The Junior Woodchucks have many activities. The activities may be as different as decorating windows ("The Christmas Cha-Cha", DG 26) and rescue in a blizzard ("Operation St. Bernhard", WDC 125). Sometimes the troops invite famous persons to give a lecture, like when Scrooge tells about his life in Yukon in "The Loony Lunar Gold Rush" (US 49). At other times the junior woodchucks themselves tell about exiting experiences. Huey, Dewey and Louie have to tell about an adventure in "Crown of the Mayas " (US 44). But sometimes the meetings are about more mundane activities, like dealing with bad economy in "Gold of the '49ers", JW 13-02/ H 92107). Christmas dinner ("X-mas Dinner Swindle" (WDC 148) is a bit more interesting.

Rescue

The Junior Woodchucks spend much of their time in practising rescue operations. The section about rescue is large , and the troops spend much time on learning how to rescue people in need. Rescue is an important part of the tests leading up to promotion in the organization. We see Huey, Dewey and Louie training Bolivar (Boneworthy in this story) as a mountain rescue dog "Operation St. Bernhard" (WDC 125), and the boys need to pass life saving tests to become ten-star generals ("Woodchucks vs Boonheads", WDC 132).

Unorthodox revival

To be a ten-star general you also have to pass indian tests, and to be a exalted hightails ("Valentine Mailman", WDC 150) you need to pass a life saving test. Part of the training for these tests is probably the use of native Americans' smoke writing (which Huey, Dewey and Louie use in " Turkey Trot at One Whistle", WDC 162-01). They also learn Woodchuck code ("Avalanche Valley", WDC 137), semaphore ("Bottled Battlers", JW 10-02/ H 94141) and how to make arrows with stones when you are kidnapped by Arabic crooks ("McDuck of Arabia", US 55). Waving feet is a Junior Woodchucks distress signal according to "Maple Sugar Time" (JW 10-01/ H 94001).

Woodchuck code

Even the Junior Woodchucks hound learn rescue. Donald is jealous when the hound saves all the pretty women in "The Beach Boy" (WDC 276). Read more about this conflict at my Junior Woodchucks hound page. The Junior Woodchucks have to rescue Donald quite often, like when the pull him out of quicksand and remove a turtle which has attached itself to Donald bill in "The Chickadee Challenge" (WDC 181). When Donald tries to save his nephews in "The Watchful Parent" (WDC 228-01), they have to revive him. They say "lucky we studied water rescues at Junior Woodchucks annual camp!" The Junior Woodchucks also has to lend a helping hand when Donald falls through the ice in "Duck out of Luck" (WDC 294). This is probably the tip of the iceberg. Many a rescue is probably not reported in the Duckburg chronicles.

The frequent rescues are probably the reasoon for Donald's willingness to og missing in "The Hollow Tree" (WDC 227). In this story we are told that the Junior Woodchucks do not need modern equipment to communicate during rescues. They may use drums or smoke writing. The only problem with these ways of communicating is that they may hurt the person they are trying to save. All these exercises is really just a game - children are noe allowed to take part in rescues (officially). That is why they have to pretend just being in the area when a plane crashes in "Bad Day for Troop 'A'" (JW 8-03/ H 92002). When they reach the crashsite the rescue is performed as a contest between the two troops.

Environmentalism

But the Junior Woodchucks do not only save humans, they are concerned with environmental issues. In "Hark the Ark" (JW 23-01) they save all animals from Mistyvale forest, no difference it be an elephant or woodticks. The Woodchucks' concern for the environment is an important issue in the Junior Woodchucks stories Barks wrote in retirement. In "Let Sleeping Bones Lie" (JW 8-01) the Junior Woodchucks are taught botany and palaeontology , and they are cleaning up the roadsides in "Bottled Battlers" "

Sometimes the Junior Woodchucks have to destroy factories in order to save the environment

(JW 10-02/ H 94141). This story is a report from the year the sorceress Magica de Spell put three Junior Woodchucks in a bottle. She does not care about Junior Woodchucks or the environment (her broom pollutes heavily ). In "Looter of the Lake" (JW 9-01) the Woodchucks even break the law when Scrooge operates a factory which spoils Crystal Lake.

Junior Woodchuck saving mice from a certain death.

They cause the vitamin factory to blow up and cheer "the ecology is saved" when Scrooge does not want to listen to them. Later, in "Eagle Savers" (JW 11-02/ H 99044) they stop Scrooge from driving the bald eagles from their nests and in "Gold of the Forty-Niners" (JW 13-02/ H 92107) they save mustangs from wild horse hunters who want to turn the mustangs into dog food.

When possible the Woodchucks help out others fighting pollution and destruction of the environment. In "The Phantom Joker" (JW 22/ H 98254) they raise money to buy a new cable car to Donald. The one he is using to monitor pollution is almost broken. In fact, it breaks down when Donald tries to stop their fundraising to get the money himself.

When the Junior Woodchucks do not save nature, they use it for camping. Usually they bring their own tents, but now and then they have to make their own tents from grass. We see an example of their skills when they make a tent that survives the the Commanche mountain mover which ruins their school in "Storm Dancers" (JW 12-02/ H 92012). The Junior Woodchucks experience nature in their local community and elsewhere. They are watching birds in "The Stubborn Stork" (OS 1047), and are taught bee-keeping in "The Beekeepers" (WDC 158). That does not end well. Donald tries to remove the bees by carrying the hive through town. That kind of action is not what the Junior Woodchucks need to raise money for their organization.

Fundraising

Fundraising occupies much of the Junior Woodchucks' time. Sometimes they raise money for others, like the poor in Duckburg ("A Christmas for Shacktown", OS 367) and an eagle refuge ("Eagle Savers", (JW 11-02/ H 99044). They even have their own charity fund raised by pancake breakfasts and selling maple sugar ("Maple Sugar Time" JW 10-01/ H 94001). In this story we also learn that Junior Woodchucks would not give marshmallows to a starving child.

Still, much time i devoted to raising funds for the organization. They even try to find gold bricks with treasure finders in "Gold of the Forty-Niners" (JW 13-02/ H 92107) because the treasury is almost empty. They have tried collecting bottles og selling cookies. Medals are probably a major expense for the organiztion. In "Teahouse of the Waggin' Dragon" (JW 19-01) the Junior Woodchucks sell cookies for their medal fund. In this story Scrooge unintentionally saves the Woodchucks (he tries to cheat them). We also learn of the Junior Woodchucks turkey raffle ("Gladstone's Usual Very Good Year", WDC 136).

Scrooge is not famous for handing out money, but paying the Junior Woodchucks for a commercial is a different matter ("Looter of the Lake" JW 9-01). It looks like it is important to both Scrooge and the Junior Woodchucks to have a good relationship. Scrooge even tells about the danger of gold fever in "The Loony Lunar Gold Rush" (US 49), and he finances "Duckburg Science Hall for the Junior Woodchucks of the World" in "Dread Valley Sandy" (WDC 221), probably to gain access to the Junior Woodchucks guidebook. The Junior Woodchucks in return helps Scrooge being elected city treasurer in "Election Campaign" (US 8-03), and when Scrooge has to spend a lot of money to avoid expanding his money bin in "Spending Money" (WDC 144) they help out Donald. It does not work, though. And in "A Christmas for Shacktown " (OS 367) the Junior Woodchucks help Scrooge saving his money.

Tests and competitions

WDC 125	Operation St. Bernhard	Training a dog to save lost travelers (part of the training in life-saving)
WDC 132	Woodchucks vs. Booneheads	Badge in archery Badge in Indian crafts (building canoes, Badge in lifesaving
WDC 150	Valentine Mailman	Life saving and drowning resusciation test
WDC 181	The Chickadee Challenge	Building bridges
WDC 232	Under Polar Ice	Junior Woodchucks magnetic navigation tests
WDC 253	Hound Hounder	Sending secret messages by Junior Woodchucks hound-competition
WDC 261	Medaling around	The Junior Woodchuck supreme medal of overwhelming tracking merit
WDC 276	The Beach Boy	The hound has to guard blakets util sundown
WDC 282	Bubble Weight Champ	Anvil-smashing contest One-hand pushups One-finger pushdown Iron-chewing Boxing by coaches
US 61	So Far and No Safari	The Junior Woodchucks animal-taming tests (Huey, Dewey and Louie also practice bird and animal calls in "The Mines of King Solomon (US 19-02)
JW 8-03/ H 92002	Bad Day for Troop "A"	Knots mountaineering litter-bearing contest stretcher carrying
JW 9-01	Looter of the Lake	Winter skating tournament
JW 11-01/ H 92085	Traitor in the Ranks	How much can a novice learn in one day

Sometimes helping animals pays