Archive for the ‘Cub Scout’ Category


The year of 2022 is coming to an end which means that Scouting units of the Central Minnesota Council need to complete their recharters. It also means that those of us who serve as adults leaders have decisions to make.

I, for example, have roles in two local Scouting units to consider. First, do I stay on as the cubmaster of Melrose Area Cub Scout Pack 68 for another year? Second, do I remain as the scoutmaster for Troop 68 for 2023? I can tell you from personal experience that holding these two positions at the same time can be challenging. Every Monday and Tuesday is filled with meetings of these two units, plus the weekend activities.

I took on the role as cubmaster a year and a half ago as the state came out of the covid lockdown. While many Cub Scout Packs did not survive the lockdowns, Pack 68 did, but just barely. The Pack began their new program year in September 2021 with only three Cub Scouts. My first priority as cubmaster was to try to build up the membership. The Pack committee chairman and I worked to get the word out about Cub Scouting. We scheduled to visit the two school open houses in town to spread the word. We were able to increase our membership to 12 active Cub Scouts. The next step was to provide a good program.

Our scoutmaster of 2021 decided to step down from the position at the end of that year. None of the parents were stepping up to take the position. I held a meeting with the parents and the Scouts to discuss the problem. I offered to take the position for 2022 but since I was currently serving as the troop committee chair someone would have to fill that role. A new committee chair was found so I stepped into the role of scoutmaster one more time.

Now we arrive at the end of 2022 and it is time for me to decide whether I should remain in both roles. I think both units have been happy with my performance in each role, and I believe we have had a good year in both units. After all, no one has offered to take over either the cubmaster or the scoutmaster positions.

I have decided to stay on as the cubmaster for Pack 68 for one more year. The Pack committee chair and I worked hard this fall to increase the size of the Pack to 26 Scouts and I feel a responsibility to stay with the Cub Scouts at least until the fall of 2023. Hopefully, by that time, someone will step forward to take over the role so that I have a few months to work with him/her before the end of the year.

I have to mention that I have to give the Pack committee a lot of credit. They have made the role of cubmaster very easy for me through their hard work and commitment to the program. They are the main reason I will remain as the cubmaster for one more year.

I had to think harder about staying on as the scoutmaster of Troop 68 for another year. I have now been an adult leader of the troop for over 42 years. Over thirty one of those years has been as the scoutmaster. The thought has crossed my mind this fall that it is time for me to completely step away from the Boy Scout program and let the current generation take care of the troop. I keep thinking to myself, I have served my time.

The Scout Troop currently has nine active members. We have a good program in place. We will welcome two Webelos Scouts into the troop in February when they graduate into Boy Scouting. Six Scouts plan to attend the 2023 National Jamboree. We have a good committee and they have worked hard this past year to keep my duties as the scoutmaster simpler.

Unfortunately I am not that 21 year old scoutmaster any more. My body reminds me of this regularly. I still enjoy working with the Scouts, but I do not enjoy the behind the scenes work anymore. And I will be honest, some of the decisions made by the National Boy Scout office are making it harder for me to stay with the program.

Do I sign up as the scoutmaster of Troop 68 for one more year? Yes I will, for one more year. Why? The first and main reason is the boys. I want to work with them through their 2022-2023 program. The second reason is that the committee continues to be dedicated to the program. Third, there is a strong possibility that we will have someone ready to take over the role of scoutmaster in the summer of 2023.

So, it looks like I will remain as the Cubmaster of Pack 68 and the scoutmaster of Troop 68 as we move into 2023. Welcome to another year of Scouting!

It is that time of year. It is time to make the DVDs for the Scouts of Troop 68. Not that is a requirement by any means. But it is kind of a tradition that I began once I started taking digital photographs. It was easy to take the digital photos, convert them into slideshows, and burn to a DVD, so why not share them with the troop?

This year, for 2020, I decided to make an annual dvd for both the troop and for the Cub Scout Pack. The Cub Scout DVD will contain four slideshows featuring the January Pinewood Derby, and the February, July, and October Pack meetings. The Boy Scout DVD will contain 6 slideshows featuring activities, troop meetings, and a special advancement outing.

The Boy Scouts will receive a bonus DVD featuring this year’s Egg Drop Competition held at Camp Watchamagumee in June. I just recently got around to editing the footage so I thought it would make for a nice surprise.

Every year at this time I keep asking myself if I should continue to create these videos, and every year I seem to keep doing them. The first one was done in 2003, so that means this is the 18th year. I have often wondered if anyone ever takes the DVDs off their shelf to watch them years later but I have talked to a few people, especially parents, who like to go back and watch them once in awhile.

I usually hand these out to the Scouts at the troop’s Christmas party but, of course, due to the virus we will not be holding the annual event, so I may need to drop them off at each Scout’s home. Luckily we live in a small town.

Does your troop do something like this each year? Do your troop families enjoy watching them?

Cub Scout Display

A parent of one of the Boy Scouts of Melrose Area Troop 68 approached me after a troop meeting last month. She is a member of the Cub Scout Pack committee and asked if I could put together a Scouting display for the Blue and Gold Banquet which would be held on Tuesday, February 26. Well, of course, I said yes.

I have been an adult leader in Scouting for over 38 years so I have accumulated a lot of Scouting related items including handbooks, training materials, mugs, patches, and even stuff animals. Putting together a tabletop display would not be too difficult.

The weekend before the banquet I began to think about the display. I wanted it to be Cub Scout themed, of course, with something to catch the attention of both the Scouts and their families.Maybe something with various colors to attract the eye.

I began with the backdrop. One of my patch blankets would serve that purpose. The dozens of patches would attract attention with all the colors and designs. I chose my second blanket since the patches were closer to the date. I own a clothing rack so hanging it would not be a problem.

I made a decision to showcase the history of Cub Scouting with the other items. I chose that theme partially because the older handbooks have better cover designs than the current books. Since I was limited to a table top I could only choose a book or two from each grade level. I also used a couple of adult leader handbooks.

I added a large Norman Rockwell print of a Boy Scout teaching a couple Cub Scouts a new skill for one corner of the table. I finished the display with some Cub Scout awards, an old Cub Scout cap, and a few Scouting themed stuff animals. The table was nicely filled but not so much that it would look cluttered.

The display went over pretty well at the Blue and Gold Banquet. I saw both Scouts and parents checking it out. I guess you could say my mission was accomplished.

Did you have a display at your Blue and Gold? What was your theme? What did it include? Let us know by leaving a comment.

2019 Pinewood Derby Trophies

Another January has come and gone which also means thousands of Pinewood Derby’s has been held across the country. Melrose Area Cub Scout Pack 68 held this year’s Pinewood Derby at the Melrose American Legion on Sunday, January 20. Twenty five Cub Scouts participated in the event.

I arrived at the Legion to help set things up before most of the families arrived. After asking the cubmaster what I should do she asked me to take photographs during the event. I guess she knows that type of work is right up my alley.

I took pictures of each Scout as they arrived. I took two pictures of the Scout holding his/her car, and one closeup of the car. I also took some pictures during the event. When I was asked by the cubmaster to hand out the Derby Patches after the races were complete I handed my camera to one of the Boy Scouts who continued to take pictures. I took the camera back when the cubmaster presented the trophies. I was also able to get a few group and den photos before families started to leave.

By the time the event was over I had over 160 photos from the Pinewood Derby. Since most of the families have a Facebook account I posted many of them to the site. I may also make a slideshow of the pictures and post it later. Of course, no names of the Scouts will be listed with the photos.

Does your Pack assign someone to take photo’s during its Pinewood Derby? How many photos did they take during the event? Did your Cub Scouts enjoy your derby?

The Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 began wearing a Troop T-shirt in the 1980s. The Scouts would wear the T-shirts for the summer outdoor troop meetings and some of the monthly activities. The full uniform was worn for winter indoor meetings, courts of honor, and other special events.

I do not remember Melrose Area Cub Scout Pack 68 ever having a T-shirt. Until now that is. About a year ago the pack committee decided the Cub Scouts should have a T-shirt to wear for certain meetings and activities. The parents agreed. The picture above shows the design on the pack’s shirt. The Cub Scouts like them. Even some of the parents wear one.

While the uniform is an important part of the Scouting program, it is not really needed for every event. I am glad the Pack finally has its own T-shirt.

When I retired as the scoutmaster of Troop 68 at the end of 2011 we only had a membership of 8 or 9 boys. The Cub Scout pack was also going through a tough time. There had been several years that we did not have any Webelos Scouts graduate into the Boy Scout Troop. Luckily, both groups survived and began to turn things around.

This year marks the second year in a row that the troop had Webelos graduate into Boy Scouting. The ceremony was held at the Melrose City Hall meeting rooms on Tuesday, March 27th. The Webelos Scouts were grinning from ear to ear as they crossed the bridge and joined the troop, taking their first steps in a new Scouting adventure.

The newly formed Ninja Patrol has already grown to four members. They have been having a blast as new Boy Scouts. They already have a disc golf marathon under their belts and went to the Central Minnesota Ripley Rendezvous at Camp Ripley in central Minnesota this weekend. In May they will have their first real camp out as a Boy Scout when they go to Camp Watchamagumee. Most of them have already signed up for summer camp in July.

The boys have quickly discovered the Boy Scouting is a far different program than what they had when they were Cub Scouts, and they seem to be loving every moment of it.

Wow! Has it really been over three years since I have done a Melrose Scouting Productions video podcast? I guess it has. The last one was posted on December 1, 2014. I think it is time to do something about that.

On Tuesday, February 27, 2018, the mayor of Melrose, Joe Finken, attended the annual Cub Scout 68 Blue and Gold Banquet. After the meal, but before the award presentations, Mr. Finken was invited to come forward and say a few words to the Cub Scouts. He gave a nice talk which focused on teamwork. He spoke well and had the Scouts’ attention the whole time. With this podcast we would like to share Mayor Finken’s talk.

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Every year, the Central Minnesota Council seems to offer an incentive to the boys who join the local Scouting pack during the School Night to Join Scouting meeting. This meeting is traditional held the third Thursday of September. A few years ago the new members received a rocket. Last year they were given a frisbee with the B.S.A. logo on it.

This year’s prize was sure to make every teacher in Central Minnesota happy. Yes, you guessed it. This year’s incentive was one of those spinners which was so popular with elementary boys. This fidget spinner was blue in color with the B.S.A. logo in the middle of it.

I have to admit, the boys who came to school night all seemed excited about receiving the spinner. Even the current Pack members who came to the meeting wanted one of their own. The parents did not seem to be quite as excited as the boys. The current Scouts could buy one for $5.00 each.I believe most of them did go home with one. I went home with two. One for my Scouting collection, and one for a friend of mine who lives in Arizona.

Does your council offer an incentive to new Scouts on School Night? What was it this year?