advertisement

Area Cub Scouts launch rockets despite blustery conditions

Saturday's windy conditions didn't deter more than 350 area Cub Scouts from flocking to Busse Woods to launch rockets they assembled with their families and packs.

Children who joined the Boy Scouts of America during the membership drive on Sept. 17 received a free model rocket to build and launch at Saturday's event. The membership drive drew in more than 3,000 new members from Northeast Illinois and Northwest Indiana, said Public Relations Director Kate Jacobs.

The Blast into Scouting event also included stations that focused on science, technology, engineering and math.

"The whole idea is to get kids to know that if they join Scouting, they're going to get their rocket, and we build a commitment to them that we're going to shoot them off," Pathway to Adventure Council Senior District Executive Terry Parke said.

And while the wind threw a few rockets off course, many of the Scouts enjoyed the added challenge of retrieving their rockets from the field where they landed after launch.

"The rockets don't go straight up, they get caught in the wind so all the kids have to follow where they're going into the prairie which is kind of fun for them," Parke said. "Not only do they shoot the rockets, but now they're having fun finding them."

Parents and Scouts crowded the launchpad for several hours and counted down before each batch of rockets were launched.

Scout parent Israel Nevarez said he and his son assembled a rocket, which was painted yellow to resemble a Lego character, together at home in a few hours. The project, he says, helped build excitement for his son's first Cub Scout meeting.

Several round of rockets assembled by local Cub Scouts were launched at Busse Woods Forest Preserve Saturday. Courtesy of Sara Guenthner
  Rockets assembled by local Cub Scouts await takeoff in Busse Woods Saturday at a Blast into Scouting event. Erin Hegarty/ehegarty@dailyherald.com
  Children who joined Cub Scouts earlier in the year were given model rockets to assemble. Scouts painted and decorated their rockets, and launched them at a Blast into Scouting event in Busse Woods Forest Preserve Saturday. Erin Hegarty/ehegarty@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.