A Scoutmaster's Blog

Five Boy Scouts and two adult leaders of Melrose Troop 68 joined nearly 3200 other Scouts and leaders for the 2011 Ripley Rendezvous. The event was held at the Camp Ripley National Guard Base in central Minnesota. Boy Scouts from all over Minnesota attended, along with some Boy Scouts from neighboring States and even Canada.

The program was divided into three activities areas, based on the age of the Scouts. The three activities were:
– Action Center Midway (60+ Displays, Demonstrations, Vendors and Hands-on Activities)
– Adventure Program (Shooting Sports and Voyageurs re-enactment group)
– Extreme (Climbing, Rappelling, Team Challenges, Biathlon Course, Military Demonstrations) – for Boy Scouts 14+ and Venturers.

Other highlights of the weekend were military displays and demonstrations, including live rounds fired by tanks, an arial photograph taken of the Scouts and leaders forming a huge fleur-de-lis (watch a future blog post for this picture), and the Camp Ripley Museum.

Saturday evening finished with a grand stage show that featured a band, singers, a comedian, a juggler, and acrobats. There was also a special presentation in which the commander of the Minnesota National Guard was given a Boy Scout banner signed by hundreds of Scouts and adult leaders. This banner will be sent overseas to one of our National Guard units to remind them that we appreciate everything they are doing and are sacrificing to keep us free and safe back home.

The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 had a great time at the Ripley Rendezvous. I believe I can safely say that all the Scouts and leaders that attended the event enjoyed themselves.

More photos of the event can be found at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevejb68/sets/72157625840936002/

I was probably a 13 year old Boy Scout when I attended my first Ripley Rendezvous. This annual event was sponsored by the Central Minnesota Council, BSA, and the Camp Ripley National Guard Base, located north of Little Falls, Minnesota. It was a weekend event which brought hundreds of Boy Scouts together. The Scout troops slept in the barracks, ate in the dining halls, and had plenty of activities to have fun with. One activity that I will always remember is when Billy Kid, the Olympic skier, gave us skiing instructions. I think I even got his autograph.

When I became an adult leader for my home troop I once again began attending the Ripley Rendezvous. Our troop has not missed many of them during the last thirty years. The boys have always had a great time and enjoy being on the base. One of their highlights has been visiting the camp’s military museum.

Scouts will once again gather at Camp Ripley this weekend for the sixth state-wide Ripley Rendezvous. Thousands of Boy Scouts and adult leaders from five councils will be in attendance. The boys will participate in one of three age-based activity areas. It will be a jamboree-style event with all troop staying in tents and cooking meals by patrol.

Rumor has it that this could be the last Ripley Rendezvous. Our council does not have one listed on next year’s schedule. I have not heard the official reason for this, but I would bet it has something to do with the base becoming a very busy place over the last years. Hopefully, in the near future, things will settle down and the Rendezvous tradition can continue once again.

Two new boys joined us for their first Boy Scout camping trip at Camp Watchamagumee over the weekend of May 6-8, 2011. They had a great time on the outing but we did have an interesting and unexpected experience Friday night.

The four boys attending the outing had joined us at the adult’s campsite to sit around the campfire. Eymard, my assistant scoutmaster, had made popcorn. One of the boys had brought marshmallows. The boys wanted me to tell them a story but I kept changing the subject, pushing it off a little longer, letting it get good and dark.

Suddenly, we heard distant barking. I thought it was the dogs of a nearby home but the barking was coming from the wrong direction. When it turned to howling we realized it was coyotes, a pack of them from the sound of it. The mood around the campfire changed instantly. I could the younger boys become a bit anxious so we discussed the nature of coyotes and that those animals usually avoided human contact. They really did not need to be worried.

I waited several minutes before I began the story of the Purple Gorilla. The story begins with a salesman traveling on night through a terrible thunderstorm and finally ends up spending the night at a farmhouse far away from any cities. During the story, the salesman must go through ten doors to find a suspense filled discovery. I was having fun building up the scenario but I was also keeping an eye on the new boys. As I described the opening of the third door we all heard movement in the woods near the boy’s campsite. It sounded like something large.

Interest in the story evaporated as everyone’s thoughts turned to the coyotes we had heard earlier. The young boys were very nervous. I was a little nervous also, I have to admit. All four boys huddled close to me as we grabbed our flashlights and walked to their campsite to discover what had caused the noise. We walked around the site, shining our flashlights in all directions, but seeing nothing. The younger boys wanted me to check out the inside of their tent to be sure nothing had crawled into it. We found nothing in the tent or around the campsite. We heard nothing more. I told the boys it was probably a deer that was passing nearby.

The boys were relieved that we did not find anything, but decided that it was time to go to turn in for the night. The new boys asked me to stay near their tent as they prepared to go to bed. Then I checked on the other boys and walked back to my own campsite.

The story of the Purple Gorilla was all but forgotten. I will have to finish the story at a future outing. As I distinguished the fire I thought that it was a good thing I had not told the story of the Wolfen. If I had, the two new boys probably would not have gone back to their tents.

(By the way, the picture shown was not from this outing but from a weekend in the 1980’s. I do not remember what story they were listening to when I took the picture.)

100 Days Of Scouting: Day 96.

Three years ago the troop began building a treehouse at our Camp Watchamagumee. It was to be an eight foot square house with three foot sidewalls, built eight feet off the ground. It was to be built between a few trees along the main path of the camp. A local lumber yard donated the treated lumber and plywood. I donated the cedar lap siding for the walls.

I thought this would be an excellent project for the Boy Scouts and their fathers. The boys did start out working on the treehouse but we soon discovered the project was not large enough to keep everyone busy. By ones and twos the boys disappeared and began finding other things to do around the camp. It was soon down to two Scouts and the fathers to built the treehouse.

We did not finish building the treehouse that afternoon. We did complete the floor framing, applied the floor plywood, and built two of the walls before we ran out of time. No problem. We would finish it the next year. Unfortunately, we did not go to Watchamagumee in 2009. We did not allow any time in our 2010 schedule to work on the treehouse.

When we went to camp this year I asked one of the fathers, who also happens to be a contractor, to bring some cordless power tools along so we could finish the project. He and I were able to complete the final two walls and build a ladder while the Scouts were working on their Fireman Chit skills.

So, we now have an 8′ x 8′ treehouse at Camp Watchamagumee. I am not sure exactly what we are going to do with it but the landowner already has an idea. He plans to use it as a deer stand during the fall hunting season.

(The picture above shows the treehouse nearly completed.)

100 Days of Scouting, Day 90.

Boy Scout Troop 68 and Cub Scout Pack 68 held an open house on Monday, April 18, at St. Mary’s School gym. Flyers were sent to the schools. Posters were hung around town. An article was printed in the newspaper. We were set to welcome new boys into the Scouting program.

I had set up three tables of troop pictures and memorabilia. The Cub Pack had set up one table. The Boy Scouts had four activities planned for new boys to play. We had a fire truck in the parking lot. Most of the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts were in attendance. Even the district executive had come to our open house. All we needed was some new boys and families.

Unfortunately, no one showed up. No new boys. No new parents. No new families. The only people who stopped by was a gentleman who was the troop’s committee chairman in the early 1980’s, and his wife. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. I was hoping to see at least a few Cub Scout age boys stop by. But nope. No one. Notta. Zilch.

It was time for plan B. We sent the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts out to the parking lot to check out the fire department’s ladder truck. The boys had a great time climbing on it, sitting in it, and looking over the equipment. We were able to get some great photos and video (which I hope to post to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast.)

By 7:20 we realized that no one was probably going to show up so I had the Cub Scouts go through the four activities planned by the Boy Scouts. The Cub Scouts had fun, and the Boy Scouts had a chance to work with and get to know the younger boys. I guess you could say it was a win/win situation for both groups. The Cub Pack committee used the time to meet and plan for this summer’s activities. The district executive walked around with my camera taking pictures while I used my iPod to record video of the stations. Parents took some time to look through the troop photo albums I had brought along.

Even though we did not get any new boys join the pack or troop we were able to fun evening for the boys. I guess you could call that our silver lining. But I am still very disappointed with the turnout.

100 Days of Scouting: Day #75.

In 1997, Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68 spent a weekend at Eagle Cave in Wisconsin. The boys had a great time exploring every nook and cranny within the cave, as you saw in the first video. Saturday evening, the staff invited everyone to the dining hall.  Several adults were asked to come forward and assist with a few musical numbers as seen in the second video.

In this, the third and final video from the trip, the Boy Scouts take center stage as they have fun being silly. Then it is time to choose the “King Snorer” among the adult leaders.

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The weather forecast did not give the impression that this month’s troop activity would be much of a winter outing. The temperature had been above freezing for most of the week. A lot of the snow cover had already melted before we left for camp on the evening of Friday, March 18. The forecast for Saturday had temps in the mid 40’s, with rain Saturday night into Sunday morning. It was looking like the Boy Scouts would have to change a few of their planned activities.

The Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 arrived at Camp Stearns about 7:30 Friday night. Five deer greeted us as we rode through the camp. The campmaster surprised us when he told us that the sledding hill was still open, but that is was very icy. The boys were happy to hear they could use the hill because that was one of the highlights of the weekend.

We did not have much daylight left when we arrived at camp so we quickly unpacked the vehicles and walked to the sledding hill to check out the snow conditions. They hill was still snow covered but it was extremely icy. The Scouts were able to slide down the hill on their belly, without the use of any sleds. They looked like a group of penguins. They returned later in the evening, after organizing their gear, with sleds for a proper sledding activity. The evening ended with the boys watching the movie “Dragonheart” in the lodge.

The older Boy Scouts worked with the younger Scouts on their advancement requirements Saturday morning. After lunch, the boys picked up snowshoes and frisbees from the camp staff, and walked to the disc golf course. A couple of deer greeted the Scouts on the fourth hole. The troop usually plays nine holes while at Camp Stearns, but since the broomball field was a mud pit, they decided to play the entire eighteen holes. This was the first time that many of the Scouts had worn snowshoes so that added a new experience to the game.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with rest, relaxation, and board games. Following a supper of steak, potatoes, and corn, the Scouts went back to the softened sledding hill for another hour of fun. The evening finished with the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”.

The troop awoke before 7:00 Sunday morning. By 8:30 am they had finished breakfast, had packed their gear, and had loaded the vehicles. It was time to go home and relax from a fun filled weekend.

100 Days of Scouting: Days 39-41.

Every once in awhile it becomes a busy week of Scout stuff in this scoutmaster’s schedule. This happens to be one of those weeks. Take a look…

Monday, the 14th – The troop meeting. Most of the members of the Mel-TV board of directors stopped by for a photo with the Boy Scouts. They donated a thousand dollars to the troop. Time to replace some equipment this spring.

Tuesday, the 15th – the troop committee meeting. In addition to the usual stuff, we had a board of review for a Tenderfoot Scout. The chairman of the Cub Scout Pack committee attended so we could plan for a Scout recruitment night in April.

Wednesday, the 16th – preparation. Prepared and printed posters for next month’s Belgian waffle supper fundraiser. Printed, cut, and bundled the presales tickets for the supper. Met with one of the Boy Scouts to discuss and plan the food list for this weekend’s outing.

Thursday, the 17th – packing. Time to prepare the troop gear and pack the personal gear for this weekend’s outing.

Friday, the 18th through Sunday, the 20th – the troop’s winter outing. This one may not be much of a winter outing. Temperatures have been in the 40’s this week. The sledding hill may be brown instead of white.

Monday, the 21st – the troop meeting. We will be using the meeting to have the boys go around town for the presales kick-off for next month’s fundraiser. Hopefully, sales will go well.

Tuesday, the 22nd – The Blue and Gold Banquet. The Boy Scouts will be assisting with the opening and closing ceremonies. They will also be doing a short skit. I will be showing a slideshow I prepared featuring the Cub Scouts during their meetings and Pinewood Derby. I will also give the Friends of Scouting talk during the meeting.

Wednesday, the 23 – rest and relaxation. Unless Chris decides we should do a Leaders Campfire episode.

How is your week of Scouting this week?