our reachî and by taking responsibility ìbeyond our years.î
Thank you for always recognizing that change is inevitable; for accepting it -- even embracing it -- and responding positively to it. The net effect has always been an improved product, program, procedure or service for high adventure participants and staff. Despite the tremendous and traumatic changes in your own life these past 6 months, your recent monograph entitled The Outdoor Professional demonstrates that your career-long commitment to our shared vision will continue as a Charter Life Member of the Alumni Association.
Thank you -- Cherie, Katie, Michael, Sandra, Susana, and Daniela for the many sacrifices that each of you undoubtedly made in sharing so much of Sandy with us. Hundreds of Sommers Alumni feel a part of your family and we are deeply grateful for role that each of you played in enabling that experience. We will be forever in your debt!
Finally Sandy, Thank You for never losing sight of Charles L. Sommersí singular vision of providing scouts with the opportunity to come to the Canoe Country to take a 10-day wilderness canoe trip. Thanks to your devotion these past 32 years, the opportunity that existed in June of 1923 still exists today as we enter our 74th continuous season of operation. For past, current and future generations of scouts I say ìThanks for a Job Well Done.î
*Text of the comments by Master of Ceremonies, Dave Hyink, at the Sandy Bridgesí Recognition Dinner, June 7, 1997, Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.
Twenty members of the Alumni Association gave generously of themselves (and had a great time!) as the converged on the Ely Base, May 24 - June 11, to help out with important work projects and with seasonal staff training. Training organizers Craig Pendergraft and Mike Holdgrafer and work party leader Red Renner were joined in their efforts by: Al Batterman, Sandy Bridges, Tom Beaton, Zane Beaton, Butch Diesslin, Dave Hyink, Wade Herbranson, Jim Barrott, Bob Cary, Dave Greenlee, Barbara Cary Hall, Dick Shank, Mike Sawinski, Linnea Renner, Lynn Reeve, Bob Welsh and Larry Whitmore. There was plenty to do and plenty of fun and good fellowship. It was gratifying to see former Sommers Staff members from the early Fifties through the early Nineties working together to prepare for our 74th consecutive season of operation. And, the old-fashioned ìsteak fryî at Diesslins was certainly a highlight! Why not make plans to ìlend a handî in 1998?
One June 16, 1987 there was much to celebrate at the Charles L. Sommers Wilderness Canoe Base. It was the first time since it development in 1923 the Boy Scouts of America could claim ownership of the Base. The deed for the 55 acre tract of National Forest had been under special use permit since 1941 and was exchanged for 160 acres of land that was also well suited for National Forest ownership.
The Regional Forester at that time was Butch Marita who noted that the Forest Service and the Boy Scouts have had a long history of working together for the benefit of the youth of America and for the benefit of the National Forests. In remarks made at the exchange ceremony, he noted that ìNational Forest lands and areas such as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness have, over the years, provided opportunities for young people to get to know the out-of-doors, to learn skills that will last them a lifetime, and to develop traits that are valued by our society. Without question, Scouting adds to the character of those who take part in it, as Scouts and leaders.î
Marita also acknowledged the many returns that the Sommers Canoe Base provided for its use of the Superior National Forest such as: The Base staff does an excellent job of instilling a wilderness and conservation ethic in the thousands of young men and women who pass through the facility each year.
Sommers has provided training to Forest Service BWCAW crews and personnel in health and safety.
The Scouts from Sommers have assisted in the operation of the BWCAW by ìadopting canoe routes,î providing maintenance of campsites and portages, serving as a supply link between BWCAW volunteers and the Ranger District office; transporting supplies and latrines to remote locations; and providing valuable assistance in search and rescue operations.
When June 16, 1997 arrived, it marked the 10th anniversary of that great event. In Maritaís speech he commented that since 1941 over $1,500,000 had been invested in facilities and improvements. Isnít it great to know that what took 46 years to accomplish originally has been duplicated in the last ten years?
What Sommers has meant for seventy-four years still holds true today. As the new General Manager, who was fortunate enough to have been involved in that great day in June of 1987, it is now my pleasure to be partaking in another great decade in the life of this fantastic facility.
I cannot think of a better way to thank the Sommers Alumni Association members, who helped us get this 74th year of the operation going with what I saw as one of the greatest training opportunities our young adult staff could have ever gotten, than to put their names down in this space and thank each and every one of them for a great experience from June 3 through the 12th.
Thanks: Allan Batterman, Sandy Bridges, Dr. Thomas Beaton, Zane Beaton, Blaine Diesslin, David Hyink, Wade Herbranson, Mike Holdgrafer, Jim Barrott, Bob Cary, Dave Greenlee, Barbara Cary Hall, Dr. Richard Shank, Michael J. Sawinski, Craig Pendergraft, Linnea Renner, Robert Renner, Dr. Lynn Reeve, Dr. Robert Welsh and Larry Whitmore.