Nathan Wendt

Last night at 5:30 P.M., Nathan, along with about a dozen other boys from Pack 28, paid a visit to the Middletown Art Central Foundation. This facility is located in downtown Middletown on 4 North Main St., in the old Masonic Temple. This is one of those really old buildings downtown. I would imagine most of us from Middletown have driven by the place a hundred times and thought: I wonder what actually goes on in there. Well, now I know.

There, the scouts were lucky enough to be instructed by Sue Rogers, the President of the Board of Directors for the Arts Central Foundation, who took the time to go over some basics requirements for the boys to receive a belt loop in Art. She also organized a project where the boys made a musical instrument, a “rain shaker” that she explained was used by native Americans in their rain dances. I think the adults had as much fun seeing the inside of such an old building as the kids did with their project.

Next, the group took a walk to the Middletown Art Center, which is about two blocks away, where we were able to view the art work on display in the main exhibition hall. Luckily for the scouts, Mrs. Rogers had a friend who was working in the pottery workshop and she was kind enough to talk to the boys about the basics of working with clay. They actually have a natural gas fired kiln there and the boys each had a chance to see that as well.

By 8:00 P.M. the group had made it safely back to the Art Central Foundation building where they collected their project and said their goodbyes. After a quick briefing from our den leader, Jeff Stuckey, we took the long walk back to the car, a good block up Central Ave. What can I say I love to walk.

A quick parting thanks to all involved in organizing this good time, which at a minimum should include: Sue Rogers, Jeff Stuckey, Tom Humphrey, and Jeanie Humphrey.