A Scoutmaster's Blog

I was listening to some music at work this afternoon when the Village People’s Y.M.C.A. was played. Suddenly, I was transported back to summer camp several years ago. Troop 68 liked taking songs, changing the words, and making a new campfire song. Y.M.C.A. happened to be one of those songs.

We had attended Many Point Scout Camp for several years and I thought we might be able to change Y.M.C.A. to M.P.S.C.  We worked on the lyrics and it did not take long to come up with a new song and actions to go along with it. When we performed it at the Friday night closing campfire it became a hit. The staff joined us onstage for the refrain and the campers and leaders joined us in the actions. We have performed the song several times since then. If I find a decent video of the troop’s performance I will be sure to get it online. Until then, here are the words to our version of M.P.S.C. –

1)  Young man, When you need to get out,
I said, young man, get away from the crowds.
I said, young man, don’t just sit there and pout.
Get up and camp with the Boy Scouts.

That’s where, you can shoot 22’s.
I said, that’s where, there’s always something to do.
I said, that’s where, you can eats lots of stew,
get belly aches and turn shades of blue.

(Refrain)
It’s fun to go to the M.P.S.C.  You’ve got to go to the M.P.S.C.
You can tie a few knots, you can cook your own meal,
You can do whatever you feel.

M.P.S.C.  You’ve got to go to the M.P.S.C.
Young man, young man, don’t just sit on your tail.
Young man, young man, get yourself on the trail.

2)  Voyagers, is the place you should be
if you want to, cook your food as you please.
Then there’s Ten Chiefs, out among all the trees,
with no shower facility.

Buck Skin, is the camp where you call
patrol members, to eat in the dining hall.
Project Cope is, the place where you do it all
even experience free fall.

3)  Young man, the bathrooms are quite unique.
I said, young man, wait till you get a peek.
I said, young man, it’s the place that you seek
When you can’t wait any longer.

Then there’s, the bedroom facilities
Where you can get, a bit caught up on your zz’s
Where the canvas, let’s in all the bugs and fleas
Unless you’ve got mosquito netting.

I recently scanned the pictures I have as a Boy Scout of Melrose Troop 68 in the 1970’s. Then I uploaded them to my Flickr account so that I could make a slideshow to share with you. The pictures are of Scout Sunday in 1975, my photo story for the photography merit badge that I never quite completed, and pictures from summer camp at Parker Scout Reservation in 1976 and 1977. Don’t laugh too hard when you notice the clothing worn back then.

In the last article I wrote about the weather during this summer’s week-long outing at Many Point Scout Camp, and the Tuesday storm in which lightning hit a tree near the administration building located less then a mile from our campsite. I did not get to see the tree while I was at camp but one of the Many Point staff members did get a couple pictures of the tree that was hit. Unfortunately, while I saved this photo, I forgot the name of the staff member. Oh well, you can see the damage to the tree. It is further proof to play it safe during thunderstorms and get to a safe place.

A lot comes to mind when I think about spending a week at summer camp. Scoutcraft, beach activities, and friendships are just a few, but there are a lot more.

The weather always adds something to the memories of camp. I never forget to pack my rain gear because I know there will be at least one rainy day during the week. On the sunny days the temperatures can reach the 90’s, which can be pretty nasty when you add in the humidity of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. The mosquitoes and deer flies love the hot humid weather and often make the evenings a challenge to enjoy. Those are the days I am glad I made the investment of a screen porch to bring to camp.

This summer’s trip to Many Point Scout Camp added a couple new memories to the many I already have. The week began with Sunday and Monday being sunny and comfortable days. The usually rainy day came on Tuesday as a cold front moved into the area. The light drizzle turned to a heavy rain along with thunder and lightning which closed many of the camp’s program areas for safety reasons.

Suddenly, there was a bright flashing of light followed by a deafening boom of thunder that happened at the same moment. Everyone in our campsite jumped inside their tents, including me. My assistant scoutmaster, who happened to be sitting in the screen porch, looked up in the sky in time to see a “ball of fire” to the east of us. We later discovered that lightning had struck a tree near the MPSC administration building which is less than a mile from where we were camping.

The cold front dropped the temperature enough that everyone put on a jacket or sweatshirt. Unfortunately, it stayed cool on Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday. It was so cool that the Scouts decided to skip their troop aquatramp period at the beach Thursday afternoon, and their two hours of sailing on Friday. They had suddenly become fans of disc golf.

Even though the boys decided it was too cool to do activities at the waterfront they did keep busy with camp activities. And there was one advantage to the cool weather. The mosquito population was down, and the deer flies were almost nonexistent. I guess the insects preferred the warmer weather.

I just discovered this video on Youtube featuring behind the scenes pictures from Scout Camp: The Movie, which is being released on dvd this month. I am looking forward to seeing this movie. I think the troop will be having a movie night after I get a copy.

And here is a short clip from the movie featuring the Boy Scouts as they arrive at the beach for their swim checks.

It appears that there will be a new movie making its way around the country this year. It is about spending a week at a Boy Scout summer camp and is called, oddly enough, Scout Camp. From the preview it looks to have some humor and some serious moments. I have read it a Scout forum that the movie is written by guys who were Scouts themselves growing up, and it does not follow the guide to safe scouting very well. Oh the horrors!

I am hoping this film comes to central Minnesota. I would like to see it and perhaps bring the troop along. After all, there are very few movies made about Boy Scouting. I love one line from the preview, “I’m fine. I am the scoutmaster.”

Here is the preview of the movie:

Ah, the closing campfire program at summer camp. The final bit of fun and laughs. The place were awards are presented from a week of adventure. The last gathering of the campers and troops. And, if your troop is doing a skit or song, it could be the last time at camp for the Scouts to experience excitement or anxiety. Luckily, the Boy Scouts of Troop 68 have enough experience to fall more into the excitement group instead of the anxiety group.

The four young Scouts of Troop 68 (the older ones were at Philmont this summer) threw around a few ideas during the week for a skit to do for the closing campfire. The Buckskin Staff of Many Point Scout Camp had encouraged each troop to come up with a song or skit for the program. My four Scouts finally decided on the Invisible Bench skit.

Everything was fine, until Friday morning when the senior patrol leaders met with the camp’s program director and were told that skits should have a “Superheroes” theme to them. My Scouts went into a near panic mode. They did not know any Superhero skits. What could they do now?

During the morning program and afternoon activities we threw around several ideas and finally decided on the Invisible Bench skit. Only it would now be the Invisible Plane skit. The boys would portray various Superheroes gathering to join Wonder Women on an adventure. They would wait in the invisible plane until she arrived. Various superheroes were chosen to be in the skit, along with a quick intro for each one. After a few practices we Scouts were ready to perform.

The Scouts from Troop 68 were called down to do their skit during the middle of the program. I thought the boys did a good job, as did all the troops who did a skit. There was some impressive talent during this year’s program. And of course, I had my video camera there to record it so I could share some of it to you.

This post to the Melrose Scouting Production Podcast features the Invisible Plane skit, and the Supersize skit done by another troop from the Central Minnesota Council. I have to apoligize about the lighting. It was getting pretty dark by the time the troops performed their skits. And for some reason my camera decided to “hiccup” a couple times at the start of the Invisible Plane skit. Recording Boy Scout functions can be frustrating at times.

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