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Eight Lawrence Boy Scouts completed the prestigious Brownsea National Youth Leadership Training course at Camp Naish Scout Reservation near Bonner Springs. They received a certificate and patch June 19 at an awards ceremony. The program is named in recognition of Lord Baden Powell’s original camping experience in 1907 at Brownsea Island for his newly founded Boy Scouting program.

Completing the course from Lawrence Troops were: Cory Church and Gavin Spence, Troop 52; Andrei Elliott, Troop 53; and Reid Williams, Benjamin Soukup, Liam Inbody, Matthew Day and Nathan Kappelman, Troop 59.

• Members of Boy Scout Troop 64 of Eudora attended Camp Naish, near Bonner Springs, from June 21-27. Attending were Andrew Briery, Simon Elwell, Nathan Gentleman, Andrew Rome and Alex Whitten, with adult leaders Jim Morrison, Jay Criqui and Brian Rome.

The troop was visited by Scoutmaster Glenn Jackson on Wednesday morning and by family members and friends who brought pizza Friday night.

Troop 53 held its summer Court of Honor June 22. Hamilton Lewis, an Eagle Scout from Troop 53, presented a short video tribute to Kip Groshans for 35 years of service with the troop.

Nineteen new Scouts were awarded the Scout rank. Other Scouts advancing in rank were Kody Gray, Tenderfoot; Matt Mitchell, First Class; Brian Morris and Sean Morris, Star; and Jordan Cuttell, Life. Scouts earning merit badges were:

• Personal Fitness: Connor Chestnut.

• First Aid: Ross Chumbley, Ryan DeLaTorre, Elliot Klopp, John McCain, Matt Mitchell, Alex McKinsey, Brian Morris, Sean Morris, Anthony Van Schmus and AJ Ware.

• Personal Management: Zac Chumbley.

• Emergency Preparedness: Jordan Cuttell, Matt Mitchell, Brian Morris and Sean Morris.

• Citizenship in the World: Jordan Cuttell.

• Music: Ryan DeLaTorre and Connor Harman.

• Camping: Josh Ideus.

• Citizenship in the Nation: Alex McKinsey and Luke Lesslie.

• Swimming: Ryan Schulteis.

• Cooking: Trenton Shambaugh.

• Fingerprinting: Joey Waisner.

Anthony Van Schmus and Matt Pribbenow were recognized for their service on Junior Day Camp staff.

Scouts participating in the Sea Base High Adventure were Dawson Conway, Joey Cunningham, John Hambleton, Josh Ideus, Elliot Klopp, Alex McKinsey, Brian Morris, Sean Morris, Justin Saathoff, Ryan Schulteis and Joey Waisner. John Hambleton, Brian Morris and Ryan Schulteis made the Sea Base 2009 Fishing Hall of Fame.

New Ordeal members of Order of the Arrow are: Connor Ballenger, Ross Chumbley, Connor Harman, Alex McKinsey, Brian Morris, Sean Morris with leader Glen Sohl. New Brotherhood members are: Jordan Cuttell, Devon Griffin, Elliot Klopp and Trenton Shambaugh.

Sean Morris and Brian Morris earned the Ad Altare Dei Religious Emblem and Gabriel Magee earned the Rosary Patch Award.

• Boy Scout Troop 52, chartered to the Lawrence First United Methodist Church, participated in a troop camp out June 20 at Clinton Lake. On June 21, the troop held the “Troop 52 Boating Extravaganza” which included tubing, swimming and sailing on two pontoon boats, a sailboat and a hovercraft. Scouts participating were Dakota Zinn, Thomas Peterson, Joseph Cary, Drew Sheppard, Matt Dominguez, Andy Dominguez, Vail Moshiri, Joseph Mann, Gavin Spence, Nathan Weeks, Garrett Weeks, Eli Schneck, Robert Newman, Jamie Messer, Eric Long and Jake DeLaTorre. Adults helping with activities were were Kent Peterson and Dan Cary, who each provided and captained pontoon boats; Richard Tedlock and Rowley Tedlock, who provided and captained a sailboat; and Rod Zinn, who captained the hovercraft provided by Landplan Engineering. Other adults participating were Michael Pierson, Jared Mann, Marlon Schneck and Jace Newman.

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Members of Troop 59 participated in a mini-high adventure program June 11-14 in Buffalo River National Park just outside Ponca, Ark. The program was designed to teach high adventure camping, hiking and cooking skills for Scouts not yet old enough to participate in a major high adventure event like Philmont.

Upon arrival, the Scouts established base camp near the river at Kyle’s Landing. Plans for a canoe trip on the first day changed when a fierce thunderstorm hit the area. Instead the Scouts hiked through primitive trail areas along Indian Creek. The second day they canoed the Buffalo River for four hours starting at Pruitt and ending at Hasty Landing and stopped to swim and eat lunch along the river. More experienced canoeists taught the younger Scouts how to canoe. One Scout and his partner flipped over and learned how get their canoe upright. After canoeing, the Scouts hiked and explored a 2.2-mile area known as Lost Valley and saw towering rock faces surrounded by a forest of beech trees. They explored Cob Cave, a massive overhang that once served as a shelter for native inhabitants. Nearby was a waterfall that fed an ice cold pool. The highlight of the trail was Eden’s Cave, an awe-inspiring 20 to 25-foot waterfall. Exiting Lost Valley, the Scouts saw an elk preserve. The Scouts completed the trip with a stop at Fantastic Caverns on the way back to Lawrence.

Scouts attending the event were Justin Lewis, Luke Oberrieder, Jack Powell and Taylor Smith, with adult leaders Diane Lewis, Mike Oberrieder, Brian Powell and Patrick Smith.