The 79-year-old former Brown County Human Services director served more than 50 years as scoutmaster of New Ulm Troop 25. 

He guided over 1,000 youth and more than 120 Eagle Scouts, with many of his most memorable adventures occurring at Camp Cuyuna.

Henderson said his keynote will blend personal Camp Cuyuna stories with practical tips on outdoor safety, weather awareness, and leadership under pressure. 

In his speech, Henderson plans to recount three distinct bear encounters at the camp’s Dakota Campsite on Goodrich Lake.

Wooden trail signs mark the campsite for New Ulm Troop 25 at Camp Cuyuna. For decades, the troop, led by longtime Scoutmaster Tom Henderson, called these woods home during summer adventures filled with camping, merit badges, and lifelong friendships. (Courtesy of the Tom Henderson Collection)

One morning, after taking a shower, he was returning to the campsite along a narrow path when some young Scouts spotted a mother brown bear and her two cubs. 

The boys decided to chase the bears away with sticks. “Bad idea,” Henderson said. The mother bear, whom Henderson recalled was “as round as a ball,” turned and charged straight toward him. “I ran as fast as I have in my whole life,” he said. 

Upon seeing the larger group of Scouts near the lake, the bear veered off and retreated.

In another incident, a Scout reported hearing a snoring noise behind a tent. Henderson went to investigate and found a large brown bear fast asleep, resting directly against the back of the tent. 

Henderson and other adults made noise until she woke up and walked away into the woods.

A rustic wooden frame, complete with a small bear figurine, holds a photo of longtime New Ulm Scoutmaster Tom Henderson during his scouting days. The display honors his many memorable adventures at Camp Cuyuna. (Courtesy of the Tom Henderson Collection)

The third encounter involved a young black bear that climbed high into a pine tree directly above several Scouts’ tents. Staff called the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), whose officers used pellet guns to shoot at the bear’s backside to urge it down. 

As the irritated animal descended, the group noticed a strong smell. They soon discovered the source: the bear had developed a bad case of diarrhea from the stress and left a messy trail of scat running down the path. 

“He came down the tree and took off out of the campsite,” Henderson said.

Storms also tested the troop at Camp Cuyuna. One night around 2 a.m., wind snapped the upper half of a pine tree, which crashed onto a tent. 

While most Scouts and leaders evacuated to the wooden outhouse, Henderson checked for missing boys and found two still sound asleep inside the flattened tent. 

Tom Henderson greets visitors from the desk at Allina Health in New Ulm. Henderson regularly donates his time assisting patients and staff at the hospital. (Photo by Amy Zents)

He slashed the screen with a pocket knife to free them. “Extremely close,” he said, next morning, one boy sustained a red abrasion on his arm.

Two other major storms flattened parts of the campsite, damaging dining flies (tarp shelter with aluminum poles) and tents. 

Following these events, local leader Tom Berg convinced the regional board to install discarded, pre-cast concrete pipe shelters, donated by North Star Concrete, near the campsites to provide immediate shelter.

Henderson, who moved to New Ulm in 1974, noted that while the troop provided troop camping equipment like tents and dining flies, families were responsible for personal items. 

Scouts learned to cook their own meals, with spaghetti being a frequent staple. Henderson said former Scouts, now in their 20s, still approach him to say, “That’s who taught me how to cook,” and often refer to simple meals they make at home as “Mr. Henderson meals.”

He recalled one incident where a group of scouts was making spaghetti and accidentally dropped an entire pan of fried ground beef onto the sandy ground. 

When the boys complained that they wanted more meat, Henderson presented them with a choice: “You’re either going to eat just noodles and sauce or you’re going to scrape up the best you can, because that sand’s not going to hurt you.” 

The boys scraped up what they could and ate the ground beef with their spaghetti.

Beyond camp life, Troop 25 left a lasting impact on the community. Eagle Scouts completed numerous service projects, including trail clearing and tree planting at Adams Park and Lincoln Park. 

Henderson credited current New Ulm Scoutmaster Dan Kotten with doing a “wonderful job” leading the troop today, and praised longtime volunteer Cindy Bode for her instrumental work managing the extensive paperwork required for merit badges and Eagle advancements. 

Henderson added, “I was blessed all those years with wonderful volunteer assistant scout leaders. They made it all happen and at the same time built lasting, strong relationships with their adolescent children.”

Many alumni went on to serve in the military, with some reaching the rank of general or attending West Point and the Air Force Academy. 

Henderson took troops on high-adventure trips to the Black Hills, the Ozarks, Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, and national jamborees. An annual February fundraiser at Leifield Hall of 500 to 600 attendees helped fund these experiences.

Looking ahead, Henderson highlighted a major milestone: the troop’s 100th anniversary in February 2027. Because their annual fundraiser already packs Leifield Hall, he anticipates the centennial celebration will require a larger venue.

“Scouting isn’t just about badges,” Henderson said. “It’s about leadership, patriotism, preparation, quick thinking, and looking out for each other.” 

His service was recognized when the Northern Lights Council renamed the main lodge at Norseland Scout Camp, the Tom Henderson Lodge.

While Camp Cuyuna’s closing marks the end of an era, its legacy of resilience lives on as the council transitions activities to Wilderness Camp north of Wadena. 

For more information on local programs, contact the Twin Valley Council office in Mankato or visit scouting.org.