Almost every passionate camper, fisherman and hunter knows that the cooler is a vital part of every trip into the wilderness. Whether you choose to invest in a camping cooler, marine cooler or hunting cooler, this important piece of equipment will help you properly store and protect your supplies for the duration of your trip. For this reason, a Cub Scout pack in Michigan is currently devastated and asking for help: their trailer full of supplies, including the cooler they used, was stolen in late April and the pack leaders are worried that their operations will suffer as a result.
In August 2010, a Cub Scout pack in Burton, MI spent $1,200 on a trailer at a local police auction. The group had spent years saving up to make the purchase, with the pack leaders working to make it a learning experience. Even better, the community had helped out with the project as well: when the Cub Scouts hit their bidding limit, the police auctioneers had asked the competing bidders to let the boys buy the trailer in exchange for help with other sales. They complied, and the pack spent the next few years decorating their new piece of equipment with a Boy Scout emblem–a bobcat inside of a diamond–, their pack number and town name. They were even able to add a sign that reads “Roughin’ It, This is How We Roll” after winning a design contest with a sign company in their area.
Unfortunately, when a member of the 50-scout group went to pick up some flags from the trailer in late April, they realized that the trailer was missing from its spot at a local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. Currently, the Cub Scouts are missing a number of supplies as a result, including lanterns, heavy duty coolers, ax and maul, paper towels, napkins, camping equipment, an 8-foot-long table with a faux wood top and silverware, and some pieces with yellow tips. Despite considerable effort to track down their missing trailer, the only lead the pack has is an anonymous tip, informing them that someone nearby had also had their trailer stolen around the same time.
The pack leaders are asking anyone with information to please contact their group or the Burton Police.
“Our prayer is that we get the trailer back. No harm, no foul,” the unit trainer told MLive.”We just want the trailer back. The boys need the stuff that’s in it. We have a camping trip planned next month already. The amount of resources that went into it, there’s a lot of popcorn sold by little boys.”
Despite the disappointment, however, parents say they are trying to maintain a positive attitude about the situation to set a good example for the Cub Scouts. However, the clock is ticking down towards the camping trip, and the Cub Scouts really do need the coolers. Hopefully, the group will be able to find a way to make the trip even if the trailer isn’t returned in time.
