A Scoutmaster's Blog

It is hard to believe, but this video is the 50th posting to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast! When I started doing this I never even considered making it this far, and I would not have if people would not watch the videos. I also would like to thank Bob, Chris, Jerry, and Dave for their help and support.

I wanted to do something special for this one. I knew it would have to include Buttons, the radical Boy Scout and mascot of the podcast. I also wanted it to be about Scouting, not just some jokes or skits. I have to thank the my troop for giving me the idea I used for this video. A couple weeks ago one of the Scouts read Lord Baden-Powell’s farewell message. I wondered if Buttons could read that for the internet audience. I tried it, and I think it worked pretty well, but you will have to be the judge.

Lord Baden-Powell’s message can also be read at my friend Jerry’s blog, The Scoutmaster Minute.

I also wanted to do something extra for this 50th posting, so I made a second part to the video. Follow the directions found in the podcast to possibly win a DVD of Buttons’ videos. (Yes, you will have to watch the video to find out what the directions are.) If a lot of people enter the contest I may even give out two DVD’s. Good luck!

If you enjoy the videos, I would love hearing from you. Go to iTunes and leave a review for Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast. Or, go to PTC Media and leave a comment on the forums. Or drop me an email at webmaster @ melrosetroop68.org
Thanks for watching.

Click here to DOWNLOAD this Podcast
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
Check out the other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

I am not sure if you saw the article or not, but Chief Scout Executive Robert Mazzuca was recently interviewed for an article in the newspaper, USA Today. I thought it was a well done article, and I am glad to see that our Scout Executive is not afraid to speak to the media to discuss the positive aspects about the Scouting program. Here is a short except from the article:

Q: When people of business discuss leadership, they use words such as vision, passion, charisma. Why do the Scouts use these 12 words: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent?

A: Charisma and other personality traits may determine how far up the ladder you go, but the 12 points of the Scout Law define your character. If you don’t have integrity, you’re not a good leader no matter how charismatic.

Q: Which one of the 12 would you most recommend to a business executive?

A: (Pause). I think brave. You can’t do the right thing and be effective without some courage.

Q: The Scouts are retooling as they head into their second 100 years. What changes are being made?

A: We’ve been engaged with (management consultant) McKinsey folks for months. Over 100 years, you get a little arthritic and bureaucratic. We are steeped in tradition, which is a good thing, but we’re not particularly good at innovation and renewal. We don’t want to abandon tradition, but we want to be nimble. I’m writing a blog now. It’s gotten more traction and excitement than anything I’ve done in my life. It’s cool.

To read the whole article click HERE. I am not sure how long USA Today leaves their articles online so you might want to check this out quickly.

Also, do not forget to read the sidebar information about Robert Mazzuca. There are a couple good bits of information there including Mazzuca’s Tips:
There are many ways to the top, but great leaders must be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
The most important Boy Scout quality of a business leader is bravery. You can’t do the right thing without courage.
Companies need to be proactive and define themselves, or someone else will.
Encourage personal responsibility. It’s a hallmark of leadership.

We hear so much about gangs these days and the problems they can cause in a community. I found a short article about gangs that I think you may enjoy reading. It is written by David B. Disch, an assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 8, Tuscarora Council, Goldsboro, NC. Here is a short except from the article:

I will only mention some of the other gangs by name. I do this not because I do not know anything about them, but because I wish to spend my time allowed in this paper to discuss the advantages of joining my gang. These gangs, the Bloods and the Crips out of Los Angeles, California, the Folk, and Black Gangster Disciples, out of Chicago, Illinois, are only four of the more well known gangs. What is sad is that here in Goldsboro, North Carolina, our children are starting to emulate, at least by the names of the gangs, these groups. It was earlier thought that delinquent gangs were highly disorganized groups whose members behaved impulsively, and in which there was no particular goal or organized direction for conduct. (2) Gangs offer many things that homes and families today cannot. Gangs offer a sense of belonging. They offer loyalty to each other. Gang members speak of their fellow “gang bangers” as family. Gangs are identified by the colors of their clothing and have a distinct rank structure.

He then goes on to talk about the Boy Scouts as a type of gang. A good type of gang. A gang that helps the community instead of bringing harm to it. You can read the whole article at
http://ww2.esn.net/troop8/join_my_gang.htm.

There is an article in The Arizona Republic that is a great news story about Boy Scouting. Most families are happy to boast about having one Eagle Scout. How would you like to be part of a family with four generations of living Eagle Scouts? You can read about it at
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/05/27/20080527eaglescouts0527.html

Here is a portion of the article…

Thomas Shelton Boggess Jr. met President Herbert Hoover for a brief photo shoot in 1931, but his visit today with President Bush today means much more to him.

That’s because Thomas Jr., 96 and in failing health, will be among four generations of Eagle Scouts in his family meeting the president when he arrives at Sky Harbor International Airport.

Thomas Jr., who lives in a Phoenix assisted-living center, fought back tears Monday when asked what it means for him to meet the president with four generations of his family.

“I’m very proud of him,” Thomas Jr. said of his great-grandson, Thomas Shelton Boggess V, 13, known to his family as Shelton. “He did it especially for me. He wasn’t selfish.”

Shelton, of Flagstaff, said he organized a crew of 15 boys who built a fence around a church as an Eagle Scout project. Shelton said he knew the clock was ticking for his great-grandfather.

His father, Thomas Shelton Boggess IV, 41, a Flagstaff home builder, said his son expedited the badge process. It’s more typical for a boy to achieve the Eagle Scout rank at 15 or 16.

“It makes me feel very special and important to our family,” said Shelton, an eighth-grader at Northland Preparatory Academy. “I knew it was a great honor for him.”

His great-grandfather said, “All the gold in Fort Knox wouldn’t compare to what it meant.”

I came across an online video today that surprised me. It is a film about a Boy Scout troop near where I live. The troop is a very special troop, a troop of challenged men. The Boy Scout program gives these men a chance to experience life in a way they probably never would outside of Scouting.

Here is the summary found with the video: Bob Gillis Wilmar, Minnesota February 2007 Scouting Serves Men With Special Needs “Scouting gives them opportunities to do all the things that they probably wouldn’t have a chance to do without being a member of our troop.”

I invite you to watch the video, rate it, and leave a comment. It can be found at
http://revver.com/video/621428/boy-scouts-wilmar-mn/

This troop really seems to know how to keep the Outing in Scouting, and create a special smile in its participants.

Here are a few Boy Scouts that grew up and became well known polititians, Senators, governors, and even presidents. (Unfortunately, a couple of these seemed to have forgotten the twelve points of the Scout Oath after they grew up.)

William Bennett – Former Secretary of Education (Eagle Scout)
James Brady – Former Press Secretary to President Reagan (Eagle Scout)
Willaim Sessions – Former FBI Director (Eagle Scout)
Murphy J. “Mike” Foster – Governor of Louisiana (Eagle Scout)
Gary Locke – Governor of Washington State (Eagle Scout)
Rick Perry – Governor, State of Texas (pictured above)

Gary Anderson – U.S. Representative from New York (Eagle Scout)
Bill Alexander – U.S. Representative from Arkansas (Eagle Scout)
Charles Bennett – U.S. Representative from Florida (Eagle Scout)
William Dannemeyer – U.S. Representative from California (Eagle Scout)
Daniel J. Evans – Former US Senator and Governor from the state of Washington (Eagle Scout)
Richard Lugar – U.S. Senator from Indiana (Eagle Scout)
Sam Nunn – U.S. Senator from Georgia (Eagle Scout)
J.J. Pickle – U.S. Representative from Texas (Eagle Scout)

Bill Clinton – President of the United States
George W. Bush – President of the United States
John F. Kennedy – President of the United States
Gerald R. Ford – President of the United States (the first Eagle Scout to become President!)

Do you know of any more to add to this list?

Here are just a few Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts that grew up and became well known actors, television personalities, and directors:
Harrison Ford – Actor
Richard Gere – Actor
John Ritter – Actor
David Hartman – Actor (Life Scout)
Paul Winfield – Academy award winning actor
Richard Roundtree – Actor (Boy Scout)
John Schneider – Actor/Singer (Cub Scout)
James Stewart – B-17 Pilot, Actor (Boy Scout)
John Tesh – TV Celebrity (Eagle Scout)
Walter Cronkite – Journalist, T.V. Commentator
Steven Spielberg – Film Director/Producer (Eagle Scout)

Do you of any others that can be added to the list?

There are not very many Scouting podcasts found on the internet yet, and most of the ones you find seem to be Cub Scouting related, not that there is anything wrong with that. My own Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast (MSPP) covers both Boy Scouting and Cub Scouting, but it is heavy on the Boy Scouting. MSPP is geared toward the entertainment and fun of Scouting. It does not hit the leadership and training side of things very much.

A new entry has recently joined this small group of Boy Scout related podcasts. Jerry and friends at The Scoutmaster Minute (http://www.thescoutmasterminute.com) have developed and produced a podcast that talks about Boy Scouting. I have listened to this podcast and I think they are doing a great job.

As I write this, Jerry has posted five audio podcasts so far. The average podcast is about 30-40 minutes long, probably as long as your commute to work. Topics have covered such areas as cold weather camping, bullying, the Scout Oath, and the Order of the Arrow Representative. It sounds like Jerry and company have quite a few more shows planned, which I think is great.

You can download his podcast from his website (see above) or from iTunes at
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=278092418