MONTICELLO - More than 400 Boy Scouts and leaders spent the weekend in Monticello to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.
There were plenty of activities for the scouts, who are all part of the Blackhawk Area Council, which includes Green and Lafayette counties.
It was a chance for scouts across the area to gather and have fun, said John Wurtzel, Pecatonica, Ill., Troop 1 committee member.
Wurtzel helped organize the weekend. It was no small task, he said.
"It took about a year to plan," he said. "It was a challenge. We've never had something this big before."
The scouts and leaders began to arrive Friday, Wurtzel said. It didn't take long for the village parks to look like a campground.
Scouts were able to take part in bike rides on the Sugar River Trail, the Badger State Trail and the Jane Addams Trail, as well as two road trips. They helped with a bicycle rodeo to teach younger children the importance of bicycle safety. The weekend also included camping, games and a climbing wall.
Wurtzel, who has been involved with scouting for more than 50 years, said the weekend was meant to offer the scouts things they might not ordinarily do.
"I think that what the Boy Scouts is about," he said. "It gives you opportunities."
Opportunity is what led him to the Boy Scouts, said Chris Asta, an Eagle Scout from Troop 927 in Barrington Hills, Ill.
"It's opened me up to a lot of different activities," he said. "It teaches team building and gives you leadership experience."
Asta's troop leader, Sue Lehde, has been involved with the troop for 17 years. Her five grandsons are scouts.
"I think this is the best program for kids," she said.
Music and stories were planned for Saturday night and a non-denominational church service was scheduled for Sunday.
There were plenty of activities for the scouts, who are all part of the Blackhawk Area Council, which includes Green and Lafayette counties.
It was a chance for scouts across the area to gather and have fun, said John Wurtzel, Pecatonica, Ill., Troop 1 committee member.
Wurtzel helped organize the weekend. It was no small task, he said.
"It took about a year to plan," he said. "It was a challenge. We've never had something this big before."
The scouts and leaders began to arrive Friday, Wurtzel said. It didn't take long for the village parks to look like a campground.
Scouts were able to take part in bike rides on the Sugar River Trail, the Badger State Trail and the Jane Addams Trail, as well as two road trips. They helped with a bicycle rodeo to teach younger children the importance of bicycle safety. The weekend also included camping, games and a climbing wall.
Wurtzel, who has been involved with scouting for more than 50 years, said the weekend was meant to offer the scouts things they might not ordinarily do.
"I think that what the Boy Scouts is about," he said. "It gives you opportunities."
Opportunity is what led him to the Boy Scouts, said Chris Asta, an Eagle Scout from Troop 927 in Barrington Hills, Ill.
"It's opened me up to a lot of different activities," he said. "It teaches team building and gives you leadership experience."
Asta's troop leader, Sue Lehde, has been involved with the troop for 17 years. Her five grandsons are scouts.
"I think this is the best program for kids," she said.
Music and stories were planned for Saturday night and a non-denominational church service was scheduled for Sunday.