Local Scout leaders attend Wood Badge Training

By Caroline Rosacker

In 2019, Scout leaders Shane Cline, Robert Kies, and Dr. Scott Scherer attended Wood Badge Training at Camp C. S. Klaus located northwest of Colesburg. The camp is owned by the Northeast Iowa Council of the Boy Scouts of America. 

Shane Cline 

Scoutmaster Troop 40

Shane Cline, sales manager at Brown's Sales and Leasing in Guttenberg, became involved in Scouting as a young man. He and his wife, Darcy, reside in Guttteberg and have two children, Jessica and Beau. When he is not working or Scouting, he enjoys being outdoors, golfing, hunting, hiking, etc.

Cline is currently Scoutmaster for Troop 40 and District Vice-Chairman and Program Chairman. He also serves on the Council High Adventure Committee and has served as an Associate Advisor for the Order of the Arrow (Scouting's National Honor Society). He was recently honored as a Spotlight Volunteer. 

"I started in Scouting as a Cub when we moved here from our farm in Clermont," said Cline. "My older sisters had been active in 4-H and my Dad thought that Scouts would be a good thing to do.  I stayed in Scouts through my Senior year and earned the Eagle Scout Rank.  I have been involved in Scouts in some manner ever since. I became more active when Beau crossed over from the Cub program into Boy Scouts (now Scouts BSA), first as Assistant Scoutmaster and now Scoutmaster."

Cline remains active in Scouting for several reasons.  "Watching the Scouts mature and build their leadership skills through outdoor activities is the main thing that inspires me to stay involved in the program," he commented. "They become more confident by taking on leadership roles in the Troop and teaching skills to younger Scouts that they learned as a young Scout.  They learn to speak in public, plan, organize and execute activities and have fun doing it. Having fun while learning the skills is what makes the program work so well."  

Cline described the Wood Badge program. "Wood Badge course #C3-178-19 was held at Camp C.S. Klaus near Colesburg in the fall of 2019," he explained. "The course was a six-day event held over two weekends.  Twenty-eight Scouters from Northeast Iowa attended. During the course we functioned like a Scout Troop. The staff took on the roles of the adult and youth leadership in the troop with the participants taking on the roles of the Scouts and were separated into patrols with each patrol assigned a guide to help us through training.  We worked on teaching skills, problem solving, team building and conflict resolution, all with some fun worked into the mix. At the end of the course we were required to come up with five ticket items (projects) that will benefit Scouting at the local or Council level. We had 18 months to work with our ticket counselor to complete the tickets."

Cline shared his enthusiasm for the Scouting program. "The Wood Badge course renewed my enthusiasm for Scouting. The Scouters that attended and staffed the course have created a network of people that can use each other as resources for event and project planning as well as it created a whole new group of friends," he commented.   

The Clines are proud of their children's accomplishments through Scouting. "The best part of Scouting for me has been the accomplishments and experiences of my own children. Jessica earned the highest award in Girl Scouts – the Gold Award —  and Beau earned the Eagle Scout Rank," he proudly shared. "Beau has continued his Scouting career by helping with the Troop when he can and has worked at Camp Klaus for four summers, the first two as an instructor, then as an area director, and this past summer as Camp Commissioner. He will be returning to camp next summer as Camp Commissioner as well." 

Cline offered advice for individuals interested in Scouting. "Anyone interested in being a Scout or Scouter need only ask. Keep in mind you do not have to be a Cub Scout in order to join Scouts BSA," he stressed. "Scouting is a program that the more you put into it the more you get out of it. For the most part Scouts that have the support and involvement of their parents either at home or by getting involved as a leader excel the most. Scouting opens up so many opportunities to youth to learn about the outdoors, vocations, science, citizenship, leadership and more." 

Scouting also offers adventerous travel opportunities at the National High Adventure Bases. "Philmont offers backpacking in the New Mexico mountains, Northern Tier offers canoeing and winter camping in the Boundary Waters, Sea Base offers sailing, snorkeling, scuba, fishing and camping in the Florida Keys, and Summit Bechtel Reserve offers a variety of outdoor activities and is the home of the National Scout Jamboree," he listed. 

Robert Kies

Robert Kies of Colesburg has been a Cub Scout Den leader for the past five years. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children, Matthew and Katelyn. He retired from the Iowa National Guard in 2008 after 21 years of service (eight in active Army infantry and 13 in the Iowa National Guard). He has been working in information technology since 1998 and is currently employed as an IT Generalist at Guttenberg Industries. His hobbies include biking, hiking, camping and 2-cylinder John Deere tractors.

Kies was not involved in Scouting as a young man and didn't know much about the program until his son became a member. “I started my Scouting adventure in 2016 when my son, Matthew,  joined Cub Scouts,” he explained. “Volunteers are needed to run the dens, so I volunteered for that. This was my first experience with the Scout movement. It’s rewarding to see the kids learn and having fun doing it.”

Kies shared his experience. “The purpose of a Wood Badge Ticket is to help you realize your personal vision of your role in Scouting,” he noted. “By this, you identify things that you can implement or improve upon that will make your Scouting unit better. One of my tickets was to create a pack specific – welcome pack for new parents. As someone who came into the Scout movement as an adult with no knowledge of the program, there were many things that were a bit confusing to me.”

The Cub Scout leader’s experience will complement the local Scouting program. “The program gave us a better understanding of the Scouting structure and how to better lead Scout meetings,” he commented. 

Kies has passed his love of Scouting on to both his children. “My daughter, Katelyn, has joined and loves the activities, and my son, Matthew, has earned his Cub Scout Arrow of Light, and has joined Scout BSA Troop 40 (the program formerly known as Boy Scouts),” he proudly shared. “Scouting is a fun experience. It’s also a family experience. There is so much support and material available to run a den meeting or any other Cub Scout activity.”

Dr. Scott Scherer

Scott Scherer, DC, a chiropractor in Guttenberg, has been involved in Scouting for over 13 years. He and his wife, Charlotte, have four children, Maysie, Rebecca, Henry and Ann. His hobbies include cycling, bikepacking, turkey hunting and performing with the Guttenberg German Band. 

He has been involved with Pack 40 since 2008, first as a Webelos Leader and then Cub Master. “I was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout when I was a young man,” Scherer commented. “Scouting teaches lifelong valuable skills and lessons.” 

Scherer enjoyed the Wood Badge training program. “We participated in six days of in-person practical programming then we had an 18-month application portion in which the participants practice and demonstrate a working knowledge of the leadership principles presented during the course,” he explained. “This is accomplished by use of the Wood Badge ticket. The ticket represents the particpants’ commitment to complete a set of personal goals related to their Scouting position.There are a lot of resources out there, and you can be a resource yourself.”

Scouting is a way of life in the Scherer household. “All of my children have been involved in Scouting whether it be Girl Scouts and Cub/Boy Scouts,” he shared. “It is not as difficult as it appears, and you get to spend more time with your kids.”