What is Laughs For Lunch? It is an annual show the Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 perform for the community that supports them throughout the year. Audience members bring an item of food for the local food shelf as admission to the show. Thus, the Scouts provide the laughs while the audience provides the lunch for the needy.
     This is the sixth show the troop has held. The show is based on songs and skits seen at some of the campfire programs at summer camps and camporees. In addition to well know campfire songs and skits the troop has developed a few original bits that also have become a part of the show. Some of the bits even included audience members who were brought on stage to have a little fun.
     This year's show lasted nearly one and a half hours. The Scouts had a great time performing for the audience, and the audience had a fantastic time watching the fun.

An elderly man chats with his doctor about a problem of growing old during the Doctor Skit.	Remember the movie Jaws? Here the Scouts lead the audience in a song devoted to those sharks.	The suicide group job sketch is a favorite of many audience members and the Scouts.
Three Scouts went to hell, met the ruler of that hot place, and wanted to escape during the Trip To Hell skit.	Star Trekking is a song heard once on the radio and became one of the troop's most famous original skits.	Ever have your radio loose the station's signal as your driving? The Radio Skit demonstrates what that is like.
As a public service the Scouts did a demonstration of how professional pickpockets perform their craft, in slow motion!	Is it time yet?     No, not yet. It's a silly skit, with an even sillier ending. Is it time yet?   No, not chet!	The assistant scoutmaster dishes out a meal that does not sit well in the stomach of the Scouts during the Two Rivers skit.

     It was time for the annual winter outing, so off to Camp Stearns we went! Camp Stearns, which is owned by Viking Council, has become a popular place for the members of Troop 68 during the winter months. Although there was not a lot of snow for this year's outing, there was enough to do a few things outdoors, like broomball, disc golf, and sledding.

Even the adults had to take time to clean up after a meal.  Really?  Gosh, whatever happened to "A Scout is helpful"?	Two of the youngest troop members watch as the older troop members do sometime of camera. Our assistant scoutmaster is making popcorn.	These two Scouts decided to take a little free time and try playing a few hands of a card card. It gets dark outside quick during winter.
Jenga was a popular activity while the troop was indoors. The real challenge was to see how high we could get the tower.	This was the first time many of the troop members had played broomball. It took a little getting used to, but boy did they had fun.	A Scout is reverent. Even on our outing away from home and church we still find time to conduct a service to worship our God.

     Almost every year Troop 68 sets up displays throughout the community to recognize Boy Scouting and celebrate Scout Anniversary Week. This year's displays were set up at the Melrose City Center, the Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union, and the Melrose branch of US Bank.

This table top display was placed at US Bank.

This was could be found at the CMFCU.

The biggest display was at the City Center.

The adult's trivia team consisted of a district executive, a troop committee member, and the troop committee chairman.

The Scout's team really got into the spirit of the game and became quite comical as they answered their questions.

After the ceremony, the troop posed for a group picture. It is not often we get to do this. We really should do it every year.

       Once again, the Scouts of Troop 68 went to their favorite camping spot, Camp Watchamagumee, otherwise known as Klassen's land. It has been one of the favorite places for the troop to camp for nearly 20 years. This year we worked on our Scout skills, tried to earn out Totin' Chip and Fireman Chit cards, played Capture the Flag, and had the annual egg drop competition which a bit of a twist added to it (two eggs to protect instead of one.)

This weekend has become the time in the spring when most of the guys earn their Totin Chip cards.	The older Scouts took some time to teach the younger Scouts some of the skills needed for Scout camping.	Of course, their is also time to sit around and do nothing. A little free time is always a good thing.
These guys won the egg drop competition by packing their two eggs in natural materials the best way.	One of the land owners happened by just in time for supper. Our assistant scoutmaster served him a fine meal.	There was a little time Saturday afternoon to play a little cards. Most of the troop ended up playing before the games were done.

       The members of Melrose Troop 68 spend a weekend near Duluth on June 27-29. It became quite a busy weekend. On Friday, we went into Duluth and visited the Train Depot Museum, the Maritime Museum, and saw a movie at the Omni Theater. We also spent some time walking around Canal Park and the shore of Lake Superior.
       On Saturday, we made the long drive to the Soudan Underground Mine and High Physics Lab, near Soudan, Minnesota. We learned quite a lot about how the mine was operated when it was open. Did you know that the mine is close to one half mile underground? We also learned about neutrinos when we visited the physics lab.
        On Sunday we stooped to see how good we were at white water rafting. The rafting took place 14 miles south of Duluth. We did quite well and had a lot of fun. Only one of our troop members fell out of the raft when we hit the bigger and more challenging rapids.

Relaxing in our campsite on Friday night, just outside of Duluth, Minnesota.	While we were in Duluth we visited the Canal Park along Lake Superior.	We stopped by the Train Depot Museum in Duluth and got a look at what the trains once meant to the area.
The Sudan Underground Mine was a cool place to be. It is 50 degrees F. the whole year down there.	The group posed for a shot outside of the Soudan Underground Mine and High Physics Lab.	Pick your raft, it is time to try our hand at white water rafting. Most of us had never tried this out before today.
Along the way, we paused for a break in the action, to rest, and to find a rock.	This it was back on the river to head to the biggest rapids of the day, an 6 foot drop.	We may have gotten a bit wet during the adventure but we did have a great time.

    Six members of Troop 68 enjoyed the thrill of summer camp this year during the week of July 13-19.  A typical day at the Buckskin Camp in Many Point began with a hot breakfast in the dining hall. Then the Scouts were off to their morning merit badge classes. After lunch, the Scouts participated in scheduled troop activities or had a little fun around the campsite. After a large supper, (the Scouts never left a meal hungry), the camp activities were opened up for all Scouts to have fun. Campers could go to the archery or rifle ranges, the swim beach, try canoeing or sailing, play around on the monkey bridge or carrousel at Scoutcraft, or try climbing the tower.
    There were scheduled activities every afternoon for each troop. Troop 68 Scouts went to the rifle range on Monday, and followed that by making an apple cobbler at the Scoutcraft area. On Tuesday, the troop did its super-troop service project and then spent the next two hours cooling off on the lake in sailboats. The troop participated in the Ethics in Action program on Wednesday, and then went back to Scoutcraft to make another apple cobbler. On Thursday, they went canoeing and tried out the camp's sauna for an hour. Friday afternoon began with a campwide reflection, followed by another apple cobbler, and ended at the archery range. At the archery range, the Scouts could also practice shooting a sling shot and try throwing hatchets at targets.
    Five members of Troop 68 participated in this year's Ironman competition. The Ironman is a three part marathon in which the participants canoe, swim, and run.
    Camp activities end with the closing campfire on Friday night. The staff performs various song and skits to the enjoyment of hundreds of campers. Awards are also presented at this time. The Melrose Scouts were the only troop to perform at the campfire. They were joined by members of the staff as they sang their original lyrics “MPSC”, done to the tune “YMCA”.

Troop 68 has a tradition of camping in the Tyler Campsite in the Buckskin Camp.	The rifle range is a popular place at Many Point Scout Camp.	Troop 68 participates in a service project every year while at camp.
Five troop members decided to try the Ironman marathon which included canoeing, swimming, and running.	One of our troop members came in second place in the ironman competition. All our Scouts did well.	Sitting around the campfire eating Eymard's popcorn is a great way to spend an evening in camp.
Two guys worked on the primitive shelter for the Wilderness Survival merit badge.	At the archery range we shot arrows and tried a sling shot and throwing hatchets.	While our group was a bit smaller then past years we still had a lot of fun.

City employees instruct the Scouts how to apply the medallions to the curb over the drains.

Here is what the medallion, supplied by the Sauk River Watershed, looked like once installed on the curb.

We had a lot of help between the Boy Scouts, city of Melrose employees, and Sauk Centre Watershed.

The of the guys prepare the balloons for the water fight. The troop would be divided into two teams for this event.	It takes a couple of good cooks to keep the troops fed and happy. Everyone did a good job with the cooking.	If you go camping you have to have some time to just sit around and enjoy the company, and the nature around you.
One of the events held was a survivor-style contest in which the Scouts tried to stay standing on a pole the longest.	A Scout is reverent. Troop 68 always tries to either get to church, or have a religious service sometime during the weekend.	It may not have been a big group that attended the weekend, but is was a group that had a lot of fun.

One of the Scouts had his blood pressure checked by one of the Melrose Ambulance attendents.	The Scouts received instruction on how the crew uses a body board when they arrive at the scene of an accident.	The Scouts had a great time learning about the ambulance and what an ambulance crew does at the scene of an accident.
Even an assistant scoutmaster should find a little time to kick back and relax when he is on an outing.	Some nearby hunters lost track of a goose they had shot. The Scouts came to the rescue and found it for them.	A husband/wife team of black powder musket hunters came out Saturday afternoon to give a  demonstration.
After the demonstration, the scouts were allowed to shot the muskets at a cardboard target down the range.	The muskets gave off a lot of smoke, and made a lot of noise. They also had a bit of a kick to them.	Troop 68 always tried to have a religious service while on an outing. We will usually have a few readings and some discussion.

This is the third year these two Troop 68 Scouts have taught knife safety during the day camp.

One of the Troop 68 members helped out at the rifle range as the Webelos Scouts shot bb guns at targets.

After all the work was done the rifle range was opened for all the Boy Scouts who assisted with the days activities.

How much can a troop full of teenage boys eat and drink during a Christmas party? A lot!

The gift exchange was done with a dice game. Every time you shook doubles you could exchange with someone else.

The dice game lasted for 15 minutes. The gift you had at the end of the time period was the gift you went home with.

The four plaques were given to Scouts who have been members of the troop for seven years.

Ben and Mike were two Scouts who became members of the troop when they were 11, and stayed with the troop until they were 18.

Deb and Chris received the Scenic District's "Scouter of the Year" award. The awads were presented during the court of honor.