By Karen Blackledge
MILLMONT — A motor home, painted in Boy Scout colors of green and khaki, made two stops in the region Monday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the organization.
The first destination was Buckhorn to greet Columbia-Montour Boy Scout Council officials and Scouts.
The motor home travelers, on this “Century of Values Tour,” stayed Sunday night at Camp Lavigne in Columbia County.
“We did a presentation for 140 to 150 kids, and they loved it,” said Katie Danley, secretary of the Detroit Area Boy Scout Council.
She is traveling with crew leader Dale Jones, his son Tony, who serves as media coordinator, and Tammie Bachran, treasurer. “They treated us like family,” Dale Jones said.
The 32-foot-long motor home, donated by Coachmen Industries, which has a mural on the back depicting the history of Scouting, arrived Monday afternoon at Camp Karoondinha, where the visitors met Scouts and Scouting officials.
As they did earlier in the day, they presented Susquehanna District officials with a framed 24-inch by 36-inch mural of Scouting history. The original mural was created by Bill Morrison, who has worked for Disney and Hollywood animation studios including “The Simpsons.” He is also an Eagle Scout. Among those depicted in the mural are Scouting founder Lord Baden Powell and the oldest living Scout in Detroit who turned 104 this year, Danley said.
Susquehanna Council Scout Executive Eric Chase said the decorated motor homes are attempting to visit all 302 Scout councils in the U.S.
The mural will be taken to the National Boy Scout Museum in Irving, Texas, on Feb. 8, 2010. The names of those signing a register along the way will also be displayed in the museum.
Chase said Ethel Snook is planning a 100th anniversary bash on the council level.
Council Commissioner Judy Coup presented the visitors with keepsakes from the camp and the council.
Among those from the council who were honored were Chase, Coup, Larry Snook, council president and no relation to Ethel Snook, and Jackson Warner, district executive.
Bachran said the team, which is among 14 groups traveling across the country, is on a mission “to provide and promote accomplishments and to celebrate values instilled in the last 100 years.”
The motor homes are expected to cover 45,000 miles.
Ten Scouts and three adults from Clarks Grove United Methodist Church of Irish Valley were among those attending. The adults included Scoutmaster Michael Shevitski and his assistants Dante Stefanovige and Rich Mervine.
Snook said she is proud to say Susquehanna Council membership increased 6.9 percent from 2008 to 2009.
“The Northeast Region is second in percentage of increased youth membership,” she said, adding that includes larger council such as Philadelphia.
There are 73 councils in the Northeast Region. The Susquehanna Council serves 3,000 youths and has 2,000 adults from Clinton, Lycoming, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties.
She attributed the membership increase to good relationships with chartered partner organizations, which are often churches providing the meeting place.
“We have had phenomenal relationships with schools, community organizations and parents. We are very family-oriented,” said Snook, a former council president and former council commissioner from Lewisburg who recalled being a Campfire Girl in the 1940s at Camp Karoondinha.
The vice president of membership, Snook said anyone wanting to join Scouting should call her at 524-0730. Scouting is open to boys in first through 11th grades and to girls ages 14-20, known as Venturers.
About 214 scouts are attending Camp Karoondinha this week with the camp used heavily from June through mid-August. It is also used by youth wrestling groups, Girl Scouts and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Today, the motor home was expected to visit the Juniata Valley Council in Reedsville.
