Youth Spring Outing

Each spring several members of the Brotherhood and their sponsored youth meet for a totally informal weekend of fun and fishing. Headquarters will be at the VanAlstine Ranch near Reed City, MI.  The dates will be Saturday, June 11th, 2022 starting at 10:00 am through Sunday, June 12th, 2022 at 3:00 PM.

Unlike the Fall Campfire, this gathering is largely unstructured.  Thanks to the generosity of  Andy VanAlstine and Family, Brotherhood members and their sponsored youth are invited to camp at the lake on Saturday and Sunday.  This "Youth Spring Outing" is a special opportunity to fish on private property that looks like a piece of heaven.  Andy and Sarah, friends of BOJC, have graciously offered the use of their property to our group.  We will have exclusive access to their 3 acre spring fed pond that is set on 80 acres.  There is plenty of obstruction-free shoreline to facilitate casting.  The water is clear with bass, bluegills, trout and catfish waiting for some young fisher people like ours.  We will have a well pump for fresh water, a fire pit with firewood, and an outhouse at our campsite. Tales of fishing exploits around the fire pit are likely that evening.

To repay the owner's generosity, we will assist Andy with some light maintenance work by raking some leaves from the pond edge.  This will only take an hour or two.  Youth should bring a pair of old tennis shoes that can get wet or muddy.

We will rustic camp right at the water so the kids can fish all day for bass, trout, bluegills and a few monster catfish.  This is a laid back outing where the goals are simple: let the kids fish, eat like royal campers and share stories.  The youth will form bonds during their participation with other children from the tri-state area.

The cost is free, totally sponsored by the brotherhood and we collect smiles as repayment.  This outing is much more intimate than our Annual Campfire outing in August that works well for youth new to fishing.  BOJC members are requested to keep their dues and status in Good Standing prior to registration for this outing. 

Please mark your calendars now and watch here for further details.