More than 200 local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Camp Bromelsick April 9 with a two-night camporee at the camp. The weekend was highlighted with a ceremony opening a new 2.2 mile hiking trail around the perimeter of the camp dedicated to the memory of Arthur A. “Tripp” Anderson, a local Scout leader from Troop 59 who volunteered for many years with the Bromelsick Foundation and the annual Bromelsick Christmas Party. Anderson died in April 2010.

Mike Riling, Bromelsick Foundation board member and an Eagle Scout from Troop 60, was master of ceremonies for the dedication of the new trail. Local sculptor Keith Middlemas created a large engraved limestone marker in honor of Anderson. A large metal frame gate has also been installed at the start of the trail with a sign created by Assistant Scoutmaster Jim Peterson of Troop 55, identifying the Anderson Trail.

Present for the ceremonies were members of Anderson’s family, including his wife Mary, his son John, his mother-in-law Olive Stanford, and his father, Andy Anderson. Pelathe District chairman Frank Wright and district committee member Rich Bailey also spoke to the assembled Scouts, leaders, and family at the event.

The first camping use of the property was on the weekend April 9, 1961, 50 years to the day of the anniversary ceremony. The Bromelsick Foundation purchased the property to provide a camping location for Pelathe District Boy Scouts that includes troops and Cub packs in Lawrence, Eudora, Lecompton and Baldwin City. Alfred Bromelsick, a local businessman, left his entire estate to the children of Douglas County through the Boys Scouts, the Girl Scouts and the 4-H programs. The Boy Scouts used some of their estate share to purchase this property and develop it for camping.

The Bromelsick property was originally a working farm dating back at least to 1859. A five-acre lake was added in 1963 and named Wertz Lake after Melvon Wertzberger, a local conservation agent and Scout leader who helped develop the camp. Some other key leaders in the development of the property included Lowell Risk whose daughter, Janice Scribner, also spoke on Saturday, Dean Milroy, Alton Thomas, Richard Davis, Paul Hilpman, Gene Blitch, Clinton Daniels, Dr. Frank Cross, Richard Rundquist, Bob Ridgway and Austin Stedham.

The Bromelsick Committee has named some of the camp areas in honor of Scout leaders who have given many years of service to the local program. Campsites have been named for Ralph Clement, George McCleary and the late Casey Jones. Other features such as roads, parking areas, open meadows and woodlands have been named for Bill Anderson, Rich Bailey, Dan Palmquist, Harrison Traul, Hans Fischer, Raymond Nichols, Keith Wood and others.

As part of the new trail, the Bromelsick Committee invited Scout troops to submit names of leaders who over the years had provided significant service to Scouting, that they might also be recognized by the placement of engraved bricks at intervals along the new Anderson Trail. Those honorees present and recognized during the ceremony included Richard Branham, Allen Wiechert, Martha and Everett Lathrom, Arden Burgess, Bill Edman and George McCleary. Also recognized with honor bricks were Clinton “Ace” Daniels, Ed Bishop, Laurie Magee, Dan Palmquist, Jerry Brown, Bill Whitehead, Don Meyer, Riley Burcham, Harrison Traul, Bennie Stewart, Raymond Nichols, Arnold Janousek, Phil Owen, Edwin Burgess and Carmen King.

All nine Scout troops in the district contributed volunteer service to help build the new trail this spring. Lawrence troops were: Troop 52 (chartered to First United Methodist Church), Troop 53 (chartered to Christ Community Church), Troop 55 (chartered to Westside Presbyterian Church), Troop 59 (chartered to the First Presbyterian Church), Troop 60 (chartered to First Baptist Church), Troop 61 (chartered to St. Luke’s AME Church), Troop 158 (chartered to Latter Day Saints Church) and Troop 64 of Eudora (chartered to the Eudora Lions Club) and Troop 65 of Baldwin City (chartered to the Baldwin City Rotary Club).

Seventeen young men were recognized Feb. 17 for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in 2010 and early 2011. Three other Eagle Scouts were not able to attend. The recognition was part of the 25th annual Pelathe District Eagle Scout banquet also held Feb. 17 at the Lawrence Country Club. Eagle Scouts, their families and Scout leaders enjoyed a presentation by Heart of America council executive Kenn Miller. Miller, also an Eagle Scout and an experienced life-long Scouting professional, introduced the new Eagle Scouts to some of the benefits of being an Eagle Scout. Troop 158 provided the Color Guard.

The event featured guest speaker Claudine “Scottie” Lingelbach, who told stories as a young Women Available for Emergency Service (WAVE) and as the wife of 2nd Lt. Dale Lingelbach. She also talked about remembering exactly where she was on the morning of Dec. 7, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. She shared her story of carrying top secret dispatches between the Pentagon and the White House and of being in the Oval Office when President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to the nation on D-Day informing the country about the invasion of Normandy. She also brought Dale’s Eagle Sash, Eagle Pin and merit badge cards to share with the Eagle Scouts and their families.

Eagle Scouts recognized at the event were Eric Long (Troop 52); Justin Saathoff, Connor Chestnut, William Hambleton, Ryan Schulteis and Zachary Chumbley (Troop 53); Jacob Pfeifer (Troop 55); Eric Yowell, Connor Caldwell, James Windholz, Trevor Leslie, Alex Kong, Samuel Corkins, Harrison Helmick and Colin Phillips (Troop 59); Thomas Stanley (Troop 64); Colby Soden, Brandon Baltzell and Thomas Bollig (Troop 65); and Alec Smith (Troop 158).