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Kimball Scouting America news
Special “thank you” to Andrew Freeman and Joe Just for helping teach the merit badge, and for bringing their equipment. The Scouts used many of my great-grandfather Dennis Erpelding’s tools that are 120+ years old.
I also got another anvil and a Buffalo forge that I found on Facebook Marketplace.
We had four Scouts from Troop 357 and our friend Eli Rademacher from Troop 777.
This was the first time I worked with coal forges.
Once the impurities burned off the coal, it hardly smoked. Being able to open the sliding doors and lean door for ventilation plus a fan worked well. It was good being out of the wind.
Scouts learned about yield point, work hardening, and annealing working with brass sheet metal.
They then got to use a piece of flat steel to make a temper color index. Next, they made and tempered their own center punch.
Then they made their own pair of railroad spike tongs which they used to convert a railroad spike into a knife.
On Dec. 6, 2024, our Boys Troop were guests at Annandale’s Troop Gaming Lock-In.
It was a fun night for all who attended,
On the weekend of Jan. 17-19, our Boys Troop held an indoor camp-out at the Kimball Rod and Gun Club. Our Girls Troop joined our Boys Troop for Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge, and stayed for supper on Saturday Jan. 18. The Scouts enjoyed board games on Friday and Saturday evenings. Scouts prepared all the meals that weekend to gain the required cooking experience for rank requirements.
Feb. 8 was the 115th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. Feb. 8 was the official day the BSA changed its name to Scouting America.
Tuesday, March 4, was the Blue and Gold Crossover ceremony.
Three Arrow of Light Cub Scouts – Angela Ludlow, Destin Edwards, and Azer Dahlinger – crossed over to Kimball Girls Troop 5357 (chartered by the Kimball Lions) marking the first official crossovers to the new troop bringing membership to five young ladies who have the spirit of adventure. The Blue and Gold Ceremony is usually held in February and is a celebration of the birth of Cub Scouts in 1930. This crossover bridge serves as the Cub Scouts’ graduation and transition to Scouts BSA.
Michael Erpelding presented the Boys Troop awards.
Garret Ludlow earned the ranks of First Class and Star.
Garret Ludlow also earned the Citizenship in the Nation, Metalwork, and Rifle Shooting merit badges.
Hunter Freeman earned the rank of Tenderfoot. He also earned the Citizenship in the Nation and Metalwork merit badges.
Nicholas Spoden earned the rank of Tenderfoot and the Fishing merit badge.
Joseph Ouke earned the Citizenship in the Nation merit badge.
Ethan Erpelding earned Aviation, Camping, Citizenship in the Nation, Metalwork, Personal Fitness, Radio, Search and Rescue, and Soil and Water Conservation merit badges.
Michael Erpelding presented an appreciation plaque, on behalf of the Boys Troop, to Matt Serbus for his years of dedicated service as Scoutmaster of Boys Troop 3357. Matt Serbus is now the new Charter Organization Representative, chartered by the Kimball Rod and Gun Club, due to Bill Liedman retiring from Scouting.
The Scouts recognized the new Scoutmaster for Girls Troop 5357, Erik Ludlow, and new Scoutmaster for Boys Troop 3357, Michael Erpelding.
Thank you to everyone who donates to the aluminum can recycling trailer parked at Casey’s. Funds from recycling these cans pay for the Boys Troop membership fees, and part of the program expenses. Currently, annual youth membership at any program is $205 per year. The current adult leader’s annual membership fee is $65.
All of Kimball’s Scouting America programs will be present at the Kimball Expo Saturday morning, March 29.
Ethan Erpelding and other Scouts will be selling RADA Cutlery and other items to raise money for Ethan’s Eagle Scout project. He will be building a Flag Retirement Collection Box for the Kimball American Legion.
Pack 3357 will have Pinewood Derby Car races at the Expo. Bring your old derby cars to race!
Machinist and Metalwork Merit Badge Counselor Andrew Freeman has crafted two knives that will be given away as a door prize drawing at the Expo.
Information on the Pack and both Troops will be available at the Expo.
There will be a Scouting Open House event at the Kimball Rod and Gun Club from 10 a.m.-12 noon Saturday, April 12. Metalwork Merit Badge Counselors will have their blacksmithing equipment set up.
The public will be able to watch the Scouts form their own knives from railroad spikes and knife blanks.
There will be information on all three Scouting America units, and youth and adults will have the opportunity to join.
On Saturday, April 26, the Scouts will have the Robotics Merit badge, taught by Merit Badge Counselor Michael Kunkel. The Scouts will have the opportunity to play the adventure game Dungeons and Dragons afterwards.
Kimball Troops are planning to attend Ripley Rendezvous at Camp Ripley in Little Falls on the weekend of May 9-11.
Kimball Boys Troop is planning to attend Many Point Scout Camp June 22-28, and the Girls Troop will join their sister troop from Rockford at the end of July 2025.
Submitted by Michael Erpelding